I’m moving to San Diego this summer and can’t wait to get there. I have always wanted to learn how to surf, and now I have a chance to do it. Any suggestions on how to get started? What kind of board is best for a beginner? Should I take lessons or just get out there and go for it? Wetsuit? I appreciate any help. Thanks.
I live in San Diego. The summer should be OK for water temperatures, but you’re better off having a wetsuit and ditching it when the weather and water are warm.
I would go with a longer board, maybe 2 feet taller than you or more, and (they are considered lame) foam boards are a great start. If you fall you don’t get hurt and they’re very buoyant.
I tried to learn to surf for 6 months and got no where (first 3 months was on a board roughly my height, 2nd 3 months was 1-2 times a week in a class with boards ranging from 2-3 feet taller).
Then I got my own board (2 feet taller and made of foam) and told myself I wouldn’t quit. I started surfing almost every day of the week and within a week was catching waves. Within a month I was somewhat decent and a couple months after that I started venturing to the better breaks.
The mentality of not-quitting made all the difference.
For San Diego, the breaks in order of difficulty from easiest up are:
Tourmaline, Law, La Jolla Shores, Scripps, Mission Beach (not the jetty, that’s a tougher break on a decent sized day) and PB Pier. Ocean Beach and Dog Beach fall somewhere in that realm.
If you have any other questions feel free to ask. Surfing’s a ton of fun, just don’t give up!
Oh, and the classes were nearly worthless though private instruction might be helpful.
[quote]Bram Wiley wrote:
I live in San Diego. The summer should be OK for water temperatures, but you’re better off having a wetsuit and ditching it when the weather and water are warm.
I would go with a longer board, maybe 2 feet taller than you or more, and (they are considered lame) foam boards are a great start. If you fall you don’t get hurt and they’re very buoyant.
I tried to learn to surf for 6 months and got no where (first 3 months was on a board roughly my height, 2nd 3 months was 1-2 times a week in a class with boards ranging from 2-3 feet taller).
Then I got my own board (2 feet taller and made of foam) and told myself I wouldn’t quit. I started surfing almost every day of the week and within a week was catching waves. Within a month I was somewhat decent and a couple months after that I started venturing to the better breaks.
The mentality of not-quitting made all the difference.
For San Diego, the breaks in order of difficulty from easiest up are:
Tourmaline, Law, La Jolla Shores, Scripps, Mission Beach (not the jetty, that’s a tougher break on a decent sized day) and PB Pier. Ocean Beach and Dog Beach fall somewhere in that realm.
If you have any other questions feel free to ask. Surfing’s a ton of fun, just don’t give up!
Oh, and the classes were nearly worthless though private instruction might be helpful.[/quote]
Great info. How about Del Mar? I can’t get out there every day, but I plan to take the wife and kids out almost every weekend. I’m pretty good at figuring things out, especially when they are athletically based. I watched some videos on beginning surfing and it looks pretty mechanically simple. Like you said, keep trying and don’t give up.
Are the foam boards just as strong as regular boards (what are regular boards made from)?
[quote]PGJ wrote:
Great info. How about Del Mar? I can’t get out there every day, but I plan to take the wife and kids out almost every weekend. I’m pretty good at figuring things out, especially when they are athletically based. I watched some videos on beginning surfing and it looks pretty mechanically simple. Like you said, keep trying and don’t give up.
Are the foam boards just as strong as regular boards (what are regular boards made from)?
[/quote]
I don’t know much about Del Mar, I believe 15th-18th Street has good breaks for beginner/intermediate surfers, but your best bet on that is to keep asking here or to hit up a couple local surf shops and tell them you’re a beginner.
Having an athletic background can help. The thing is you are dealing with the mechanics of the ocean and your body. I think that’s where it gets difficult, because the ocean has a mind of it’s own. Almost everyone I know who went in with the attitude that surfing would not be tough, quit surfing because they got so frustrated. It’s a weird skill for sure.
Foam boards are like boogie boards, a solid foam construction with a slick bottom.
Regular surf boards have a polyurethane inside usually, then that’s covered with fiberglass and resin.
They also have epoxy boards which are very durable, kind of the cream of the crop – also expensive.
I’ve used extensively (6 months or more) at least one board from each category. I never had a problem with durability in the epoxy or foam boards, but standard surfboards get messed up fast (holes, gouges, etc.).
Hi,
You dont say how heavy you are, but you want a board thats bouyant enough to float you. As your skill progresses, you will discover what you want, but you gotta learn first.
Google “fun shapes” or “fish Board”.
These are kind of pricy, but here’s an example of what I mean.