Hi i'm goin surfin with a group of friends tomorrow for the first time and i have no idea how to surf. Anyone here who's quite experienced in surfing have any good safety tips and general rules i need to follow? Also have any tips or techniques on how to stay on the board and maneuver correctly and actually ride the wave instead of repeately fallling off every single wave there is?

Ive been surfing for the past 10 years of my life... My advice to you is too paddle hard.... and jump up on the board and ride it straight down the line(because i doubt you will be doing any cutbacks or tricks your first day out)..... Oh and remember to duckdive

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"The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes"

cool thx for the tips

btw happen to know any good surfin websites that teaches u techniques and stuff?

also i need to buy a board and i am clueless what kinda board to buy

Does the internet count?

Dependiing on where you are surfing.

Like in California just watch out for piers and undertow. In Hawaii, watch out for coral.

If it's you first time try to get a long board, perferably 8'-10', the bigger the better. This gives you the ability to get up on a board easier. It'l be like standing on a plank of wood on a bed.

If you are jumping in with a short board, then learn to paddle hard, use you feet a bit. As a first timer, paddle BEFORE you think you're gonna catch the wave, I always mis-time my sets when I first learned. Then some local kid told me to paddle a few steps before I think I'm gonna catch the lip. and bam! it worked.

follow frost's comment of going straight until you understand edges and scags.

Do you Skate & Snowboard? Kinda like snowboarding, with using edges to turn and cut, but also like skateboarding, since you have to use you foot placement for control.

Good Luck

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"The mind is like a parachute, it works better if it's open."

yea i surf. Brazil has the best fucking waves just got a brand new 6,2 board (im 6,2) and i allready broke one of the fins on it ): anyways tips, yea try and get a big board, if you dont want to look stupid wax your board for the intire time that your there and yea watch out for coral as it will slice your foot up bad ( dont have coral in brazil ) and piers, ( you can guess why) oh yea and try and get a long cable if its your first time out as you will probly feel safer swiming then haveing your foot connected directly to the board

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Id recomend a funshape board over a long or short board for a beginner... Its alot easier to handle going under the waves. And it allows a decent range of movement.

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"The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes"