How To Ride the Waves with a Surf Board

Riding the waves is tricky, but full of fun. The common type of surfing is the traditional surfing called stand-up surfing, wherein the surfer lies down on the board, paddles toward a potential wave, catches it and stands up to ride it. From afar, it may seem too easy. Especially when being done by pros.

For beginners, here are a few steps to help you ride the waves:

1. Every beginner has to learn little by little. Do not expect to ride the big waves yet. Look for a place where the waves are only about 3-4 feet high. There are plenty of times you might topple over so, better look for a place that has a sandy bottom to cushion your falls. The ocean is too deep of a place to practice.
2. Since you are a beginner, it is more likely that you will rent a surfboard. You might think that long boards are more difficult to use than shorter ones. On the contrary, long boards have more buoyancy and are easier for you to stand on. Get a fun board or ask for a spoon since their front edges are rounded which help you maintain balance on the water.
3. Now grab your board and practice on the sand, not on the water yet. On the board, lie on your belly, like the way you see others when paddling out in the ocean. Then when you are prepared to stand, grab the edges of the board on both sides and crouch in one quick, smooth motion at the middle of the board. When you go into the water, you will realize how much the water will try to overturn you. So while you are still on the sand, try to maintain a stable position at the center, your dominant foot in front. This will allow you to control the board, including the proper and comfortable stance as you practice.
4. When you are done practicing and somehow able to master crouching in one fluid motion, then you are ready to get wet. Fasten the Velcro foot tether that will prevent your board from leaving you when the waves knock you over.
5. Go into the water. Walk as far towards the waves as you can. If the water is deep enough, you can lie your belly down on the board and begin a simple crawl stroke.
6. While paddling, feel the power of the water and the waves. When a wave comes, face the shore while still lying belly down and paddle towards the shoreline using the simple crawl stroke.
7. Once the wave touches the board, grab both sides of the board and crouch in one fluid motion, like the way you practiced on the sand.
8. As you ride the wave, adjust your stance, as wide as you can to keep the balance. If the waves turn you over, then try again. Your board is not going anywhere without you, thanks to the Velcro tether.

Once you have mastered surfing on simple waves, you can now go out to ride bigger ones and discover new tricks while wearing surf sunglasses. You can have your own board with tail designs like pintail, diamond tail, square tail, etc. which depends upon the individual aspects of the user and the shape of the board. Pretty soon you will start collecting surfing pictures and wallpaper.