Just as I’d never recommend just one surf fitness workout routine, or one fitness tool, I’d never recommend surfing just one surf board. “Variety is the spice of life,” or so they say, and the same goes with your surf craft. There are three key reasons you should surf a variety of boards:
1. Different surf conditions really do call for different boards. You can have a ton of fun on a knee high, peeling point wave if you are trimming it out on the right board. Most surfers would really struggle on a short board in these conditions. You could argue that surfing small waves on your standard short board can improve your short board surfing. Probably true. But I’ve found it to be so much more fun surfing longer boards in waves smaller than waist high. There is nothing quite like the feeling of trimming down a glassy wave.
2. Surfing different boards will help you discover what kind of board you really like. If you only surf one board how will you ever know if that is the best board for you? Try a fish, a quad, a longboard, a single fin … try it all and figure out what goes best.
3. Riding different shapes and style boards can really refine your surfing. I remember one winter at Ocean Beach where I surfed primarily a heavier single fin short board. The board went amazing in the thick, tubey, fast conditions of the Beach. After a few months of that I jumped back on my standard thruster and was amazed at the difference and with how much easier certain turns were. It gave me a totally different perspective on my surfing.
My advice — find a board that really works for you and master it. Then branch out and try some different shapes and sizes. It’s a big, beautiful world of surf boards and waves out there — mix it up and have some fun.
Stay healthy, and we’ll see you in the water.
Todd trims it out on a 9'6" Michel Junod, a 6'2" Ward Coffey thruster and a CI single fin.
Three Sun Protection Tips Every Surfer Should Know
Staying in optimal shape for surfing is key to a surfer’s longevity in the sport. That’s one of the reasons we started our company and developed our unique surf training video series. But staying in good all around heath is just as important. Good skin care is one such way to stay in good all around health. Even though Summer is coming to an end here in the Northern Hemisphere, protecting yourself from the harmful rays of the sun should be a priority for every surfer, all year round. Skin damage — and skin cancer — are real concerns for surfers.
One of the most important preventative steps you can take is having a skin exam. The American Cancer Society recommends “a skin exam every 3 years between the ages of 20 and 40 and annual exams over the age of 40.”
There are other important preventative steps. Years ago, a friend told me Australians use the phrase “slip, slap, slop” to remember how to protect against the sun’s powerful and potentially damaging rays. It’s an easy phrase to remember:
1. Slip on a shirt. A tee-shirt, jacket, or rash guard makes for a good sunblock when you are in the great outdoors.
2. Slap on a hat. Wearing a hat protects not only your face and forehead from the sun but also the crown of your dome as well.
3. Slop on some sunblock. Experts agree that a sunblock with at least 30 SPF (for UVB protection) is the way to go. Practice wearing it daily, and definitely when you are out in the sun for prolonged periods of time. It’s important to find a sunblock that works for you, won’t irritate your skin, etc. The crew at Surf Stronger loves KiNeSYS Performance Sunscreen. It goes on great, is engineered with the athlete in mind, and really does a great job in extreme conditions. It’s also Paraben, PAPA, preservative, alcohal and oil free.
In addition, try to avoid being out in the sun for prolonged periods of time during the peak hours of the sun’s intensity — namely 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. But if you must be out there — surfing, working out, or just plain cruising, remember to slip, slap, slop, — in the long run, you’ll be stoked you did.
Stay healthy, and see you in the water.
Remember slip, slap, slop for sun protection: Slip on a shirt, slap on a hat, and slop on some sunblock.
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