Surfing Lessons: an Hour Well Spent
It’s perfectly acceptable and, actually, highly recommended to take a surfing lesson when you’re just picking up the sport. You might think surfing is logical and that you will have the natural ability to pick it up right away, but the reality is that surfing is a very awkward sport when you first start out and there are tons of little tips that you can acquire only from a surf instructing professional.
Surf lessons can be private or in groups and last for about an hour. You will likely ride on a completely foam board that is nearly 10 feet long and very lightweight, which catches waves easily and gives you a lot of float. Most surf schools guarantee that you will stand up on a wave. If you don’t, you can usually come back for another lesson for free until you do. It might appear unnecessary and dorky, but a beginning surf lesson will likely accelerate your surfing ability more than the trial and error of learning on your own. If you go it alone, your learning curve will likely be slower, more painful, and in some cases more dangerous.
Another thing you must keep in mind is that friends who surf are not the same as surf instructors. Some of your friends may have been surfing for years, but if you ask them to go surfing with you to help you learn, they could well be worse than your least favorite middle school teacher. You and your experienced surfing friends might paddle out together, but your friends might leave you treading water at the lineup while they’re catching all the waves.
