Controlling your board: Your first ride will probably be straight, perpendicular to the wave, into the whitewater. And that'll be enough to hook you! As your balance and control improves, you'll steer the board down the wave as it breaks, using pressure to one side or the other of the board to keep it in the face of the wave.
Then the fun really begins. Will you cross-step elegantly to the nose? Power your way into acrobatics that make a shortboarder gape? Enjoy a little tandem surfing with your dog?
Getting Good
Getting good on a surfboard is a matter of logging time on the wave. You can do some things out of the water to give you an edge: stay fit, maintain good trunk strength with abs and back exercises, and do activities that improve your balance and coordination. But mostly you have to surf. Expert surfers take years of regular surfing to develop their skill.
Some instructors say that you need to surf two or three times a week to improve consistently. If you just want to have some fun, though, you're in luck. As long as you know your limits, learn to read waves, and learn to stand up smoothly on the board, you can have a wonderful time surfing weekly for a few months a year -- or even just a few times in the summer.
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Part I discussed the environment of surfing. Check it out!
