Surfing

Since its hey day in the 1960's, surfing through the ocean has become a popular past time. Riders love to pound the surf with their waxed boards and ride large waves into the shore. As like any sport, there is risk associated with surfing. Surfing implies that a rider can successfully use their arms and legs to maintain balance upon a surfboard as the wave begins to swell and crest.

Most beginners will enjoy this sport because the cost of getting into surfing is relatively low. A good board can cost $200 - $ 1,000 depending on the material it's made from. Many beginners can buy a good board used and can take up the sport at a nearby beach. Before you begin, there are several things you should learn.

- How to keep your board nearby should you wipe out - How to swim out towards an incoming wave - What to do should you collide with another surfer - What conditions are right for surfing and which ones are dangerous

Surfers should know how to swim. It's the basic necessity to keep you afloat should you go out too far or if you lose your board on a wipe out. Most surfers start out on their boards flat on their stomach and begin to kneel into a crouching position as they approach a wave. Upon reaching the swell of the wave, they should be in a upright position heading into the ebb or top of the wave. As soon as the reach the top they begin to navigate through the remainder of the wave using their feet to steer into the cresting tide. Usually most surfers ride a wave from right to left.

There are times when a surfer can get closer to another surfer and collide. Try to remain as far away from swimmers as possible and keep a clear 180-degree view as much as possible to avoid dangerous situations. Know exactly how far you are from the beach at all times. There are times when surfing is at its premium right before a storm or when currents are at their strongest. During this peak time, it is good to exercise caution for your own personal safety. Depending on how warm the water may be you may have to be concerned with sharks. Although a shark attack is considered rare, there is always a possibility in some regions.

Surfing has become so popular that there are various spin-offs of this sport includ

The two main components of surfing are paddling out and dropping in. While there is definitely a lot more to surfing, these are two things to master. The best way to learn how to surf is first hand, so after reading this article, go out there and surf, surf, surf!

When paddling out to surf, you have a few different choices to make. You can ditch your board, paddle over the top, dive early or try to paddle under the lip. Deciding what to do is all just a matter of experience. When paddling out, always charge straight at the wave as hard as you can. Even if you think you're going to get beat by the wave, just keep paddling straight toward the wave. The wave is moving toward you, so if you keep moving toward it, you will be surprised at how quickly you can get there, and possible even slip right under the lip.

The trick to piercing an already broken wave is depth. You need to get below the broken water of the wave into the calm water below and keep swimming forward. The deeper you can get under the wave, the safer you will be from the force of the breaking wave. Duck dive deep, or ditch your surfboard and dive down. As the wave passes over you, push off with your feet and streamline your body. As soon as you break the surface, get back on your surfboard and paddle like crazy.

When dropping in on a wave while surfing, always remember that where your head goes, your body follows. Lead with your head. If you want to go down the face of the wave, you have to keep your head down. Stretch your neck, put your chin near the deck of your surfboard, and hurl your every thought and inspiration down the face of the wave as you paddle. Only when you are sure you are sliding down the face of the wave should you slide lithely to your feet and start dealing with your bottom turn.