Get into Surf Shape!

So you want to compete or Just get better faster, Well do you work out? I know for most kids under 16 Surfing is a care free sport/ lifestyle and some surfers are naturally good and some need to work harder but they have the love and the will to get better, which ever one you are Newbie or Competition Star this little work out done daily will get you stronger and flexible, and that my Grommet friends equals better surfing! 10 pop-ups a day keeps the wipe-outs away!


The Work-out


Streatching: 10-15 min.
- arms (cross arm stretch)
- neck (move your head around and strtch that gizzard!)
- touch toes (bend over and grab the toes!)
- hamstrings (1 leg knee bent other leg behind you stright and stretch)
- leg cross over hamstring (put 1 leg out straight and put your other foot crossed over the knee)


Work-out 15 min.
- 5 frontside pop-ups (pop-up like you would on your board and pretend your looking down the line)
- 5 backside pop ups
- 10 squats (get the legs strong!)
- 10 sit-ups (build your upper core for better balance)
- 10 leg-lifts (build your lower core for harder snaps!)


Warm up Run (go for a 10 minuite run 5 minuites out 5 back!)


Shuttle run is good do 3 reps 20-30 yards!


At minimum do the pop-ups every night before bed or in the morning even if you surfed that day the less you surf the more pop-ups you should do! Good luck and You will see this pay off in your surfing ability you will build muscle memory on land that will help you in the water!

How to Teach Your Grom to Surf

There are 3 basic things you need to know when teaching little groms to surf, they are:
Safety, Patience & Optimism.


Safety:

Make sure you start on land doing pop-ups first, you can draw a board in the sand and have them practice popping up. This will help them get used to getting up on the board and is a safe way to introduce them to what they need to do. If your child is under the age of 10 you can advance them to doing this on a board in tide pools as well, this helps them get the feeling of paddling and popping up on a floating board before you take them in the ocean. when you do go in the ocean make sure the conditions are right. Mellow conditions are what your looking for.


Patience:

For parents that surf, rushing your kids progression is an easy mistake that can result in a child being scared or frustrated. Remember keep it fun, don’t rush it! Start out by pushing them into white water. Hold the tail of the board for the initial rush and let it go with a push to give them a nice mellow acceleration. Say the word Pop at the same time, if your consistent with the word POP from the get go it helps them key in on the timing to stand up.


Optimism:

Be positive and optimistic at everything they do, it gets the kids stoked and starts to build their confidence which leads to progression. Once they get confident stoke takes over and thus another surfer is born. Even when your grom starts to get comfortable and your ready to move them into riding the face or going all the way out to the lineup just remember. Be positive and take your time, they are young and some develop faster then others. You should treat every level of surfing just like the 1st time even if there frustrated with something find something positive to comment on.


By keeping these few tips in mind you will open a whole new world up to your little Gremmie.

Buying Your First Board

This can be a very intimidating experience. Here are some things you need to know.


New or Used?
Used is Great to start. It will save you a bunch of money and lets face it accidents are going to happen. If you do ding or damage your board get it out of the water ASAP and get a repair kit so that more damage is not done, even used boards need love!


Long or Short?
Ok here is the deal, Longboards are the most stable and buoyant, however it’s important to think about what kind of surfing and how much you will be wanting to get into. If you’re set on being a ripper and you’re aiming for the extreme side, I’d say get yourself a shortboard about a foot or bigger than you.


If your into cruising or just not sure where surfing will take you try a funshape. They are a cross between shortboards and longboards. The great thing about having one of these is that even after you learn they are still very fun to ride, even if you get into shortboarding.


Longboards are great to start out on to learn for the first month or so. The downside to buying one as your only board to start with is that they are sometimes awkward to carry and are also a lot of work in the water. It is the fastest way to learn to stand but for kids I’d suggest something they can manage a little better, if your an adult learning, longboards are great because of the size.


Good luck finding your new stick!