We live in a moment in history in which almost all of us know what Surfing is.
It doesn’t matter if you live in the most populated city on the planet, on the highest mountain or in the farthest desert, thanks to the media and social networks we have access to all kinds of information that describes very well what surfing is.
A simple Google search and that’s it: in 0.72 seconds 500 years of history appear before our eyes, we will have access to content, tutorials, interviews, movies, cartoons, cooking recipes and a thousand other things about this lifestyle. That allows us to form criteria and have a very personal idea about Surfing but we will really know what it means to ride waves when we decide to enter the sea with a board under our arm to try to achieve what we saw in that blonde Hawaiian doing in the video that YouTube recommended us. Everything changes there, what looked so “cool” turns out to be not, the waves are not so “friendly” (it seems that they never wanted to let us in), lying down on the board and starting to move the arms becomes more difficult than we had done, not to mention trying to reach a wave and stand up on the board, we began to understand that the difficult thing is to make it look so easy.
At that moment many decide to stop trying, they prefer to sit on the beach with their favourite cold drink to sunbathe, perhaps some rackets are the best choice to spend time on the sand. Fortunately, there are others who are inspired by difficulty, so they decide to change the way they approach Surfing. At Ika Ika Surf School we hope that you are part of the second group, those who were motivated to keep trying until they succeed, we are writing this article for you.
We could write thousands of words about our experiences with Surfing with the idea of making it easier for you but we are going to summarize it in 3 tips, be careful not to think that just by reading us you will have everything solved, these suggestions only want to give you a push so that you dare to figure it out for yourself by following the most logical process.
1.- “Know yourself”
It is possible that Socrates, the ancient Greek philosopher like you, had never surfed, however, he knew that one of the keys to transcend in life was self-knowledge. Do not worry, you do not have to sit down to meditate for hours, what we mean is that you are clear about your physical and mental limitations. If you do not practice any type of sports activity, it is very possible that it will cost you a little more to practise surfing. Move a little before surfing, go for a run, climb a mountain or swim in a pool and tell your body to prepare to enter the sea. Don’t rule out visiting your GP before trying it for the first time, either.
2.-Choose the surf school that suits you best
As we wrote at the beginning of this article, the Internet brings us closer to where we want to go. Google the word Surf school, Surf centre or Surf camp and thanks to your geolocation you will find what you need.
Check the forums and ask anything you want to know. By the way, if you are near the south of Tenerife, there is the beautiful Playa de Las Américas, one of the most famous surf spots in Europe and there is Ika Ika Surf School (hahahahaha this is not advertising).
Among the criteria you should take into account are:
The level of the Surf instructors or instructors, the equipment they offer you, remember that for your level of learning you need a bigger and thicker board, made with friendly materials to soften any impact, neoprene suits and shoes, the state of the facilities and the distance to the nearest beach, in the case of Ika Ika Surf School, we are literally 10 steps from the best waves in the south of Tenerife.
Your first surf school is definitely your gateway to another dimension, to the world of surfing.
3.- Enjoy
It’s okay to get inspired by watching videos. I personally like to search for material on Free Surfers like Torren Martyn, Dave Rastovich or Asher Pacey. However, although your first class may not turn out like the ones you see in the videos, each session will bring you closer to where you want to go.
Surfing is an activity that is learned by the constant repetition of certain movement patterns, taking into account the time we spend standing on the board riding a wave, we must repeat the gesture thousands and thousands of times until it comes out as fluid as we want.
Take advantage of each session, it doesn’t matter if you fall, each wave reached is unrepeatable, try again and again, without realizing it your mind and body will begin to change, become stronger and sharpen. Surfing is like developing a new sense to perceive of the world, so enjoy the process, a journey that we hope will last you a lifetime.
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