Body boarding and Surfing for the Beginner What Gear Will I Need? Equipment could be just a surfboard and board shorts or could include a wetsuit. Wherever you surf, booties are a good idea for foot protection. And no matter how much clothing you wear, you'll always be attached to your board using a bodyboard leash. Trunks or Board Shorts Beyond style, surf shorts are designed for function. Fast-drying nylon with Velcro closures and, usually, a lace-up "button," surf shorts stay on through the heaviest pounding. A strong wave can rip a swimsuit right off! Rash guards Thin, form-fitting shirts, rash guards protect the skin from the seams of a wetsuit. Without a wetsuit, they protect the skin from the sand a waxed board accumulates and from the sun's rays. A rash guard can be handy in warm-water surfing areas, where sunscreen may be outlasted by conditions. Wetsuits A must as you get further from the equator, choose the right thickness for the water and season you surf in. This could mean a 2-millimeter short for hot summer days in Santa Cruz and a 4-millimeter full suit for round in British Columbia. Booties Booties protect against cold and injury. Buy them snug, and consider a model with a "sleeve" inside for your big toe, or one that actually has a split toe design; like a sandal with a toe loop, these booties will anchor your foot and give you better sensitivity on the body boarding. Even in warm water, booties protect against reefs, rocks, and shells. Coral cuts can lead to serious infections, and places without coral -- even some of the most beautiful beaches of California -- can still have very high bacteria and virus levels in the water. A Few Words About Hypothermia Hypothermia is always a risk outdoors, especially in water. In California, water temperatures are 55 degrees and under, and even tropical waters are 15 to 20 degrees lower than normal body temperature. A rash guard offers wonderful protection against the Fiji sun, but wet nylon can act as a "radiator," speeding the rate at which heat is vented from the body. So monitor your own condition, and get out of the water before you feel cold.
BASIC SKILLS Swimming: You get a swim fins before you can surf. You'll often be off your body boards, particularly as you're learning, and you can become separated from your body board. Have another way back to dry land. Paddling: Paddling is the mainstay of surfing and is usually done while lying down (sometimes while kneeling). You'll paddle out to the line-up, and you'll paddle back in to catch the waves you surf. The pop-up: Once the wave catches the back of your body board, you'll do a push-up and slide your feet forward so you can stand on the body board. You can practice the motion on any flat surface until its second nature and lightning fast. Controlling your body board: Your first ride will be probably straight, perpendicular to the wave, into the whitewater. And that'll be enough to hook you! As your balance and control improves, you'll steer the body board down the wave as it breaks, using pressure to one side or the other of the body board to keep it in the face of the wave. RIDING BIG WAVES Why would anyone want to truly risk their life, for each person the answer is different? Riding big waves offers a set of challenges that can’t be found anywhere else. For me the challenge of big waves remains. It’s something that is unexplainable to a non surfer. The anxieties I feel standing on the beach wandering if I can get out, imagining myself wiping out in the pit or getting caught inside on a freak set. All these fears need to be over come before I can even paddle out. Overcoming my fears is all part of the challenge. Body boarding these waves is much different than a session in two to four feet surf. Everything is on a larger scale and the consequence for your actions is magnified. Good and bad. The key to enjoying the challenge is to be prepared. Work your way up slowly this will help you gain confidence and experience two of the most important things. Experience will help you to avoid a lot of bad situations. Confidence if you think you can you will and if you think you can’t. Mental preparation in really big surf everyone is scared. Fear is real and it affects mind and body. You must think clearly and make decisions. Stay calm so you can think. Fear also increases the amount of adrenalin in your body which speeds your heart rate and breathing using up oxygen. Also adrenalin is a high, after you come down from it you feel tired. So stay calm and save some adrenalin for when you need it. Staying fit is the key to surviving. Keep your cardiovascular fitness in top shape. If you know you are fit your confidence will be high. Running and swimming are great exercises. Your performance is also affected by your equipment. Again knowing you have the right body board etc. will boost your confidence. You need fins that give you lots of power and won’t come off easily. The body board ride should be stiff and designed for big waves. This is an experience comes in through trial and error. You will discover what works the best for you. To enjoy riding big waves you have to want “it”. If you don’t enjoy yourself there is no sense in doing it. We all surf because it’s fun. Some people don’t like being scared or putting their life on the line. Riding big waves adds another dimension to body boarding. It’s a challenge that not everyone will take, but for those who do, it will offer that chance to overcome fear and that is one of the most rewarding things in life.
