Five strategies to fight surf fear
By Emma
Fear is natural, sometimes it is a nuisance. Women + Waves host Emma shares five tried and tested strategies for fighting the feeling and reclaiming her zen when surfing outside her comfort zone.
On every Women + Waves weekend this year we have seen women push themselves, go for the extra wave, take that deeper take off, cruise along that steeper face.
It makes us so happy to witness the strength, the support, and the stoke everyone holds for themselves and each other. The vibe in and out of the water is always wild, friendships blossom, surf skills boom, by the evening everyone is knackered yet stoked, with beaming smiles and sun kissed faces.
On a few of our weekends we have had big swells and solid surf hitting our Cornish shores, sometimes with more force than a few of our Women + Wavers are used to. This is ideal, there is no better place to be when you feel a little out of your depth than surrounded by fully qualified instructors with years of experience to guide your lessons. If you are new to this, our Newquay Beginner Surfer Programme is a friendly way to build confidence.
Newquay boasts some of the best waves in Cornwall, and with our weekends often in the off season there are fewer people in the water, what is not to love. We rotate between Towan Beach and Fistral depending on swell. From the first lesson we assess everyone’s strengths and areas to improve, along with the conditions in the water. We would never take anyone out who we felt could not handle themselves out there. We believe in you, you only need to believe in yourselves.
Whenever you are out of your comfort zone it is easy to feel out of your depth. Sometimes nerves turn to fear and fear turns to panic, it can override your good vibes. We have watched inspiring women paddle out into bigger waves than they were used to and fight the fear again and again. Every wave they caught was well deserved.
I recognise those feelings of fear, I have felt them many times. It is easy to assess a situation from the outside, when you are in the middle of a large breaking set or holding your breath it is harder to process things slowly.
So here are the coping strategies I use when I feel out of my depth, or panicky, or fearful. Next time we are out there together, remember these five steps.
1. Positive breeds positive
It is daunting surfing a new spot, especially if you have over thought it a thousand times. A close friend told me, negative breeds negative, when I was caught in a thought spiral. It hit me hard, I began to spiral and it started to affect my surfing. Even before I paddled out I would say, you are not good enough, you will never get better, these waves are too big, it is too windy. Thinking a negative thought breeds more negative thoughts. Turn it on its head and you will find positive breeds positive, the shift helps.
Now when I feel out of my depth, I concentrate on positive thoughts and focus on what I want from this surf. It is chunky today, I will paddle out and practise my duck dives, if I make it out back, happy days. Focusing on the positive instead of overthinking conditions changes how your surf plays out.
2. Perspective
Fear exists in the future. We do not live in the future, we live in the present. Do not let something that has not happened, and probably will not happen, destroy your present. Focus on the present, think positive thoughts, fear does not stand a chance.
3. Do not give too much of a care
Easier said than done, yet channelling the art of not giving too much of a care helps. I met a woman who would paddle out in overhead winter surf without boots and just give it a go. She never expected anything from her surfs, she wanted to have fun, catch some waves. We put pressure on ourselves to perform every time, we overburden ourselves, and lose the fun. Paddle out without expectation and you are more likely to enjoy it. If conditions are out of your league, you tried, that matters.
4. Breathe and relax
If you find yourself in the line up in larger surf than you have faced before, breathe. Inhale for four seconds, exhale for four. Repeat five times, or until the next set rolls in.
If you are in white water and panic hits, pop to the surface, look around, catch a wave to shore, and take a break on the beach. Sit down, inhale, exhale, and wait until you feel calm before paddling back out. Or head in and congratulate yourself for trying. Even the best surfers need to centre themselves sometimes.
After a beast of a winter paddle out I felt my body tense, heart racing. I started breathing deeply, slowly, to settle my nerves. Within a minute my shoulders dropped, my brow loosened. A chunky wave came, I kept breathing as I paddled to position, it picked me up, I slid down its face and it was insane. Endorphins pumping, I paddled back out, calmer, ready for the next one.
5. Visualise the process
Visualise what you want to achieve before it happens. Our Women + Waves coaches guide you on the key goals before you set foot in the water. Picture yourself completing the task, it helps you nail the process.
Focus on one thing, if the first step is paddling with commitment, focus on that. Minor factors, a bit of onshore wind, will become insignificant.
Visualise yourself paddling hard, popping up, and cruising the face with confidence. Once you have imagined it, the physical action feels less otherworldly. This process helps top athletes by building new neural pathways, it can help you too.
Join us in the water
We cannot wait for our September and October Women + Waves weekends. Autumn often brings good waves and good weather. If you are keen to travel as well, our Portugal surf trip and Morocco surf trip are great for confidence building in warm water.
No fear, no problems, just stoke, good waves, and good vibes all weekend.
The body moves naturally, automatically, unconsciously, without any personal intervention or awareness. If we begin to use our faculty of reasoning, our actions become slow and hesitant.
Jaimal Yogis, Saltwater Buddha
