When it comes to a pastime or hobby like surfing, a lot of us dream of being able to do it. Unfortunately, it’s actually pretty difficult to just pick up a surfboard and hop out into the waves. In fact, in some circumstances, doing that without any training or without someone to keep you company and watch out for you can be quite dangerous.
As gorgeous as the ocean is, we have to respect it and understand that it isn’t always safe. Inexperienced surfers often don’t know how to judge the safety conditions of the waves that they are seeing. This can be a serious problem, especially if you are new to the sport.
Getting lessons might not sound like something that you’re interested in, though – at least, in the classic way that you might think of “lessons.” For most of us, we probably imagine the droning of a teacher at a chalkboard, lots of charts, and information that isn’t exciting or practical.
Thankfully, when it comes to this sort of thing at least, that’s just not likely to be the case. In fact, you can turn it into a vacation all of its own, depending on where you get them from! While this might sound a bit surprising, one of the top places to surf across the world is Portugal. If you’re looking for a place to learn, it might be the right fit for you!
Either way, though, keep reading to get some tips on how you can learn how to surf. Obviously, one of the best methods is taking lessons, so that will be the focus today. The trick is to find the right sort of learning style for you.
Where to Go
Obviously, a large part of the “where” question can be answered by where you’re at in the world. However, depending on how much of a trip that you’d like to make out of your lessons, you can always expand your horizons. For most of us, there are a couple of criteria that are pretty obvious though.
Warm weather is almost a must. There are a ton of places around the world that are warm pretty much all year, so typically, that’s where folks end up aiming for when they look for somewhere to take lessons. In Europe, most of the Mediterranean is warm throughout the majority of the months.
Obviously, not all of them have access to the Atlantic Ocean ‘round the clock. For an example of what that can bring to the table you can look here https://www.tikasurfcamp.com. You will learn much faster by observing and asking the expert surfers for advice. It’s pretty hard to surf on an ocean that doesn’t have big waves, and a lot of the Mediterranean Sea simply doesn’t have the optimal waves for this sport.
The Atlantic does, although again, they can be somewhat hard to read. While they may not be as large as the ones in the Pacific, and a bit choppier, it’s still a great place to learn. In fact, it can help you to prepare for surfing around the world, no matter where you go!
How to Make it Fun, Too
The biggest hurdle in making the learning aspect of surfing fun is our own mindset towards it, really. A lot of folks just hear the phrase “lessons” and assume that it won’t be engaging or entertaining. As unfortunate as this is, though, there are a ton of ways to make these sorts of lessons in particular plenty of fun.
One of the largest aspects to keep in mind to do so, though, is again where you end up taking them. However, instead of the physical location, we’re mostly talking about the “school” that you opt to work with! Some of them actually look a lot more like a resort than anything else.
Maybe that sounds more concerning than anything, though, because it makes you worry that you won’t actually get any learning done. Don’t worry – that’s far from the case. Instead, it’ll just give you more opportunities to turn the lessons into something fun and rewarding for yourself.
What Amenities are Best?
Now, to some extent, this is a pretty subjective sort of thing to consider. However, there are some amenities that a school for surfing can provide that really set them above the rest. One of those things is ease of access, of course.
Being close to a major city (and thus a major airport) is a pretty big deal. It saves us travelers gas money or the fees from a bus or a cab! Additionally, it just makes them easier to find on the map and less of a pain to get to in general.
Besides that, something that a lot of folks tend to prioritize is food. Some places will provide something like breakfast each day, since fueling our bodies is pretty important – especially for an activity like surfing. If they don’t, it’s not necessarily an instant “no,” but it is something to keep in mind. Having to cook each of our meals isn’t always appealing to everyone, after all, especially if we’re on vacation.
Still, having the ability to go grocery shopping any time that we want can be a pretty nice perk location-wise. It’s worth seeing what each individual school has to offer in that way, at least to see what’s nearby. Again, that loops back to the whole “close to a city” thing, right?
Additionally, while it may not be on everyone’s radar anymore, it’s still nice to see that there are some places that are concerned about Covid-19 and practicing high-quality hygiene to keep their guests and students safe. If you’re concerned, it’s worth asking about when you’re scheduling if you do not see any information about it up front.
Finally, obviously the most important thing is to find a place that offers worthwhile and valuable classes and curriculum. By the end of your stay, you should be able to surf with some level of proficiency!
