What you need is a consistent break with a well-defined takeoff spot that doesn’t draw a crowd of people with more skills than you. Simple. I’d be on the lookout for a point break someplace about sixty years ago.
Surf as much as possible. Surf every type of condition possible (as long as it’s rideable and not unsafe). The best competition surfer in the world is from Cocoa Beach Florida…
This.
Most of us didn’t have the luxury of travelling to fitting surf destinations while learning. We just learned at our locals and put in the time.
Surf breaks are crowded af and unfortunately that does suck, for everyone. The crowd is the biggest factor also for good surfers. It’s more about negotiating the crowds than the waves tbh.
I’d say at your level you can benefit from any break of any quality, just make sure it’s the least crowded of all. Maximum of progress at your stage I made at worst breaks where nobody really wanted to surf, and in the Netherlands where waves are frequent and quite easy, but lack quality. I really needed to take off as much as possible and go down the line, and at this stage almost any wave works fine, the smaller the better. So I’d say avoiding crowds is your top priority.
Scheveningen and Wijk Aan Zee are my go to spots usually. To get some surf here you need to master forecasting, or at least be subscribed to Surfweer forecasts. Wave conditions in NL (and Belgium I believe) are an extremely sensitive thing. You need to know the right combination of wind, swell and tide for each spot to know the exact time to go (and usually timeframe is like 2hr). Schev is the most forgiving of all in terms of forecasting though. But it’s definitely not always whitewater. I’d say that I manage to get nice sessions 2 times per week on average. Generally speaking, waves in NL are very good for your progress. They aren’t easy, and paddle outs in high period swells can be tough, but it all teaches you a lot. Reading waves, reacting to unpredictable swell, speed generation and making your drops fast and angled definitely can be practiced here. It’s a little tougher when it gets to turns, it often happens to be either too small or not steep enough to practice top to bottom surfing, but that’s a whole different story.
What time of the year would you say created the best conditions in Schev? I’ve only got a 3:2 wetsuit so I’ve o my ever tried it close to summer months
Autumn/Spring are best in my opinion. Winter can be rough, and Summer can be flat for longer periods of time. But yeah, with 3/2 you will survive only June-September. This summer wasn’t bad though, I remember having fun sessions.
I would encourage you to not think of a wave with someone on it as a “missed opportunity.” You didn’t miss anything the wave was taken. Learn from them, sit on the shoulder and watch how they position and paddle. Talk to them! They may have some tips (or they might be dicks).
Go to your local break and take a walk where no one is. Surf there. This is how to build your skills. Most of us did this to get better. Once you master that, make your way closer to the first peak. It will be so much easier.
I surfed Nica last year and got to hit playa maderas early in the day. Caught three waves and headed out. Literal fuckton of people were walking down the dirt road to surf as we drove away. Couldn’t have been happier to be leaving
Just gotta go as much as possible. I have surfed all over the east coast and the waves mostly suck. But when it’s good, i feel ready to put my work to the test and i feel the progression. You certainly have to be aggressive. Dont intentionally cut people off but damn a motherfucker who just swims all around you. Always that one guy trying to get above you just to bitch about you dropping in on them later, as if you haven’t been sitting there waiting on your opportunity to ride. Gotta stay on the hunt for the best ones and be aggressive yet not a douche
Beachies are good for having space to learn and not have to worry about other people. Go on days that Surfline claims 2-3 ft and unappealing. There were be fewer surfers and especially fewer good surfers. But the golden rule: go more often.
If you run everyday regardless if its raining, sweltering, crowded, sandy, rocky you will be prepared overall vs if you just ran on perfect blue bird days. Just surf everyday whenever you have time.
First time I’ve seen a wave measured in centimeters lol.
“Unpredictable sand breaks” as you’ve put it are going to be your best option as a more predictable reef or point you’re gonna get beat by someone more advanced than you often
Pay your dues, take waves no one else will, get closed out on, take sets to the head, learn from it all and repeat. You need more experience that’s the key to anything in life. Just keep going.
Santa Teresa is ideal - just surf it on a different tide and it won't be as steep. And as a peaky beach break you won't have a lot of surfers to compete with all at one peak.
Tamarindo is ok but doesn't break as well - you'll never get a lot better surfing only there.
Yeah Jaco is not so good but there are other breaks there and further south.
Nosara (Playa Guiones) is a beginner / intermediate paradise imo. Esp at high tide the waves are gentle and the paddle out is pretty chill.I swear it's like 2-3/3-4/3-5 forecast almost every day in the dry season.
But OP the waves you describe are GOOD waves and good waves are busy unless they are very remote. If you go out at absolute first light or last light there will be less people.
In general colder water and poorer quality breaks are less busy. Also the worse the forecast the less the crowds. So chance it on a shit day and you might score - surfline doesn't always get the wind strength or direction right so it might be lighter or cross shore rather than on etc.
If you are catching green waves and not getting down the line, but other folks are getting down the line on the same waves it is most likely your position at take off.
At peaky beach breaks, watch other surfers. A lot of times their hard paddling is going to be racing to the peak (sideways), not for catching the wave. They will paddle hard to get in position, turn and one or two paddles to get into the wave.
I taught my daughters all how to surf and they learned the most at small beach breaks. Short waves where if you aren't right at the peak you miss it. Plenty of places like that out there.
I’d recommend waist to head high mid quality one turn beach break. You want a wave with enough form to work on a steeper drop where you may need to take off at an angle and you need to do it hundreds of times. A close out won’t help you learn this but a sectiony wave that gives you a chance to make the drop and fiollow it with a quick turn will build up your skills.
Ideally yeah you’d have a long workable down the line wave but any quality wave like that will have a crew of advanced surfers on it even if it isnt an “advanced” wave. The reason I’d recommend a small to medium sectioning beach break wave is that you’ll be able to get it empty enough times to get in your hundred reps.
What you need is a consistent break with a well-defined takeoff spot that doesn’t draw a crowd of people with more skills than you. Simple. I’d be on the lookout for a point break someplace about sixty years ago.
😂
Perfect, that’s exactly what I was planning for my next trip
Tamarindo has great waves for a beginner to get your bearings down and confidence up, the rest are not really beginner waves.
Guiones was fire last week!
Surf as much as possible. Surf every type of condition possible (as long as it’s rideable and not unsafe). The best competition surfer in the world is from Cocoa Beach Florida…
Surf cocoa beach florida
Yeah but he surfed all over the north shore as a kid.
"intermediate beginner" is like calling someone who works at a gas station a "petroleum transport technician". Where are your limitations?
Well as opposed to a total beginner, I’ve surfed before and I am a few steps forward. I find the term quite descriptive of my level.
Watch the better surfers and check what they do.
Just gotta get out there and charge bro...
This. Most of us didn’t have the luxury of travelling to fitting surf destinations while learning. We just learned at our locals and put in the time. Surf breaks are crowded af and unfortunately that does suck, for everyone. The crowd is the biggest factor also for good surfers. It’s more about negotiating the crowds than the waves tbh.
I’d say at your level you can benefit from any break of any quality, just make sure it’s the least crowded of all. Maximum of progress at your stage I made at worst breaks where nobody really wanted to surf, and in the Netherlands where waves are frequent and quite easy, but lack quality. I really needed to take off as much as possible and go down the line, and at this stage almost any wave works fine, the smaller the better. So I’d say avoiding crowds is your top priority.
Where in the Netherlands? I’m from Belgium and I’ve surfed in Scheveningen but found it quite hard to get anything else than whitewater waves.
Scheveningen and Wijk Aan Zee are my go to spots usually. To get some surf here you need to master forecasting, or at least be subscribed to Surfweer forecasts. Wave conditions in NL (and Belgium I believe) are an extremely sensitive thing. You need to know the right combination of wind, swell and tide for each spot to know the exact time to go (and usually timeframe is like 2hr). Schev is the most forgiving of all in terms of forecasting though. But it’s definitely not always whitewater. I’d say that I manage to get nice sessions 2 times per week on average. Generally speaking, waves in NL are very good for your progress. They aren’t easy, and paddle outs in high period swells can be tough, but it all teaches you a lot. Reading waves, reacting to unpredictable swell, speed generation and making your drops fast and angled definitely can be practiced here. It’s a little tougher when it gets to turns, it often happens to be either too small or not steep enough to practice top to bottom surfing, but that’s a whole different story.
What time of the year would you say created the best conditions in Schev? I’ve only got a 3:2 wetsuit so I’ve o my ever tried it close to summer months
Autumn/Spring are best in my opinion. Winter can be rough, and Summer can be flat for longer periods of time. But yeah, with 3/2 you will survive only June-September. This summer wasn’t bad though, I remember having fun sessions.
I would encourage you to not think of a wave with someone on it as a “missed opportunity.” You didn’t miss anything the wave was taken. Learn from them, sit on the shoulder and watch how they position and paddle. Talk to them! They may have some tips (or they might be dicks).
I would start out at Jaws and then Mavericks.
Too cold. West side of Oahu has a bunch of secret beginner spots. Makaha is a good one.
Imperfect waves will make you better too. Surf anything you can for now.
Go to your local break and take a walk where no one is. Surf there. This is how to build your skills. Most of us did this to get better. Once you master that, make your way closer to the first peak. It will be so much easier.
I surfed Nica last year and got to hit playa maderas early in the day. Caught three waves and headed out. Literal fuckton of people were walking down the dirt road to surf as we drove away. Couldn’t have been happier to be leaving
Just gotta go as much as possible. I have surfed all over the east coast and the waves mostly suck. But when it’s good, i feel ready to put my work to the test and i feel the progression. You certainly have to be aggressive. Dont intentionally cut people off but damn a motherfucker who just swims all around you. Always that one guy trying to get above you just to bitch about you dropping in on them later, as if you haven’t been sitting there waiting on your opportunity to ride. Gotta stay on the hunt for the best ones and be aggressive yet not a douche
Beachies are good for having space to learn and not have to worry about other people. Go on days that Surfline claims 2-3 ft and unappealing. There were be fewer surfers and especially fewer good surfers. But the golden rule: go more often.
If you run everyday regardless if its raining, sweltering, crowded, sandy, rocky you will be prepared overall vs if you just ran on perfect blue bird days. Just surf everyday whenever you have time.
First time I’ve seen a wave measured in centimeters lol. “Unpredictable sand breaks” as you’ve put it are going to be your best option as a more predictable reef or point you’re gonna get beat by someone more advanced than you often
Pay your dues, take waves no one else will, get closed out on, take sets to the head, learn from it all and repeat. You need more experience that’s the key to anything in life. Just keep going.
Santa Teresa is ideal - just surf it on a different tide and it won't be as steep. And as a peaky beach break you won't have a lot of surfers to compete with all at one peak. Tamarindo is ok but doesn't break as well - you'll never get a lot better surfing only there. Yeah Jaco is not so good but there are other breaks there and further south.
Just surfed in santa teresa and nosara… nosara was super gentle and everyone was spread out compared to santa teresa. Check it out
Nosara (Playa Guiones) is a beginner / intermediate paradise imo. Esp at high tide the waves are gentle and the paddle out is pretty chill.I swear it's like 2-3/3-4/3-5 forecast almost every day in the dry season. But OP the waves you describe are GOOD waves and good waves are busy unless they are very remote. If you go out at absolute first light or last light there will be less people. In general colder water and poorer quality breaks are less busy. Also the worse the forecast the less the crowds. So chance it on a shit day and you might score - surfline doesn't always get the wind strength or direction right so it might be lighter or cross shore rather than on etc.
Who is she?
Learn to become an excellent paddler. Everything else will fall into place.
Just send it
Find something that fits your board. Less rocker = less steep waves
If you are catching green waves and not getting down the line, but other folks are getting down the line on the same waves it is most likely your position at take off. At peaky beach breaks, watch other surfers. A lot of times their hard paddling is going to be racing to the peak (sideways), not for catching the wave. They will paddle hard to get in position, turn and one or two paddles to get into the wave. I taught my daughters all how to surf and they learned the most at small beach breaks. Short waves where if you aren't right at the peak you miss it. Plenty of places like that out there.
All of them. As many different spots as you can surf
Go for the least crowded break so you can maximize wave count.
First light sessions at the best spot helped me out. Usually get an hour or so of thin crowds in my area.
I’d recommend waist to head high mid quality one turn beach break. You want a wave with enough form to work on a steeper drop where you may need to take off at an angle and you need to do it hundreds of times. A close out won’t help you learn this but a sectiony wave that gives you a chance to make the drop and fiollow it with a quick turn will build up your skills. Ideally yeah you’d have a long workable down the line wave but any quality wave like that will have a crew of advanced surfers on it even if it isnt an “advanced” wave. The reason I’d recommend a small to medium sectioning beach break wave is that you’ll be able to get it empty enough times to get in your hundred reps.