A good little read before you go
It happens to all of us. The calling to venture out of our learning haven of white water to the unbroken waves beyond. You know when you’re ready. Ready for your next challenge and to experience the thrill of riding along empty wave faces. It’s an exciting time and, if you do it right, there will be no going back. It is that point of no return where your love of surfing will skyrocket like you never believed.
A good way to prepare yourself is to learn the 3 following things
- how to catch and ride green waves – get some practise first on the small green waves that roll into the white water
- how to safely get yourself and your board out through white water
- the etiquette that comes with surfing out the back
Time spent in the white water teaches you a lot about what you are comfortable in and capable of. Be attentive to your intuition and wait for the right conditions to venture out in. Listen to those warning bells going off when you sense that the waves out the back are out of your league.
Small days are by far the best. And so long as you have your fundamentals such as paddling and popping up sorted, and providing you are on a longboard, you will be surprised at how small a green wave you can actually catch.
Learning how to read, catch and ride green waves is much more complex that surfing white water, so it does come with it’s challenges. But with the right advice, you can avoid typical traps and progress quickly. Heading out there and discovering as you go is fine and is what the majority of surfers do. Our beginning surfers package is a good option if you want to feel more prepared. It has an extensive module dedicated to reading, catching and riding green waves. It trouble shoots, inspires and fast tracks you through what is often the most challenging stage of your surfing journey. The beginners package also has a module that teaches the skill of getting out through white water on a longboard.
Surfers naturally all gravitate towards that spot on the beach where the waves are consistently breaking. This can sometimes mean that there is a crowd to contend with. These spots are commonly called banks or bars – as in built up sand banks on the ocean floor which causes the swell to break on that same spot over and over again.

When you are new to green waves, a good option is to take a friend and find your own spot rather than worrying about how to negotiate your way around a crowd. Although the bank you go to may not be as good, the fact that there are fewer people out to contend with, makes it much easier to concentrate on having fun and catching waves.
But there is no avoiding the time when you find yourself sitting amongst a cluster of other surfers all seeking the same wave as you. Within this arena of unbroken waves, comes a protocol that every surfer out there is expected to know and follow, even the newbies. Protocol, rules, etiquette, which are designed to ensure fun, fairness, safety and harmony.
The hard way to learn is to paddle out with no knowledge whats so ever. Make mistakes and get put in your place. It is very clear when a surfer doesn’t know, or is just ignoring the rules and very little tolerance (and waves) are given to them. And sorry girls, there are no exceptions to any of the rules for females.
Our beginners package is currently including an additional free module that explains all surf etiquette beautifully, with pictures, diagrams and simple explanations. Understanding of the etiquette will make you feel at ease about your rights in the line up. It also means that you can predict the movements of other surfers, which helps you to make good choices about which waves to go for. And above all, you can concentrate on having fun, knowing that you are contributing to the good vibes in the water.
So before you head out into the big open sea, make safe choices and empower yourself with as much good advice, tips, information and knowledge as you can.
And as you go, take a moment to salute the white water farewell while you wholeheartedly embrace the next chapter of your surfing journey. Go well.
