Lessons Surfing Can Teach You About Life

19 January, 2016

Australians are (for the most part) decidedly outdoors-type people – we live for barbecues in the summertime, playing cricket or frisbee on the lawns, and enjoying the beach.

Beach life is a big part of living in South Australia and one of the recommended ways to enjoy this is to enroll for surf lessons Goolwa via Surf and Sun.

If you join surf lessons in Goolwa, you’ll come to realise that surfing is not just a fun sport, it's a lifestyle choice. It may seem dramatic, but being in the ocean – perhaps for the first time for some people – can be inspiring and invigorating.

The awesome beaches in South Australia makes it haven for people who loves the sun, the sea and the sand. Surfing in the waves of the beaches in Goolwa is a great experience if you want to start off with the sport. Learning how to surf is really easy. Everyone from all ages will surely enjoy doing the sport, especially kids.

With the help of professional surf instructors from Surf and Sun Australia, you too can learn how to stand up on a surfboard atop the waves. The awesome sight of riding the waves will surely be a great motivator for you to enroll to one of our learn to surf programs. Surfing can reinforce lessons about life you won't learn anywhere else. Here are 6 Valuable Lessons Surfing Can Teach You About Life:

Don’t be intimidated to succeed

Australians love to surf. On your typical sunny weekend day when the waves are decent, you may find Goolwa beach overwhelming to see the water is dotted with lots of keen surfers, each trying to claim their spot in the water.

For some amateurs, the presence of other surfers who already ‘get it’ can be intimidating and put them off so that they won't even go out. It can certainly make you feel insecure about your own abilities.

But, as you spend time in the water during your surf lesson, you’ll realize that only a small handful are actually going for the waves. The rest are just waiting or hanging out. Essentially, you could be wasting your time being intimidated by "competition" that doesn't even exist.

Do you feel a burning desire to kick start a project at work? To create a new method of doing something in a better way? To build a business? Do you doubt your faith in your abilities because you deem people are so much better at it than you? Do you fret that the marketplace is too saturated with great ideas already?

As with surfing, there are enough waves for everyone who really wants them. Don’t be intimidated to succeed. There are not as many people at the top as you think. If you believe in yourself and persevere, there’s room for you too!

Improvement comes with time

Spending time in the water is one of the ways to improve your surfing skills. These small pockets of time spent in the ocean can help you learn how to paddle, discover the science of waves, teach you where to position yourself on your board etc.

Eventually, you won’t notice anything different and will start catching waves instinctively. Like learning any new skill, if you invest time in surfing including mastering the fundamentals and taking advice then you will see improvement.

Patience is key

It can be frustrating and tiring learning to surf especially if you are sporty by nature and struggle with the early days of falling off, getting dumped in the water etc.

Learning to surf takes patience, and sometimes amateur surfers get caught in a mad dash to catch the first wave and conquer it. Adjust your expectations and have fun! Focus on one thing at a time, for example, learning to paddle correctly and you will find you will enjoy it more.

So be patient. Try not to divert your attention to the other surfers doing ‘their thing’ and doing it one way, because you might just succeed quicker going in the other direction.

Attitude is everything

Everyone learns to surf somewhere as a beginner. You can be rest assured that other beginners joining your surf lesson in Goolwa may have feelings of anxiety, excitement and nervousness!

No surfer you see out on the waves naturally and instinctively grabbed a board for the first time, paddled out effortlessly, studied the sets rolling in and stood up for a flawless first ride.

Whether you are a pro or a beginner, a great attitude can still align with talent, or lack of.

So whatever you're aiming to achieve, approach it like a pro. Be reliable. Do your best. Help others who aren’t as knowledgeable as you. Be humble and accept help from people who know more. Arrogance is for amateurs; attitude is everything.

Don’t confuse collaboration with competition

Sometimes you’ll meet a surfer who’s territorial or arrogant, but more often than not you’ll find that the surfing community is supportive.

Joining a surf lesson in Goolwa or other South Australian locations with Surf and Sun is a perfect opportunity to meet new friends, gain advice, learn a new sport and share tips.

For those of us who love surfing, we back each other. We cheer each other for good rides. We share waves. We want each other to succeed and get better.

Don’t confuse collaboration with competition; too many people waste their time and energy thinking that other surfers are competing with them when really they are keen to help you get better.

There's no point stressing over what you can’t control

The ocean is an immense force of nature, and learning to surf throws us into a wild mix of learning techniques that may not come naturally, dealing with wave selection and weather patterns and finding our place in the line-up.

We think we have control over many aspects in our life but we don’t and surfing is the same. We can’t control the ocean. We can’t control the weather. We can’t control how many people will be at the beach in case you worry about wiping out in front of strangers

You can learn to surf at a younger age or even when you're older. If you’re open to trying new things then the rewards are great.

When you realise that there’s no point in stressing over what you can’t control, you can relax. You can try your best and let things turn out how they'll turn out. You can find moments of joy in learning to surf!