by Tex » Fri Aug 10, 2018 2:32 pm
I think the basic components of surfing makes it generally easier in the following ways:
1. Learning how to read the water/understanding rips/bottom contours takes some stress out of the equation because your wave knowledge increases and you can navigate more comfortably in the Ocean
2. Wave etiquette- learning how to proficiently move in and around other surfers while trying to catch waves also takes stress out of the equation. I used to have fear of getting run over or dropping in, that no longer exists.
3. Solid duck diving- once I FINALLY figured out how to duck dive, getting outside to the line up got exponentially easier.
4. Learning how to roll with a wave underwater without getting too thrashed....also because I am not a big wave surfer in any stretch of the imagination.
5. Learning your board- understanding what it can and cannot do for you in certain wave conditions will amplify your sessions over time.
After that, it really comes down to how far you want to take your surfing skills and how long it takes to get there. For many years, my goal was to continually step down in board size. My definition of a good surfer was predicated on the ability to ride super short boards....so I kept working my way down to smaller boards and quit that goal after spending 3 weeks in Costa Rica on a 5'0 Mini Simmons Hull replica.
Now my goal is to just get more water time and enjoy that time for what it is, time with my brother who we spread his ashes down at SS some years back, time to absorb the natural beauty of the water, sky, waterfalls, sand, trees, mountains, catch a few fun rides, make some turns and call it a day.
If my goal was to get airs or barrells on every wave, I might be more frustrated but those are not my goals, only to be fully present while catching bands of energy that have been traveling for thousands of miles before they found me.
Tex