Well, I say ‘easiest way’. It kind of is.
It just requires hours of time, patience, petrol and cash.
Y’see I could give you thousands of tips on how to stand on your surfboard, catch waves and improve your technique and they would all help to a greater or lesser degree.
But what’s the best way to improve your surfing?
In a word – travel.
And I write this from the balcony of a rental apartment in the south of France so you can’t deny that I don’t practise what I preach!
Put simply, just get out and surf somewhere different.
You don’t have to throw yourself into some below sea-level grinders in Hawaii or Tahiti; you will improve your surfing just as much in the beach breaks of the USA and Europe.
And if you’re not lucky enough or have too many responsibilities to get the time to spend a couple of weeks or months surveying a pristine surf break from your hammock while a waiter hands you a post-surf mojito then all is not lost.
In fact you don’t even need to leave the country. Why not try the beach break just around the corner from your local surf spot or the point an hour up the road?
The key thing is to sample new waves and learn how to react to them. It doesn’t matter if you’ve only just started cutting across the green waves, you’re a seasoned pro or a whitewater warrior: nothing will help you to improve your surfing like stepping out of your comfort zone and surfing a different wave.
Even whitewater waves offer new challenges at a different surf spot and will require new skills and techniques to overcome them.
So next time you load your surfboard and wetsuit into the car and hit the road, try somewhere different – it’s the best, and most enjoyable, way to improve your surfing.
And if you do go abroad and still have a rubbish surf?
That mojito will still taste good.
