What are the Best Surfer Hacks?

Regardless of how prepared you might be, learning to surf is never an easy thing to do. However, there are a number of things that you can do to make the whole process just that little bit simpler. Below, we’ve outlined the best surfer hacks to give you a slight leg up when learning to surf.

Don’t take the first wave in a set

As you may or may not know, waves tend to come in groups which are known as sets. These might consist of just two waves or they might consist of six or seven, but most commonly are around the three-wave mark.

Often, particularly if there’s been a bit of a lull prior, as soon as a wave begins to loom up a huge percentage of those in the water will start paddling for it as if their lives depend on it. You can get a little advantage by avoiding this trap. Typically there’ll be at least one or two waves behind the first, and it’s worth waiting for them for a couple of reasons.

The first of these is that you’ll likely have less competition for the wave. With so many paddling for the first lump that appears, your chances of being in a position of priority on that wave is pretty slim. If you wait for the later waves in the set, you’ll notice that a large proportion of the people you’re surfing with are out of position having paddled unsuccessfully for the first. These are the same people who then cop the rest of the set on their head, so it’s best to avoid being part of this group.

Of course, while this is a useful guideline to follow, it’s not a hard and fast rule. Sometimes you’ll be in the perfect position to take the first wave of a set, and in that case you don’t want to be ignoring a good wave in the hope of something better behind – something which may never come. There is still an element of discretion required, but it’s certainly a suggestion worth keeping in mind, particularly if you’re surfing in a crowd.

Warm up before paddling out

Most people don’t like waiting around to go for a surf. As soon as they turn up the beach, they jump in their wetsuit, run to the water and paddle out without a semblance of a warm-up. This works for some people – particularly those who are a bit younger, for whom the paddle out is more than enough to loosen up all the muscles they’ll be using throughout the course of the session.

For many of us mortals, however, it isn’t so easy. I used to neglect a warm-up and didn’t feel it was a huge issue, but since implementing one into my pre-surf routine I’ve realised how beneficial it is, particularly as my 30s edge closer. 

Spending a few minutes stretching on the beach before you paddle out means you’ll be ready to go once you arrive at the line-up, and it also offers you the added benefit of being able to take a look at a few sets rolling through to determine where in the line-up you should be sitting. 

Again, this is not the be-all and end-all and for some it will be less necessary than others, but for most people warming up before jumping in the water can really help them to surf at their best.

Invest in a surf poncho

This one might not directly influence your surfing itself like the above two, but it will certainly be a welcome addition to your arsenal of surfing equipment. Anyone who has tried to change into a wetsuit in a beach carpark will understand the difficulties associated with taking all your clothes off and putting on a very tight, thick wetsuit without baring a lot more of yourself than you intended to the masses unpacking their cars. A surf poncho will immediately dispel this concern.

For anyone who isn’t familiar with the surf poncho, it basically looks like a dress made out of the same material as a towel. It’s certainly not an accessory you buy as a fashion statement, but it can come in extremely handy. Basically, you pop it over your shirtless body, and from there you can easily slip out of your clothes and into your wetsuit without having to worry. The same works when you’re getting out of the water – once you take off the top part of your wetsuit you can slip on the surf poncho and get changed from there, safe in the knowledge that you’re well and truly covered up. 

Have some spare tape in your car

Again, this surfer hack isn’t directly related to the quality of your surfing, but is something that if you surf for long enough you will invariably be thankful for learning about. There’s nothing more frustrating than turning up to the beach, getting into your wetsuit and pulling your board out of the car only to realise there’s a very minor chip in the fibreglass that may not be watertight. At this point you’ve got no choice but to abandon your surf, because if water gets into your board it’s far more trouble than it’s worth.

A bit of tape should allow you to get out into the water without destroying your surfboard, at least until you can find a more permanent solution. There’s a lot of debate about this in the surfing community – about what type of tape is best to use, and whether it really does anything. Most people suggest a more heavy-duty tape as the best solution, but regardless of what you opt for it’s important to remember that it’s not a permanent solution. Some water is still able to get in so you can’t surf with tape over a ding in your board forever, but if you just need it to enjoy a session when it’s too late for another solution and the waves are pumping, it can come in very handy. 

And that’s it for our surfer hacks – four tips that will make your surfing experience a better one, both in and out of the water. Keep an eye out for our next piece, in which we’ll cover some of the most important things you need to avoid when surfing.