Too Late to Get Back Into Surfing?
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"Firstly, you might not be the glorious figure you once were. Hard to hear, I know." — Greg, Get Out co-owner and Sales Director
Here at Get Out we sell surfboards and wetsuits, so you'd think we'd all be out there ripping it up every weekend. Not quite. One of our own owners, Greg, hadn't properly caught a wave in about 30 years. Then he decided to fix that.
If you've ever stared at an old board in the garage and thought "I really should get back out there," this one's for you. It's two things: Greg's honest account of getting back on a board in his 50s, and the practical stuff you need to do the same. We'll let Greg take the story from here.
Greg's story, in his own words
Thirty years is a long time between waves
Getting back into surfing after a 30 year break is harder than I thought it would be. That old saying, "it's just like riding a bike"? Does not apply here. Trust me.
I've always had a surfboard in the garage. But it could easily go 10 years between trips to the water. That kind of gap doesn't exactly build the urge to do more than the bare minimum.
Then I joined a business that sells surfboards and wetsuits. Suddenly getting back in the water felt like part of the job. And pairing that with joining a gym and getting fit again made the whole thing far easier this time round.
Getting fit changed everything
Being fit didn't magically make catching waves easy. Standing up and getting that thrill of the ride still takes work. But it made paddling around out there genuinely enjoyable.
No more being wrecked after two minutes of paddling just to get out past the break. That had been my normal for 30 years, across the half a dozen times I'd actually bothered to try.
The birthday that turned it around
The day of my 50th birthday, a couple of years back at Whale Bay with my business partner Dez, was the first time I properly caught waves again. Not many. But enough to believe I could actually do this.
So with that belief, I grabbed a new board off the rack and took it away on my summer holidays. To my surprise, I got a quick glimpse of what it felt like to be 18 again, surfing most weekends.
My advice, for what it's worth
I'm never going to be amazing at this. I've made peace with that. But if you're middle-aged and thinking about giving it a go, here's what worked for me.
- Get fit first. This was the big one. Paddling is the hard part, and fitness makes it fun instead of exhausting.
- Don't overestimate yourself. Be honest about where you're at. That's not defeat, that's sense.
- Keep the waves small. A few feet is plenty. Anything bigger could be a disaster for a body that's out of practice.
- Enjoy it for what it is. Riding along the face of a wave still feels great, and you get to relive a little bit of your youth. That's the whole point.
- Get the right gear. A wetsuit that actually fits, a board with the right length and volume, and a bag to protect it between sessions.
— Greg, Get Out co-owner and Sales Director
The practical bit: gear that makes it easier
The gear point matters more than people think when you're starting again. The right setup is the difference between a good day and giving up by lunchtime.
The board. Don't go straight for a short, twitchy thing. As a returner you want length and volume, so you catch more waves and spend less time swimming. A softtop or a mini mal is the honest choice. Have a look through our water gear and go wider and thicker than your ego wants.
The wetsuit. Fit is everything. Too loose and you'll flush cold water all session, too tight and you can't paddle. Browse wetsuits and water gear and check the size guide before you buy.
The bag. A board sock or bag keeps the dings and wax off while your new toy sits in the rafters of the garage. Which, let's be honest, is where it'll spend a fair bit of its life.
So, is it too late?
Nope. Greg's proof. You might not be the glorious figure you once were, but that was never the point. The thrill of a wave doesn't check your age first.
Get fit, keep it small, get the right gear, and just enjoy it. We've got the boards, the wetsuits and the bags whenever you're ready. The garage board isn't getting any younger either.
