Learn to Surf Phuket: Learning surfing in Thailand

Learning to surf in Phuket, Thailand May-October. You can learn to surf in Phuket, Thailand through Phuketboardriders Club members who surf and work on Kamala, Kalim, Patong, and Kata-Karon beaches. Surf lessons for people just learning to surf or more experienced surfers wanting to hire surfboards available at these beaches. Learning to Surf
It is not easy, but with coaching, you can stand on your first lesson
First, your surf coach will brief you about surfing safety, how waves break, how to fall without hurting yourself and not to get in the way of experienced surfers or other swimmers. Then you need to learn how to balance while laying on the surfboard, how to paddle efficiently and how to catch waves. To do this, it is best to practice on the sand, just to get the feel of where to lay on the board.

The next part of your surf lesson is actually catching waves laying down - "belly boarding" - so you can feel the wave's power propelling you forward. The most common error is laying too far back on the board. You must be far enough forward so the board is flat in the water, not pointing upwards. Paddling your board "up hill" is inefficient, looks goofy and will not get you onto many waves. Move forward, about an arm's length from the nose. If you feel like the board will nose-dive, arch your back and neck until you have the nose just skimming above the surface. When paddling, the aim is to have the wave push you forward, rather than washing past you. If you feel like the wave will dump you nose-first, quickly slide the board forward so you are further back (actually, at this point, advanced surfers use their weightlessness to spring to their feet - but this comes with much more practise!)

Once you have learnt to catch waves laying down, it's back on the beach to learn how to push up, distributing body weight correctly and jumping up in your preferred "sideways" position. Your back foot should be over or just in front of your fins and your front foot should be about a metre forward. "Natural footers" have their left foot forward, while "Goofy footers" have their right foot forward. Natural footers surf right-handers on their "forehand" (facing the wave) and left-handers on their "backhand" (back to the wave). This is the exact opposite for goofy footers.

Once in the water, paddle hard for the wave until you feel it push you forward, then spring straight from the laying position to your feet WITHOUT stopping on your knees. This requires lots of practice, so make sure you can do this on the sand before paddling out. Remember: spring to your feet, don't drag your body up slowly - this is the most common mistake.

Keep trying, even if you wipe out a few times. It is not easy to get your balance immediately, but once you have made it to your feet a couple of times, the challenge is to stay up, then try a few simple turns.

On your first lesson, expect lots of wipeouts, some sore muscles. With good coaching most people learn to stand on their very first lesson. After that, it is up to you to keep practicing! As they say, 'only a surfer knows the feeling'.

Thanks to our beginners - the Brazilian Women's Net Ball Team

Here's an example of some surf coaching on Sabai beach, Thailand

Practise hard, keep at it and you could be carving like TC
(pic courtesy of our sponsors Surf Hardware International)

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