Earlier this year, Caoimhe Skinner joined us as our first ambassador at Outwest. As she prepares for the European Championships in Portugal this week, she's sharing her top tips for those interested in trying surfing. So if you're considering it, keep reading!
Hi everyone,
Caoimhe here! If surfing is something you are wanting to do this summer, I would highly recommend it. It’s a fantastic activity that offers a wide range of physical and mental benefits.
The benefits of surfing
Physically, surfing provides a full body workout, engaging muscles in your arms, legs, back and core. The action of paddling is great for the back and shoulders, while getting up and balancing on the board will be a major challenge for the legs and core.
Mentally, surfing is known to reduce stress and improve mental well-being. It's a chance to fully focus on one thing, as it requires a huge amount of concentration to catch and ride a wave. Being able to properly switch off from distractions like being on your phone can have huge benefits for your mental health and mindset. It's also an activity that leaves you with a real sense of achievement. Mastering a new skill feels incredible, especially when you're standing up and riding a wave!
Lastly, spending some time in the sea, surrounded by nature, has such a calming effect on your nervous system. Even just the sound of the waves has been shown to help reduce stress and help you to relax.
With all of that said - getting started with surfing might feel a bit scary. So, I’m sharing some of my top tips for beginners looking to give it a try.
Be prepared
The first thing to say is to always prepare and consider safety as a number one priority before you get started. Plan ahead and only go out when the sea conditions and weather are safe to do so. The location you choose is also important, so ideally pick somewhere that is popular for watersports and that has a lifeguard on duty at all times.
Find the right kit
Next you will need to get some suitable kit to use, so find a place where you can get a board or wetsuit to get you started. You can always rent for your first time while you get comfortable and invest in them at a later time when you're sure you will put them to good use. Lots of beaches used for surfing will have a space where you can rent everything, they will also happily give you advice and share knowledge with you when you get there too.
Getting started
It's definitely a good idea to get lessons before going out on the water by yourself. They will be experts on all things safety and technique to ensure you are learning the basics to start out. You'll also have options to do your lessons 1 on 1 for additional support, or part of a bigger group if you want it to be a bit more fun.
Work on your 'pop-up'
Once you get out on the water and start to practice the basics, the next most important thing to work on is your pop-up to get up on the board. Keep working on it even when not in the water and on land as well. You can follow some tutorials on Youtube and working on your core strength will be key too. Exercises like pushups and core strength training will be of huge benefit.
Don't give up
Like all new skills, getting started is the hardest part - so you're well ahead by getting to this point and everyone has to start somewhere. It can be a bit frustrating when things may not go your way, but the most important thing is to keep trying. You will get it!
Most importantly - have fun
As I said, the best part of mastering a new skill is that sense of achievement when you start to see yourself improving. But surfing should be fun so just enjoy it, whether that's just by learning something new or bringing your friends together to have fun on the water together.
Have you tried surfing yet? I hope you find these tips helpful and that you'll give surfing a try this summer! Let us know how you get on and get in touch over Instagram @outwestclothing.ie. We'll also be posting another blog in the coming weeks with our top surf spots around Ireland, so stay tuned for that.
Happy surfing!
- Caoimhe
