Learning to Surf in Raglan

Andrew and I have been enjoying the incredible experience of learning to surf in Raglan, NZ through Surf Safe. While the other surf schools have 20+ students, Steve, our coach, has had small, personal classes that have allowed us to get more out of the experience and learn a lot more quickly. Plus, his boards are in better condition and easier to learn on!

We signed up for a five day surf course. We had done a single day course in California a few years back and loved it, but it really didn't do much to teach us the actual sport of surfing. The first three days of our five day course have included learning the mechanics of surfing, how to read the ocean, tide charts, and rip currents, and how to actually progress in the sport. He has also let us experiment with different sizes of boards to find the size/shape that works best for us at the moment. Right now I am using a 10 foot long soft top foam board, while Andrew has progressed to a 9 foot fiberglass board. I'm still working on my balance!

Steve has also been very accommodating with time, frequently extending lessons if the surfing is good. We still have two days of lessons left and he suggested that, since we have the time, we should wait for good surfing days with good waves and decent weather. I'm certainly alright with that!

I managed to get standing on our first day of lessons, which I think is quite the accomplishment! Surfing is a very physical sport though and my shoulders were definitely sore from all the paddling after our paddling lessons.

If you are thinking about learning to surf, I would consider focusing on pushing strength, balance exercises, and doing a lot of swimming. Once you have had one lesson, practicing your preferred pop-up technique on land can help you nail your balance and landing on the board. I hadn't realized there were so many different techniques for going from laying on a surfboard to standing! Steve showed us four, then suggested that if are still struggling that we look on Youtube for other ideas and find one that works best for us before our next lesson.

For a basic surfing exercise routine that doesn't require a gym, I would recommend:

• 2 x 20 burpees
• 2 x 20 squats
• 2 x 20 lunges
• 2 x 30s hold superman
• 2 x 30s hold plank

I would also strongly recommend doing lessons with a registered surf coach as it has really helped Andrew and I progress faster and more safely than if we had tried to teach ourselves.