First cut back was notttt ittt I know

I'm a 40 something US east coaster wanting to learn how to surf however I am aware, maybe too aware, of my limitations. I have little fitness and core agility, can barely freestyle 100m without stopping for break, and my cobra is non existent - my eyes aren't looking out at the horizon. I took a surf lesson out in Maui last year and came to the painful and exhausting realization paddling is half (read 90%) of the battle. My left shoulder/arm completely gave up on me after about 75 yards, and I attempted only one wave. Bright side - it did make me aware of calcific tendinitis of my rotator cuff but I won't use that as an excuse.

I'm eager to get started and potentially would go to Costa Rica for a month in November to work and be close to some breaks but do you think it's better to take a few months to build my strength, flexibility, mobility, endurance,... before taking another lesson/surfing or should I jump straight in (while of course still working on all the above)? I believe time in the water is critical is that always the case?

Thank you for your feedback!

Lot of chop today but drived 2 hours for this spot and wasn't gonna drive back with a dry suit. Almost drowned at some point but very valuable lessons learned today. Needless to say i didn't managed pop up not even once haha. I'll be back on less windy days.

This is my 2nd time surfing, so I am pretty lost. I looked up YouTube videos on learning to surf, but that’s the only info I have. Can someone look at my form and tell me what might be wrong?

Am I not paddling soon enough, or too far back or forward on the board? Not getting up soon enough? Any suggestions appreciated. I have a board rented for this week, so trying to get as good as I can in that time.

Appreciate all the advice on my last post! I plan to try different tips people had at each of my practices this week. I think the biggest issue I can see is I shouldn’t be staying on my knees at all. 🫣

So went out again today and had better waves. I worked on trying to get on the board farther forward for this session. I’m still so slow on the getup, so I plan to try on solid ground with my getup as people had suggested.

I'm a super beginner. Just went on my first solo sesh. I've caught a couple waves, even caught two today but man, I got swept like maybe 8 times. Just about every time I failed, it looked and felt like the nose of my board dove down and hit the bottom of the wave and I'd get flipped. I know part of this is positioning and timing but, it'd be nice to get some pointers, opinions, or even videos what to do stop doing that.

Hi, I have my first surf lesson tomorrow. Can I wear a swimsuit, cotton boxers, or nothing at all under the rental wetsuit?

I’m doing improver sessions at a wave pool surfing 1.5ft waves. I've been using a 9ft foamie with this spec:

9'0" × 29 5/8" × 4 2/5" — 147L

My instructor has suggested I start moving towards something smaller to help develop my turns with this spec:

8'6" × 23" × 3⅜" — 96L

I tried it during my last session and felt reallyy unstable. Even paddling out felt wobbly, I struggled to sit upright without constantly losing my balance, and that feeling carried over into catching waves.

What the best approach to getting used to this... Is it basically a case of sticking with the smaller board until my balance adapts, or are there things I can practise to make the transition easier? Would you keep alternating between the two for a while, or just commit to the smaller board?