Surfing: which types it suits

Surfing means lying on a board, paddling out with your arms, then standing up to ride an incoming wave. Beginners usually start on long, soft boards close to the beach, practising the pop-up, and surf schools cluster wherever the swell is reliable. Waves change every day with the weather and wind, so the same beach can be a different sport from one morning to the next.

Surfing suits people who enjoy fitting in with nature's rhythm and would rather go with what the sea is doing than stick to a plan. Standing up for the first time takes plenty of attempts, but lots of people never forget their first real wave and spend every weekend heading for the coast afterwards. Those who stay with it tend to love the time spent sitting on the board waiting, as much as the ride itself. There's also a code in the water: whoever catches the wave first has priority, so patience and good manners matter.