Surf Board FAQs
How should I choose my first surfboard?
Surfing is fun as well as a great workout but can be difficult to learn. The best way to learn is to spend a summer surfing with your own surfboard. Your first board should be cheap because you are going to ding it up and abuse. Don’t worry about yellowing or used boards at first. If there is any delamination of the board though it should be avoided. The board should also be thick and big for the best flotation. Don’t worry about fins or the shape of the tail, you don’t know how to turn yet anyway, focus on catching and riding the wave first. You don’t need anything special, just something cheap, big that floats. Once you’ve mastered the basics, move up to a more suitable board for the riding you will be doing.
How do I deal with unruly and mean local surfers?
Localism has plagued surfing, as well as other sports, since they have been played. Local surfers have a sense of territory around their waves and beaches and don’t look nicely upon trespassers. They may look at you meanly, break into your car, vandalize your stuff, break your board, or worse. Legally, no one owns the waves, but this is decided by a judge who is not surfing there at the time. He may rule in your favor, but that won’t help your cause. Crowded surf spots have the worst localism, so if you are wary avoid popular areas. Visiting surfers should always be courteous and aware of locals and their customs.
Good ways to avoid localism are to visit out of town breaks in small groups, grabbing smaller waves before paddling to the best ones, and surf with a smile. This minimized confrontations with locals and show them you respect their territory. This goes a long way among surfers and they may welcome you back instead of breaking your board in half, or dropping your crank case into the ocean.
What are the parts of a wave called?
Surfers have their own vocabulary for their waves and usually starts with dropping down the “face” or “wall” of the wave and steering towards the “trough” to gain speed. Most tricks and maneuvers are done on the open wall of the wave though the “lip” or top of the wave is also used for aerials and re-entries. If they are lucky a “barrel” or “tube” will form allowing the surfer to dip back and be surrounded by water. The “pit” is the area closest to the breaking wave and gives the rider the most speed, this is the sweet spot but riders go back and forth from the pit to the “shoulder” performing cut-backs and other tricks.