Enjoying the ride

Sean McCarthy

With the right conditions, the right gear, and the right instruction, you could discover a unique form of recreation that will inspire and excite you for the rest of your life.

The east coast of New England is a perfect location for being introduced to the sport of surfing. And while there will be challenges as you’re getting a handle on it, that’s all part of the journey of learning something new and having fun.

“Surfing is pretty addictive,” says 56-year-old Hoyt Hottel of South Dartmouth, a surfer of more than 40 years, and the former co-owner of Xtremely Board, a Dartmouth-based surf, skate, and ski shop. “The more you do it the better you’ll get, and the better you get the more you’ll want to do it.”

Twenty-eight-year old Aleksandra Deptula of Middletown is a Surf Instructor at Rhody Surf in Newport. Her surfing fascination began with an epiphany she had early in her surfing experience.

“It was probably five or ten seconds, but time slowed down,” she recalls. “I was so in tune with everything that was happening, every little thing. I was taking it all in and I was the most present you could ever be. You’re so aware of everything that’s going on, you’re not thinking about anything else. When you’re surfing you can’t be anywhere else but there.”

“I can’t think of anything that consumes every ounce of thought more completely,” Hottel says. “You’re not thinking about anything else, your concentration is so complete, there’s no room for any other thoughts. It’s really rewarding and it gets better with time.”

There are an abundance of public beaches on the Atlantic coast that offer designated surfing areas year round. Surf beginners are recommended to take at least one lesson before heading out to the waves. If you’re near a public beach, then you’re usually in the vicinity of a surf shop that can provide lessons in addition to board and wetsuit rentals or purchases. Most lessons are an hour long and there is the opportunity to take more. For the budget conscious, lessons are available at online sites such as YouTube.

Hottel claims that there are surfing opportunities from New Hampshire to Long Island, but the southern New England region provides all that a beginner could need. He recommends beginners start in waist-high water with waves that range in size from one to three feet. Beginners will also need to learn where to position themselves – how far out in the water they should be to catch a wave.

Standing up on the board, known as “popping up,” is one of the first lessons for any beginner, and most times this is practiced on the beach before even taking to the ocean.

“You can have success on your first day,” Hottel says. “But if you’re taking on Mother Nature and you don’t know what you’re doing you could get absolutely annihilated. Don’t be too proud to ask questions and you’ll do much better. You could spend 20 minutes in the ocean or two hours.”

Like many surfers, Hottel wears a wetsuit year-round. He recommends that surfers purchase or rent a wetsuit, to be used even when the ocean water is warmer during August and September. He also suggests trying a thermal top.

“The water may be warm, but the air might not be,” Hottel points out. “If you’re going to be surfing in the colder weather, beginning around Halloween or Thanksgiving, you’ll also want to buy gloves, boots, and a hood.”

Hottel recommends that a beginner budgets at least $100 for a wetsuit and $200 for a board. Like any sport or industry, surfing gear can become pricey as you grow in your skills and pursuits.

Wave heights and ocean conditions will vary based upon the weather. In addition to watching weather forecasts for low pressure areas, most surfers check online surf reports to get updated on the availability of surf and how large the waves will be. Prominent surf reports are Surfline, Magic Seaweed, and Surf-Report.com.

“You’re looking for an off-shore wind,” Hottel says. “You want a wind that is at your back when you’re facing the ocean, the waves will be going against the wind.”

But according to Hottel, surfers generally do not surf directly towards the beach, they ride a wave in a left or right direction, somewhat parallel to the shore.

Beginners are encouraged to start on a board that is two-feet longer than their height. For safety reasons, beginners are also recommended to start with a thick, foam board as opposed to a fiberglass one that is used by more experienced surfers. Leashes that connect the board to the surfer’s ankle are encouraged, so as not to lose the board and possibly injure others. As a surfer improves, their board usually gets smaller in size.

“A bigger board will help with your stability and balance,” says Nico Robison, Manager of the Boardroom at Island Surf & Sport in Middletown. “It’s like starting to drive a car – you’re better off with an Oldsmobile rather than a Ferrari because you need to learn how to shift and maneuver.”

“Learning to find your balance in the water and on the board is one of the first obstacles a beginner will encounter,” Deptula says. “Practicing your pop-up outside of the water can train your body to do it more automatically, which can help with your progress in the water.”

“It’s generally a good idea to start with a lesson – an hour with an instructor,” says Tricia Pan, a manager at Narragansett Surf & Skate in Rhode Island. “If you like it you can come back and do it on your own.

Some people prefer taking multiple lessons.”

Beginners need to be aware of “surfer’s etiquette.” This means being alert of other surfers, particularly not “dropping in” on another surfer who may already be riding a wave. If you’re not in a designated surfing area you must be aware of swimmers and bathers who are sharing the ocean.

According to Phil Clark, owner of Nauset Surf Shop in Orleans on Cape Cod, people of all ages and lifestyles can take to the waves.

“Everybody can surf,” Clark says. “Children as young as one can start with a smaller boogie board and graduate to a surfboard at the age of four or five. Most everybody who does it loves it from the beginning and does it for life.”

“There’s nothing like catching that first wave; it’s a feeling like no other,” Pan says. “You’re being propelled by nature. Once you do it, it’s all you want to do.”

And with surfing, participants can grow and progress, taking on new locations and bigger waves as their skills develop. Surfing is done around the world.

“Like with any sport and in life, confidence and success will be built by immersing yourself in the experience, trusting yourself to get out of your comfort zone and being open to learning from it all,” Deptula says. “Most importantly, don’t forget to have fun and enjoy the ride. It’s important to remember to play even as you grow up, and surfing has provided me with an outlet where I can do just that.”

Sean McCarthy has been a freelance journalist for 35 years. He lives in New Bedford.