5. Get Fitter
5. Get Fitter
Painfully obvious and yet so often neglected. Many a surfer has forked out a small fortune on a fortnight or two in some far-flung, wave-rich location, and arrived only to find he’s so out of shape that the water feels like treacle and his arms like dead weights. By the end of the trip he’s managed to build up some sort of stamina, which will recede into nothingness after he returns home and settles back into the sorry routine of his everyday existence.
Fit does not mean gym-fit. It doesn’t mean perfectly-sculpted abs, or formidable, gleaming pectorals, or a diet consisting solely of protein shakes, egg-whites and steroids. Nor does it mean being able to run a sub 3 hour marathon. It means being able to paddle like buggery for extended periods of time.
And this in turn will mean:
- Being able to get into position faster when you see an approaching wave, and not being too knackered to catch it when you get there
- Being able to catch more of the waves that you paddle for
- Being able to turn and swing for a wave at a moment’s notice, even after long periods of nonstop paddling
- Being able to paddle back into the line-up faster
- Being able to surf for longer and at a higher intensity
- Catching more waves
- A deep sense of inner peace and fulfilment
If you’re consistently surfing every day then your paddle fitness will probably take care of itself. If not, go swimming as much as you can, do heaps of press-ups, eat lots of spinach, paddle the English Channel, read our strength and conditioning guide.
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