If you are a water person, a day without waves to surf opens up new horizons for water activities. Sometimes it is a blessing, a kind of reprieve. Have you ever got tired of surfing every day? Don’t answer that question! Consider all the possibilities that are available to you if there are no waves to surf.
Here are some types of surfboards for a day without surfing:
SIP
Skimboard
Wakeboard
Paddleboard
Wave Pool surfboard
You have some really good alternatives. You can take your SUP to the ocean or the nearest body of water and go on a leisure cruise or a great physical exercise. It seems like more surfers are adding a SUP to their quiver. Many families are adding one or two SUPs or even more so that all family members can get in the water. If they don’t have a SUP, they go to their local surf shop or watersports rental shop and rent one for the day for a very nominal fee.
As I mentioned in previous articles, stand-up rowing has become a very popular activity for individuals and families. It has become a great way to have fun while getting a good physical exercise, surfing a channel alone, joining your local group of friends or a SUP club, and turning your SUP experience into a social affair. Consider adding a SUP to your quiver of surfboards.
If you are younger, or a person with a lot of energy, you can practice skimboarding. A skimboard is a small surfboard made to slide or slide in very shallow water with you standing on it. You can skim in water as shallow as 1/8 inch or less. To skim you run as fast as you can loading your skimboard, gaining speed and momentum, drop your skimboard in shallow water or on a wet surface, jump on it, and then slide and slide long distances. As your skill level increases, you can do twists, turns, jumps, and move forward and backward. Be very careful when learning because you can lose control and land on hard sand.
You can spray into lakes, rivers, and shores of almost any body of water or even wet grass, as long as there are no rocks or debris to inhibit your spray. Some of the kids who ride skimboards ride them on grassy hills in parks or on golf courses. You can also tow a cyclist on your skimboard behind a boat or even pulled by a car in an aqueduct. Skimboarding is a fun event and it has become a small professional sport, and more and more companies are doing it. Most skimboards are hard boards made of fiberglass or wood, but there are also soft skimboards on the market called “the ONE” designed by Tom Morey, the inventor of the Morey Boogie Board.
Wakeboards are another possibility, but you need a boat to tow you. You can ride behind the board as if you were going to water ski or you can ride the wake of the boat by releasing the rope as if you were surfing. As a special note, Hobie Alter rode the wake behind a motor boat from Long Beach, CA to Catalina Island, which is approximately 26 miles away and is in the Guinness Book of World Records. You can also buy a wakeboard specifically designed for wakeboarding or you can use your surfboard, SUP, or skimboard. Most surfers who practice this sport will use their surfboards, whether they are long or short.
Paddleboarding is another great way to spend time on the water. Stand up paddle boards have been around for a long time and Tom Blake made them popular in Hawaii in the early 1900s. A paddle board is rowed in the prone or kneeling position. However, you can sit on the board and leisurely paddle watching the underwater foliage, fish, or stroll enjoying the fresh air and the view. You can also paddle your surfboard to keep fit. There is a small group of people who compete in paddle boards. The most famous race is the annual race from Molokai to Diamond Head in Hawaii. It is a tough race in the open sea where paddlers of the past have lost their lives.
Surfing an artificial wave is another place that has become popular. There are wave parks with simulated ocean waves, some up to 4 to 6 feet. There are also standing wave machines in which water is forcefully pushed up a wall simulating a wave. The operators of the standing wave machines use and supply small special surfboards. Wave pools, wave parks, and stationary wave machines are few and far between. Some are pretty good, but most are mediocre at best.
If you really need a break from surfing and don’t feel like riding one of the boards mentioned above, forget about the couch and the TV. Hit the gym and do some cardio, sit-ups, and lift some weights. You can get a great workout in preparing for your next surf session and walk out of the gym feeling great that you’ve accomplished something for yourself. In a future article, I will discuss a fitness routine that all surfers should follow. I will also talk to you about healthy eating, which is a big part of your physical well-being, which will also help you improve your surfing.
So my friends, don’t let a day without surfing put you off. Get the most out of having the right types of surfboards in your case that will allow you to diversify your experience on the water. This is all part of learning to surf life. Enjoy the water, surf or not surf! It is a wonder!