New Surfer needing advice

Advice? Take your board to the beach and give it a shot. Keep it up and you will get better. Hope that helps.

 

I'm Texas-based and was in your shoes not long ago, so my $.02.

Where in Texas are you located? Galveston, Surfside, Port A / Corpus and South Padre all have good spots.

Find a good beginner-friendly place to start learning. In Texas this is pretty much anywhere other than the spot where all the experienced surfers are congregated - you'll want to avoid them until you get a little experience and won't be a danger / in the way. Just walk down the beach a bit. I started surfing in Port A, and would just walk a few hundred yards down from Horace Caldwell Pier to stay out the way of the experienced surfers there.

There are tons of resources on the internet re: surfing technique, pointers, etc. Use those. Go to Youtube and look for the "Surf Simply" learning to surf podcasts - lots of good info there. In addition to the technique, make sure you understand the basic etiquette and rules of the lineup, and the safety stuff such as how to get out of a rip current, etc.

And you didn't mention what kind of board you have, but in my opinion if you're learning in Texas you'll want to start on a 9' - 10' longboard if possible. A longboard can catch the knee-high waves that are common here, and is easier to paddle etc. Learning on a short board is very tough, and a lot of days a short board won't work, esp. in the kind of waves you get on the Gulf coast.

Arm yourself with some basic knowledge, then go surf and have fun. Good luck!

 

tonylamont, great post. New guy, you may also want to consider renting a board until you find a size that you feel comfortable with. I'm short but stocky so i need a board with thick rails. There's a shop called Kooks where the folks are, in my opinion pretty friendly and helpful. I'm new to Texas surf as well (immigrant from California) and they were very personable and helpful and I rented an 8'1" tri which seems to suit me well. Go surf and have fun.

 

Surfside is known for being a great beginner wave.
Where do you plan on surfing?

 

move now quick

 

uber noob here as well, thanks for the info. I just want to learn, and not get in the way; just have fun and enjoy being.
kdlc: apprec., its pretty much what I was expecting; get out and do as much as I can and figure it out.
As soon as Im out, please dont be shy and give me pointers (
Ill be sure to have a stocked ice chest; water, Powerade, and a few Corona Lite's )

 

Depends on the beach, I think. I'm not up to speed on the Galveston area.

If you're gonna be surfing in CC or Port A, you can buy a Nueces County beach parking pass for $12 which allows you to camp on the beaches there for free up to 3 consecutive nights. You'll need that pass to park on the beach anyway.

If you're surfing near Port A, I think anywhere on the open beach is OK, just stay a reasonable distance away from people (surfers and swimmers) until you know what you're doing. Horace Caldwell is pretty mellow as long as you're not a total out of control kook. St. Joe's can be good, esp. if there is SE windswell and everything else is blown out. It's not so crowded, but a hassle to get there as you have to take the jetty boat.

I like Packery Channel a lot but it's a more crowded lineup and I'd probably avoid for a while if you are a rank beginner. I hear Bob Hall's pretty crowded and not beginner-friendly, though I have not surfed there yet.

 

And, not sure what your friend was thinking. Probably want to stay out of San Luis Pass on your board. A large area of water drains through that when the tide goes out. Plus, deep water and fresh food (see previous sentence) means high probability of running into those big fish with teeth.

Stick to the beaches. Like the other posters said, Texas is pretty chill crowd-wise. Grab a board, paddle out and have fun.

 

Call Brian Jarvis from C-Sick surfing in Galveston. Take a lesson for $50. and save yourself a load of time trying it alone. He teaches surf lessons on 43rd street in Galveston. His number is 409.770.9455. He is on fb and has as web site. Google C-Sick surfing. Tell him Sydney sent you.

 

Dont surf... its a waste of your time. Go get a Tennis Racket and learn to swing it instead.

 

You can camp on the beaches on South Padre Island, Texas outside of the City limits. It costs $3 to drive on the beach, and you are allowed to camp overnight. We have some great surf here, and the spring season is a good time of year to visit for surf!

-Paul
www.airpadrekiteboarding.com