Whether you are surfing alone, with friends or in a surf lesson, staying safe whilst surfing is something every surfer should think about and take seriously. Surfing gets your blood pumping and your adrenalin going which for a lot of people is half the appeal.

However, if you’re not careful, getting hit in the head by a surfboard or having a set of waves crashing on you is no joke. Believe us, we’ve been there! Staying safe is easy.

Here are a few things you can do to stay as safe as possible whilst heading out for your surf. 

Warming up

This is a simple thing you can do to make sure all your muscles are awake and prepared for the surf; surfing is a super tiring sport and whilst the adrenaline of catching waves can keep you in the water for hours, you do have to be aware of your physical state and making sure you aren’t pushing your body too far. We always start all our surf lessons with a group warm up. They’re fun and you get to know your surf instructors!

Wear UV protection

People tend to forget that just because they are in the water rather than laying on a beach, this doesn’t automatically make them exempt from sun exposure. Always ensure you have put some suncream on your face and any other body parts not covered, we suggest ones that contain zinc and titanium so they don’t just wash off the second you get in the water. 

We have lovely colourful zinc in the surf camp to keep you protected ☀️

Check your surf equipment

This one is very important for those not using their own surfboards as often surf schools boards do experience a bit of wear and tear over the season. Making sure your leash is properly attached and that there are not any major dings in your surfboard will help to keep you safer in the water. We also suggest you check your fins to make sure none of them are loose.

We give you an introduction to your surf equipment in our surf theory sessions in the surf camp. Besides surf gear and water safety, we also talk about surf etiquette and surfer slang!

Be aware of your surroundings

Take note of where you are surfing. When the surf is pumping it is all too tempting just to grab your surfboard and jump straight in. However taking a couple of minutes to observe your surroundings, take note of any landmarks, big trees or obvious buildings. This will not only help you keep track of where you started, but gives you a good indications of where you have to go back to should you have drifted.

We always take our Star Surf Camps beach flags the beach to make sure you don’t get lost!

Observe the conditions

This is super important whether you are surfing alone or in a group. Usually, if you are having a surf lesson your surf instructor will help point out any obvious conditions to watch out for, but it’s still really important you learn to do this yourself if you ever decide to do a solo surf.

Look out for any obvious rip currents, wildlife or hazards to make sure you aren’t going to be putting yourself or anyone around in danger. 

Surfing is all about having fun, but being safe while having fun is always, always best!