Surfing is not just for teens

No more clichés! Surfing is not just for this sexy young blonde with striking abs and perfect tan riding alternately Australian and Hawaiian waves. It may well have the wind in the sails and have the generation Z (those born after 1995), whatever we say, surfing is not just a youth sport. And who better to prove it than Joel de Rosnay ? Pioneer of the discipline in France, the father of the writer Tatiana de Rosnay represented France at the world surfing championships in Australia in 1964 and in Peru in 1965. At 78 years old today, standing on the board, he teases still the waves.

It will be understood, a little desire and will sometimes enough to exceed its limits and be at the top of the wave. Note that by 2016, a sports complex dedicated to surfing will open near Paris. And where was it getting ready?
No question here to become a pro surfing, but just to get soft with the advice of Frederic Langeraert, teacher of surfing and co-director of the H2O surf school in Saint-Jean-de-Luz.

5 keys to follow while standing on your surfboard:

1) Take classes to learn basic techniques

As we learn the basics of skiing with a monitor, surfing is also a discipline that we are trained. For an adult who has never practiced this sport of gliding before, it is necessary at first time to count on 5 or 6 hours of course. That is 3 days, the time to learn the rules of safety, the technical bases of surfing, essential to manage to manage the fact of standing on the board and then evolve independently. As with everything, the rest comes with time and experience. It is then to practice surfing regularly and assiduously to really be able to have fun.

2) Choose an adapted board and combi

It is not enough to have a surfboard in your garage to be able to climb on it. The board must be adapted to the size and level of the person who practices. The boards for beginners have stable shapes, so they are more manageable. Once lying on it, the good board must assure us a maximum of flotation . For example, for a woman measuring 1m62 and weighing 50kg, it is necessary to start with a surfboard whose size is between 2m10 and 2m40 (between 2 and 4 kilos). We opt for a foam board, more secure. To know: the smaller the surfboard, the more physical the sport is. Side dress, we do not practice surfing in swimsuits. For the occasion, a neoprene wetsuit is used to protect against irritations and minor shocks that can occur in the water. Board and combi are usually provided with the class time.

3) We check the tides

The height of the seas and oceans varies according to a rising or falling movement: it is the tide. It creates a current and waves that can be more or less strong depending on whether it is low or high. When you are a beginner, you only practice surfing at low tide : the remote tide and the open sand plateau allow you to move more easily in the foam of the wave. The flow of the tides change all the time, so we check the forecasts on the internet. Especially if you practice surfing without professional supervision.

4) We choose a good spot

No need to go to Reunion, Australia or Hawaii to learn how to surf. France and the Atlantic coast especially, offers very good surf spots for all lovers of skiing: we can very well start in Biarritz or Anglet for example. Hossegor or Capbreton in the Landes and Saint-Jean-de-Luz in the Basque Country are also popular spots for surfers. There are also several surf schools in Brittany (especially to Plouharnel in Morbihan). The Mediterranean also has very beautiful waves, but no question of venturing there at the beginning of its learning. It will be necessary to wait to be a seasoned surfer to go to make some waves near Italy (on the side of Monaco and Ventimiglia).

5) We respect the safety rules

Prudence, will and humility. It should not be forgotten that surfing is considered an extreme sport. So, a dangerous sport. We take care not to venture anywhere and practice surfing with caution and humility: we do not try the impossible, especially when we start. The false good idea in case of a glitch: give up his equipment and finish swimming. Error never to commit. On the contrary, we let ourselves be carried by the current and we never leave his equipment. The board can serve as a buoy and allow us to float.

Everyone can try surfing, just feel like it and adapt their equipment.