SURFING

SURFING TERMS

• 'Nose'-the tip of a surfboard.
• 'Tail'- the end of a surfboard.
• 'Deck'- the part of a surfboard that you stand on.
• 'Waxing'- rubbing a piece of wax on the deck of a surfboard. Always make sue to wax your board before you get in the water, otherwise the board becomes too slippery.

SURFING TERMS CONTINUED

• Wiping out'- falling off of your board. When you wipe out make sure to cover your forehead and the top of your head with your hands.
• Leash'- a cord attached to the tail of your board. Put your leash on the ankle that would be in the back when you are standing on your surfboard.
• Popping up'- pushing yourself up from your paddling position to your standing position.

Paddling

Paddling isn't an easy thing to do. Especially if your surfboard is big and heavy. If you know how to do a doggy paddle this should be easy for you. You should have one arm on either side of your surfboard with your hands slightly cupped. Make sure to never paddle with both hands at the same time. It might seem like it
makes the surfboard move faster, but it doesn’t help. Always paddle with one hand at a time.

POPPING UP

• Popping up is one of the most important things you need to know how to do correctly when you are surfing. Here is a basic walk through of popping up:
• Push up with your arms.
• Swing your preferable foot towards the nose of your board and place it down. Now you would be in a lunge position.

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• From your lunge position, push yourself up.
• Bring your arms up so they are in a straight horizontal line to test your balance. If the nose of your board is starting to sink under the water while you are surfing, try to move back. This is called “nose-diving”. If this happens you are too far up on your board. Always make sure to be in the middle of your board.

If you are a beginner it is always helpful to practice popping up in the sand before you get in the water.

Equipment

It is always helpful to have the correct gear when you are surfing, but there are so many different brands that sell surfboards and surfing gear.
There are two types of surfboards, a longboard, and a shortboard. Most brands sell both types of surfboards, though some only sell one type. There are also foam surfboards and fiberglass surfboards.

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I wouldn't recommend fiberglass surfboards for beginners because they are very heavy and very fragile. Some popular surfboard brands are AJW Surfboards and BIC Sport Surfboards. The price of a longboard ranges from $700-$1,300. The price of a short board ranges from $400-$800.

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A surfboard isn’t the only equipment you have to have if you want to surf. If you are surfing in a place like Maine you need a wetsuit. Some of the most well-known wetsuit brands are Billabong, Rip Curl, and O’Neill. There are also short sleeved wetsuits and full body wetsuits. Full body wetsuits have boots, gloves, and a hat, for surfing in frigid waters. There are lots of companies that sell surfing gear and surfboards, but these are some of the best ones!

Famous surfers

There are so many amazing surfers out there, and they all have different styles.
One of the most famous surfers today is Bethany Hamilton.
Bethany Hamilton was born in Hawaii and has lived there ever since. In 2003 she survived a shark attack, but the shark took her arm. Bethany still continues to surf, even with just on arm!

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Duke Kahanamoku is known as the “father of modern surfing”. Duke rode a mile long wave in Waikiki. That is one of the longest waves in history. Duke Kahanamoku is in the Swimming Hall of Fame and Surfing Hall of Fame.
These are just two of many famous surfers, but they are all amazing and inspiring!

With a lot of practice you could become a famous surfer like Bethany Hamilton and Duke Kahanamoku. I hope these tips can help you become a great surfer!

CREDITS

• en.m.wikipedia.org