What learning to surf in your 30s is like

The Highs and Lows of trying to get past the break

The short and simple of it, is that the hardest part is getting past the first struggles, and balancing it with your daily responsibilities. It is important to make it social, never get too bogged down in your skill level, and remember that it is supposed to be fun.

If you can break through all the frustrations, and find a way to balance it with your day to day life, you will have a sport with near infinite potential.

The main points are below:

1. Get some guidance first
   It sounds obvious, but having someone tell you and demonstrate how to pop on the board is key. This doesn’t necessarily mean a surf school either, you could get a mate or family member who knows what they are doing to show you on the beach. It saves feeling it out yourself.
2. Go with friends or family
   The hardest part is getting the motivation to actually get to the beach. Friends make the time before you get in the water and after that much better. They will also keep on top of you so you don’t lose momentum.
3. Don’t expect to be good straight away
   You can’t have unreasonable expectations when surfing. Don’t expect to stand up in your first session. It is frustrating, but sucking is the first step to getting good. The more you persevere, the easier it gets.
4. Don’t be rigid with the times you go
   Surfing isn’t the gym. While it is true the more you practice out there the better you get, not every day is suitable for surfing, both environmentally and mentally. Instead of trying to build routine and laying unrealistic expectations on yourself, treat it like an escape and go when you have the time.
5. Don’t over invest in your first gear
   Surfboards aren’t cheap, and in your initial excitement you may find yourself in the trap where you put a price tag on your motivation. Instead of blowing $600 on a brand new board, use a friend's board, hire, or buy one second hand to start.
6. Take as much time as you want
   Surfers can sit out there for hours at a time, waiting for waves and talking. Odds are you aren’t out there past the break but battling the whitewash. That makes it tougher to spend long periods of time in the water, but that is ok. Take a break when you need it, and remember that even if your time in the water is short, it is still time for yourself.

There is no age limit for surfing

The thing about surfing is that there is no real age limit. If you are able to stand, balance, and use your muscles, you can surf. This doesn’t mean you can tear the waves like the grommets, but you can at least enjoy your time out there.

Your 30s are when you have fully developed as a person, both cognitively and physically, but there are fresh responsibilities like a career, home ownership, children, and family. Time may seem fleeting and starting a whole new sport requires dedication.

The trick is to treat it like time off, not a commitment. Surfing isn’t supposed to be a chore like going to the gym. It is a chance to shut everything out and feel the sun and your body, even if it doesn’t feel like it every time.

Training your body can help alleviate the hurt

The problem with getting older is that it gets easier to fall into bad habits and become lethargic. There are pains in muscles you haven’t felt in a long time, even when you are fit, because surfing is a full body workout. It can be a serious dissuader to feel sore for the next few days.

There are things you can do to help transition into this lifestyle. For one, look after your body with yoga or stretching. Sounds obvious, but those micro muscles need relief and stretching can offer a way to minimize that.

The pain is part of the growth, and if you embrace it and celebrate it, you can get to the point where surfing is another way to get out and break the cycle of daily monotony.

Don’t pretend to like it, learn to like it.

Seasoned surfers will always tell you that surfing is like meditating. The culture seems so chill, and many will say it is like meditating once you are out there. It sounds appealing to have that kind of serenity, or the thrill of pushing your body and ripping into a wave. Some will gravitate naturally to it, others like myself will see it as one more thing among the many ambitious distractions.

Like any new hobby your gut reaction is to have a massive buzz of excitement, try it out, and move on. Surfing is just like that. It takes time to enjoy it, and even more time to be good at it. Recognising what you want to get out of surfing is more important than learning.

Going out the first couple of times is not the intended experience. As you walk into the waters with your board, you will be smashed with waves constantly and have to work hard to stay there. The beach might be crowded, the sun may be hot as hell, and you will watch as surfers effortlessly float by.

But this is only the teething period. Once you are finally past the frustrations you will realise it didn’t get easier, you just got better.

You grew comfortable with your board, the environment, and the motions. Getting to that critical point where you are able to comfortably float and have the ability to look around, sit on the board and wait for that right opportunity, that is when you will start to like it.

Always remember why you wanted to start surfing

I am not a natural surfer by any means, and you have probably realized that by now. I don’t spend every minute yearning for a chance to get in the water, but that doesn’t matter because my goal was never to stake my hat on it entirely.

It is important to understand why you want to surf and be realistic with that goal. I started as a challenge to myself, to prove that I could do it, and the outcome is that whenever I travel or want to catch up with friends, I have one more activity that I can enjoy.

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