<aside>
😃 Gliding on a wave is a feeling like no other. This guide is for newbies looking to get started with surfing in Northern California.
</aside>
🎬 How to get started
Gain knowledge: If you’re going out for the first time, and you’re not getting a surf lesson, it’s an extremely good idea to watch a few how-to videos on surfing. I recommend these ones:
❗️Need to know
- Required before starting: Be able to swim
- Equipment needed: 8-9ft+ foam surfboard with leash, 4/3mm wetsuit
- Approximate cost: $40-45 per day for rentals
- Water temp: The water is COLD. It’s the coldest from December to May, starts warming up in June, and the warmest (still not that warm) from July - November. If you can’t stand numbing cold, it’s best to go in the summer or on a super sunny day with no wind.
- Don’t give up: Surfing can be frustrating, but the ocean rewards perseverance. Learning a new sport, especially surfing, takes time.
- Have fun! Remember, the best surfer out there is the one having the most fun!
⏱ When to go
Always check the conditions before you go surfing. Most surfers use the surf forecast apps Surfline or Magic Seaweed to do so.
Using surf forecasting apps:
Surf forecasting is beyond the scope of this guide. I’d encourage you to do a Google or Youtube search to learn more, or even better, bug your VP of Surf to do a surf forecasting 101 event. However, a few tips to get started.
- Swell: For beginners, it’s best to go when the waves are small (1-2ft)
- Wind: Strong winds make surf choppy, often ruins the shape of the wave, and makes it colder. A good rule of thumb is that wind under 7kts is fine. Anything more, then it might be questionable. Once it gets into the teens, you should reconsider going out.
- Surf Cam: Surfline often has surf cams at popular surf spots, but you’ll have to pay for the feature. You can look at a live video feed of how the surf is. If you see some people in the water, that’s a sign that it’s probably surfable.
Call your local surf shop: