Comments on: Overcoming Fear Of The Ocean http://www.surfinghandbook.com Surfing Information And Resources Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:02:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: will http://www.surfinghandbook.com/knowledge/fear-of-the-ocean/comment-page-1/#comment-6943 will Sun, 25 Jul 2010 07:50:17 +0000 http://surfinghandbook.com/?page_id=20#comment-6943 Hi Lee, My name is Will and I am in the same boat you're in. I also live in the Bay Area and I'm looking for someone to learn with or split a lesson or something. Shoot me an email if you're interested. Thanks. willywonkadds@hotmail.com Hi Lee, My name is Will and I am in the same boat you’re in. I also live in the Bay Area and I’m looking for someone to learn with or split a lesson or something. Shoot me an email if you’re interested. Thanks.

willywonkadds@hotmail.com

]]> By: admin http://www.surfinghandbook.com/knowledge/fear-of-the-ocean/comment-page-1/#comment-6250 admin Fri, 25 Jun 2010 17:44:45 +0000 http://surfinghandbook.com/?page_id=20#comment-6250 Hey Kairi - no, you don't have to be a professional swimmer, but you should feel comfortable in the water. Just make sure you can swim back in if you should lose your board :) Learning to swim in open water - especially the ocean - is a process. Take it a step at a time, and don't go in when the waves are big at first. Take some swimming lessons at your local YMCA to start off. That's what I did when I first started surfing. Hey Kairi – no, you don’t have to be a professional swimmer, but you should feel comfortable in the water. Just make sure you can swim back in if you should lose your board :)

Learning to swim in open water – especially the ocean – is a process. Take it a step at a time, and don’t go in when the waves are big at first. Take some swimming lessons at your local YMCA to start off. That’s what I did when I first started surfing.

]]> By: Kairi http://www.surfinghandbook.com/knowledge/fear-of-the-ocean/comment-page-1/#comment-6245 Kairi Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:48:46 +0000 http://surfinghandbook.com/?page_id=20#comment-6245 Heyy, I'm 16 and can't wait to start surfing but I live about 2 hrs from the sea....and I can't swim :( This may seem like a stupid question but how well do you have to be able to swim? Like, do have to be a proffessional or just a basic swimmer? Heyy, I’m 16 and can’t wait to start surfing but I live about 2 hrs from the sea….and I can’t swim :(
This may seem like a stupid question but how well do you have to be able to swim? Like, do have to be a proffessional or just a basic swimmer?

]]> By: Lee http://www.surfinghandbook.com/knowledge/fear-of-the-ocean/comment-page-1/#comment-6209 Lee Wed, 23 Jun 2010 06:32:51 +0000 http://surfinghandbook.com/?page_id=20#comment-6209 Tried surfer for the first time in Hawaii to convince myself 40 is not old and yes I liked it. I like it a lot.I need baby waves and maybe a personal life guard. My fear is high maintenance. So questions are where are the best baby waves? Best or economical safe ways to learn this sport for purely masochistic recreational pleasure? I live in the Bay area so I'm thinking there has to be some non Maverick beaches and some decent surf schools right? Tried surfer for the first time in Hawaii to convince myself 40 is not old and yes I liked it. I like it a lot.I need baby waves and maybe a personal life guard. My fear is high maintenance. So questions are where are the best baby waves? Best or economical safe ways to learn this sport for purely masochistic recreational pleasure? I live in the Bay area so I’m thinking there has to be some non Maverick beaches and some decent surf schools right?

]]> By: True http://www.surfinghandbook.com/knowledge/fear-of-the-ocean/comment-page-1/#comment-5926 True Mon, 07 Jun 2010 15:57:38 +0000 http://surfinghandbook.com/?page_id=20#comment-5926 Hey Im a beginner surfer and Im trying to get over my fear of the ocean, Im more scared of drowning then anything else because i cant hold my breath for more than 3 seconds at the most, has anyone else had this problem? any ideas on how to hold my breath longer incase i get held under ? Hey Im a beginner surfer and Im trying to get over my fear of the ocean, Im more scared of drowning then anything else because i cant hold my breath for more than 3 seconds at the most, has anyone else had this problem? any ideas on how to hold my breath longer incase i get held under ?

]]> By: Carter http://www.surfinghandbook.com/knowledge/fear-of-the-ocean/comment-page-1/#comment-5322 Carter Tue, 27 Apr 2010 15:35:12 +0000 http://surfinghandbook.com/?page_id=20#comment-5322 I live in SoCal near Mission Beach, am 46 and sponge 3-4 days a week (a great workout). Wasn't too keen on surfing, because of the comfort level of my board and fins but am buying a 9'0 today. This past winter was awesome. HUGE overheads. Talk about duck diving under a 12 footer which is almost impossible, that is fearful. But I admire the surfers and am only here for 3 more years so what the h**l. I live in SoCal near Mission Beach, am 46 and sponge 3-4 days a week (a great workout). Wasn’t too keen on surfing, because of the comfort level of my board and fins but am buying a 9′0 today. This past winter was awesome. HUGE overheads. Talk about duck diving under a 12 footer which is almost impossible, that is fearful. But I admire the surfers and am only here for 3 more years so what the h**l.

]]> By: Richard http://www.surfinghandbook.com/knowledge/fear-of-the-ocean/comment-page-1/#comment-5083 Richard Fri, 16 Apr 2010 22:08:49 +0000 http://surfinghandbook.com/?page_id=20#comment-5083 Get this. I am 53 and have been surfing since age 12. Well, I hadn't surfed for the last six months due to a shoulder injury and then illness. Finally, I got back in the water on Tuesday 4/13/10. Descent south swell with a bit of northwest too. A bit breezy but still surfable, I caught an outside left that I barely managed to stand up on but once that was over I rode as usual. Then I caught a right and my foot slipped off and I fell with my board somehow coming around and I got finned in the thigh and calf (quad fin board, 6'8"). Luckily, only bruises and no cuts. Since then I have gone out twice more and caught zero waves because I am very sore (no working out in those 6 months of no surf) as well as takeoff shy since the finning incident. I truly believe that it is mostly mind over ability that holds one back as I have surfed waves in the 12 to 15 foot range in the past without major incidents. Now, I find myself hesitant to take off on three footers because I fear that I won't be able to stand up in time. But, like the author says, one must overcome these fears by just going for it. Though I am as sore as hell, I will continue to go out until I re-establish myself as the surfer that I was and can be again. So to all of you that are new to surfing, know that even experienced surfers can and do have moments of doubt and challenges such as mine. See you in the water! Get this. I am 53 and have been surfing since age 12. Well, I hadn’t surfed for the last six months due to a shoulder injury and then illness. Finally, I got back in the water on Tuesday 4/13/10. Descent south swell with a bit of northwest too. A bit breezy but still surfable, I caught an outside left that I barely managed to stand up on but once that was over I rode as usual. Then I caught a right and my foot slipped off and I fell with my board somehow coming around and I got finned in the thigh and calf (quad fin board, 6′8″). Luckily, only bruises and no cuts. Since then I have gone out twice more and caught zero waves because I am very sore (no working out in those 6 months of no surf) as well as takeoff shy since the finning incident. I truly believe that it is mostly mind over ability that holds one back as I have surfed waves in the 12 to 15 foot range in the past without major incidents. Now, I find myself hesitant to take off on three footers because I fear that I won’t be able to stand up in time. But, like the author says, one must overcome these fears by just going for it. Though I am as sore as hell, I will continue to go out until I re-establish myself as the surfer that I was and can be again. So to all of you that are new to surfing, know that even experienced surfers can and do have moments of doubt and challenges such as mine. See you in the water!

]]> By: True http://www.surfinghandbook.com/knowledge/fear-of-the-ocean/comment-page-1/#comment-5030 True Tue, 13 Apr 2010 20:24:43 +0000 http://surfinghandbook.com/?page_id=20#comment-5030 thankyou for this article it helped :) thankyou for this article it helped :)

]]> By: Anne http://www.surfinghandbook.com/knowledge/fear-of-the-ocean/comment-page-1/#comment-4212 Anne Mon, 15 Feb 2010 12:15:57 +0000 http://surfinghandbook.com/?page_id=20#comment-4212 I have started surfing about a million times since i was bout 14. I stood on my first try, on a rebrake.But everytime a friend has paddled out with me, supposedly as my aid, he would catch a couple of waves and wait for me on the beach-leaving me out on my ace with sets rolling in. it was no two footer either. Naturally, i panicked and end up getting washed up on the beach. Everytime i find myself out, I find I wonder how to get back-if i am unable to actually catch a wave? Point being-I now have a serious fear of paddling out. My boyfriends of four years surfs.He baught me a brand new 7.4 foot board and new wetsuit...and Im starting to feel guilty. Thanx for sharing your story...I hope it helps. I have started surfing about a million times since i was bout 14. I stood on my first try, on a rebrake.But everytime a friend has paddled out with me, supposedly as my aid, he would catch a couple of waves and wait for me on the beach-leaving me out on my ace with sets rolling in. it was no two footer either. Naturally, i panicked and end up getting washed up on the beach. Everytime i find myself out, I find I wonder how to get back-if i am unable to actually catch a wave? Point being-I now have a serious fear of paddling out. My boyfriends of four years surfs.He baught me a brand new 7.4 foot board and new wetsuit…and Im starting to feel guilty. Thanx for sharing your story…I hope it helps.

]]> By: Phillip http://www.surfinghandbook.com/knowledge/fear-of-the-ocean/comment-page-1/#comment-3578 Phillip Tue, 29 Dec 2009 09:41:20 +0000 http://surfinghandbook.com/?page_id=20#comment-3578 I read this article and immediately got alot of determination to get over my fear of the ocean. I have made a promice to myself that i will do it. Thankyou for writing the article im sure it will help me in the near future. I read this article and immediately got alot of determination to get over my fear of the ocean. I have made a promice to myself that i will do it. Thankyou for writing the article im sure it will help me in the near future.

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