How to Surf

Learning how to surf can be a challenge. Get expert advice on surfing techniques and gear in this video.

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Paddling is key
Stand up when you feel centered
Do not throw your arms

About this Author

Mike Jones has been surfing since he was only six years old. He was lucky enough to surf the pro tour for a few years before starting his own surf shop and clothing brand, As-hi-as-I-aM International. The brand now has shops in Tahiti, Hawaii, California, Florida, and Washington. Through his love of surfing, Mike has been able to travel all over the world.

MIKE JONES: Hi, I am Mike Jones with AZ-HI-AZ-I-AM and today we are going to teach you how to surf. Surfing has been a big part of my life and a lot of fun. It is one of the best releases I found to get out in the water and just kind of do your own thing. Be out there with nature. Paddling is one of the main understated importances in surfing because it is what gets you into the wave, your initial speed into the wave and your initial stability. It starts off your whole surfing experience. You are going to be checking back behind you, looking for a wave coming. You start paddling, you see the wave. You know where you want to go and you are going to grab onto your rails. Lift your upper body, going to jump to your feet, feel stable, kind of keep low. And once you feel like you got your center, you could stand up a little bit and turn into the wave. Positioning the body to stand up on the surfboard, this is about a comfortable position for me. Keeping your knees bent, get in that lower center of gravity is really important if you watch like the pro surfers, they are always in this position, low and they are sweeping. You want to follow your hands as you are doing turns. You do not want to be flapping your arms around. You want to kind of be going and flowing with the wave. You know surfing is a really graceful sport. You do not want to get too jerky with your maneuvers or try to just throw your arms or spazzed out. You want to just take a relaxed approach to the wave.

How to Surf Video

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