Being exposed to the water is continual in surfing. Even riding a wave the spray is constantly on your body. Sometimes, it feels colder than the water itself. Air carries away body warmth more easily when your skin is wet.

Wetsuits and drysuits to the rescue.

Wetsuits are made of neoprene, a special synthetic rubber that contains thousands of air pockets. That makes them lightweight, highly elastic and well insulating. They hug the body and fit reasonably well around the neck, wrists and ankles - everywhere the water might gain entrance to the inside of the wetsuit.

But wetsuits are designed to have some breathability. They work by trapping a thin layer of moisture between the skin and the wetsuit. The body easily heats that thin layer and the body and suit work together to keep it heated.

Wetsuits come in a variety of designs. Some of that variation is just for the sake of fashion. But other aspects are functional. Those encompass zippers, seams and sealing material around the openings.

The number and location of zippers is a compromise between the need to keep the wetsuit flexible and easy to enter versus keeping it well sealed from cold water entering.

Because the line along a zipper is always less flexible than the surrounding material, zippers are often not placed directly down the front midsection of the body. That would make them easier to get in and out of, but it leads to more discomfort for a surfer who is constantly leaning over or lying down to paddle, popping up and crouching.

Similar comments apply to any kind of seam. Though more flexible than a metal or even a plastic zipper, a joint where two layers of neoprene meet is always going to be less flexible than a large swatch of material. The glue is less flexible, if that’s how the seam is sealed. But even a seam created by heat sealing will have some thickening, which is less flexible. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be a seam.

As a result of these issues, designers try to maximize the comfort and stretch of a suit where it is most needed. Since wetsuit design is as much art as science, and everyone has a different viewpoint on the best design. So, there are hundreds of different choices.

Drysuits are a special category, needed only by those surfers who are braving the coldest waters. Whether in the UK, Alaska, or other areas, there are waters that are consistently below 60F/15C. It’s possible to lose body heat to a dangerous extent. In most cases, that calls for a drysuit if the wearer is going to be exposed for more than a few minutes.

Drysuits, unlike wetsuits, are designed to allow no entry of water at all. They’re made from a dozen different materials, but are often a form of neoprene as well. They tend to be more flexible, but are also often used with an undersuit as well, along with booties, gloves and a hood.

Let your personal comfort and the conditions you surf in be your guide.

First, before you can run you have to crawl. The same is true of surfing. Paddling is a must, and while not hard (mentally, though it is physically) it has to be done correctly. Straddle the surfboard near the midpoint. Lean over and execute a crawl stroke, cupping your hands and moving first one into the water then the next.

Don’t try to paddle with both hands at the same time. That makes your movement jerky, when you want to achieve a smooth, consistent speed through the water as much as possible. The water will have something to say about that, but do your best.

The same technique applies when you have reached the most distant point from the shoreline and you turn around to catch a wave. When you’re lying down, paddling forward to line up for that next swell, smoothly pull yourself forward with a crawl stroke, one arm and hand at a time.

Now you’re facing forward, head up, eyes forward but glancing right and left for any other nearby surfers. You’re preparing to stand. Trickier than it sounds, if you want to stay on the board once you’re upright.

Grip a rail with each hand. The rails are the outer edges of the surfboard. Your waist should be near the midpoint of the board. You can practice in a swimming pool to decide exactly where it’s best for you to position yourself. When you reach the upright position, you want the board to be balanced in front and behind you, as well as left and right.

Your feet should be at right angles to the line of your legs as you lie down. Your elbows should be near your body, as if you were about to do a standard push-up. At the moment you feel the wave begin to lift you, execute the pop-up, hard. In the same motion, whip your feet underneath your body, still gripping the rails.

As you tuck your knees toward your chest. Plant your feet and let go of your hands. Your feet should land roughly ahead of and behind the board’s midpoint about the same distances. Your feet should be angled and crossing the stringer, the centerline down the middle of the board, usually made of a wood inlay.

When you stand, don’t stand completely erect. You’ll fall off the board at once. You should take a crouching position, with your arms extended, one forward and one to the rear. Keep tension on your feet, as if trying to separate the board into two pieces by pushing them apart.

Hey, you’re surfing!

The classic tube is formed by a swell, which results from continual moderate to strong waves brushing over the surface of the ocean near the shore. The bigger the expanse, and the stronger the offshore wind, the bigger the swell, all other things being equal.

But they rarely are equal. Reefs, sand bars and other formations under the water play a big role in how the water moves. As a swell passes over a reef it will tend to rise. Ditto when the ocean floor drops away sharply from the approaching wave.

Waves crest because the water builds up as the land gets more shallow. But they can only sustain themselves to a certain point before gravity brings the crest down. That will carry you with it.

Until you get more experience, stick with simple circumstances. Don’t go out when the weather is gnarly. Big winds mean big swells. Keep the waves you attack down to about 3-4 feet (1-1.2 m). You’ll need something that large to get up momentum, but anything larger is too big a challenge at this stage.

As you paddle out to the wave, be aware of what’s nearby and what goes on around you. Piers, rocky outcroppings and more can alter the way the wave acts. As the wave moves around them it tends to produce a swirl that can sweep you up and turn you around. Paddle out away from all obstructions, past any near shore barriers, then turn around.

Once you’re out far enough, you’ll want even more to keep an eye on the water’s movements. But it just got harder, because the waves are now behind you. You’ll need to keep glancing over your shoulder to judge the wave speed, direction and size. At the same time, you need to be aware of how close you are moving toward the shore and any other nearby surfers.

The passing waves will gently pick you up and set you down if you are still out away from the break. But once you’ve drifted or paddled in far enough to catch a wave, the swell will lift you higher. As the wave starts to turn over, it will tend to carry you into the tube.

Stand and be counted. You’re surfing.

First, respect that the ocean is stronger than you are. The force of even an average swell is far greater than anyone can resist. That’s why it carries you along. But when those get to a certain point, they’ll carry you down. Don’t go surfing when the conditions are greater than you can handle. Don’t push the limits until you’re very experienced.

Next, be aware of the ever changing patterns in the water. Riptides can appear seemingly out of nowhere. Sometimes they’re just an inconvenience, dragging you down the beach away from the spot on shore you want to reach. But, those surface currents can also drag you out to sea, especially if you’re fatigued. Stay strong and get out of a rip current as soon as you sense it.

They’re not difficult to spot if you’re alert. They appear as calm flows, usually as a strip or channel within surrounding turbulent water. The color will often appear slightly different. They don’t drag you under, but they can put you far enough out that you can’t return to shore. Then you tire before reaching safety and go under. Swim or paddle parallel to the shore until you’re out of it, then return to shore if you’re tired.

Undertow is similar, but in this case the water flow is under the surface. When you’re on your surfboard that’s not usually a problem. But if you fall, you’ll often go far enough to reach it, and it can drag you down further and away from the shore. Again, try to swim parallel, at the same time rising to reach the surface. Swimming directly up makes it harder to reach the surface.

One of the more likely problems that can lead to drowning while surfing is being hit with your board.

Even the most advanced surfers fall of their surfboards at some time. It’s difficult, but necessary, to be alert when you’re on the way into the water. Try to note which way your board is moving. When you return to the surface, don’t assume your board has floated away. The board is almost as likely to move back toward you as away from you. That’s convenient, but dangerous.

If you use an ankle leash your surfboard can’t move far away. That means you can be the cause of it hitting you if you don’t move the right way. Practice in a swimming pool to get used to manipulating your leg and the board to grab the board before it hits you in the head. Being knocked unconscious by a surfboard is easy and, as you’re often reminded, you can drown in a foot of water.

Develop into a strong swimmer, watch the ocean and stay alert. Your odds of drowning will be very low.

Surfboard wax is now typically made from about 60% paraffin, 15% microcrystalline wax, about 5% petroleum jelly and a little scented dye. Warm water wax may have a bit more wax and less petroleum jelly. Traditional organic wax made by your grandfather might have been produced from beeswax and coconut oil. Sometimes it still is.

A more long term alternative to waxing which requires re-application from time to time is available: a deck grip pad. The top surface of a surface is called ‘the deck’. The pad is adhered to the board about where the rear foot will be and is (more or less) permanent.

Apart from providing good friction for quick moves, a deck grip helps orient your feet. Boards often slide part way under water and it can be difficult to judge exactly where you are in relation to the tail or nose.

Still, most surfers opt for wax. There is something about the ritual of applying it, cleaning your board and re-applying it that is soothing. You feel more like a surfer. You are caring for your board.

It has a more practical aspect, too. Waxing your board gives you a good opportunity to check for dings and make repairs. It also gives members of the opposite sex an opportunity to strike up a conversation. They don’t call it SexWax for nothing. Surfing has many side benefits.

Applying wax is simple.

Select the type of wax that matches the type of water you surf in, warm or cold. There’s no sharp dividing line, so just make your best guess.

Start with a clean board. Remove any sand or dirt. Clean off any old wax by a combination of gentle scraping with a dull-edged tool and wiping with a cloth soaked in alcohol or commercial surfboard cleaner.

Scrapers can be a stiff piece of cardboard, a thin piece of wood or other instrument. Don’t use a sharp metal tool. You’ll damage your board. The best option is to buy a specially made tool designed for the purpose of removing surfwax and the special liquid made to clean the board afterward.

Just rub it on anywhere you expect your feet to be. You can wax the whole board. Sometimes, that helps. In most cases, it’s a waste of wax. If you surf on a longboard you’re very unlikely to have your feet on the nose or tail. Wax is not expensive, but your time is worth something. Consider your personal circumstances. Don’t apply wax to the bottom of the surfboard.

It does help to wax the area where your hands grip the rails (the sides of the board). That will decrease slip when you pop up from a lying position to a standard crouch. Rubbing in a circular motion isn’t mandatory, but it helps build up raised areas that provide better friction.

Keep the board cool, either in the shade or with a little cool water, in order to avoid the wax melting off before you hit the water. Keep the board from getting sand on it. That creates sandpaper that is painfully rough, even in the water.

It is a well known fact that staying active helps keep you looking and feeling young. Not many activities come close to the effect surfing has on the mind, body and spirit. According to experienced surfers, the special bond the surfer has with their surf board and the open ocean is almost impossible to explain.Fresh Air

Fresh air does a body good! Surfers all over the world enjoy lots of cool, refreshing fresh air and sunshine. No matter if you’re surfing a remote location or something closer to the city, the ocean air smells fresh and clean. Out on the surf, there’s virtually no smog. When you are on the waves, it’s just you, the water and the fresh air.

Stress Free

Out in the swells, you can let your stress and every-day worries float away with the tide. Out there, it’s just you, the breeze, your board and the water. No one yelling for help or that report you should have handed in already. When you’re out there, you’re surrounded by total peace and relaxation. The only sounds are the sounds of the wind lightly kissing your skin and water slapping against your surfboard.

According to the majority of surfers, this type of relaxation is hard to come by anywhere else in the world. Just a few hours of surfing a week can help release the tension that builds up at home or in the workplace.

Muscle Tone

Surfing and swimming go hand in hand and are great exercise. Swimming works muscle groups you don’t always think to work at the gym. Sometimes even seasoned athletes will complain of muscle fatigue after swimming simply because of the different muscles being used.

People who surf are generally slender and well muscled toned into their 60’s and even 70’s. Surfing is a non-impact sport, meaning it’s very easy on your knees and other joints. After all, you don’t jog or jump on your surf board!

Cardiovascular Health

Surfing provides an amazing aerobic workout that not only helps burn fat but also keeps your heart, lungs and entire cardiovascular system in tip-top shape. A healthy cardiovascular system keeps your immune system healthy as well as maintaining a high level of stamina, to keep you feeling young.

Fun in the Sun

Surfers love the sunshine for a wide variety of reasons. Besides giving surfers great tans to keep that youthful glow, the sun provides vitamins that maintain healthy skin and nails. Healthy bones, skin, hair and nails assist in a more youthful appearance.

Other Advantages

Aside from the previously mentioned advantages of surfing, avid surfers understand they have to eat well and exercise. Many surfers enjoy going to the gym and practicing some type of Yoga. Yoga helps keep the surfer’s muscles toned and flexible and their mind alert. Many people who practice yoga taut it as a vehicle to peace and serenity in their mental well being.

If you’re looking to stay young and feel young, but don’t currently know how to surf and would like to learn, there is a wide variety of surf camps available. Women’s surf camps cater to the needs of women. Since they are only available to women, ladies of all shapes, sizes and ages can enjoy being themselves and learning to surf. You will also develop friendships and enjoy the fellowship of like-minded people from all over the world.

While some surf camps offer only women’s surf camps, there are camps that offer co-ed surf camps as well. They are a great way to learn to surf or learn a new skill or hobby while relaxing in the sun. Imagine returning to normal life, not only totally relaxed with a great tan, but also with pictures of you hanging ten, surfing like a pro and most importantly feeling and looking young.

Some say surfing keeps you young at heart. Seasoned surfers know surfing also helps keep them physically fit, looking and feeling much younger than their birth date declares.

Surfing is one of the most thrilling sports there can be on sea. But unlike most sea sports, it does not require machinery of some sort. All you need in surfing are: a board, surfing gear, rippling waves and a sense of adventure. But just like any other sport, surfing can also drain your energy and patience. It can be grueling especially to the neophytes, as it requires perfect mind and body coordination. To have a body in total harmony with your inner self to get your body in the best surfing condition, surfers will recommend one thing and that is to practice yoga!You might think that surfing and yoga are far out from each other but you are wrong. Both have similar concepts that really blend well to give you a better life. Here are five reasons why surfing and yoga is a great combination.

1. Yoga and surfing have a common denominator. They are ways of life.
Yoga is more than an exercise as surfing is more than a sport. Both are ways of living that help make people attain a fuller and more complete life. They also help you know more not only about yourself but also about your surroundings: yoga seeks enlightenment of your spirituality while surfing makes you one with nature. The yoga world is also similar with a surfing moment; a place of freedom, a place of peace, a place without time… Either way, you become your better person as you completely immerse yourself in the activity and in the process, rest your mind and spirit to release your fullest.

2. Surfing without exercise such as yoga can have health repercussions.
Although surfing is a good exercise, it is not perfect because it is not completely symmetrical. Surfing does not work all body parts as it concentrates only on some especially the shoulders and arms. In the process, the rest of the body does not get its proper exercise. That is why it is always recommended that surfing be paired with a form of exercise that gives emphasis on stretching such as yoga. Yoga can work the body parts that are not frequently worked out in surfing. With that, you are ensured that you have a complete activity for your entire body.

3. Yoga will teach you patience in surfing.
Starting to surf may be difficult to some people who do not have the skill of balance pros have. However, with a little more practice, you can gain more knowledge about reaching your body’s equilibrium but this may take time. Some may learn to surf in only a few days but some may take several weeks or months with a very long learning curve. With the help of yoga, meditation and breathing can make you become a more patient student surfer. The extended patience that you gain from practicing yoga can also be helpful while waiting for those surf quality waves to practice on.

4. Yoga will increase your strength and flexibility on the board.
Yoga can enhance your self-awareness and make your body and mind exist in perfect harmony. Yoga will sharpen your concentration, enabling you to attain perfect equilibrium. Because yoga includes stretching and different forms to be followed, it will improve the flexibility of every part of your body. Flexibility is the key to constancy on top of the board while surfing a wave. Flexibility gained by practicing yoga also helps you move with more freedom, balance and comfort. And in this area, it is obvious how yoga can really be helpful.

5. Yoga will help you improve posture and breathing.
Just like in yoga, proper posture and breathing is also important in surfing. You reach maximum performance when your body has proper amounts of oxygen taken in and is in the proper position. With yoga, you will learn to breathe and pose better. Yoga benefits such as minimized tension on the body especially on the back and the shoulders can maximize surfing performance. Proper breathing and posture will give you strength and balance that can increase stability while you glide on the waves.

Surfing and yoga is a perfect complement that assists in excelling each other to higher levels and that is why most surf schools have yoga activities as well. The pair not only enhances your spirituality and physicality but also harmonizes your mind and body in perfect balance. So the next time, before you surf, practice a few minutes of yoga and breathing. Then you’ll realize that surfing is not only a purely physical activity but can have spiritual liberation effects as well.

There are eleven break points along the best surf spots in Santa Cruz County and is known as “Surf City.” Steamer Lane is host to the O’Neill Cold Water Classic on annual basis during the fall months. In May the Longboard Invitational takes place adjacent to Lighthouse Point. The Capitola Women’s Longboard Surf Fest in held in October. Women of all ages participate and surfing skill participate.Waddell Beach is very popular with boogie board, kiteboarding, and kayaking enthusiasts. Kiteboarding is a hybrid of wakeboarding and windsurfing. People are able to get forty feet of air from the waves.

Cowell’s Beach positioned along Westcliff Drive, is said to have calmer waves. This is a popular surf spot for people just learning the sport. There are stairs from Westcliff Drive that lead out to the surf area. Capitola Beach is another popular surf area for beginners. Many people use longboards with the waves when conditions are permissible. Parking is ample and readily available. When parking in metered parking areas always have ample amounts of change and keep the meter updated. It is not uncommon to get ticketed right away when the meter expires since it is monitored closely.

The Hook is located along what is known locally as Pleasure Point. It is positioned at the end of the stairway located at 41st Avenue. Longboards are most popular for this surf area. Shortboards are only able to be used on days when the waves are higher. This surf is said to be best for skilled surfers. 30th and East Cliff is popular with Pleasure Point surfers. However, due to the degree of difficulty very few people are permitted to surf in the area.

Manresa State Beach is positioned along Highway 1. It is less crowded than some of the other beaches. The waves can become very high and rips are very common in the surf area. 30th. This surf area is said to be best for experienced surfers.

Steamer Lane is said to be the most popular surf area in the region. The waves get extremely high at times said to reach triple overhead in height. Much caution needs to be exercised when surfing in this area. Deaths do occur on annual basis at this surf point. Surfing goes on year round at Steamer Lane.

Moss Landing is positioned twenty miles south of the city. It is rarely crowded and has its beach break near the harbor entrance. Waves can get very high here, so it is recommended for advanced surfers only. Rips are common along this area.

Natural Bridges surfing is located south of the rock arches. Conditions fluctuate in the area so surfing isn’t always possible. There is a lot of kelp and sealife in the area.

There are many places to surf along Highway 1 in the middle of Half Moon Bay and the city. North of the city is where some of the more advanced surfers like to go. It is advised that you avoid surfing in this area alone do to its secluded nature.

In the early 1900’s the Hawaiians organized the Hui Nalu (surf club) and competed in neighborly surf competitions with the Outrigger Canoe Club. This drew a great deal of attention to the Waikiki surf shore, bringing a revitalized interest in the sport, which had fallen out of favor in the late 1800s. Duke Kahanamoku, an Olympic star in swimming, popularized the sport further by traveling internationally and showing off his surfing style to thrilled audiences around the world. He was favored by Hollywood elite; having acted in bit parts in films and was always recruiting new surfers wherever he went. He is credited with surfing the longest wave of all time in 1917, in the popular surfing area now called Outside Castles in Waikiki. His 1000 meters plus wave record has yet to be overtaken.In the 1930s, the sport of surfing was experiencing a Renaissance. Tom Blake, founder of the Pacific Coast Surf Championships that ended with the onset of war in 1941, was the first man to photograph surfing from the water. Another photographer and surfer named Doc Ball published California Surfriders 1946, which depicts the pristine coastal beaches and good-time, relaxed atmosphere of surf living. Surfing, although curtailed in the aftermath of WWII, revived as always by the 1950s. Bud Browne, an accomplished surfer and waterman, created the first ’surf movie’ with his 1953 “Hawaiian Surfing Movie”. This inspired many photographers, filmmakers and surfers to continue documenting the sport, culminating with is arguably the best surf movie of all time, 1963’s “Endless Summer” by Bruce Brown. The film opened up the genre of the surf movie and the art of surfing to non-surfing people, accumulating fans and inspiring neophytes.

Although surfing was a male-dominated sport, adventurous women surfers can be seen all the way back to the times of the Polynesian Queens. Two notable ’surfer girls’ were Eve Fletcher and Anona Napolean. Eve Fletcher was a California-born animator for Walt Disney and Anona Napolean was the daughter of a respected Hawaiian surfing family. The two pioneered the sport for modern women, winning surfing competitions up and down the California coast at the end of the 50s and into the 60s. Hollywood was quick to be on the scene and with the 1959 film “Gidget”, surfing was flung far out into the mainstream, never to return to its humble, ritualistic beginnings. “Gidget” inspired a slew of “Beach Blanket Bingo” movies that brought surfing to a new generation of teens and inspiring a new genre of ’surf music’ that accompanied films and made The Beach Boys more famous than Elvis in the 60s.

Surfing spread throughout all media and Surfing Magazine was born in the early 1960s by famous surf photographer, LeRoy Grannis. After that, other publications cropped up bringing more information on the sport, equipment and stars of the surfing scene. John Severson, an accomplished filmmaker and photographer, created Surfer Magazine, originally called “The Surfer”. These publications brought advertising, professional surfing, surf culture and publicity to the now very popularized sport.

I hear low pressure systems are good for surfing. What does that mean? How does a lower pressure system better conditions for surfing?