| i learned to surf as an adult it can be a supernatural feeling.. paddling hard until the moment the wave picks you up and says, 'i got you from here' and just carries you off when picking a board you should know the bigger the board the more stable it will be and the more forgiving it will be as you stand up, ~40-60cm taller than yourself is a good rough metric for a medium sized board, you can start bigger and as you get better try smaller and smaller boards i have been body surfing and boogie boarding since i was a kid so, unfortunately, i am unable to give you any good tips on picking a good wave and figuring out the timing, but i think this may be a skill that can develop on its own with time as for the surf.. the best advice i can give: 1) when waiting for a wave: stay on your board; the more time you spend on the board the more intimately you will get to know it and the more you will develop your stabilizing muscles and core 2) when paddling for a wave: arch your back as much as you can to lift your chest off the board; it will look like the 'bhujangasana'(o), or 'cobra', yoga pose and this helps to keep the board level in the water and allows for more strength in your paddles 3) when standing up: look down at the board to ensure you place your feet in the center; early on i had the tendency to look up at the shoreline and would place a foot a bit off center and the board would flip 4) when standing up: bend your knee and plant your back foot first; early on it was more natural for me to plant my front foot first but bending your knee and planting your back first ensures your center of mass is directly above your foot 5) once stood up: keep your knees bent; this keeps your leg muscles activated allowing for better balance and control of course, most important: have fun! (o) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhujangasana |