Is surfing hard? No. But can it be difficult for someone to learn? Yes. It seems like a paradox, but riding waves is only tricky to master if you do not pay attention to a few essential variables.
In 2016, ESPN gathered a panel of experts from the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee.
The goal was to rank 60 sports from the hardest to the least demanding in terms of degree of difficulty.
The team divided the evaluation into ten categories: endurance, strength, power, speed, agility, flexibility, nerve, durability, hand-eye coordination, and analytic aptitude.
In the end, researchers concluded that boxing was the most and fishing the least demanding of all 60 sports.
Surfing ranked in the first half in 23rd position with an overall score of 53.125 points out of 100.
According to the ESPN team, surfing's most demanding characteristic/skill was "nerve" (scoring 8.25 out of 10 possible points), and its most accessible was "power" (4.13 out of 10 possible points).
Learning to skateboard was considered less complicated than surfing, and it appeared in 37th place on the list.
So, is surfing hard to learn? We don't think so.
People of all ages and genders can pop up for the first time and ride a whitewater wave on a surfboard relatively quickly.
It could vary from one or two hours to one week or a couple of months.
The trick is to avoid making several mistakes that will drain your energy and enthusiasm and increase your frustration.
And this is really important - don't make surfing's classic beginner mistakes.
So, if you're about to learn to surf and join the world's coolest tribe, pay attention to the following don'ts.
Knowing what makes surfing hard to learn - and how to approach those issues - will speed up the process. Trust us.
Here's a detailed breakdown of the most common obstacles. The eight minutes of reading time will save you hours of training mistakes.
1. Fear of Waves, Ocean, or Depth
The fear of waves can be one of the biggest mental hurdles for beginners - no doubt about that.
The unpredictable nature of the ocean and the uncertainty of deep waters could make people anxious.
We know there are a lot of people like that out there.
Swells can be intimidating, especially if they are larger or more mightier than expected, leading to a fear of getting submerged or overwhelmed.
For those not comfortable with swimming in deep water, this fear is amplified by the thought of strong currents and what lies beneath.
"Could I be sucked underwater?" some might think.
The good news is that surfers ride waves mostly close to the beach, and if you're learning the first steps, you will never be in a position where you could get pounded by a huge roller.
If you're doing it right, you'll be training your pop-ups in gentle waves.
Understanding wave behavior and gradually increasing your confidence through practice will help you overcome these irrational fears.
Swimming, for instance, helps you feel more comfortable in the ocean.
2. Fear of Falling or Wiping Out
Falling off the board, or wiping out, is inevitable in surfing.
There's no way you could be a surfer without it. It's just like in skateboarding.
However, the fear of falling - either into the water or onto the surfboard itself - should not hinder you from enjoying the privilege of riding a wave.
Many beginners worry about getting injured, hitting the board, or being caught in the turbulence of a breaking wave.
Yes, this fear can limit progression, but embracing falls and wipeouts is absolutely part of becoming a confident, skillful surfer.
Professional surfers fall all the time and fail to complete maneuvers during contests. It's perfectly normal and frequent and doesn't necessarily mean you're going to get injured.
There are simple ways to minimize the impacts caused by hitting your head on several parts of the surfboard.
So, the takeaway here is, surely, relax and enjoy.
3. Choosing the Wrong Surfboard
Picking the wrong surfboard for your first surfboard learning sessions is one of the worst and most recurrent mistakes beginners make.
A well-chosen beginner surfboard is half of the road to success.
Trust us: getting the wrong surfboard can severely hinder learning.
Many beginners make the mistake of choosing boards that are too small, short, or thin.
Larger boards provide more stability, making it easier to paddle into waves and balance once you're up and riding.
The rule of thumb here is: the bigger (more overall volume) the surfboard is, the faster you'll become a surfer.
They also catch waves more easily and quickly, which is crucial for learning proper technique.
On the other hand, smaller boards require greater balance and paddling strength, which beginners typically don't have.
4. Wrong Wind and Wave Conditions
Here's another very common mistake.
Non-surfers often think that surfing is all about taking on Nazaré-style waves. They cannot comprehend that one could actually have fun in smooth two-foot rollers.
"I don't know what those fools are doing there. There are no waves!" you can hear them say on a summer morning.
Well, the person in question is wrong.
If they pay attention or have the patience to wait for a set, they'll see you can actually ride very long waves on an apparently calm ocean.
Surfing requires a good understanding of weather and ocean conditions, with the wind playing a significant role in the quality of waves.
Onshore winds (blowing from the sea toward the shore) can make waves choppy and difficult to ride, while offshore winds (blowing from land toward the ocean) create cleaner, more rideable waves.
These surf science fundamentals are critical.
Wave size, power, and frequency also change based on weather patterns.
Beginners often struggle because they attempt to surf in suboptimal conditions, that is, too big or blown-out ocean conditions.
To start things off on a surfboard, you need calm seas and small waves.
If it's slightly bigger, then it's important to try popping up in the broken whitewater waves.
5. Inappropriate Tide Timings
Learning when a spot works best in relation to the tide is essential.
Why? Because tides affect wave formation and surf breaks in an incredible way.
At noon, you could be standing in a dry area on a beach where, in four hours, you'll be riding a wave.
This is how tides can change the surfing paradigm. They're a total game-changer and vary abruptly, especially under new and full moons.
Also, at high tide, waves can sometimes lose power, while at low tide, they can become more powerful and break closer to shore.
Therefore, each surf break normally has a surfable window of several or only a few hours.
Paddling out at the wrong time and not understanding how tides work can make surfing an impossible and often frustrating mission.
6. Crowded Lineups
Popular surf spots can become very crowded, especially during ideal conditions.
Consequently, for beginners, it could be hard to find a comfortable space among experienced and wave-starved surfers.
Surf breaks have a hierarchy (similar to the animal kingdom) and an etiquette that should be followed.
Failing to adjust to these variables can lead to frustration and even conflict with other wave riders.
Yes, you'll feel intimidated, pressured, and anxious.
So, the advice here is to try to learn to surf in less crowded spots and gradually get comfortable with the dynamics of a lineup.
It will make things so much easier for you.
7. Incorrect Paddle and Position on the Surfboard
Paddling is one of the most important skills in surfing, yet it's often underestimated by beginners.
Let's put it simply: without it, you will never catch a wave by yourself; you'll always need someone pushing you and the board into a wave.
A proper paddling technique involves keeping your body centered and balanced on the surfboard, using long, efficient strokes, and keeping your head up to see incoming waves.
Incorrect positioning - either too far forward or backward on the deck - makes it harder to catch waves and maintain balance.
Poor paddling technique can also lead to early fatigue.
So, during your first practice sessions, try to find a comfortable balance by lying on the board and training your paddling strokes around the lineup.
Calm seas are better for this decisive stage.
8. Poor Wave Selection
The ability to read waves is one of surfing's most helpful skills, and it is one that is constantly progressing, improving, and fine-tuning.
It basically allows you to distinguish between a wave that is worth paddling into and another that will not provide a long and joyful ride.
Consequently, wave selection is something that takes time to develop.
Beginners often paddle into... mostly everything that moves. Sometimes, waves that are too big, too small, or are breaking poorly (for instance, closing out).
These mistakes take a lot of energy and cause enormous frustration.
Knowing which waves to go for - based on their shape, size, and timing - is a skill that comes with experience.
A good exercise is to read about it and observe the ocean for several minutes before even putting on the wetsuit.
You'll notice that waves have breaking patterns, and only a few will truly be rideable. The trick is to look for open faces and waves that peel perfectly from one side to another.
9. Popping Up Too Early
The "pop-up" is the movement where you go from lying on your stomach to standing on the surfboard.
It's somehow the ultimate border that separates an apprentice from a surfer.
Timing is key here - if you try to stand up too early, you'll often lose balance or momentum before the wave has properly caught you.
A classic mistake many beginners make is to pop up too soon, either because they are excited or because they misjudge the wave.
So, mastering the timing of the pop-up is essential for staying on the wave. The trick is to take the time to wait until the wave has already built enough power to push you forward.
In other words, you need to feel when the wave has really taken you and only then try to pop up.
10. Using Knees as an Intermediate Pop-Up Stage
As we've seen above, beginner surfers develop many incorrect habits.
One of the last ones, before they celebrate their first-ever wave ride, is the tendency to use their knees as a transition phase between lying down and standing up.
While it might feel like an easier option, it's actually a bad pattern that makes progression harder.
Going from lying to standing in one smooth motion is the goal, as pausing on your knees disrupts your balance and slows down your pop-up.
You'll get addicted to it, believe us. So, it's important to cut it as soon as possible.
Try training your brain to go from prone to upright in a single quick movement on dry sand before paddling out.
Make it 20 times every session, and you'll see that it'll help you.
Extra: Learning to Surf All By Yourself
It's a debatable topic - yes, we know that - but we believe having someone experienced helping you can make things really easier and faster.
Many beginners try to learn to surf on their own, and that's totally fine.
We at SurferToday started like that a long time ago when there were fewer surfers and way fewer surf instructors and surf schools.
The problem with self-taught surfing is that without guidance, it's easy to develop bad habits, misunderstand ocean conditions, and become discouraged.
Surfing has a steep learning curve, and lessons or useful tips from more experienced surfers can significantly speed up the process.
They will surely offer corrections, advice, and insights that you wouldn't get from trial and error alone.
So, in the long run, if you're determined to teach yourself, at least try to be patient, practice regularly, and be aware of the challenges you'll face without proper instruction.
Words by Luís MP | Founder of SurferToday.com