Learning to surf: beach, waves & basics – tips for beginners

Learn to surf – experience blue water, white whitecaps and picturesque sandy beaches on a surfboard?
A wonderful idea for your next vacation on the North Sea, in Portugal or France with a rooftop tent.
Here you’ll find tips on how to get to your surfing destination faster and enjoy water sports.
You can learn more about the basics on the board, the right equipment and top destinations.

Surfing & camping: how do they go together?

Surfing puts you right on the water and offers an intense experience of nature.
If you like trying new things and are looking for exciting experiences, surfing can be a thrilling addition to your camping adventure.
The ocean and surfing can be calming and stress-relieving, just like camping.
With a rooftop tent, you are mobile and can easily explore different surf spots.
You can spontaneously drive to new stretches of coastline and try out the waves in different places.
Surfing is a fun way to stay fit and enjoy the water at the same time.
Surfing is a fantastic full-body sport.
Paddling exercises your arms, shoulders and back muscles, while standing on the board works your leg muscles.
Despite being a tough sport, surfing is often characterized by a close-knit community of surfers.
Visiting surf spots gives you the opportunity to meet like-minded people, exchange ideas with them and make new friends.

Tips for getting started: equipment, technique & course

To get over the waves safely as a beginner, it makes sense to take a surf course.
More experienced local surfers will also be able to give you some initial tips.
This will help you learn faster.
Despite all the support, it can take several weeks or even months before you are confident on the board.
The key here is not to give up and to keep trying.
You should then make rapid progress and discover this exciting sport for yourself.
A flat, wide sandy beach with long, broken waves with foam is ideal for your first attempts at surfing.
These are also known as white water waves.
They are important for surfing and are especially recommended for beginners.
Beginners should surf at low tide, as the shallow water produces gentler waves.
For more safety, you should also avoid areas with lots of rocks and reefs, as this can lead to nasty injuries.
It’s also always a good idea to find out about the wildlife in advance so that you can avoid jellyfish and sea snakes, for example.

• Attend a surf course
• Ask experienced surfers for tips
• Learning to surf usually takes several weeks or months
• Recommended: shallow, wide sandy beach with long white-water waves
• Low tide is better for beginners (gentler waves)
• Avoid rocky areas & reefs
• Watch out for animals (jellyfish, sea snakes)

The first wave: preparation, paddling & getting up

Before you get on the board, it is a good idea to warm up by stretching and going for a run.
This way, your muscles and joints are already in motion and you can avoid some injuries.
Beforehand, you should also be aware that rest is often crucial.
It is always helpful to remain confident on the surfboard and not to let fear throw you off course.
You should practise the techniques and, above all, standing up on the surfboard in advance.
This can be done on the beach on solid ground or in shallow water outside the waves.
In particular, you should practise paddling, the correct position on the board and standing up, also known as the take-off.

• Before: Warm-up & stretching
• Stay confident, fear can quickly lead to falling
• Paddling, practicing the correct position on the board & take-off

Here we go: Paddle the waves

To paddle, you should lie flat on the board, keep your feet closed and your body tense.
With your fingers closed, you can then make powerful strokes parallel to the board.
Your hands should be immersed deep in the water, as this displaces the most water and allows you to make the best progress.
It’s best to paddle into a wave just before it breaks.
This means just before the foam forms and the piled-up water rushes down.

• Paddle: Tense body, keep fingers together & crawl parallel to the outer edge of the board
• Paddle the wave just before it breaks (just before foam forms & water rushes down)

First waves, shoulder view & standing up

If you feel confident enough to tackle your first wave, then you should have practiced the take-off.
To do this, bring the tip of your board to the beach at a 45° angle.
The wave should therefore lie diagonally behind you.
You can check this by looking over your shoulder.
If you are positioned correctly, start paddling.
When the wave starts to break underneath you, you can slowly stand up.
Push yourself up from the board with your hands in front of your chest, put your back foot up and pull the other foot through to the front.

• Standing up/take-off: push your upper body upwards, first place one leg on the back of the board & pull the other leg through to the front
• Note the breaking of the waves
• Paddle the wave just before it breaks

Fairness: Beginner waves & other surfers

In the beginning, you should avoid high waves and limit yourself to smaller ones.
Also pay attention to other water sports enthusiasts.
For example, you should never be directly behind another surfer, as you could collide.
Also, only very few surfers should head for a wave at the same time.
On the wave, you should keep the board just behind the breaking point.
You should then use it continuously from start to finish to avoid crashing.
Here’s everything you need to know about the first wave at a glance:

• Don’t push ahead of others
• Not too big waves
• Overcome the edge of the wave and stay just behind it
• Riding the wave consistently, from start to finish

Traps: How to avoid injuries!

Falls are inevitable, especially during the first few attempts.
When falling, make sure you jump off the board flat and sideways.
Once you are in the water, it is best to protect your head with your arms to avoid unpleasant injuries.
It is also particularly important that you have the connecting rope to the board, also known as the leash, properly attached to your back foot to prevent the board from drifting around uncontrollably.

• Falling: jump off flat, sideways behind the board & protect your head with your arms
• Leash: Always keep the connecting line to the surfboard on the back foot

After the wave: currents & running out on the beach

After the wave, you should pay attention to the return flow of the water.
Once a wave has washed up on the beach, the water also returns.
You can often recognize these return currents by the fact that no waves break there and the water is very choppy.
Please note, however, that not every current is immediately recognizable with the naked eye and it is best to ask about them at the local surf school or other surfers.

• Note the return flow of water from the beach (no waves breaking there & turbulent water)

After surfing, it’s worth running out and stretching again.
This often makes you fitter the next day.

• After surfing: Run out & stretch

Equipment: surfboard, wetsuit & sunscreen

For beginners, a larger and padded board is recommended at first.
This has more surface area on the water, so it floats more stably and the padding can prevent injuries during the first few falls.
A wetsuit is also a good idea.
It keeps you warm in colder weather and can also protect you from sunburn after hours on the water in warmer weather.
You’ll also need surf shoes, gloves and possibly a hood to protect you from minor injuries and the sun, as well as the cold.
Despite all the neoprene protection, you should always remember sun cream so that you don’t have to deal with painful sunburn at the campsite in the evening.
Summarized here once again:

• Initially larger & padded board
• Wetsuit
• Surf shoes, gloves & hood if necessary
• Sun cream

Learning with video: Tips & dangers

This video will give you tips on your first steps on the board.
It’s also about paddling and standing up, but you can watch it directly here.
Possible dangers, such as stones in the water, are also explained again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCQI7cmRQ0w

Top 5 travel destinations: Portugal, France & Co.

A certain swell is necessary for surfing.
Surfing is particularly fun at these five locations.

• France
• Netherlands
• North Sea
• Spain
• Portugal

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