Water Fear

[nickmester]

I think i asked this the other day but i wanted deeper answer. I'm a beginner surfer and have only been out a few times. I live in so cal. When i get past all the waves and are behind the breaks i start to panic. It makes me uncomfortable to be so far off shore and not to be able to touch the bottom. Is this a fear ill lose over time? or is this something ill have to live with every time i go out?

[zebroo]

Reading through other posts, there are quite a few people who have confidence issues, I know I'm one of them!

I don't think anyone can tell you if/when you'll lose your fear as everybody's different. However, reading through posts on this topic there are some useful tips that might help you to feel more confident. For me it's very gradual and some days I feel more fearful than others for no apparentl reason!

[Ged]

I'm scared of getting too tired to paddle, in strong rips. It becomes apprehension after a while, just make sure you have enough stamina to paddle all day. My advice to any beginner is paddle, paddle and more paddle. Until you can do it all day.

[zandvoortsurfertje]

Hey Nickmester,

You aren't the only one with a problem, one thing to do in the water is to make sure people on shore can see you, the next thing you should do is ALWAYS STAY CALM, accidents occur when people panic. After taking waves and getting a good feeling about your surfing techniques this fear will dissapear, you just got to make sure that you don't panic and stay calm and even if it gets freaky, lay down on your board and take a wave back to the beach, you know like bodyboarding but just going straight to the beach. And also do what Ged also told you: practice the paddling: and you can do this everywhere: on a lake, in a pool, you don't need the ocean to get better in paddling

Good luck
ZVS

[jaffa1949]

I'm scared of getting too tired to paddle, in strong rips. It becomes apprehension after a while, just make sure you have enough stamina to paddle all day. My advice to any beginner is paddle, paddle and more paddle. Until you can do it all day.

Just a note here not one of you could paddle in against a strong rip, nor can I, Don't even try. Paddle across or diagonally out with it, rips don't end that far beyond the surfline.
You are on a superb wave catching machine which can save you, head towards the easiest breaking part of the surf that can propel you to shore just lie down do a white water wave catch and just surf prone to the shore.
IF you try to paddle against the rip you will exhaust yourself and that will put you and the people that have to rescue at risk.
Learn to body surf so if you lose your board you can catch a wave in. Legropes FAIL
IF YOU CAN"T HANDLE A WIPEOUT AND THE CONDITIONS OF THE SURF TO GET YOURSELF TO SHORE you shouldn't be out there!
Harsh but so true!
Two rescues at my home break today of clowns that couldn't swim and couldn't surf

[jaktequila]

Hi Nickmester.

Just want to say that I used to be afraid of the sea as well. It was a phobia for me probably from the age of 5 until 24 when I really got into surfing. I couldn't even look at pictures of the ocean surface, let alone those of underwater or I'd start shaking.

I started surfing about one and a half year ago, mostly ALONE. As surfing's already become my passion, I'm starting to overcome this fear little by little. Still a bit these day when I'm far outside close to shark nets because I'm afraid of those predators, but not the ocean itself. Actually it's great to be that far because it means it's a big day (4-5+ ft.).

You only need more hours in the water. It's the key to everything in surfing.

[meaney1999]

Hi Nickmester,
A lot of people have fears of this but it will go away if YOU CAN SWIM!!!! WELL! Now, You dont have to be the next Phelps but you have to be able to swim. You might fall off and your board get taken by a wave. In that case you either have to swim and retrieve the board or, in the case that the legrope snaps, be able to swim in to shore. You may also want to learn how to bodysurf (no board) to get to shore faster using less energy. If you can swim you will become much more confident. In the event you wipeout or just get trapped underwater, DO NOT PANIC and stay calm!! You will conserve more oxygen and you will be able to get back up. Good Luck!