Can You Learn To Surf On Your Own? Tips on How to Teach Yourself to Surf

When people are first looking at getting into surfing, many ask if they really need surfing lessons or whether they can do it on their own.

So can you learn to surf on your own? It’s a fair enough question, if you don’t have any surfing friends who can show you the ropes and you don’t want to spend the money on surf lessons.

However this might not be the right question that budding surfers should be asking and in this article we’ll explain why.

How to Learn To Surf On Your Own

Learning to surf is a tangible goal, even for those who embark on this journey without a mentor. As a beginner, your mindset plays a crucial role; approach this challenge with determination and patience.

Teaching yourself to surf requires a solid understanding of the basics such as wave patterns, board handling, and maintaining balance.

While having an instructor can accelerate the learning process, many surfers have built their skills through self-teaching, bolstered by a wealth of resources available from books, videos, and online tutorials.

Embarking on this experience alone, you’ll need to be diligent about preparation.

• Start by observing the ocean, understanding rip currents, and watching how more experienced surfers navigate the waves.

• Physically, it’s essential to condition your body off the board—and you can practice pop-ups, work on your upper body strength for paddling, and improve your balance at home. You can sharpen your surfing skills by simulating movements and consistently engaging in fitness routines that mirror the demanding nature of surfing.

• Actual practice in the water is irreplaceable. Start in small, manageable waves and focus on safety, ensuring that you’re well-informed about the surf etiquette.

Self-teaching allows you to learn at your own pace, but always remember that respect for the sea and a conscious awareness of your limits are critical.

Surfing is not just a sport, but a lifelong learning process where even seasoned surfers discover something new each time they hit the waves.

So gear up, embrace the process, and prepare to join the ranks of self-taught surfers who find joy and freedom in riding the crest of a wave.

Understanding the Basics of Surfing

Before you embark on your self-taught surfing journey, it’s necessary to familiarize yourself with the sport’s rich heritage, essential terms, and basic equipment.

These foundational elements will help guide your approach to learning and ensure you have a respectable and practical understanding as you start.

Surfing History and Culture

Surfing, with its origins deeply rooted in Polynesian culture, has evolved from a regional pastime to a widely-embraced sport with its own unique ethos.

You’ll find that respect for the ocean and fellow surfers is a critical part of the surfing community. Embracing this aspect will enrich your experience and integration into the surfing world.

Key Surfing Terminology

Knowing key surfing terms will not only boost your confidence but will enhance your ability to understand instructions and communicate with other surfers. Here are some fundamental terms:

• Break: The point where the wave begins to fall, or ‘break.’
• Lineup: The spot where surfers wait for their turn to catch a wave.
• Duck Dive: A technique used to dive under an oncoming wave with your surfboard.
• Pop Up: The swift movement from lying on your board to standing, ready to surf the wave.
• Right of Way: The surfer closest to the peak of the breaking wave has the priority to ride it.

Equipment Overview

Surfing gear is essential for performance and safety. Here’s a brief run-down:

• Surfboard: Your primary piece of equipment. As a beginner, opt for a larger, more stable board.
• Wetsuit: Depending on the water temperature, a wetsuit may be necessary to keep you warm.
• Leash: A cord that attaches your surfboard to your ankle, preventing you from losing your board.
• Gear: Additional gear includes surf wax for grip, and a rash guard to protect against abrasions.

Knowing and adhering to surf etiquette is crucial for safety and respect in the water. Always wait your turn for waves, avoid “snaking” or stealing someone else’s wave, and never paddle directly into the lineup.

In the end, you have to learn to surf on your own

Not many people take more than a couple of surf lessons to learn the initial surfing basics. Some people decide to go all out with an initial few weeks at a dedicated surf camp.

Either way once they’ve picked up these skills, they’re on their own. Why? Because learning to actually surf well takes most people a lot of time and it’s a process that is ongoing and requires long term commitment and persistence. 

Perhaps a better question to ask is; can I learn the basics of surfing on my own or should I pay for some surf lessons?

And the answer is you could do either.

Some people with experience with other board sports, strong swimming skills and a high level of fitness may find themselves standing up in the whitewater on one of their first attempts at surfing. Equally someone like this may not. 

At the end of the day, taking a few surf lessons is not going to hurt. A surf school will point out some basics you really should know: 

• Simple surfing rules and etiquette
• The basics of paddling and where to lie on the surfboard
• Pop up techniques 

Further, they’ll take you to a learner friendly surf spot where conditions are suitable for your first couple of sessions on a surfboard and they may instill some ongoing surf techniques that potentially stop you from making mistakes and developing bad habits for the longer term.

At the same time, there’s absolutely no reason why you couldn’t spend a few sessions on your own catching white water and practising popping up to a standing position until you get the hang of it. Only you can make that call and whether you feel confident enough to give it a go without someone there to give you some direction. 

There’s plenty of information available which outlines basic surfing rules and etiquette and some general pointers before you head to the water.

The only other key things you need to do is find a beginner friendly surfboard with high volume and find a gentle crumbling already broken wave where you’re not going to get in the way of other surfers (admittedly, these two things are what surf lessons will do for you, so you could say they are worth the money for those things alone).

Once you’ve got the general hang of standing up on the board and maintaining your balance, you’re ready to take on the unbroken waves (the green waves), and from here, you are more or less on your own. 

Avoid slow or no progress when you are learning to surf on your own

As we’ve outlined above, once you’ve mastered some initial skills you’re either going to be buzzing to keep on the upward trend and learn to surf properly or you’ll give up and maybe never really surf much again.

After all, the reality is that it’s probably going to be a long journey from here which will involve regular surfing of at least once or twice a week initially to really get into a rhythm and quickly gain traction with your surfing. 

Noone but yourself is going to give you that motivation to surf and surf often. It’s going to be a motivation that burns from inside of you and as a result, if you’ve caught the bug, you’ll just want to get in water and catch waves as much as possible.

There’s a danger of getting on a path of limited improvement if you don’t take the right steps to improve your surfing the right way. There are some common challenges that people struggle with and that hold them back when they are between the absolute beginner and intermediate phase so it’s important to avoid some of those key mistakes.

Check out our article ‘is surfing hard to learn’ to find out more about some of these key challenges, with the most of these important of these issues to be conscious of in order to really progress your surfing in the early stages:

Surfboard Selection – Tips for Choosing the Right Surfboard

Selecting the appropriate surfboard is crucial for your progression and enjoyment in surfing. The right board should match your skill level and the conditions in which you’ll be surfing.

Don’t limit your progress in the early stages by surfing a board unsuitable for your experience level. When trying to work out what size surfboard you should get, remember that a high volume board (longer, wider and thicker) will give you more float which means it is much more stable, easier to paddle and easier to stand up on which are all key to progressing your surf skills initially.

Even when you decide to step up from a real beginner surfboard to a new board, I would recommend sticking with a mid length or longer board which will naturally have less volume and higher performance but still be easier to paddle and more stable and forgiving than a shortboard.

You may feel like you want to jump straight to shorter boards but for many people this just slows down their progress overall!

Surfboard Types

When starting out, you have several types of surfboards to consider:

• Longboards: These are typically 8 feet and above, offering great stability and buoyancy for learning.
• Shortboards: Ideal for sharp turns and high performance but not recommended for beginners due to their challenging handling.
• Funboards: With a length ranging between 7 to 8 feet, they strike a balance between longboards and shortboards.
• Foam Surfboards: Often referred to as soft tops, they are forgiving and less intimidating for newcomers.
• Beginner Surfboard: Usually a larger and more buoyant board, designed for stability and ease of catching waves.

Understanding Surfboard Volume

Volume determines buoyancy and is vital to your surfing experience. It’s a combination of length, width, and thickness. Consider the following:

• Big Boards: Offer more volume, making them more stable and easier to paddle.
• Thin Boards: Have less volume and are harder to balance and paddle but better for advanced maneuvers.

Volume is measured in liters, and the correct volume is contingent on your weight and experience.

Selecting a Board for Your Skill Level

As a beginner, your focus should be on a surfboard that aids in catching waves and provides stability. Here’s what to look for:

• Board Length: Generally, opt for one that’s 2 to 3 feet taller than your height.
• Thickness: Aim for about 2.5 to 3 inches, as this offers adequate buoyancy.
• Rails: Rounded rails are more forgiving and offer better stability.
• Rocker: A flat to low rocker aids in paddling into waves and enhances stability.
• Edges: Soft edges or a rounded nose are less likely to cause injury in case of a wipeout.
• Sweet Spot: Find a board that easily identifies its sweet spot, where you can stand and balance well.

Consider a large, buoyant board with gentle rails and a stable shape to start your surfing journey successfully.

Surfing the right user friendly waves

When you’re focused on improving your surfing in the early days it is much more important to surf more waves than it is to surf high quality waves.

The problem with the best surf breaks is that they’re almost always really crowded even when the waves are small, so you’ll be coming up against better surfers and dealing with crowds so you’ll be lucky to catch any waves.

But when you’re starting out it is hard to get your head around all the different kinds of surf breaks and variations in conditions. You’ve got to spend a bit of time learning about how waves work and getting to know local surf breaks near you to find out where is most suited to your skill level.

People at beginner beaks are also more understanding and more friendly than at most popular surf breaks. 

Realistic expectations and commitment

As an early stages surfer, it’s important to accept that it will take some time to master and that for at least for a while (and probably never), you’re not going to be surfing like the pro surfers we see all over the surf media. Realistic expectations also help to take the seriousness away.

Sometimes we need a reminder that surfing is not about the ego, it is supposed to be fun. As they often say the best surfer out there, is the one having the most fun.

Secondly, learning to surf takes ongoing commitment and persistence. If you aren’t willing to commit for the long term than you aren’t likely to improve. 

My learn to surf experience

When i started learning to surf, I don’t think there was much information available online so it was pretty much a case of going at it on my own. I only started surfing in my late teens. I never took any surfing lessons and just got a surfboard and started surfing. 

I can’t remember too clearly (man I sound old..) but I didn’t really seem to make much progress with my surfing for a number of years. I didn’t surf too often, but I think a lot of that sideways progression was due to limited motivation which was caused by a lack of improvement in my surfing.

You see when you are really making consistent improvements in anything, you are naturally more motivated to keep improving. This is especially true in surfing, and as you get better, you’ll want to surf more and more and that fuels further improvements. 

So what was holding me back? For me it wasn’t a matter of surfing the wrong type of board. The first proper surfboard that I got was a mini mal surfboard which I feel was very well suited at that stage.

I surfed most of the time in those early stages on my own and I surfed sporadically at different surf spots. A lot of the time I’d paddle out in waves that were too big or the conditions weren’t right.

My understanding of where I should be surfing was clearly nonexistent and for one reason or another I didn’t think to do much about that for quite some time. Looking back it seems to be that it was a matter of mostly surfing at the wrong types of surf breaks and fundamentally not catching enough consistent waves that was the reason for very slow progression.

The time this all changed for me was when I started consistently surfing with a friend of mine who actually surfed really well, rode a variety of surfboards including short and longboards and was also very motivating in terms of pushing me to go surfing often.

It was through this friend that I met a number of other guys and together we went surfing all the time. Having a group of people who I was consistently surfing with and that were better than me was the no. 1 reason that I was able to improve my surfing quickly.

We surfed at a variety of surf spots but mostly point breaks and it was a two prong effect of improving by seeing and doing and being much more motivated to surf more as I was improving fast.

The trajectory that had been completely flat for years shot up over just a few months and I actually started surfing properly. Over the next few years I got better and better and it was a great experience.

Tips for learning to surf on your own

For me this was the big boost that I needed to improve my surfing.

Once you’ve got the basics down pat it’s a combination of learning all the little things and by continuous repetition. The easiest way to do this without even having to think about it is having people to go surfing with. 

Mastering the Fundamental Skills

When you’re learning to surf, focusing on the core techniques will facilitate your progression in catching waves and riding them with control.

Paddling Techniques

Your ability to paddle effectively is essential in surfing.

Paddling involves lying on your stomach on the surfboard with your toes touching the tail end and using your arms in deep, smooth strokes on either side of the board. For efficient paddling:

• Keep your body centered and flat on the board to reduce drag.
• Use cupped hands to catch as much water as possible with each stroke.
• Alternate your arms in a flutter-kick style motion to maintain momentum.
• Incorporate a slight kick with your feet if needed, but the power should come from your arms.

The Pop-Up

Popping up swiftly and smoothly transitions you from paddling to riding a wave. To execute a proper pop-up:

1. Push your chest up with your hands, similar to a push-up, while swinging your feet underneath your body.
2. Place your feet quickly on the board where your knees were, one foot near the tail and the other foot forward.
3. Ensure your feet are shoulder-width apart for stability.

Balancing and Riding Waves

Once up, maintaining balance while riding a wave is key:

• Stay low with your knees bent and back straight.
• Keep your arms out for balance and look in the direction you want to go.
• Shift your weight subtly with your feet and hips to steer and stabilize.

Effective balance and body positioning are crucial to not only catch waves but to also ride them with confidence. With practice, you’ll learn to anticipate the wave’s motion and respond accordingly.

Read next – Do You Say Do or Go Surfing?

If you can’t find people to consistently surf with, it’s not the end of the world. You just need to ensure you are able to keep learning and improving. There are so many resources these days which you can utilise when you are out of the water which you can leverage to ensure you make the best of your time in the water.

A great online program that we highly recommend is Barefoot Surf Tutorials. It is a paid service but is very affordable and in our opinion, does such a good job of presenting all aspects of surfing skills that it’s totally worth the money. There are many free resources online but I don’t know of any that are as well put together.

Check them out:

Tips for Reading and Understanding the Ocean

Before diving into the water, it’s crucial to have a grasp on the ocean’s rhythm. Knowing how to read and understand ocean conditions is essential for a safe and enjoyable surfing experience.

Interpreting Wave Patterns and Surf Conditions

To effectively interpret wave patterns and surf conditions, you need to analyze the swell direction and wave size. Swell direction affects the types of waves you will encounter at different surf spots. For example, a north swell generally favors south-facing beaches.

Understanding the surf forecast is key—it provides information on expected wave sizes and intervals.

Cold water can have an impact on surf conditions, often making waves more powerful and challenging.

• Wave Size: The height and power of oncoming waves.
• Swell Direction: The origin of the water swell influencing wave formation.
• Wave Interval: The time between breaking waves, affecting ride length.

Identifying the Right Surf Spot

Choosing the right surf spot is integral to your surfing journey. Temperature plays a role in surf spot selection; cold water may require a wetsuit for comfort and safety.

Look for spots with a reputation for consistent waves suitable for your skill level. Consult with lifeguards or experienced surfers for insights on local surf spots.

Factors to consider include:

• Consistency: Regularity of suitable surfing conditions.
• Crowds: Denser crowds can indicate a popular or high-quality spot but may also increase the difficulty in navigating the lineup.
• Local Features: Reefs, sandbanks, and piers can all affect wave patterns.

Navigating the Lineup Safely

Safety in the lineup is paramount, and it is your responsibility.

Always keep an eye on the oncoming waves, and prioritize swimming if you’re caught in a strong current. Respect the order of the lineup, and wait your turn to avoid interference with other surfers.

Be cognizant of the environment and remember:

• Currents: Can move you out of position—conserve energy by identifying and using rip currents to your advantage when necessary.
• Respect: Yield to the surfer closest to the breaking wave’s peak.
• Awareness: Stay alert to changes in wave patterns and behaviors of other surfers in the water.

Safety and Etiquette

Before diving into the waves, it’s essential to prioritize your safety and respect surfing etiquette. Such awareness will not only protect you but also those around you in the water.

Understanding Surfing Etiquette

Right of Way: When you’re both paddling to catch a wave, the surfer closest to the peak has the priority.

If you’re on the right and someone is on your left closer to the peak, they have the right of way.

• Communicate: Clearly signal your intentions to fellow surfers to prevent any confusion or accidents.
• Respect: Always show respect to others in the lineup and avoid ‘dropping in’, which is taking off on a wave that another surfer is already riding.

Equipment Safety Tips

Leash: Always use a surfboard leash to prevent your board from hitting others when you fall off.

It’s not only a safety tool for others but a lifeline for you.

• Gear Check: Inspect your gear before heading out. A quick check can prevent gear failure, which is both dangerous and inconvenient.
• Rental Inspection: If renting gear, ensure it’s in good condition. Don’t hesitate to ask for a replacement if something seems off.

Environmental Awareness

Lifeguard Presence: Surf near lifeguards, especially if you are a beginner or if the beach posts surf hazards.

• Warm-Up: Prepare your muscles with a warm-up to minimize the risk of injury.
• Acknowledging Conditions: Be honest about your skill level. If the wind patterns, like offshore winds, suggest strong conditions, consider if you should paddle out or seek a surf school for guidance.

Improving Your Surfing Technique

Advancing in surfing requires focused practice and an understanding of more complex maneuvers.

Physical fitness tailored to surfing enhances your ability to catch waves and perform on the water. Here are the key techniques and tips for intermediate and advanced surfers looking to elevate their skills.

Advanced Maneuvers and Skills

To progress into an advanced surfer, it’s crucial to master high-performance moves such as cutbacks, aerials, and tube riding.

Practice catching waves regularly to fine-tune your take offs and improve your ability to read the ocean.

Equip yourself with various surfboard types; understand the dynamics of shortboards for quick maneuvers and guns for big waves, while longboards can help you improve your nose riding.

• Cutbacks: Essential for redirecting and maintaining speed
• Aerials: Advanced skill for thrill and competition
• Tube Riding: Ultimate goal for expert control and timing

Physical Fitness and Exercises

Physical conditioning directly impacts your surfing ability. Concentrate on exercises that increase paddle strength and overall endurance.

Swimming is an effective way to build stamina and a feel for the water. Incorporate pull-ups and shoulder-focused weight training to aid your paddle outs.

Utilize a balance board to improve your flexibility and balance, key elements for advanced surfing.

• Upper Body Strength: Regular pull-ups, shoulder presses, and push-ups
• Core Stability: Planks, yoga, and pilates for balance and flexibility – Read my guide on yoga for surfing
• Leg Power: Squats and lunges for strong and explosive take offs

Surfing Tips for Intermediate and Advanced Levels

Your approach should be methodical and fun; strive to surf different spots to adapt to varying conditions.

Surf lessons or mentoring can provide targeted feedback for intermediate surfers. Utilize surf skate or a balance board on land to simulate surfing movements. Experiment with surfboard wax and accessories for optimal grip and performance.

Though age is not a barrier, always prioritize safety—use appropriate equipment like a funboard if transitioning from a longboard to shorter surfboards.

• Explore different boards: Funboards for transition, shortboards for high maneuvers
• Practice off-water balance: Surf skate and balance boards maintain core strength and stability
• Keep it fun and safe: Enjoy variety, but prioritize suitable equipment

Remember, consistent practice on and off the water is key to improving your surfing technique.

FAQs

In this section, we address some common queries that might arise as you embark on your journey to learn surfing independently.

Final Thoughts

Can you learn to surf on your own? Yes! And well, you’ve got no choice my friend… you’re the only one who can make the decision to commit to the pursuit of surfing.

Learning to surf is a long journey, and to remain on path of continual improvement you need to remain motivated to keep surfing you can ensure that you are progressing by avoiding some key mistakes that many make and that slow down their progression. You can speed it up by surfing with people who are better than you or by remaining committed to continuous learning as you go.