Later in life beginners

[kookpointoh]

"Later in life," for your forties! OMG! I was body boarding on and off since I was 10 then I wind surfed/wave sailed for 10 years, and at the age of 48 I decided to learn how to surf on a whim. I wish I stuck with it in college, but that first month I missed too many classes to go surfing and I ended up on academic probation.
The hardest thing about learning surfing being middle aged was my flexibility and paddling endurance, since you literally need to explode with speed, like a sprint, so I started swimming.
"Later in life" is used at my step dad's active retirement community so I was looking forward to hearing about a 70 YO learning to surf.
Bruddah, don't sell you self short, you are 40 years young!

[jaffa1949]

Uncle Jaffa is 66 and still learning.
I was born in the first half of the last century
My candles on my birthday cakes need bush fire permits!

See if you can get a video "Surfing for Life" from the life style channel.
Not so much a great surf movie but a great testament to what surfing gives to the life in you.

[Zich11]

I am 66. Started 2 years ago. Not very good, but love it even if I don't catch many waves

[jaffa1949]

Good news Zich , go with the flow. bitten by the bug.
The comment you may get will be "at your AGE?" Welcome to the fountain of youth>

[Big H]

Welcome to the fountain of youth.

Seriously!!! .......I just started myself a year and a half ago at age 43 and I haven't felt this physically good since my 20's.

[leinosaur]

Amen y'all, 15 months in at 44 and more stoked every time I get out. Nothing like an ancient wise and dispassionate teacher like the sea to keep one feeling young and dumb. It's thinking you know everything that makes you 'old' and that gets corrected quick in the brine

[Big H]

I have decided that I am going to refuse to get old.



.....at least I will refuse to "act my age"....

[Jamiemead]

Hi I've surfed on off for years ,from early teens , but have got into it big time I'm now 54 and loving it, your as old as you feel , 54 is just a number to me .

[312T4]

Welcome Jamiemead

[Big H]

Welcome J....love the enthusiasm and welcome....I will tell you that there are days that I am glad I'm not as old as I feel but that's a different story....

[ShreddyKrueger]

I see old guys out in the lineup ripping all the time. I think it is purely based on wave count and your progression. Commit to it, don't just be a weekend warrior. If you want to progress in this sport/activity/lifestyle, do it every single day. There is a reason a "turn" is considered a trick in the sport of surfing, it's because it is one of the hardest things to go from beginner to intermediate.

[oldmansurfer]

When you get old you sometimes need recovery time so surfing every day is often not the way to do it. If you are young however definitely surf every day if you can.

[STANLEY]

Moving out in June. 46 years old. Always dreamed of being able to Surf. Have been up a few times. I want time in the water. Malibu, what is the best beach for a beginner? Some place I can fail and not piss anyone off? Thanks

[oldmansurfer]

Where ever you go start by getting some lessons. They can probably advise you where and when.

[STANLEY]

Thanks oldmansurfer! Ive taken a dozen lessons, but would like to hire a surf coach for a few months. I'm just curious what will be my choices for a good beginner beach in Malibu since it will be the closest spot from the area we are relocating to (Agoura/Calabasas). Some where between Topanga and Zuma that is the least crowded. Thanks for any info.

[Mohawk918]

im 30 and started about 7 months ago. Ive lived mostly in Oklahoma until 7 months ago when I moved here to St. Augustine, Florida. I saw some people out surfing so I thought I would talk to some people who surf and borrow a board. I borrowed a softtop from a shop and went out to Jacksonville beach with a buddy and tried it. Man I thought I was gonna throw up from all the paddleing. I got up a couple of times and loved it. I was hooked and addicted. I got on craigslist and bought a 9'10 log. Well fast forward to now..... 2-4 times a week and its never a bad day. Never felt closer to God then when im out there. I love seeing dolphins and even saw a shark.... (wasn't happy about that). I just ordered my first custom board and it should be here soon. Im super pumped to progress this awesome sport and love to talk it also. Age is just a number so anyone can pick it up and get into shape and love this sport.

[CosmicQ]

I just got started a year ago at 43. I had a rough start, but I’m really into it now. I started by reading all the forums, blogs, and watching all the videos I could. Btw, the “surf simply” videos (http://surfsimply.com/surf-simply-tutorials/) are really good. I got a longboard with my tax returns and just went for it. I had a lot of problems getting up, I just couldn’t do it.

I had a day off during the week so I decided to head up to cocoa beach in the early morning and give it another go. The waves were clean and about 2ft, and I got out just at sunrise. There were a couple of other surfers in the water, but I was far enough that I wasn’t going to hit anyone. I fell a couple of times and decided I need to try this in slow motion and start with getting up on my knees, but I still wipe out.

That’s when I start hearing a surfer yelling at me. “Hey! Stay off your knees! That’s a bad habit! Don’t do that!” I was embarrassed and a little shocked by this. I simply nodded and tried again. This time something clicked. I didn’t want to be yelled at again so I did exactly as I was told and just popped right up. For the rest of the morning I was popping up. I hung out with that guy for a while and talked about surfing, and he introduced me to some other people there. It was all an over 40 crowd. This was the day I can say I caught the bug.

The best advice I think I read on this forum (wish I could find it again) was to not get a smaller board in order to make turns. The reason people are not able to turn is because they were still trimming and not turning. It said something like “Single fin long boards can do bottom turns and cutbacks just fine. Stay with it and learn to really turn the hell out of the longboard. Do not get a smaller board until you can feel the weight of the board holding you back. People that learn to turn on a longboard have much more graceful, effortless moves when they move to a short board.” I wish I could find it, but that was gist of it.

My favorite part of surfing is that moment right at the popup. Once I make it out past the break, I get a read on where other people are so I don’t hit anyone, and where the waves are breaking. I start the hunt for a wave. “Is that the one? Is that the start of the set? Am I out far enough? I’ll take the one behind so I don’t get rolled by a bunch of waves. Damn, I could have caught that one. This one looks good.” I spin around and start to paddle. I keep looking back looking for the wave. “Is it breaking too soon? Do I need to speed up?” Then I see and feel the wave start to pick you up, so now I paddle with all I got. Then it happens, I feel that magic moment when the board starts to get that kick from the wave. I am now in motion. It’s this short but sweet moment in time that everything is quiet, and thoughts stop for me. It’s just me and this wave, everything else gone. I come out of the moment, already up on my board. Sometime in that moment, I have popped up and it’s time ride this.

Now I’m waiting for my shaper to complete my first custom board. It is a fun shape because I wanted a sort of “all conditions” surfboard. I really have a lot of fun on that long board though. Someday I would like to do a surf vacation in Costa or something.

[oldmansurfer]

My favorite part of surfing is that moment right at the popup. Once I make it out past the break, I get a read on where other people are so I don’t hit anyone, and where the waves are breaking. I start the hunt for a wave. “Is that the one? Is that the start of the set? Am I out far enough? I’ll take the one behind so I don’t get rolled by a bunch of waves. Damn, I could have caught that one. This one looks good.” I spin around and start to paddle. I keep looking back looking for the wave. “Is it breaking too soon? Do I need to speed up?” Then I see and feel the wave start to pick you up, so now I paddle with all I got. Then it happens, I feel that magic moment when the board starts to get that kick from the wave. I am now in motion. It’s this short but sweet moment in time that everything is quiet, and thoughts stop for me. It’s just me and this wave, everything else gone. I come out of the moment, already up on my board. Sometime in that moment, I have popped up and it’s time ride this.

Excellent description of what goes into surfing. It's that moment when it's just me and the wave that makes it all worthwhile.

[jaffa1949]

I just got started a year ago at 43. I had a rough start, but I’m really into it now.

Now I’m waiting for my shaper to complete my first custom board. It is a fun shape because I wanted a sort of “all conditions” surfboard. I really have a lot of fun on that long board though. Someday I would like to do a surf vacation in Costa or something.

Signs of someone on the thoroughly stoked hook. Enjoy the ride

[LittleSkink]

nice thread, made me smile - thanks folks

my folks were surfers and I spent a cold, miserable youth on Cornish beaches - probably could have surfed any time I wanted but wetsuits werent an option and I so hated that cold water, even in summer

Moved away first chance I got and spent years on silly big motorbikes (my Stuart Royle tuned GSRX11J tried to kill me a couple of times), moved on to climbing (my bonkers climbing partner tried to kill me a couple of times) and settled on Mountain Bikes for a while, til my knees started going

Began bodyboarding with my 2 young kids a couple of years ago, this year we hope to be progressing to "proper" surfing

My body regularly reminds me I am in my 50s, takes ages to fix when I bash it and I don't recognise the old git in the mirror somedays but most of the time 'age' seems like a mental thing - my wife is younger than me but doesnt do any of this stuff and "thinks herself old"