Don’t shoot the messenger, but there is no “universal best time” to surf. Sad but true. Everyone has different skill levels, goals, and locations so your wants and needs will obviously be different.

But don’t fly into a disillusionment filled rage just yet. There are a few hard and fast guidelines that you’ll be able to apply just about anywhere you go so you’ll be able to catch the waves you want, anytime anywhere.

1.       Check your surf report. I can’t stress this enough. The surf report is the single most important tool you have for catching good waves. Average conditions, web cams, swell directions, it’s all there. Don’t know how?

Check out this guide to reading surf reports.

Once you know what you’re looking at, all you have to do is visit Surfline before you head to the beach to see if the surf works for you.

2.       Too crowded? Go in the early morning. If you aren’t a fan of crowds or having to wait for waves, hit the dawn patrol.

In the early morning you won’t have to deal with flocks of newbies and the wind tends to to be nice and calm, giving you better wave shape and less chop.

Looking for a more laid back atmosphere? Head out at 9 am—the earliest your chill surfers will tend to wake up.

Figure out who you want to be surfing with. Then figure out when they head out to the beach. Do they have to work? Are they early risers? Do they only go out when the waves are good or are they out in all conditions? Figure out the patterns of the groups of surfers you want to share the waves with and you’ll never have to surf with the people you hate again.

3.       Check the tides. After low tide, waves will steadily increase in size and surfability. If you’re looking for more of a challenge, this is your ideal time span.

If you’re a beginner and are looking for smaller waves, head to the beach an hour before low tide, and go nuts. You’ll have a nice, solid 2-3 hours of manageable waves.

4.       Beaches are often seasonal. Your typical break with see a string of months where the surf will be great and then a period when the water is practically flat or always closed out. Figure out yours here.  Global Surfers does a pretty good job of keeping track of your local surf spots and when they tend to go off.

Generally beaches in California and Hawaii are best during the Winter, while your East Coast Breaks fare better around the Summer months.

Every break is a little different, so if you really want to know your turf and surf like a local, take the time to do your homework.

• Read up on your break online at Surfline or Global Surfers
• Set aside some time every week, plug in your iPod and just watch the waves
• Talk to the seasoned soul surfers about the best spots in your area

It’s definitely something that’s easy to be lazy about. Sometimes you just wanna hit the beach and surf–doesn’t matter what the water looks like. Which is totally cool once in awhile, but keep it up and that mentality will keep you from getting your surfer’s eyes and really seeing what’s going on at your break.

That’s what separates the PROs from the Joes. Be the guy that’s willing to pitch in an extra hour and in a few weeks you’ll be able to read every little ripple in your local beach like a sign.

All your surfboard travel questions answered in 2 minutes.

How big is your board?

The idea is to get a bag that’s ideally a few inches longer.
The SMALLEST you want to go is the same length.
Got a 10ft log? Get a 10’2 board bag.
Seem straightforward? It is.  

Where are you going?

Your local break? Costa Rica?

The further away from home you’re going, the more protection your board will need.

Driving to the beach? A sock or a day bag will do.

If you’re going to get your board shipped or packed into the luggage compartment of an airline, the minimum you’re going to need is a hard-shelled travel case.

Bag types

Socks – Your sock provides basic protection. It’s literally a stretchy towel in bag shape. It’ll stop light bumps and sun damage, but anything more than that and you’re on your own.

Day Bag – Everyone needs one. This is every surfer’s work horse. Pick a metallic reflective day bag so your epoxy board doesn’t overheat/delam, and make sure you get one that corresponds to the shape of your board (fish/funboard/longboard/SUP)

Travel/Coffins – Armored and padded, these can get a little pricey but they’ll stop your board from getting crushed by disgruntled TSA employee. These were probably your best bet for safe travel up until the SOMA came out. If you’re the kind that won’t touch new technology with a 10 foot pole until it’s been proven and reproven, this is the way to go.

Soma (Inflatable Board Bag) – These guys debuted 2009 and its ridiculous the amount of punishment these things can take. They have footage of board (wrapped up in a Soma) getting dropped off cliffs, run over by motorcycles, getting jumped on by 200 lb men, and emerging unscathed.

Check it out for yourself:

Now there’s no way to guarantee that your board will arrive in pristine condition, but with the right surf gear you stand the best chance. Happy surfing, guys!

-SurfSD-

SALTrock New Surfer Guide

What they’re known for: A company based out of the UK, SALTrock combines snazzy style with surf apparel to keep you lookin’ your best while you’re cut it up in the water.

Why we like ‘em: The staff at SALTrock has cooked up a phenomenal new surfer’s guide. Everything you ever wanted to know from how waves are formed to how to properly prep for a surf trip.

SurfScience Surfboard Match Tool

What they’re known for: The Surfboard Match Tool, which is kinda like the e-harmony of surfing. Enter your personal preferences, style, and stats, and it’ll spit back the best surfboard matches, taken from a database of HUNDREDS.

Why we like ‘em: SurfScience never fails to produce quality articles, week after week. Just reading through ‘em will help you become a better surfer.

SurfLineSurf Reports

What they’re known for: Daily updates on the surf conditions every dawn. It’s got water temperature, swell direction, surf cams—everything you could ever want to known about beach conditions before you go.

Why we like ‘em: There’s so much useful stuff on this site, you could literally spend weeks reading and still not get through all of it. HUGE community and frequent updates. If you aren’t using this site, you need to start now.

Global Surfers Surf Atlas

What they’re known for: Probably the most definitive resource out there for hunting down a promising new surf spot.

Why we like ‘em: The system is great because staff and users go out of their way to review, rate, and even take videos of each of these breaks—which are carefully sorted by break type. Best wind direction, length of ride, localism, crowd size—its all here.

Transworld SURF Fantasy Surf League

What they’re known for: Over the last few years, Transworld SURF has become synonymous with surf sport medaia. If you’re on the lookout for session vids, a highly interactive gear catalogue, or pictures of women in bikinis pretending to surf, this is where you wanna be. More media than tutorials though, so if you want more substance—check elsewhere.

Why we like ‘em: A chance to root for your favorite surfers and win cash prizes? There isn’t any part of that, that we don’t like.

A 60SEC guide to Longboarding

A Longboard History Lesson in 20SEC

Roots:

Archaic: Founded est. 300 AD – back when surfing was founded there were only two types of boards. Longboards…and even bigger longboards.

Titanic: The first Polynesian longboards surfboards were made of solid wood, and up to 24 ft, 200 lbs.

Royalty Only: the biggest boards were forbidden to all but the royal elite

Surfing Nearly Died Out: Duke Kahanamoku, the Father of Modern Surfing, brought it back from the brink. In 1900 surfers were almost nonexistent. By 1950, it was a nationwide phenomenon.

Here's What A Longboard Can Do For You

Function:

Beginner Skill: Unbeatable wave catching and ease of paddle. Quick improvements, and more fun than any other alternatives—especially when you’re starting out.

Intermediate Skill: Longboards have less to offer here than other surfboard designs. As you go for bigger and bigger waves, it becomes harder and harder to make a longboard work. The coolest thing you’ll be able to pull off here is maybe some turns and walking the deck. Better to go with a smaller board and familiarize yourself with the limits of surf technology before you revisit your longboard.

Advanced Skill: This is where the longboard truly shines. From hanging 10, tandem surfing, and giant, whale-like slow motion air—high level longboarding is extremely gratifying.

Stuff You Ought To Know

Lore:

Bigger Board = Better Surfer. The longer your board, the more technical skill and precision it takes to make it do what you want.

Traditionally Boards were made of Koa Wood, a prized rich brown Hawaiian hardwood with a Cat’s Eye-like visual shimmer.

Maybe its the off season and you’re looking for some new slopes to plunder. Or maybe, true to your adrenaline junkie roots, you’ve decided to take the plunge and complete the Trifecta of Board Sport Domination (it’s an actual thing. Get off my back, okay?!). Here’s what you should expect:

Skaters

Hate to break it to you, but surfing is a whole new beast.

Sadly your sweet moves won't carry over. Mostly.

The Plus side: Your superior balance and leg strength will help you improve faster than your average Joe. As an added bonus turning is pretty similar. Lean in the direction you wanna go, rock back and pivot for sharp turns.

The Bad News: The board feel and ride is completely different. As skaters we don’t really use our shoulders for much besides cushioning the blow from bad bails and the occasional plant at the skatepark.

That’s particularly problematic when it comes time to make the transition, because that’s pretty much all you’ll be using to catch waves.

The Skinny: You’ll be better off than the typical newbie, but you probably won’t be grinding waves to a fine mist with your shredding.

3/5: Above Average

Easy Peasy

Snowboarders

Surfing will be challenging, but thankfully there’s some considerable overlap between your sport of choice and surfing.

The Crappy Bit: There will still be a lot of flailing around in the water as you adjust to how your your board sits on the water. Your feet aren’t locked into the board so your attempts at replicating the crazy stunts you do on the slopes will be met with pain and dismemberment–as either you or your fellow surfers get attacked by your runaway board.

The Silver Lining: After getting used to riding the volatile, near-frictionless snow without constantly eating it, transitioning to a surfboard won’t be so bad. You’ll only need to ride one stance and your surfboard will feel comparatively stable. The turning is a little different as its harder to drift into place, but with a little practice you’ll pick it up quickly.

The Bottom Line: There are a few key differences between sports, but adjustments in board riding will come naturally.

4/5: Excellent

Llama Jockies:

Titanic latent potential

Surf hero

The Positives: Your natural propensities for shredding things (hair, wool, conventional lifestyle) will pay off in spades as you take to the water like a koala to eucalyptus. Years of lording over and managing unruly llamas gives you the leadership skills, patience, and superior arm strength necessary to become KING OF THE ENTIRE OCEAN.

The Flip Side: There is no flip side. Everyone knows llama jockies make the best pro surfers.

Final Word: BEGIN. SURFING. IMMEDIATELY.

5/5: Perfection on Water