Your first surf lesson: what happens, and what if you are not a strong swimmer
4 min read
A first lesson is gentler than it looks on video. You spend the first part on the sand, learning to lie on the board and to stand up in one move. Then you walk into the whitewater, the broken foam close to the beach, usually no deeper than your waist. The instructor helps you catch the foam and you try to stand. You do not paddle out to the big green waves.
If you have only swum in a pool
Plenty of people take their first lesson that way. Schools generally expect you to be able to swim and to be at ease with your head going under water, so ask the school before you book, and tell the instructor on the day. They will keep you closer to them and in shallower water.
- The board helps. Lesson boards are long, wide foam boards that float you easily, and the leash keeps the board attached to your ankle. Still, the board is not a life jacket: the leash can come off.
- Stay where you can stand. In a lesson you rarely need to swim at all. If you lose the board, stand up, walk back, pull it in by the leash.
- Practise falling. Falling flat and coming up calmly is most of what feels scary. A few minutes of getting tumbled in small foam takes the fear away.
- A pool session first (floating, swimming a few lengths, going under) makes the sea far less of a shock.
Pick a small day and a gentle beach
A good school moves or cancels when the sea is too big. You can help: choose a beach the app rates as fine for beginners, and a day when the waves for beginners are small and the wind is light. Morning is often calmer than the afternoon.
In the app: On a spot page set your level to Beginner: the rating then says whether the size suits you. Town pages (for example Surf spots in Ericeira) list surf schools and board rental under "Lessons and boards".
What to bring
- Swimwear to wear under the wetsuit. Most schools lend the wetsuit and the board.
- Sunscreen, water, a towel, and something warm for after.
- No jewellery, and contact lenses only if you are fine with losing them.
- Energy: two hours in the water is tiring. Eat beforehand, and stop when you are tired. That is when people get hurt.
After the lesson
Most people need several lessons before they ride green waves on their own. Keep surfing on a soft board in the whitewater, at beaches with lifeguards, on small days. Read the next lesson on rips before you go out without a teacher.