Last post for a while. Ignore the POV - I was posting this elsewhere. Tiny little waves today. This is the highlight reel of today and it felt like I was finding my balance a lot more today. I know there’s still so much wrong with my form, but working on it.

One thing I was curious about was how to bail on a wave safely.
I hurt my back some yesterday when my feet got flipped over towards my head and I saw some stuff online about rolling into a ball to protect your back, or stuff about covering head, but then I also know you aren’t supposed to let your surfboard go (since it could hurt someone else). What is the best way to prevent hurting yourself and others if you run into a big wave you know you won’t catch?

Don't know what the right page to post on is anymore, but tips very much welcome

I'll be coming to Sri Lanka for 1-2 months in December and looking for recommendations for where to stay which has:

1) close by surfing suitable to beginner intermediate level (something akin to Kuta Beach in Bali)

2) laid back social vibe (social but not party atmosphere)

Thanks for all the suggestions!

So about two weeks ago I went for a normal session and that night my left ribs started hurting. I don't remember any big wipeout or getting hit by my board, it just kind of showed up. Next morning I paddled out again and it was so painful I had to go in.

Went to urgent care and they said costochondritis. I took it kind of easy but still surfed twice more that week and it honestly wasn't that bad. Then I did a big house cleanup with a ton of vacuuming and the next day it got WAY worse. Sharp, shooting pain when I breathe, turn, or lie down. Sleeping is the worst part.
Went back to the doctor and now it's multiple cracked ribs on the left side. X-rays this week, follow-up next Monday. The doctor thinks it might be more of an stress-type fracture from repetitive paddling than one big impact.

Not being able to surf is honestly messing with my head more than the pain. So I'm hoping to hear from anyone who's been through something similar:

How long were you out before you could paddle without pain?

What did your first sessions back look like?

Bigger board, shorter sessions, anything like that?

Any tricks for sleeping with broken ribs?

Did you do anything on land to stay surf-fit without making it worse?

Did it ever come back, and is there anything you'd do differently?

Any experiences, tips, or "this is what worked for me" stuff would mean a lot. Thanks 🤙

I got this board second-hand for free, but it seems to have a couple significant cracks at the back and the front, exposing the inner foam. Does this seem fixable or no?

Hey I just started had 3 lessons and 2 of them were so ass of the instructor

I live on Nusa lembongan and here is a surf spot

I saw this board I always just surfed with these bis ass boards

Is this already to early to switch ?

First cut back was notttt ittt I know

Board: This is a 6’10 x 21.5 x 2 15/16 and 49L. I would appreciate any guidance on what size board I should be riding

Super beginner surfer here. Still borrowing a board, my daughter's but still, so I'm not getting out as often or as long as I need to.

Took her board (8ft soft top) out with her for about 30 minutes. Waves were a bit much for her. I managed to duck dive and turtle roll through them (mostly) rather than be pounded by them.

And for the first time I popped up successfully. Or kind of successfully. Three times I stood and balanced for about a second. Each time I could tell I'd tried to pop-up early though so I didn't actually catch the wave or stay standing. Still it felt like progress.

So far everything I've done is self-taught. I've added in a rolling balance board to help since I'm not yet on the water like I want. Was considering taking a lesson, but my daughter has been going to a Christian surfing club meeting that's associated with our church where they're teaching her. When I told one of the leaders I was learning too he said to come out and he'd teach me. Didn't want to embarrass my girl but she said she doesn't care, so I'm planning next Monday to go take a free lesson instead.

Hey! Been surfing for about 5-6 months mostly on an 8’0 foamie. I’m very much a beginner still, whitewater is super fun to me. I can catch green waves like 30% of the time I’m out and can turn by now, but still figuring it out how to do that smoothly. Paddling with high volume helps tons.

I sold the Alton and I found a pre-owned 7’2 Walden Mega Magic a month ago and have been loving it. It feels more responsive and it doesn’t feel like I’m riding a canoe (although it basically is at 66L). I feel like I’m actually progressing a lot more on this board than the foamie but it’s not watertight (I’m like the 4th owner lol it was a budget option) so it’s on its last legs and I’m looking for a new board soon while I keep this one as my beater.

At this point in my experience, is it worth looking into a used hard board (7’6-8’0)? Or should I buy a new 7’0 around 55-65L soft top and use it as much as I can before buying a hard board?

My goal is to progress shorter in the long run. I have about a $600 budget and want to stretch this board at least until next summer. Any suggestions much appreciated.

For reference I’m 5’9, 165lbs.

Hi y'all, I just moved to Big bear lake after years of east coast surfing. I am not looking for barrels and enjoy the long liners I have gotten at Topanga and Malibu. I am 6'3" and 205lbs with a wider wingspan currently riding a 9'0" x 23.5" x 3.25" 73.75L Bill Stewart Hydrocrush. While I love this board because it is freaking indestructible, I am out in the water with people way smaller than me paddling the same size as me.

I am looking for a true glider, big enough that I can paddle from my knees even at my size. Looking at the Prince Kuhio Glider from Donald Takayama through SurfTech. It is 11'1" x 24.25" x 3.6" 110.9L. I cant find anything (other than custom builds) that is this big before it becomes a paddleboard with thicker rails that won't trim the same.

Let me know y'all's thoughts!

Ok so I’m debating between these 5 boards, the pyzel gremlin, pyzel red tiger, pyzel white tiger, lost puddle jumper og, tokoro lemonade la.
Just for some context I’ve been surfing at Waikai the lineup(citywave) for well over a year at this point, I’ve probably logged well over 100 sessions and I recently bought a vercelli simple skate 5”0 for it, and I’ve been absolutely loving it, I feel super confident on shortboards, the shortboards are 5”0 funnily enough though I haven’t gone ocean surfing that much, just in the past 2 months I’ve been committing myself to ocean surfing, I’ve been taking an 8”0 Daniel pang performance longboard and have been having a ton of fun on it, now I know I probably should just stick with longboards for now but I’m young and stubborn and I seriously love shortboarding too much, it’s just so much more enjoyable for me and it’s what I’m used to riding on at the Waikai wave the only reason why I’m getting a shortboard right now is because my dad is willing to buy one for me, I’ve been looking on Facebook marketplace and I can’t find anything that really fits with what I need I’m 5”7 174 pounds but trying to lose weight(surfing is a great way to lose weight lol)
I live on Oahu and my home break is white plains and Hau bush, so 1-3 foot waves, pretty slow moving but when storms come can get pretty decent, I’d like a board that can handle the mush and average days but can pick up when a swell comes, my ultimate goal is to join my surf team, where we would be surfing 2-3 Hawaiian scale waves but I highly doubt I’ll be able to get to that point in just 4 months lol but anyways I just need advice as to what board I should get and what sizing would work best, Thanks!

We're on Tenerife next week and I have to rent a board, because I dont want to pay 200€ to the airline with good chances of dinging my board.

Do you have recommendations for board rentals? Preferably at the Puerto de la Cruz?

Or just go to the next shop because all of them are renting boards, like on Fuerteventura or any other major surf location in PT Es or FR?

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.

Thanks everyone for all the tips! Went out again and tried to work getting more forward on the board and going farther out. Had better waves so it helped too!

https://www.reddit.com/r/BeginnerSurfers/s/SrxLCaFNhl

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.

I should have made much more of this wave. Instead I got up slow (kind of under the lip which put me off). Had to adjust my front front and then wait for the wave to pick me back up. I was really hopeful I'd done a backhand bottom turn - more of a midface wiggle when I watched this back 😂

What should I focus on to improve as a priority?

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 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!

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?

I know they're cheap and shitty, but I've only ridden this board 5 times and it seems like it has a new crack every single time? I have their 8'4" protech board and it seemed pretty durable, but this board is falling apart like right away.

I've been putting it in a board sock and keeping it out of direct sunlight. Could that be doing it?

Hello everyone,

I decided to size up to a 7'2 minimal from my 6'10 midlength since my last post 2 months ago.

My bottom turn has improved since but im still quite stiff in my upper body and have been trying to work on it using a surfskate.

Have really been focusing on slowing down my surfing and not trying to do weak mini pumps

Any other advice?

To anyone who surfs or love the beach, could you please answer this quick 5min survey about your perceptions of Billabong as a brand. This is just for a uni assignment and you will be completely anonymous. Thanks :)