Beginner 1.0-3.0: I Break Down The First Three Fundamental Levels

In this video I go over what I view to be the three main levels of beginner surfing. In these phases you’re not turning the board at all. Pay attention to videos that have to do with wave judgment and riding on your belly. Then focus on videos about the pop up.

Beginner 1.0 — 00:30-1:30. Literally you don’t anything about surfing for the most part. New to the culture. Maybe had 1-2 lessons on vacation. You don’t yet “speak the language” or “know how to play the game.”

Beginner 2.0 — 1:30-2:49. You have some “vocabulary.” You have a sense that surfing is for you. You can ride white waters on your belly. Just starting to think about catching green waters. Lots of pearling. Still really trying to learn wave judgment and direction. Make about 50% of take offs.

Beginner 3.0 — 2:49-5:00. Take offs are more consistent, but you’re still making crucial mistakes. May have bad habits from learning from a bad school or coach. These habits need to be fixed before you graduate from this phase. Making 60-70% of take offs. Learning different postures and ways of standing on the board.

Sun Salutations for Stiff Surfers "B"

This is the "B" Series of the Sun Salutations for the Astanga Practice. I use sun salutations A and B to warm up for my workouts and for my yoga practices. This hits a lot of the major mobility points we need as surfers. Always go slow, and match the breath with the moves. Bend your knees as much as you need to!!! We are not yogis! We're surfers! For a “real” Astanga warm up do 5 “A” (below) and 5 “B”. If you’re short on time do 3 & 3.

Surf School Vs Surf Coach

Which one is right for you? In this video I go over the main differences. The bottom line: surf schools are great if you want to save some money and tick surfing off of your bucket list. If you really want to improve and make surfing into a lifelong practice, you’re better off going with a coach as early in your practice as you can afford. You’ll save money over time since you won’t have bad habits to unlearn.

Sun Salutations for Stiff Surfers A

So many yoga vids online have super stretchy yogis doing perfect folds. If you have been surfing your whole life that ain't you and it's impossible to follow those vids! In this video I go over:

1. How to breathe for yoga (ujayi breath)

2. The basic Sun Salutation A in the Astanga practice.

Surf Specific Exercise: Make the Space

This is one in a series of videos to help you improve your pop up technique in and out of the water. It works as a companion video to “Millisecond Push Up,” and is designed to help with the “milliscecond push up” before you stand that I advocate for. If you have any issues with your pop up you need this exercise in your routine!

The whole point of this at-home surf-specific exercise is to train your body to “make the space” for your legs to come under you in one fluid motion. Here’s the basic breakdown with time stamps:

00:47 Always start in your surf stance and lower down leading with your butt — this trains you to crouch properly and is added bonus of the exercise

00:54 Put your hands flat on the floor on either side of your front foot and walk back

1:14 Walk back and DON’T LET THE HIPS DROP!

1:25 Keeping your head and chest up, perform a pop up.

1:30 Side view

1:48 Further example of the space you need to create

2:00 This is a prequel and foundation for the Surf Mountain Climbers Exercise

2:10 Example of how to do them in a more rapid motion

2:36 Arms at your sides! This is important. Don’t come down with arms in front — it’s not a burpee!

2:58 Neck mobility and vision are important

Surf Specific Exercise: Surf Burpees to High Stance

A surf burpee is, yes, just basically a pop up, but their meant to be done in quick succession just like a burpee is. Many big differences between the surf burpee and a regular burpee:

1. Stand in surf stance -- asymmetrical unlike the burpee

2. Lower down with your butt, put hands on floor, and jump back

3. Controlled lower down

4. First one to the left, look left, push chest up high, bring feet forward, stand stall

5. Repeat looking to the right

Do as many as your coach programs you to do -- I recommend 8-10 to left and 8-10 to right in quick succession for 3-4 reps with a 60 second rest between reps. Check out my 90 Day Surf Shreds for Beginners and Intermediates and you’ll be sure to have these in your program!