Everyone has to start somewhere. While you might have dreams of carving your board up the centre of a 20 foot wave, if you have never been on a surfboard before it’s going to take a bit of practice before you end up there. To start with you have to learn the basics. Here are three key areas for you to master.

Paddling

Paddling might not seem like the most exciting thing to do with a surfboard but it is one of the most important things to get right early on. Lots of new surfers try to paddle with both hands at once, because this is how it looks in the movies. In reality this causes the board to slow and speed up in the water, which stops you from maintaining a proper speed. You should always paddle in the crawl stroke, one arm deep, then the other.

Sitting

Sitting up on the board correctly is another little manoeuvre that might not seem the most exciting but is crucial to getting your bearings in the water. Be prepared to wobble a bit when you first try and sit up. The trick is to stay calm and keep your body as still as possible.

Standing

OK. Once you are paddling effectively and confident when you sit up on the board you can now get to the fun part: standing up on the surfboard. First off, lie flat on your chest and keep your head up. Then get into a push up position: hand by your shoulders, palms down. Push yourself up while, simultaneously, bringing your feet up under you, standing them on the centre of the surfboard. You should mainly be centring your weight on the stringer (the line in the centre) of the board. Keep low and do not look down – standing up straight or checking where your feet are will result in falling.

If you’re keen to get into surfing and looking for a magazine which can keep you up to date with the latest trends, waves, news and views on the sport, this list will help you out. Here we will look at some of the most interesting magazines aimed at surfers and what each one has to offer the reader.

Surfer

First published in 1960 and going strong today, Surfer is the granddaddy of all the international surfing publications. It’s great for all the latest pro and amateur surfing news, ideas for surf trips, features about the world of surfing and guides for both the expert and beginner surfer.

Transworld Surf

On the opposite end of the spectrum to Surfer’s more respectful approach is this magazine, published since 1999 from California. As well as news and views on the surf scene Transworld Surf is also likely to feature shots of models in various states of undress and the tone is a bit more frattish and cheeky.

The Surfer’s Path

A million miles from Transworld Surf’s snarky tone is British publication The Surfer’s Path, which treats the sport in more spiritual and respectful terms. It is also the only fully recycled surf magazine in the world, in keeping with its responsible outlook.

Women’s Surf Style Magazine

Aimed at female surfers WSSM is mainly concerned with women in the world of surfing. As well as news about women surfers there is a lot of focus on beach fashion.

Surf Europe

Published in five languages across the continent Surf Europe gives lots of support and exposure to the European scene. Mainly consists of news, guides and information about surfing and surf culture with a distinctly European bent.

Tracks

Surfing appeals to that part of us that has an urge to get out and engage with nature and primacy. It is all about being at one with the sea, getting in touch with our own relationship to the earth and chasing the biggest and best waves that nature has to offer. As such, it is not really something one considers in terms of safety but it is absolutely crucial, particularly for beginners, to approach surfing with safety at the front of their minds. Here are some crucial safety tips.

First off, purchase a leash and use it. You might have been on a surf beach and seen some more experienced surfers surfing without one, but this does not mean it is the way to go. The leash keeps you connected with your board when you go flying and thus keeps you close to it at all times. This stops it from floating off into the path of other surfers and swimmers.

Never go out surfing alone until you have at least a year of solid surf experience behind you. It is easy to get into trouble and if you aren’t skilful enough to cope with the unexpected, then you could easily find yourself in a lethal danger very quickly.

You might wish to consider purchasing a surf helmet – not always the cool choice but it will keep you head protected when you spill off the board. If you do not wear a helmet make sure to cover your head as soon as you slip on the board. Lace your hands around the back of the head, with your elbows together in front of your face and stay underwater for longer than you think you require.

There are plenty of easy errors you can make when you first try to surf. When you see experienced surfers on their boards it often looks effortless and so you attempt to ape their moves and manoeuvres. This is usually a pretty good way to wipe out fast. While we're all going to spend plenty of time in the water the first time we hit the waves, you should do your best to avoid it. Here are a few easy mistakes to stay away from.
The first thing you will be choosing is your board and it is always better to go large with your first one. In fact, larger the better is a good way to think. You need to get the basics of paddling, standing and balancing down right and this is much easier on a big wide board with plenty of room.

Another common mistake is to attack the big waves before you have the basics down. Nail your technique and balance surfing small, steady waves and take your time. Of course you want to eventually be carving down a huge wave but that won't happen until you pay your dues on the less violent ones. Look into beginner beaches and breaks.

Few beginners realise that surfing well is about decision-making. When you arrive on the beach you might feel the urge to either paddle straight out to where there is a crowd or paddle out to where there is nobody and you can get some space. Instead, take your time. Sit in the sand and watch the breaks and conditions. Monitor the whole thing for five minutes and then decide where you should be going.

If you are about to pursue surfing as a hobby, pastime, passion or career you will need to get kitted out the right way. This guide will look closer at the main items of kit and equipment you need to get in the water and riding the waves.

While I'm sure you have seen all kinds of stunning videos of dudes on short boards ripping and carving through massive waves, chances are those guys have been on boards for at least a decade. To start with you will want a nice big board, either a long board or a fun board. You won't be able to tackle the huge surf but you will have great fun and stability in the waist high water and plenty of manoeuvrability to nail the basics of paddling. A foamy might be the best option if you have zero surf experience, as it doesn't hurt so much when you land on it or it lands on you!
A Decent Wet Suit

Wet suits come in all kinds of price ranges and quality levels and, no matter what your own level, it is always better to spend a little extra to get a little more quality. Your wetsuit is going to get plenty of wear and the better the quality the longer its life span will be. Of course, this is assuming you are surfing in cold water, which, if you are surfing in the UK you will be. If you will be exclusively taking your board into warm climates then some board shorts will do fine.

The Surfboard's Leash is the thing keeping your leg attached to your board. This means that when you go flying off the board you don't have to swim 50 yards to get back on again and, also, it keeps the surfboard under control and out of the way of others in the water.

As a sport so much about the wild beauty of nature and the freeing thrill of man's engagement with the sea, it is unsurprising that surfing has inspired many great and poetic quotes over the years. Here are some of the most beautiful linguistic evocations of surfing.

“I'm fortunate enough with the surfing to be very much at home at the water - my pulse and heart rate are slower in the water than they are on land.”

Ryan Kwanten
“Surfing is such an amazing concept. You're taking on Nature with a little stick and saying, 'I'm gonna ride you!' And a lot of times Nature says, 'No you're not!' and crashes you to the bottom.”

“Surfing soothes me, it's always been a kind of Zen experience for me. The ocean is so magnificent, peaceful, and awesome. The rest of the world disappears for me when I'm on a wave.”

“One of the greatest things about the sport of surfing is that you need only three things: your body, a surf-board, and a wave.”

“Surfing is very much like making love. It always feels good, no matter how many times you've done it.”

“In surfing, coming to terms with death -- or at least the possibility -- is an ongoing crisis in big waves. The set is building outside, and it's so beautiful, aesthetically. People are watching in awe from the beach: the blue water, the stiff offshore winds, the 40-foot walls charging in from the open ocean. If you're out there with nothing but your body, your wits and a surfboard, that set can be your coffin.”

“Surfing, alone among sports, generates laughter at its very suggestion, and this is because it turns not a skill into an art, but an inexplicable and useless urge into a vital way of life.”

If you are interested in starting out as a surfer, you will probably want to know about boards. This guide will detail the different parts of the board to give you an idea of how they work and what to look for when you buy your first one.

The plan is the shape and size of the board. Boards for big waves, known as Guns, come with a long, exaggerated curve. This is useful for increasing the length of the turns you can take on the wave. Boards for smaller waves come with a round, short curve which help to move tightly in the pockets of the waves.
Tail Design

The tail design will also be crucial to the type of surfing you want to do. A wider tail is good for small waves as it allows you to change direction quicker. Taking a big wave with a wide tail, however, can be dangerous as you can easily lose control.
Rocker

The rocker is the upturn at the nose of the board and the tail of the board and this contributes to the board's ability to turn and change speeds. A straight rocker allows you more speed going down the wave, while a more curvaceous one will allow you to get more tight turns in the pocket.

Rails are the sides of the board and can be low, medium or high. As well as affecting the look of the board, the size of the rail changes how resistant and moveable the board will be. The fuller the rail the harder it will be to turn.

With a surfboard under his arm and a compelling sense of adventure, Craig Sage embarked on a trip from down under in the hunt of a tough wave. Leaving behind the exotic beaches of his home country, this Aussie discovered a dreamlike place for surfing in a remote Spanish town.

Three decades have passed since Sage moved to Mundaka, coastal site in the core of woods, tradition and green field. During this time, the spot has gone from an incognito to an internationally known surfing location alongside mythical places like Hawaii, California, Tahiti, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Australia.
Surfing, culture, sun and beaches… Mundaka offers the closest and ideal opportunity to get in shape with style while catching the legendary 3-meter-high waves in the summertime, hot and glassy. Surf, more a way of life than a sport, awakens the outmost passion of those who practice it and the admiration of those who follow the surfers, those free-spirited people with idyllic figures and hair bleached by the sun. Either windsurf, kitesurf or bodysurf, the exercise of the activity in general implies the strain of all the body muscles, particularly legs, waist and gluteus. It takes a lot of energy to maintain the balance while the breeze brushes slowly by.

The exercise also sculpts and defines the upper part of the body and arms. This training takes place while swimming to get back on the surfboard, or guiding the sail in windsurf or the kite in kitesurf. Besides, this practice helps you lose weight, given that you burn a great amount of calories while surfing.

Apart from sculpting the body, this sport works wonders to improve health conditions. While surfing, you increase your lung capacity, improve your balance and enjoy a free natural massage by the water movement under the sky in the free air. However, given the constant exposure to the sun and salty water, it is important to wear adequate sunscreen at all times.

Britain's beaches offer some really terrific places to surf and there are plenty of options for the surfer who wants to take to the waves in the UK. But did you know that just across the Irish Sea there is a country which hosts some of the gnarliest waves on the planet? That's right – Ireland has a number of terrific spots featuring awesome waves which are an absolute must-surf if you are a committed surfer. Even if you are an intermediate or beginner, Ireland has some great locations for a short surf holiday where you can improve your skills while soaking up the “craic” and the local colour.

One of the most famous is Lahinch, in County Clare. This huge beach hosts genuinely breath-taking waves and has all kinds of different conditions for surfers of every rank. Be warned, however, this is a very, very popular spot, particularly at the weekends, so if you don't like crowds you may be better off elsewhere. Those looking to combine surfing with nightlife, however, could not do much better as the surf hordes and the locals make for a fun atmosphere.
The largest surf club in Ireland is to be found in Tramore, Waterford. Tramore's T-Bay is the main spot for surfing in the area but, to be fair, this is really a beginner's beach. A good place to learn on the moderate waves, more experienced surfers will quickly get impatient but those who don't like to take it too seriously will have a great time and, like Lahinch, there is plenty of fun to be had in the local town.

Often called the “home of Irish surfing” Bundoran in County Donegal has plenty to offer for all levels of experience. There are plenty of separate spots nearby and all kinds of waves to hit. The “craic” in the local town is so legendary, however, that some people complain they don't get enough surfing done simply because there is too much other fun to be had!