TIPS FOR SURFING BEGINNERS

How to Tips for Surfing Beginners!
Surfboards and You

Surfboards are made to float on the water. They have a natural center of gravity. If you were to lay any surfboard in a swimming pool, it would come to rest the same way every time. 

What you want to do when you lay on a surf board is to have the board remain in the same relation to the water as it was without your weight on it, just a bit lower in the water. 

Mark The Balance Point
A good tip is to find this balance point is to lay on your board then make a mark right at your chin. This spot is best made with a bit of wax or a magic marker. It is a reference point that enables you to put your chin on the same spot every time, so the board will react to your weight the same way every time.

Pearling
If the board's nose digs into the water it is called pearling and you must move the location of "your chin" back. To adjust, just slide back an inch from the mark and make a mental note. (Ed note: for more on surfing terms also see Surfing Lingo.)

also see in surfing: My First Surfing Lesson

Corking
Too much weight in the back and the board will cork. This is a common mistake amongst beginners. You cannot catch a wave if you are corking your board. Move up an inch at a time till the board lies in the water naturally. This will provide you with the maximum hull speed and minimum drag from the water displacement that you are causing with your weight. 

Paddle With The Crawl Stroke
Do not paddle with both arms simultaneously because this will cause the board to speed up and slow down in the water and you will not be able to maintain constant hull speed through the water. Always paddle with the crawl stroke...one arm and then the other alternatively. This will provide you with a constant speed so you can catch that wave. 

Sitting On The Board
Ok, so now we know how to lie on the board and paddle the board. Now it's time to learn how to sit on the board. The first time try this you may be quite wobbly. The key to doing this well is being calm, or trying to be still. The less movement that you make, the easier you will find it is to do this. All the other skills of surfing will improve as you learn to be "calm" while surfing.

Standing On The Board
Now it's time to learn how to stand up. This is something you have been doing all your life. Lie on your chest, your head up, looking ahead. Put your hands on the board beside your shoulders, palms down like you were going to do a push up. Push your upper body up and at the same time sweep your feet under you. Make sure your feet are laying on the stringer, the line down the middle of the board. This move keeps your weight centered along the stringer.
When you come up, remember to keep low. If you stand erect you will fall. Assume a position of a sumo wrestler. Press your feet shoulder width apart and "grip the board in your feet", opposite of the way you would press your thighs together on a horse. Have your hands a bit higher than your waist and just in view of your vision. Always look up! If you look at your feet, you will fall down. I promise!
Practice This For Hours.
Have someone watch you and have them critique your performance. Practice jumping up without making a sound on the floor. Calm and controlled is the smoothest way to approach this...so practice doing it quietly. If you have a surfboard, lay it on a large bed or in the sand and do this exercise. This is a way for you to judge your ability to be controlled.

Surfing Safety:

• Never have your board between yourself and the coming waves!
• To avoid collision with others, keep a safe distance, say fifteen feet or the length of you, your leash and board combined.
• Beginners should always wear a leash or leg rope tied to their surfboard.
• Every beginner surfboard should also have a safety nose guard to prevent dangerous impacts with the surfboard nose.
• Beginners should always surf with a buddy for safety, plus it is cool to share your surf experiences with someone else.
• Never push your board through the water fin first. The fin or fins were made to keep the board pointing nose first. Pushing the board fins first can be quite dangerous because the board wants to go the other direction.
• Beginner surfers should consider wearing a vest, rash guard or tee shirt to avoid the rubbed rash they will get on their stomach and chest.
• When you fall off your board, cover the back of your head with your hands, with your wrists over your ears and your elbows together. Stay under water for a moment longer than necessary.
• There are companies that make helmets and this is another alternative.
• When you come up, try to be facing the oncoming waves and look for your board's location immediately. Loose boards, propelled by the strength of the ocean, are very dangerous objects for swimmers.

More at: http://www.chiff.com/a/surfing101.htm