Surf Safety Tips

1. Fall Safely When Wiping Out
   Why it’s important: Falling is inevitable, but learning how to fall safely reduces your risk of injury.
   • Never dive headfirst off your board. Instead, fall gently into the white water, and if you’re in shallow water, land on your feet with bent knees to absorb the impact.
   • Always fall behind your board. If you’re about to fall forward, aim for a belly flop with your hands outstretched to protect your head from the sand bottom. This helps prevent head injuries and reduces the chance of colliding with your board.
2. After a Wipeout, Protect Yourself
   Why it’s important: Surfboards and fins can pose a danger after a wipeout.
   • After falling, keep your hands above your head to protect your face and head from the board or fins.
   • Always be alert, as the board may be close or even airborne if you dive headfirst. Cover your face as best you can, especially if the board is in the air.
3. Always Face the Ocean
   Why it’s important: The ocean is unpredictable, and staying aware of your surroundings is crucial to your safety.
   • Unless you’re riding a wave or paddling into one, always face the ocean. This keeps you aware of oncoming waves and other surfers.
   • When you finish a wave, immediately turn and face the ocean so you’re ready for any incoming waves or surfers. If you have time, get back on your board and continue paddling out to catch another wave.
4. Properly Carry Your Surfboard
   Why it’s important: Carrying your board incorrectly can cause unnecessary trouble and accidents in the surf zone.
   • When walking out in the surf, hold your board on one side—do not hold it in front of you. Holding it in front can result in the waves pushing it back into you, which could knock you down.
   • Jump over small waves while holding the board, and once the water gets deeper, start paddling out. Always keep the nose of the board pointed up to avoid the board tipping over.
5. Managing Your Board in Rough Waves
   Why it’s important: If you lose control of your board, it can become a danger to both you and other surfers.
   • If waves are coming and you don’t have control of your board, move out of its path. Push the board toward the beach if possible.
   • Always check behind you to ensure no other surfers are in the way of your loose board. This reduces the risk of causing harm to others, especially if the board gets carried by the wave.
6. Spacing Out While Walking and Paddling Out in a Group
   Why it’s important: Surfing in groups can lead to tangled boards and leashes if surfers don’t space out properly.
   • Always find your own lane when walking or paddling out with others. This minimizes the risk of leashes or boards getting tangled, which can create dangerous situations, especially if someone gets bumped off their board.
7. Always Assess the Surf Conditions Before Paddling Out
   Why it’s important: Understanding the surf conditions before you enter the water is essential for safety.
   • Check for rip currents, large waves, and any obstacles like piers or jetties that may be in your path.
   • Avoid surf spots with steep waves crashing in shallow water, as they can be hazardous for beginners.
   • Watch for warning flags like red flags (strong surf conditions) or purple flags (indicating dangerous marine life like jellyfish). If you’re unsure about the safety of the water, ask a lifeguard for advice.
   • Always surf with a buddy and in front of a lifeguard for added safety.
8. Understand Surf Etiquette and Right of Way
   Why it’s important: Respecting surfing etiquette prevents accidents and ensures that everyone has a fair opportunity to ride waves.
   • The general rule is that the surfer closest to the peak (the part of the wave that breaks first) has priority. This is particularly important when multiple surfers are in the same area.
   • If you’re unsure who has the right of way, it’s always best to let the wave pass rather than risking a collision.
   • Be aware of other surfers traveling down the wave line, as they may cross your path, even if you’re far from them. Maintaining situational awareness helps avoid these conflicts.

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Additional Tips for Safe Surfing

• Hydrate & Rest: Surfing is physically demanding, especially if you’re a beginner. Stay hydrated, take breaks, and don’t push yourself too hard. Resting prevents fatigue, which can lead to poor judgment or accidents.
• Know Your Limits: Don’t try to surf in conditions beyond your skill level. If the waves are too big or powerful, it’s better to sit out and observe or wait for a calmer day.
• Stay Calm in Emergencies: In case of an emergency or if you get caught in a rip current, stay calm. Don’t fight the current—swim parallel to the shore to escape it. If you’re unable to get out, raise your hand for help.

Surfing and Ocean Safety: Sharing the Water with Sea Life

When you’re out surfing, you’re sharing the ocean with many amazing creatures. While most marine animals are harmless, it’s important to be aware of them and take steps to keep yourself safe. Here’s what you should know:

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Check the Flag System

Before heading into the surf, always check the beach flags near the lifeguard stand or beach entrance. The flags provide important information about water conditions and marine life.

• Purple Flag: This flag indicates the presence of dangerous marine life. If you see a purple flag, consult with the nearest lifeguard to learn more about what creatures are in the area and whether it’s safe to swim or surf.

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Marine Life You Might Encounter

1. Cannonball JellyfishWhat they look like: Cannonball jellyfish are often spotted in Florida waters. They have a round, dome-shaped body, typically clear or yellowish in color.Safety Tips: These jellyfish are generally not a threat if you don’t disturb their tentacles. However, their tentacles can release toxic slime if touched. If you accidentally come into contact with their slime, avoid touching your eyes, as it can cause a painful sting.Tip: Be cautious when paddling or swimming in areas where jellyfish are visible, and always give them plenty of space.

Cannonball Jellyfish

2. Portuguese Man O’ War

What they look like: Though rare, Portuguese Man O’ War can sometimes wash up on Florida beaches. These creatures have a distinctive floating blue bubble shape, and their long tentacles extend far beneath the water.

Safety Tips: If you spot a Man O’ War, stay far away. Their tentacles can deliver a severe sting, and the sting can be painful even if the creature is washed ashore. If stung, lifeguards typically have special ointment to relieve the pain.

Tip: Always respect the “purple flag” warning, as it often indicates the presence of Man O’ War and other dangerous marine life.

Portugese Man O’ War

3. Stingrays

What they look like: Stingrays often hang out in shallow waters and sometimes bury themselves under the sand, making them hard to see.

Safety Tips: The best way to avoid stepping on a stingray is to shuffle your feet while walking through shallow water. This movement helps alert the stingray to your presence, and they’re likely to swim away. If you step on one, the stingray may react by using its barbed tail to sting you, which is very painful.

Tip: If you do get stung, pour hot water over the sting to help neutralize the venom and reduce the pain. Always seek medical attention if the pain persists or if you’re stung in a sensitive area.

Stingray

4. Sharks

What they look like: While sharks are generally rare along Florida’s coast, they are present in the water. A common mistake is confusing dolphins with sharks.

How to tell the difference:

• Sharks: Usually cruise close to the surface with two fins visible—the dorsal fin (top fin) and the tail fin (caudal fin). Sharks can stay at the surface for extended periods.
• Dolphins: Dolphins only surface briefly to breathe and often show a vertical dorsal fin and a horizontal tail fin. Dolphins are social animals and often travel in pods, so you may see several of them at once.

Safety Tips: If you spot a shark or think you’ve seen one, it’s important to remain calm and slowly paddle back to shore. Avoid making any sudden movements or splashing. Sharks typically aren’t interested in humans, but it’s always a good idea to stay alert.

Tip: Dolphins are much more common than sharks and are often seen in pods outside the breaking waves. If you spot dolphins, it’s usually a sign of a healthy and safe ocean environment.

Shark ( vertical dorsal & tail fin)     Dolphin (surfacing to breathe)

                    

Additional Ocean Safety Tips

• Know Your Surroundings: Before you head out, check for any warnings or updates about marine life from lifeguards. Always be aware of your environment and the creatures that inhabit it.
• Stay Calm and Alert: If you encounter any marine animal, stay calm. Don’t panic or thrash in the water. For the most part, animals like dolphins, sea turtles, and rays are not aggressive and will avoid you if given space.
• Buddy System: Always surf or swim with a buddy, and stay within sight of a lifeguard if possible. The buddy system ensures someone can get help if an emergency arises.
• Avoid Dusk and Dawn: Sharks are often more active at dawn and dusk, so try to avoid entering the water during these times.

While there are proven benefits of moderate sun exposure, if you plan on surfing or spending a day at the beach in Florida, you need to be protected! While you’re surfing, we recommend wearing a Long Sleeve Rash Guard with a UPF rating of 50. We recommend a Zinc type of sunscreen for your face, so its not runny and stays on. For ultimate protection you can wear a surf hat, which often come with ear flaps and a strap so it doesn’t fall off. Its important to cover any exposed areas with sunblock, but keep in mind that greasy products on the backside of your legs or on your stomach will cause your surfboard to become very slippery.

Sunscreen is a common topic for new surfers and even avid surfers in search for the best product to avoid getting scorched. A few years ago I got introduced to an organic sunscreen company called Avasol. You can order it directly from their website and in my experience 1 stick lasts a month to several months, so worth the price.

          

Having the right size and shape surfboard is very important when learning how to surf. This can make all the difference. A surfboard that is sinking and is too small can leave you frustrated and ready to give up.

For safety, while you’re learning, we use and also recommend soft surfboards. Soft boards are designed for beginners and have a lot of volume which creates more stability when popping up. They also perform like a traditional hard (fiber glass) board but do not hurt nearly as much if you were to get bumped in the head or come in contact with the fins. The fins on a soft surfboard are flimsy and flexible, and not nearly as sharp as the fins you’ll find on a hard board.

If you’re an adult learning how to surf, we recommend a Longboard soft board. Longboards are longer than 8’0, and have a round nose. We generally use 9’0 and 10’0 longboards when teaching adults or anyone weighing more than 100 lbs, but height, weight, and fitness play a big role when deciding how big to go.  Like we mentioned before, Soft boards are designed with beginners in mind and are wide, thick, and stable which makes it easier to stand up on, and requires less paddling to catch waves.

For kids, we usually begin on soft surfboard between 7’0-9’0, however it all depends on the childs height, weight, and athleticism. Young athletic kids may very well be able to learn on a narrow thin short board around 6’0. But for safety its always best to use a soft board until the child masters board control.

To summarize the different types of surfboards, we can break it into two main material categories, being soft or hard (fiberglass), and the three main shapes; Longboard, Fun Shape, and Shortboard. These are the main terms you hear when shopping for a surfboard.

1. Longboards are typically 8’0-11’0 and have a rounded nose or tip. Soft longboards are designed specifically for beginners and are going to have a lot of width and thickness for more stability. Fiber glass or hard longboards can vary greatly in volume and design, so its not as simple as grabbing any 9’0 fiberglass board off the rack. You must ask about the dimensions and volume to make sure it’s right for your size and skill level. Most long board riders enjoy the ease of paddling into waves and like to casually cruise on the wave face.
2. Fun-shape boards are usually in the 6’6-8’0 range and have a rounded but slightly more pulled in nose. Fun shapes may have similar width and thickness to a longboard but are meant to bridge the gab between longboard and shortboard. Fun shapes can be hard or soft. A soft fun shape may be a good starter board for a child weighing less than a 100 lbs.
3. Shortboards can vary in length but are usually in the 5’0-7’0 range. The easiest way to identify a shortboard is the nose. Most shortboards have a narrow pointed nose. This board requires experience to ride. Things like wave knowledge, paddle strength, and balance will likely be required to catch and ride waves on a shortboard. If you’re new to surfing it is not recommended to begin on a shortboard.