The most obvious way to improve your surf fitness is through surfing – a lot! The best thing about surfing holidays is you are often staying right on a surf spot, meaning you get to surf a few times each day. When we launched our first surf camp in Moliets, France, we were blown away by the quality of surf. So much so we surfed up to five times a day!

Other than surfing, most of our surfing holiday destinations offer many different activities to help you to stay fit. You always come back from a surfing holiday feeling fitter and healthier, which not only makes you surf a lot better, but also is a massive contributing factor to our second reason surfing holidays make you surf better….

Whether it be a one week surf trip, a one month surf holiday or a surfing gap year, you always return home with a few great waves under your belt; surf-fit and confident to tackle the waves back home. Just the amount of time spent surfing during your surf holiday is a guaranteed way to improve. Rather than sneaking in a few hours each weekend, a surf trip always delivers ample water time for you to work on your technique and practice your surfing.

So many times, I have avoided surfing waves at home that are crowded, slightly dangerous, such as reef breaks, or surf spots which I considered above my ability level. Coming back from a surf trip where you have scored the waves of your life, not only survived but also improved, always gives you the confidence to push your surfing when you return home. Confidence is a huge part of surfing as most mistakes and wipeouts happen when surfers hesitate or second-guess themselves. Confidence is the magical catalyst to becoming a great surfer! However, with confidence, you also need ability and this comes with practice and our next point…

Reading waves is the most important factor in being a good surfer. You need to be able to instinctively “read” the ocean, understand its movements and be familiar with the feel of a wave and how to react to what you are seeing and feeling to be able to surf properly. It’s the ability to read waves that breeds confidence, and it’s surf fitness and experience which enables us to surf safely and on a variety of wave types and surf conditions all over the world.

Surfing a wide variety of waves enables us as surfers to return home with a fresh approach to our surfing and look upon our home breaks from a different viewpoint gained from the surf experience we had on our latest surfing holiday. Perhaps the most exciting part of any surf holiday is the opportunity to surf in new places, with new people which (you’ve guessed it) brings us to the next reason why surf holidays are good for your surfing…

A great way to improve in any sport is to practice with other people better than you, and this couldn’t be any more true than for the sport of surfing. We are blessed that if you turn up to the same surf spot on the same day as any of the world’s top professional surfers you can be exposed to the highest level of professional surfing just meters from you. Of course, you may not be surfing the same waves as the pros, but on any surf trip you will be surrounded by other surfers, some who surf better than you, which gives you the perfect opportunity to learn from them.

Look at the surfboards they are surfing, check out their positioning on the wave, even the finer details as to what time they paddle out at a particular surf spot and why. Being exposed to good surfers and good waves provide the perfect environment to improve your own surfing, push yourself and learn from the surf experience of others. Surf travel also allows you to experience surfing new waves and better waves, which, sometimes will humble you but that feeds our passion and reinforces our dedication to surf better…

Here is a little secret: Most great surfers were not born great. Most of us “good surfers” were not born with gills or webbed feet. Standing on a surfboard is one of the most difficult and unnatural exercises for 99.9% of beginner surfers. Good surfers and excellent surfers become so through years of dedication. Dedication to travel, dedication to surf, dedication to wake up early in the morning for a surf instead of partying the night before and the dedication to go out in all surf conditions for one good wave.

Previous world surfing champion, John John Florence, reached the pinnacle of professional surfing through years of hard work and dedication, much like Mick Fanning, both who openly admit they are not necessarily the most naturally gifted surfer, but certainly are some of the hardest working professional surfers.

Then you have the dedication of legends like Bethany Hamilton, who lost her arm during a shark attack, not only to come back and win multiple professional surf contests but she also surfed one of the world’s biggest and most dangerous waves in Hawaii, only 6 months after giving birth!

These super-human efforts are inspirational but, of course, perhaps a little out of our own surfing world. The lesson learned is to set your own targets, which our surf instructors will do with you at our surf camps and in our surf lessons, work hard and be determined to reach these targets then set off on further surf travels to accomplish the next ones!