Sports Surfing

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Bunk Moreland

Bunk Moreland

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Sep 22, 2011
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My olds have just bought a place down the coast so I can pretty much spend as many weekends down there as I like, good times.

I’m a strong enough swimmer and was in there last week when I thought s**t Bunk, you really should give that surfing business a go.

Anybody here surf? Did you have some of those lessons? Or did you just grab a board and go for it? I know one thing, it’s most prob nowhere near as easy as it looks. But as I said I’m not a bad swimmer, and not a total **** in terms of coordination.

What sort of board do you start with? Not really keen to shell out for something to discover I’m terrible at it etc.
 
Bunk Moreland said:
My olds have just bought a place down the coast so I can pretty much spend as many weekends down there as I like, good times.

I’m a strong enough swimmer and was in there last week when I thought s**t Bunk, you really should give that surfing business a go.

Anybody here surf? Did you have some of those lessons? Or did you just grab a board and go for it? I know one thing, it’s most prob nowhere near as easy as it looks. But as I said I’m not a bad swimmer, and not a total **** in terms of coordination.

What sort of board do you start with? Not really keen to shell out for something to discover I’m terrible at it etc.
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A while back a mate and I took up surfing for similar reasons as you (access to a beach house etc). We both had zero experience beforehand. We never had any lessons and got to a point we were both able to get up and stay up on waves but that was pretty much the extent of it. I think to get any better we probably needed to get some lessons and just go surfing with other/better surfers to pick up some tips.

Buy yourself a big board (not necessarily a long board) because it will be much easier to balance on. Also try to find a mate to share the experience with. I enjoy being out there with others much more than being solo. I get out there pretty rarely now, but am still able to get up on most waves and have some fun.

Its a cool skill to learn
 
I learnt to surf as a young tacker but only surf occasionally these days. With most things its always easier to pick up when you are younger but still a lot of fun to learn when you are a bit older.

I would recommend having a couple of lessons just to get the basics and then go for it and have no doubt you will love it. Agree with slitherin' snake that a big board is a must for a beginner.

And remember chicks love surfers.
 

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Been surfing since I can remember but hardly ever surfed for the last few years.

Been on a few trips lately and have got back into it. Remember to let the locals go first before you take a wave ;)

And ask the locals where some good waves for beginners are. Don't just see a wave with people on it, and just go out there and start throwing yourself onto waves. They'll knlow the wave directions and rips and all that s**t and can tell you where to find a gentle wave to practice on.

Lessons would defintely be a goer, you'll pick up some local knowledge in those as well.

Enjoy man, there's no place in the world like being on a wave. It takes you awayyyyyyy.
 
Surfed since about the age of 10. A lot harder now paddling out that I'm old, but still love going out and getting a few when there's only a few in the line up.

Try renting a board first if there's a place available to see if you want to drop $400+ on a board. Speak to the guys in surfshops. It's not really stereotypical, they are really that dumb and that keen on surfing. They love a chat, and are happy to fill you right in.

And as suggested by Tiff, if you're starting out choose a good, easy to manage break that's not going to find you too much trouble to get the hang of it. There are some breaks where it's a lot easier to get out and get amongst it than the heavier waves. ie, don't think that because you've bought a board you should head straight to Winki.

Stick with it a few times. It will take longer to learn than say, snow-skiing, but it's worth it. And seriously, food and drink have never tasted better than when you've got back from spending 4 or so hours in the surf and you're starving.
 
Harvey Leadpipe said:
Surfed since about the age of 10. A lot harder now paddling out that I'm old, but still love going out and getting a few when there's only a few in the line up.

Try renting a board first if there's a place available to see if you want to drop $400+ on a board. Speak to the guys in surfshops. It's not really stereotypical, they are really that dumb and that keen on surfing. They love a chat, and are happy to fill you right in.

And as suggested by Tiff, if you're starting out choose a good, easy to manage break that's not going to find you too much trouble to get the hang of it. There are some breaks where it's a lot easier to get out and get amongst it than the heavier waves. ie, don't think that because you've bought a board you should head straight to Winki.

Stick with it a few times. It will take longer to learn than say, snow-skiing, but it's worth it. And seriously, food and drink have never tasted better than when you've got back from spending 4 or so hours in the surf and you're starving.
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Haha no s**t man. So true.

I went out on some pretty heavy stuff with some mates just before Christmas, these guys are the ones that stuck to it, they're hardcore and surf everyday, not every now and then like I do now.

I spent most of the time trying to stop bleeding and coughing up salt water.

It's not like riding a bike. I could hit bigger breaks when I was a child.
 
Took lessons when I was 15 while on a school camp and I have to say it is pretty easy to pick up, was able to carve waves within an hour. Though surfing is in my blood as my dad and my uncles all surf and a low centre of gravity helps. Wish I lived closer to surf beaches.

Would take lessons first before going out by yourself. See how you go, you should use longboards in the lessons which are piss easy to get up on and ride. Then go to a surf shop/internet and research boards take your time picking out a board as you pick the wrong one and it might make you stop surfing.
 
Surfed for a number of years in my youth, but I haven't picked up a board for 15 years, but my 14 old daughters interest has rekindled my on again, off again liking for it.

Im basically self taught. Learn't the basics form my more experienced mates and just learned though trial and error of a number of summers.
 
I've surfed since I was 14 (approx *cough* 25 *cough* years) and similar to Tiff, only started back up again in the last few years after life got in the way.
I learnt to surf with older mates at a break they told me would be okay for a learner, Gunnamatta on the Peninsula. My very first effort I got taken out by a rip and had to be collected by the clubbies. I discovered later that this wasn't the ideal place to learn :confused: .
As far as surfing goes, I've done everything in Oz virtually, the surfaris to Cactus in SA, up and down the NSW central and northern coast, Queensland and Sunshine Coast, done both Peninsulas down here and the Island and Margaret River in WA. When I was 18 - 22, there would have been only 5 weekends where I did not surf on either a Saturday or Sunday. s**t, it even got so bad that I was pulling heaps of sickies when an apprentice to go surfing and would go straight from work to the Island or St.Andrews to get one in before sunset.
As an old man now, that's what my kids reckon anyway, I ride a 7'2" Island board that I had custom made. Shaped by Tommy Tyrrell down at Island especially for old blokes that have dodgy knees from football. I refuse to get a Mal, but this is the next best thing.
If you can think of one thing you do where you forget every single worry you currently have, where you feel completely humble and amazed at what's around you, where you aren't even thinking about tomorrow or what's going to happen in the next hour and don't even care, where you feel completely at peace and all of life's problems don't matter then take up surfing.
I encourage you to take a few lessons, there's some great beginners breaks in Vic, YCW and Smiths Beach on the Island are great to start off with.
Good luck mate, don't ever give up once you start or at least make sure you stay wet every so often if life gets in the way.
 

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No beaches where I'm from but took a lesson once, found it quite hard, was sore for a week after, the waves were huge, I was shitting bricks every time I got close to catching one. roll upside down with the board and go under the waves to avoid the impact is what I was told- great advice it saved my life.

now I just surf the web.
 
Crash Davis said:
If you can think of one thing you do where you forget every single worry you currently have, where you feel completely humble and amazed at what's around you, where you aren't even thinking about tomorrow or what's going to happen in the next hour and don't even care, where you feel completely at peace and all of life's problems don't matter then take up surfing.
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Unfortunately if you are out surfing in Perth at the moment you forget all your problems apart from hoping that the fin you see in the water is a dolphin and not a great white. :(
 
Caesar said:
Yeah, you couldn't pay me enough to surf in WA at dawn or dusk.
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A mate of mine who now lives in Melbourne was back in Perth for Christmas and NYE and his girlfriend came across as well as she is scottish and has no family in oz.

I caught up with them both and we were discussing whether she had been down to the beach for a swim yet as they were staying with his parents in who lived near Trigg and Scarbrough. She said she wasn't too keen on it as she kept hearing all the reports of shark sightings especially a recent one where 15-20 tiger sharks were spotted close to shore at Trigg beach.

Anyway a few days later my mate finally convinces his GF to go for a swim at Trigg and she had literally been in the water for less than 5 minutes before the shark alarm goes off. He reckons you have never seen anyone move so quickly.
 
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