News from Sonoma Coast Surf Shop

NEWS -
Individual and Group Surfing Lessons are now available at Sonoma Coast Surf Shop.

$150 / person includes wetsuit and board rental, transportation and ocean instruction.
Call the shop to sign up now. 707.763.3860



Surfing Fitness
As for training to get in shape for surfing, there are several things you can do. If you belong to a gym, you can do a bunch of lifting using a bit lighter weights and higher reps to mimic the paddle stroke. By doing lighter weights and higher reps, you won't build any unnecessary bulk while maintaining aerobic strength for paddling. You could also incorporate a few "burst" sets which mimic the paddle stroke when trying to get into the wave. It is not a bad idea to strengthen your lower body as well (quads, gluts, and hamstrings) to make for stronger turns and to prevent potential knee injury.

If you don't use the gym, you can still maintain upper body strength through pushups (6x15), dips (3x20), and pull-ups ( 3 sets of how many you can bust out). DO NOT forget sit-ups. I recommend doing at least 200 4x/week of super solid sit-ups. Try to isolate your lower abs as these are the muscles which help prevent injury of the low back and aid in overall strength while paddling and maneuvering on the wave.
I would try to either run or bike a bit to maintain cardiovascular fitness. As surfers, I don't think we realize how high our heart rate gets while surfing, especially at OB where we fight hellacious currents and gnarly paddle-outs. Not to mention that cardiovascular fitness helps with recovery and enduring 3 sessions per day. I would try to run at least 30 minutes and to ride for at least 1 hour, 3X's per week.

You could always get in a swimming pool and swim at least a mile. There are always several public pools in every city.

AND NEVER FORGET TO STRETCH. Your muscles can not be at their full potential when tight. A little stretching goes a long way.