Can You Teach Yourself to Surf?
You can coach yourself to do a push-up. You can teach yourself to bake a cake. But can you teach yourself to surf, pop-up, ride a green wave and maybe even get barrelled?
Surfing is a skill that straddles the line between being accessible to self-learners and requiring formal instruction. Anyone can rent a surfboard and take to the waves by themselves. However, this probably isn’t the most efficient or effective way to learn how to surf.
To answer this question honestly requires a deep dive on what it takes to learn surfing. From how to catch waves, deal with other surfers, pick the correct surf spot and surf etiquette, below is our answer to the age old question: can you teach yourself to surf?
Table of Contents
Pros and cons of teaching yourself to surf
Needless to say, surfing is one of the most appealing activities in the world.
Who doesn’t want to visit tropical destinations, paddle around under the sun in bathtub-warm water and experience the thrill of soaring across the ocean’s surface?
Sounds like a heck of a good time to us.
That said, to teach yourself to surf is to enter a world that is both incredibly exciting and notoriously difficult to access. Let’s break down some of the pros and cons.
Pros
Easy on your wallet
Teaching yourself to surf can be cheap. All you need is a board and access to waves.
No need for lessons or paying for instructors or advanced surfers to show you the way.
You can catch unbroken waves by yourself and eliminate the (admittedly rather small) hit to your bank account.
Raw learning experience
If you’re the type of person who doesn’t like being told what to do or would prefer to learn at your own pace, then teaching yourself might just be the right path for you.
You can experiment with different techniques, learn from your mistakes and develop your own style free from outside influences.
A greater sense of achievement
Assuming you do actually manage to teach yourself to surf, there’ll undoubtedly be a sense of pride and accomplishment that comes with catching your first wave or mastering a new maneuver.
Naturally, the feeling of self-sufficiency can be incredibly rewarding. You’ll also bust a lot of learning to surf myths all by yourself!
Cons
Slower (and riskier) progression
Catching waves is hard and most beginner surfers have a difficult enough time as it is.
When you’re teaching yourself to surf, it’ll take longer to advance beyond the beginner stage or even learn how to properly pop-up and ride a wave.
This can also increase the likelihood of injuries as you’re not receiving proper instruction on techniques and safety.
Poor style or technique
Ask any surf coach or surf instructor if they’ve seen self-taught surfers with poor style and technique.
The answer will be yes… many times over.
Without proper guidance you can easily develop bad habits like clunky pop up techniques that are difficult to break. This will invariably hinder your surfing.
And while you may feel like you’re ripping, it’s possible you’re actually backing yourself into a poor-technique corner that’s hard to get out of.
Lack of ocean awareness and surf etiquette
Do you know the nuanced differences between a beach break and reef break? What about whitewash waves and green waves? The wave face and prone position?
Ocean awareness and surf etiquette are extremely important to learn. Without them, you can never call yourself a true surfer.
What you need to learn (and how best to learn it)
If you’re dead-set on catching waves without assistance, you’ll need to know exactly what you’re getting yourself into.
Here’s what every beginner surfer who intends on teaching themselves should expect to learn before they hit the waves.
Oh, and while this might sound obvious, we’re assuming you can already swim safely in the ocean before you teach yourself to surf.
Where to surf
First things first. Where are you going to surf?
You should look for a beach break, which is a surfing spot where the waves break over a sand bottom, as opposed to reef breaks or point breaks.
You should also make sure that there are other surfers at a beginner level.
Professional surfers performing advanced maneuvers are a hint you’re in the wrong spot. Here’s what else you need to look for.
- Gentle whitewash waves (foamy, whitewater that breaks in one straight line towards the beach)
- A surf school taking or offering surf lessons nearby, which is a good hint the waves are geared towards beginners
- Not too many people playing in the water near where you are surfing
- No hazards such as rocks, rips, other surfers, large unbroken waves, reef or strong currents
Which surf equipment is required
Another thing to consider is the right equipment.
Is the water cold or warm? That’ll determine whether you need to hire a wetsuit. Do you have access to a beginner surfboard (a.k.a. a foam surfboard)? You’ll need one.
Here are a few tips for discovering which surf equipment is required during the learning process.
- Look for surfboards around 7-9 feet with approximately 40-60+ liters of foam
- Remember, wetsuits help prevent you from freezing in the water and therefore ensure you can catch waves and practice popping up without the risk of locking up
- Don’t be scared to ask surf shops for advice. They’ll point you in the right direction even if you don’t know the difference between green waves and barrels
If still unsure, you can also watch instructional videos online or talk to experienced surfers directly about your desire to find the right beginner surfboards.
Fundamental ocean safety and surf etiquette knowledge
The ocean is a vast, powerful and ever-changing environment.
Knowing how to stay safe in the water and respect other surfers is crucial for anyone who wants to become a surfer.
Here are some ocean safety tips and basic surf etiquette rules you should learn before heading out to teach yourself to surf … or before any surf trip or surf lesson for that matter.
- Always check the conditions and the weather forecast before paddling out
- Don’t surf near swimmers or other ocean-goers (unless it’s a dedicated beginner zone)
- Learn how to spot and avoid rip currents
- Stay hydrated and nourished while in the water, especially when surfing for long periods of time
- Always wear sunscreen to protect your skin from sun damage
- Respect the lineup hierarchy… wait your turn, don’t drop in on others and communicate with fellow surfers in the water
Learn to surf basics
From offshore winds to how a green wave breaks, what a foam board is and the differences in technique between a left foot forward (natural/regular stance) and a right foot forward (goofy stance) surfer, there are many learn-to-surf basics you must know.
You can wrap your head around most of these in one surf session with an instructor.
To learn on your own, however, means you’ll need to study them before you paddle out.
Start your surfing journey the right way by learning the basics, such as:
- How to wax a surfboard
- The right foot position on a surfboard
- Paddling technique
- Pop-up technique
- How to catch a wave
- The role muscle memory places in learning to surf
- What an unbroken wave is
- The different surf spots and whether they’re suited to beginners
- How to navigate a lineup
- Just what “nosediving” and “dropping in” are
- How to choose the right surfboard
Final thoughts
Taking all this into account, it’s clear that learning to surf solo is one of the biggest challenges you can take up.
Simply put, trying to teach yourself to surf is a lot to bite off… especially if you’re not familiar with wave conditions and the ocean or cold water. It’s a difficult sport, after all, and the learning curve is rarely a walk in the park.
That said, don’t be discouraged!
If you’re dedicated to taking on the early stages by yourself or you don’t have access to a surf school or instructor, be our guest. Remember, we offer online surf classes for anyone learning to surf that you can access from your home and unpack at your own pace.
Good luck!
