By Jim Rohades
Dubbed 
as the “Sport of Kings”, surfing is no doubt one of the most popular and exciting surface water sports. It basically involves riding a surfboard on ocean waves that are rolling towards the shore. Offhand, it seems to be a sport that is difficult to learn. That may be true, but only to an extent. Once you learn the basics of surfing, you will no doubt enjoy the sport.
If you are interested to learn surfing, there are a few basics about the sport that you need to pay attention to:
Equipment
The market is flooded with numerous surf equipment, from armbands and nose protectors to helmets. Feel free to get some of them if you have money to spare, but as a beginner, you will not need more than just custom surfboards or used surfboards. It is important to buy a surfboard that is not only of good quality, but also of the right style and dimensions that will fit your needs.
Safety
Every sport comes with its own dangers. Surfing, as an extreme sport, comes with many. Even professional surfers have had their fair share of accidents while in the water, so it is then vital for a beginner to learn to respect the ocean. If you still don’t have intermediate swimming skills, do not venture too far out nor tackle gigantic waves because there is always the risk of drowning. Do not be embarrassed to learn how to balance on small waves.
Styles
There are actually many surfing styles, most of which you can learn later, when you are able to learn how to read the water and maintain better balance while on a surfboard. But the following are a few basic skills you need to master as a beginner.
1. Paddling – This helps you stay on the water a lot longer. Paddling is a skill that you need to learn just in case you will be caught in turbulent waters.
2. Duck Diving – This is the art of gracefully diving under an oncoming wave. If you don’t know how to duck dive, there’s a risk of you being washed away by a strong wave.
3. Wave Breaking – The rule of wave breaking is if a wave breaks to the right, you go in the same direction. If the wave breaks left, you also go left. Otherwise, you will risk colliding with an oncoming wave.
Keeping all these things in mind will not only help you surf better, but also surf safer.
Jim is just another avid surfer living a laidback lifestyle in Australia. When he’s not out conquering waves, he writes for Diverse Surfboards, Gold Coast’s top provider of used surfboards and custom surfboards.
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