Gwithian Academy of Surfing

How To Protect Your Head When Surfing

If you’ve ever come along for a surf lesson with us you’ll know we are pretty anal when it comes to safety. We see a lot of people glaze over when we start talking about safety but it’s a necessary evil.

But you must protect your head when you are surfing.

On your first lesson with us you will hear us talk about how to protect your head when you wipeout several times. In fact we mention it within the first five minutes of the lesson, before you’ve even got your toes wet, then reinforce it at least a further three times before the lesson is finished.

It’s one of the basics of surf coaching and it’s why we have a great record with safety at the surf school.

So how do you protect your head when you wipeout?

You put one arm over the top of your head and wrap your other arm around the back of your head and neck – simple, but the most effective way of protecting your self from your own or other people surfboards when you are in the water.

So far so good.

Except the other day I just didn’t do it. I guess I just got a bit blasé with the whole thing. The surf was fun, the sun was out and I didn’t have a care in the world.

I caught a wave: nothing special, not very big, nothing to worry about.

And then……

Whack!

Underwater I felt my surfboard belt me right across the crown of my head. I surfaced, pulled my wetsuit hood down and something strange happened.

Everything went red.

Now one of the things about getting a cut in the sea is that it always looks worse than it is. Blood just runs everywhere and it looks really gory but actually it’s only a tiny amount of blood.

This time it looked like there was gallons of the stuff. A mate of mine, Jake, paddled over. Now Jake is prone to understatement so when he said ‘I’m taking you to hospital’ I knew it was a good idea.

A short while later and I had seven stitches in my head and was facing the prospect of at least a week out of the sea.

And all because I didn’t take the advice that is dished out in every single lesson we do.

But I’ve actually learnt three lessons this week.

One: protect your head on every wipeout, no matter how innocuous. You’d be an idiot not to.

Two: always surf with a buddy. If I was surfing on my own then I could have been in some serious trouble.

Three: there are a lot of surfers working in the NHS. At least three doctors and one nurse popped their heads around the curtain of my booth and asked me where I had been surfing, what tide was best and how well it handles a South-Westerly gale!

How to improve your surfing – the easiest way (probably)!

Tyson Greenaway

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.

October Opening Times | Watch the Quiksilver Pro

Tyson Greenaway

So it looks like the Indian summer is over now. The last week of September was pretty much perfect with regards to the weather but the much anticipated swell didn’t hit us quite as well as predicted.

October is already turning out to be a different kind of beast already however. The swell, while not ruler edged perfection, has jumped in size. Meanwhile the sun, when it does burn through, is getting less powerful with each week.

Still… I’ll take swell over sunshine any day of the week and it looks like the Atlantic is roaring into life for Autumn. As Cornwall gets quieter life takes on a different pace at the surf school. We are still open seven days a week but our opening hours are now 10am to 5pm.

Now that we have a bit more time to spare why not pop in for a chat, a cuppa and pull up a chair to watch the Quiksilver Pro France with us – we will be screening the webcast in the shop everyday that it’s on (and it starts today). The forecast looks amazing for France over the next few days so it’s well worth watching the pro’s in some firing French beach break barrels.

See you at the beach.

How to Catch a Wave – the double paddle finish

Tyson Greenaway

When it comes to catching waves and explaining the technique clearly then we have to tip our hats to Rob Case. Here he provides an excellent tutorial using Nat Young in a World Surfing League heat as an example.

This is well worth 10 minutes of your time. He breaks the technique down clearly as well as providing some excellent pointers on how to improve your paddling technique, speed and power.

These surfboard paddling techniques should form part of any surfer’s arsenal and can be easily applied to your surfing whether you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced surfer.

[themedy_media type=”youtube” url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iynJTbudlI”]

Pretty good huh?

I just have one little tip that you could add to those that you’ve already seen and that’s the ‘double paddle‘. You can see Nat Young starts paddling in the wave using the standard front crawl – one arm then the other arm, then the first arm and so on.

As he reaches his top speed he switches into a double arm paddle – more like the ‘butterfly’ in swimming terms – both arms at the same time.

There are a couple of reasons for this. The front crawl alternate arm technique is great for quick acceleration and getting your surfboard up to maximum speed.

It’s drawback is that it’s not particularly stable. Think of all those forces being created as you fling your arms forward in alternate strokes.

The double arm paddle is great for those last few strokes as it’s more stable, super powerful (both arms at once so double the power) and great for maintaining that momentum that you have worked so hard for.

It also has another benefit in that as you withdraw your arms from the water at the back end of the stroke they are both in line and ready to be put on the surfboard deck for you to pop up.

You won’t need to use this double paddle technique for every wave that you attempt to catch but if you find yourself paddling for waves and not quite able to ‘get over the ledge’ then it will definitely help.

So why don’t you double paddle all the time?

I’m glad you asked.

Because you are fitting two strokes in the place of one it’s tiring and while it’s a great technique for maintaining momentum it’s not so efficient for gaining speed in the first place.

Try this technique next time you go surfing and let us know how you get on in the comments box below.

Just in! – the Surf Academy Towelling Changing Robe

Tyson Greenaway

We’ve all experienced the total horror or getting into a wetsuit on a beach or car park. Frankly, it ain’t easy.

It’s a juggling act as you hop from one foot to the other, balancing precariously with your towel held up by nothing more than your hips and whispered prayers. All the time in the knowledge that a gust of wind could throw you off balance exposing yourself to the elements (as well as your mates, car park attendant and innocent bystanders).

You have two options:

drop the best part of £50,000 on a new camper van, pull the curtains and get changed in total privacy
treat yourself to a Surf Academy Changing Robe for a mere £34.99. Let it envelope you in its 400gsm 100% cotton goodness and marvel at it’s splendour while you maintain your dignity at the beach.

And to help you make up your mind we have an introductory offer until the 20th of September of only £20.

I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking we’ve gone out of our tiny little minds this time.

Grab a Surf Academy Changing Robe now before we come to our senses.