05 Apr 10 Ways to Get Yourself Out of a Surf Slump
It doesn’t matter what level you are, at some point in your surfing journey you will hit the dreaded surf slump. Maybe you’re just coming out of a long surf-less winter, or you might have just lost your spark. It’s inevitable that you’ll plateau for a while, but that’s not always a bad thing. It means you’re about to push through to the next level. But what if you’re feeling so stuck you don’t even want to go in the water? Well, you need to try these 10 tips for getting out of a surf slump and watch yourself fall in love with surfing all over again!
1. Go surfing!
First thing’s first, the best way to get out of a surf slump is to actually go surfing! It sounds obvious, but sometimes you’ve just got to stop making excuses and get out there. After all, the more time you spend in the water the quicker you will progress. If one of your biggest excuses is not having enough time to surf, then see where you can make the extra effort to fit it into your schedule. Maybe if you get up an hour earlier you can go for a quick paddle before work, or if you work from home and live close to the beach then jump in on your lunch break!
2. Set a wave count goal
You might not be catching many waves because you’re simply not paddling for enough of them. Set a target for how many waves you want to catch in a session and don’t leave the water until you’ve reached that number. Make sure you’re not just sitting in the same spot in the lineup, hoping a wave will come to you. Move around to find the best take off spot!
3. Take a surf lesson
Having the attention and guidance of an experienced surf instructor will help you increase your wave count and improve your surfing technique. They’ll watch your every wave, identify your mistakes and give you real-time feedback and adjustments that you can put into practice there and then. You can then take their advice into your next solo surf session!
4. Try different boards
If you’re struggling to catch waves, ditch the shortboard and try something longer for more paddling ease. There’s so much to learn on a longboard that you might never have tried before, like cross-stepping and nose-riding. Or if you’re bored of longboarding, take out a fish for more speed. Trying different boards will open up new ways of surfing, and you might just find your own style in the process.
5. Improve your surf fitness
Surfing is super physical, so you need to be in good shape if you want to get the most out of your sessions. Getting into a new workout routine can do wonders for your motivation. Increase your upper body strength and stamina with push ups and cardio for those long paddle outs, whilst burpees are great for improving your pop up. Check out this blog post for more surf fitness tips!
6. surf with friends
There’s nothing like catching waves with a good crew to make you fall in love with surfing again! When you’re calling each other onto waves, challenging each other to try new things and generally being a good cheerleader for your friends in the water, it’s hard not to feel stoked. Even better is surfing with people who are better than you, as watching them will show you where you need to improve.
7. watch loads of surf films
Watching videos of the surfers who get you excited can be a massive source of inspiration and motivation. Create a Pinterest board or save a collection on Instagram with all your favourite surfers and flick through whenever you need a dose of surf-spiration. Memorise their movements, visualise yourself doing the same and try to mimic them the next time you go surfing. You’ll know you’ve watched enough surf videos when you’re doing cutbacks and cross steps in your dreams! 😉
8. Go on a surf trip
Whether it’s a two-week trip to surf tropical waves or a weekend road trip to a new spot closer to home, you might just need a change of scenery and some adventure to rekindle that surfing spark! Travelling somewhere with the sole purpose of surfing new waves will be so beneficial for your surf progression. Not only will you be able to immerse yourself in the surf lifestyle and soak up the local surf culture, you’ll be surrounded by other surfers who are all there for the same thing – to eat, sleep, surf and repeat! How can you not feel stoked with those vibes?!
9. don't let the forecast/webcam put you off
We’ve all fallen into the trap of checking the cam, seeing poor conditions and thinking it’s not worth the trip to the beach. But so often, it’s the days when you have the least expectations that you actually have the best surf! You don’t have to wait for the waves to be perfect to improve your surfing. In fact, if you can successfully catch waves when it’s sloppy and onshore, imagine how much easier you’ll find it when those clean offshore conditions roll in.
10. And remember: surfing is supposed to be fun!
When you put too much pressure on yourself to get better at surfing, you lose all the fun – and that’s the whole point of it, right?! If you’re not having fun in the water anymore, then you’re less likely to go again, which will hinder your progression even more. So next time you’re feeling frustrated with your lack of progress, take a foamie out and have zero expectations. What’s the worst that could happen? You splash around in the ocean for a while, move your body and boost your endorphins. We can think of worse ways to spend our time…
Looking for a rad crew to surf with? Join our monthly surf club socials and meet like-minded women of all levels and ages! Click here for more information and to sign up to our next meet-up.
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