foamie surf boards on the beach

Get The Right Surf Gear

Find the right surfboard

Don’t be tempted to go for a shortboard, you’ll learn much faster and catch more waves on a longboard with a decent amount of thickness to it.

Using a longboard to learn will make it much easier and you’ll find it much easier to pick up basic techniques on. Longboards give more stability on the water and have more buoyancy. How long the board is depends on how big you are. Opt for a soft top surfboard as a beginner, they’ll allow you to catch more waves and have more fun!

Choose the right wetsuit

You want to be comfortable when out on your surfboard, picking the right wetsuit with the correct thickness for the water temperature is key.

Try and gauge opinion for local surfers and ask for help and advice from the local surf shop when trying them out.

How To Handle Rip Current

If you find yourself in a rip current the first thing you shouldn’t do is panic as you’ll be wasting your energy and you want to be able to hold your breath if needs be. Also don’t paddle or swim against it as you’ll tire easily. The key to getting out of a rip current is to paddle or swim parallel to the shore towards where you see waves rolling in. Rip currents don’t tend to be very wide so you should be able to paddle or swim out of them. Stay calm and work with the ocean not against it.

Key Signs of a Rip Current

  • Waves don’t fully break in the rip current and water looks rough as if it’s heading out to sea.
  • You may notice debris or even surfers being sucked out to sea with minimum effort.
  • Rip currents are often darker in the colour of the water due to unsettling the sediment at the bottom.