One of the most crucial things to know before surfing is the wave height. Wave height is the vertical distance between the crest and the trough of a wave, measured in feet or meters. Wave height can determine how easy or difficult it is to surf, depending on your skill level and the type of board you use.
When learning to surf, the best wave height is 2-3 feet or knee to chest high. This will give you enough power and speed to catch the waves and stand up on your board. If the waves are 1-2 feet, you might still be able to surf, but you will need a longboard to glide on the small waves. If the waves are 3-5 feet, they will be more dangerous and challenging, breaking faster and harder.
The best way to check the wave height is to use a surf and weather app that shows you the wave forecast for your location. You can also see the wave period, the time between two consecutive waves, and the wave direction, which is the angle at which the waves approach the shore. One of the best surf and weather apps is Surfline.
Here is an example of how to use a surf and weather app to check the wave height: This screenshot shows that the wave height is 3-4 feet for a day and 4-5 feet on the weekend. This means that it is a good week for beginners to surf as long as they stay in waist-deep water on the inside. The inside is close to the shore, where the waves have already broken. The outside is the area further from the shore where the waves are still unbroken. However, you should be careful and respectful if you want to surf on weekends when the waves are bigger. You should always know your limitations and not surf beyond your abilities. It would help if you also had a surf instructor or a friend who is an intermediate or expert surfer to help you and keep an eye on you. They can also teach you how to spot and avoid rip currents and undertows, which are strong currents that can pull you away from the shore or under the water.
Remember that surfing is not only about having fun but also about being safe and respectful. Always check the forecast before you head out, and always follow surfing etiquette rules. And remember to share the Aloha!
+Side Note: All of this makes me think about respecting the "Locals" while you go surfing, so please bear with me.
Some may be wondering, "How long am I considered a beginner? In my opinion, I am a Beginner until I can catch the whitewash AND standup 100% of the time. Until I can do that, I believe that people should be patient and "pay their dues on the inside" as the locals say. If we don't "pay our dues," it is disrespectful to the locals because we haven't taken the time to learn the basics about surfing and about that particular break. The respectful way to surf, even as an Intermediate or Expert, is to hang out on the side and watch how things work. We can catch the waves everybody else missed while staying out of everybody's way on the "inside." Then once we figure out what is going on, we can start to "get in line" for the peak- but that's waaaaay down the road. For now, I'd stay in waist Deep Water on the inside on days when the waves are 2-3 feet.
Let me know if you have any questions.
#aloha #surfing #history #culture #spirit #surflessonsonsaturday #50thingsiwishiknewbeforeIstartedsurfing #eternal #eternalsurfskatestreet #first50surflessons
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