If you’re not one of those lucky souls that live by the sea, you can still work out and get surf holiday ready pretty easily. There are several fitness exercises you can do even without waves close by to prepare your body for the challenges the ocean might throw at you when on your next surf trip. Best of all, it’s easily done, here’s how:

Surfing is a pretty demanding sport which is why it’s not a bad idea to do a bit of preparation before going surfing for the first time. When learning to surf, the first few times you may come out of the water with jelly arms, struggling to get your wetsuit off from sheer exhaustion. We’ve all been there.

Before going on your next surf holiday, there are ways to get your body and mind surf holiday ready. The best way to prepare for a surf holiday adventure and a week of surfing is to get in the water and surf as much as possible. Unfortunately, very few of us are lucky enough to live close to waves and can actually do that, hence choosing to book a surf holiday in the first place.

If you’re not one of those lucky souls that live by the sea, you can still work out and get surf holiday ready pretty easily from where you live. There are several fitness exercises you can do even without waves close by to prepare your body for the challenges the ocean might throw at you when on your next surf trip. Best of all, it’s easily done, here’s how:

If you’re generally in good, athletic shape, you’ll do better in the water than the sporty slacker. Let’s assume you have a certain amount of sporting motivation which is what brought you here in the first place. If you exercise semi-regularly, for example, think about dropping the ‘semi’ and starting to exercise regularly instead a few weeks or even months before the start of your surf holiday. You’ll feel more energised, believe us. And when the waves are pumping and the surf camp team all head out for a Dawny (an early morning surf session at sunrise), doubly believe us, you won’t want to miss out because you’re not surf holiday ready.

Well then, nuff said. How do I get surf holiday ready? Here are my top 10 surf fitness tips:

Paddle strength is everything. 85% of your time surfing is spent paddling, 85!

Two types of paddling are essential when you’re surfing: Paddling into waves to catch them, and also paddling your surfboard from the beach into the lineup. If the latter is tiring you out already, chances are you won’t catch waves once you’re out the back.

What are the best exercises to improve your paddling strength pre-surf holiday?

If there’s any kind of body of water close by where you live, grab your surfboard and simply go for a paddle, no waves needed. The paddling motion will help relax your shoulders and build up the muscles simultaneously. We are so used to sitting hunched over a desk and computer for most of our working day, a 15 minute paddle to start with will tire you out. Up each session by an additional 5 minutes of paddling, and once you get to an hour, you’ll be plenty prepared for your next surf holiday.

If you haven’t got a surfboard and/or water nearly, try doing ‘Alternating Supermans’ on a physio ball if you have one. Laying across a chair will also work. Start with your head, legs and feet in line with your spine. Do 30 reps, 15 on each side, then rest. Then raise your upper body, your shoulders and head, almost as if you were paddling, looking onto the horizon, while arching your back a little. Again, do 30 reps, 15 on each side, rest, and repeat both exercises 3 more times. Do this 2 -3 times a day. This exercise really works, and you’ll feel a difference in your posture after doing it regularly for a few days.

The best surfers out there are excellent swimmers. Should your leash ever snap, you want to have the strength and confidence in the water, especially in bigger waves, to know you can make it back to shore safely. 

Swimming improves your stamina, and stamina is what surfers need a lot of: for long paddle routes out into the lineup, especially when the surf is rough. That, plus short bursts of energy which will help you paddle into waves and pop up on their surfboard.

How does swimming improve my stamina?

When preparing for your surf holidays, the ideal swim training for surfers consists of swimming lengths in a 50m pool (for stamina) plus a variation of drills (for power). Get yourself some goggles, get your game face on and imagine yourself on your favourite surf beach when you hit that swimming pool.

Start your session with a warm up.

— Swim 4 lengths at a comfortable pace, followed by 4 lengths at a medium pace.
— Swim 1 length with your fists in a ball, followed by 1 length with fingers spread wide apart.
— Swim with your head out of the water for 5 strokes, then under the water for another 5, for 1 length. at a comfortable pace, followed by 4 lengths at a medium pace.
— Front crawl 1 length, breathing every 5 strokes. Rest.
— Then front crawl 1 length, breathing every 7 strokes. Rest.
— Sprint 1 length with your head down and without breathing for as long as you can, then swim the rest of the length comfortably.
— End your session with 4 lengths of comfortable swimming to wind down.

When surfing, you will inevitably spend quite a bit of time under water. When learning to surf, there will be lots of times when you wipe out and get washed over by wave after wave. It’s not always fun, but we’ve all been there and wipe outs are an essential part of learning to surf.

When you start to surf green water waves, there’ll be times when you have to wrestle yourself and your surfboard through sheer endless amounts of duck dives or turtle rolls to get to the lineup. You’ll think of us and this blog when you get out the back and still have air in your lungs to paddle into and surf that perfect wave.

How do I increase my lung capacity?

You can practise simple breathing exercises that will help you hold your breath for longer. The longer you can hold your breath underwater, the more relaxed you’ll be when a wave holds you under for just that little bit longer than feels comfortable.

Stretching your ribs

— For this exercise, stand upright and exhale until your lungs are empty. Then inhale slowly and fill your lungs as much as possible. Hold your breath for 20 seconds, or as long as you are able to.
— While you count, place your hands on your hips with your thumbs pointing forward and your little fingers touching your back.
— When you have held the breath for 20 seconds, exhale slowly and return to a relaxed position. Repeat the exercise 3 times.

Abdominal breathing

— For this exercise lie on your back in a comfortable position. You can use a yoga mat or soft pillow to cushion yourself, or you can do this exercise in the morning or in bed at night.
— To begin, place one hand on your stomach and one hand on your chest. Inhale slowly until you feel your belly rise above your chest. Exhale through your mouth and then inhale again through your nose, feeling your belly rise each time.
— If possible, hold the breath for 7 seconds and exhale for 8 seconds. Tense your abdominal muscles to push all the air out of your lungs. Repeat this 5 times.

Pushing out

— For this exercise, stand upright with your knees relaxed. Slowly bend down at the waist, pushing the air out of your lungs. Then slowly stand upright again and inhale until your lungs are filled to their maximum capacity.
— Hold the breath for 20 seconds or as long as you can. While holding your breath, gently raise your arms above your head. When you have finished counting, slowly lower your arms again, exhale through your mouth and return to a relaxed position. Repeat this 4 times.

Which is best done through running. Running builds up perseverance, and it boosts your fighting spirit and mental health. And it’s so easy to do. What’s not to like? Exactly.

Your psyche plays a significant role in the success or failure of any sport. Being mentally strong means having a fighting spirit and the perseverance you need for distance running, especially when you’re starting to run, helps you develop exactly that, a mental, fighting strength. This athletic perseverance also benefits you in surfing and helps you get through even the toughest of surf sessions.

How do I boost my fighting spirit through running?

By going for a run, of course. Start with an easy and flat route and don’t go farther than 5k. Up the k with every run. Your goal should be to be abel to run a 10k comfortably. Once you’re there, try reduce the time you take to run each k. Persevering and getting up the k helps you build your mental strength. You’ll see that after just a few runs, you’ll be able to run for longer, faster. Your body and mind will gradually learn to surpass their physical and mental limits and be ready for even greater efforts.

It’s pretty safe to say that you use most of the muscles in your body when you surf, some more than others and some in different ways.

Which are the best exercises for surfing?

1. Pull-Ups: A great strength move to get more power in your paddle. Fully extend your arms at the bottom to stretch your muscles and squeeze your back at the top of the motion. Perform explosively for 3 sets 5-15 reps.

2. Push-Up: A good one to build up your upper body strength for duck dives and pop-ups. These should be performed explosively to recreate the motion and power we use in surfing. Do 2-5 sets of around 10-20 to build strength and an element of endurance.

3. Clap-Up: Much more explosive than the normal push-up. Force your hands off the floor with an explosive drive with your chest and triceps. Once your hands are off the floor clap once or twice and land on the floor back in the push-up position (with bent arms to take the impact). Try to do as many as you can before you can’t do any more.

4. Burpee: Similar to the clap-up in terms of explosive power. This move is very similar to the actual pop-up itself. When in the push-up position, jump your feet forward to bring them between your hands and then extend your legs to stand up straight. From this position, reverse the action to go back to the start position. This can be done so you jump up to your surf stance position, training your pop-up technique as well as the muscles used to perform it. Perform 3 sets of 15 burpees.

5. Lunge: Take a large step in front of you and bend at both knees so your back knee is just off the floor. Drive your front leg to bring you back to the start position and repeat for 3 sets of 20 reps on both legs.

6. Ankle Touch: Lie faceup on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Lift your shoulders off the ground and reach down to touch one ankle and repeat on the other side. Great for the obliques which are responsible for lateral stability.

7. Knee to Elbow: In the push-up position bring one knee to the opposite elbow and repeat on the other side for 3 sets of 20 reps.

8. Plank: In either in the push-up position or with the weight on your elbows and forearms hold your core tight to keep your back flat, head up and body straight. Hold this position for as long as possible. A good target to reach is 3 minutes.

9. Squat: Bodyweight squats are great for leg strength and stability. Standing with feet hip-width apart, bend at the knees and hips to lower yourself into a sitting position with your knees at right angles. Push back up through your heels and repeat for 3 sets of 20 reps.

10. Pistol Squat: A one-legged squat with your free leg and arms extended in front of you. Keep your foot flat on the floor with your weight through the heel. Keep your core tight for stability.

Yoga and surfing may seem like very different activities at first glance, but surfing and yoga have become like two sides of the same coin with many of the core principles complimenting each other perfectly. Yoga builds up your surfing strength. Both yoga and surfing are full body activities. Yoga uses a variety of different positions specifically targeting both large and small muscle groups to improve overall muscle tone and conditioning.

Yoga is great for working on your flexibility. Increasing your flexibility in your shoulders can improve the range of movement you achieve, which in turn will make your paddle strokes more efficient. Improving your range of movement and flexibility in your chest and hip flexors mean that you can pop up to your feet quicker and more accurately, helping to move towards more advanced surfing and skills. 

Yoga also helps with your breathing, your mental health and your balance, all very important components of surfing. Plus there’s the added bonus of injury prevention that yoga offers. 

How do I find my inner Yogi?

Below are a few of our favourite Yoga poses that with get you surf holiday ready. If you’re want to keep practising yoga from home, how about you give our Yoga for Surfers post a read.

The board sport is most similar to surfing. Longboarding and skateboarding evolved from surfers wanting to ride waves on land. If your riding a longboard, carving and generally riding around will help improve balance, core strength, leg muscles and also be the closest recreation of moving on a surfboard that you can get without water.

Lots of professional surfers also skateboard these days, practicing manoeuvres such as aerials on ramps before trying them in the surf. Skate parks with bowls, half pipes and quarter pipes are the best place for skateboarding if you want to skate with surfing style, with the shape of the ramp being the most similar to that of a wave.

How does skating improve my surfing?

Skating can be described as surfing on dry land, and it helps you practise surf manoeuvres slowly and consciously. Slow your surfing right down and practise it on dry land with skateboarding. In surfing, all manoeuvres happen super quickly. You spot a wave you want to surf, you get yourself in the right position, you paddle, paddle, paddle, pop up, down the face of the wave, you manage a wobbly bottom turn before the wave closes out and you’re back bobbing on your surfboard waiting for the next set to roll in.

When starting out as a surfer, most beginners simply focus on staying on their surfboards. There’s rarely time to even think about what position your body is – or parts of your body are – in when you catch a wave. This is where skating comes in as it helps you slow your manoeuvres right down and break them into their individual components.

— Skating allows you to correct your position on the surfboard in movement on the dry land.
— It helps with your balance on the surfboard.
— You learn the right movements to control your surfboard: slowing down and getting speed, how to do cut backs, turns and even aerials, at least for some of us.

A balance board is a great tool to help you prep for a surf holiday as it helps you improve your coordination and stability. Two skills which will help transform your next surfing holiday. Balance boards are also a great workout for your deep muscles, which can relieve discomfort and prevent injuries and are often neglected in everyday life. And an added bonus of the balance board is definitely the fun factor.

How do I improve my coordination and stability with a balance board?

Surfing requires three different types of balance, all of which are honed when training with a balance board.

— Dynamic balance: This is your balance in motion and is particularly required when surfing.
— Transient balance: This balance is important for the flow of your movement or flow.
— Anticipatory balance: It helps you to prepare your body in advance for the appropriate surfing movements.

Because of the wobbly surface you are standing on, your muscles have to compensate for the instability during the entire workout. Another positive effect is that you also improve your coordination and reaction time, as you have to be extremely attentive during the workout.

A session on a balance board isn’t just useful for your muscles, it also helps your joints and to prevent injuries. If you can, try to get up on a balance board 2 – 3 times a week for about 20 minutes. Happy wobbling!

Getting into good physical shape is definitely a good idea when you’re preparing for your next surf holidays. Another way to get “emotionally” ready for your surf trip is by researching the sport, the lifestyle and culture of surfing more broadly.

What’s a kook and what’s a Shaka? Someone said it’s onshore winds and everyone’s racing to the beach. Huh? Did you see that red over yellow flag on the beach next to the lifeguards? What was that all about? 

How can I prepare mentally for surfing?

There’s lots to know and learn about surfing and most of it is actually fun. And the best thing is that we have put it all together for you already. We’ve been blogging about all things surfing for more than 10 years and there aren’t a lot of topics that we haven’t covered in that time. We’ve also got an online surf school with plenty more tips and tricks for you to learn to surf from home and get surf holiday ready.

How about you give these and other surf articles a read:

— A brief history of surfing
— 10 most common mistake surf beginners make
— Essential surf holiday pack list
— Know the lingo – surfing terms glossary
— Online surf school
— Ultimate surf guide for beginner surfers

Yep, we mean it. A surf holiday week is often packed with activities, such as live music events, open mic nights, Pub Quizzes, volleyball or table tennis tournaments, beach games and drinks, pub crawls through the local bars, day trips, nights out, and many, many other fantastic opportunities for you to mix and mingle with other surfers, both in- and outside your surf camp or surf house.

So, a little bit of downtime and rest before a surf holiday isn’t such a bad idea. It’s a bit like when you’re preparing for a marathon and you don’t run in the week leading up to the event. Take it easy, put your feet up and watch a surf movie. There are so many great ones out there. Here are our faves: