You’re on a surfing vacation, you’ve of course already checked the forecast, and then suddenly: no swell—which means no waves! Since you’ve done your homework on your chosen surf destination, hopefully this only happens on one or two days of your vacation. But if this wave-less madness does drag on a bit longer, or if you actually live by the ocean and know by now that there will always be a few wave-less days, we’ve got a few alternatives for you—so you can stay in shape even on surf-free days! Get your surfing gear in shape
Yep, even our beloved surfboards need care and attention. It’s easy to cover up a scratch with tape, and open areas can be temporarily sealed with wax—but we all know that’s not a permanent solution. So use those wave-less days to let your boards dry out completely and give them a proper repair! They’ll thank you for it =)Yoga
For us, surfing and yoga have always gone hand in hand, and ideally, we incorporate a few yoga exercises before or after surfing to warm up. And on days when there are no waves, we can focus even more on yoga—because that’s how we strengthen and stretch our bodies while also working on our balance and core stability—which are essential for surfing!
Skating or Longboarding
Of course, we prefer longboarding and skating even when there are waves. But when the swell is good, we surf addicts sometimes find it a bit hard to swap the ocean for the streets. Sure, going for a round of skating, longboarding, or carving before or after surfing is a given, but on days with no waves, we can totally dedicate ourselves to our second favorite sport! Because that also keeps us in shape for surfing—whether working on turns, cruising, carving, or crosssteps, all of that can be practiced wonderfully with our awesome skateboards or longboard
Read a book – Improve your surfing knowledge
Reading? We can’t even remember the last time we did that. After all, books are made of paper, and we can’t exactly take those into the water. So make the most of your time, chill out on the beach, and flip through some great surf books—because, as far as surfing is concerned, there are some really good ones out there! And it never hurts to brush up on your surfing knowledge! Whether it’s board knowledge, safety, or just spot guides, the selection is huge!
DrySurfing
Another great alternative to surfing is what’s known as dry surfing—that is, surfing on dry land. Sound weird and complicated? Yeah, it feels a little strange at first, but after about 30 minutes on the board, you usually get the hang of it right away! And it’s worth it!Because dry surfing is definitely an awesome balance workout—and you can practice cool moves like crosssteps and takeoffs here too =)paddle
Yeah, it can get boring just hanging out in shallow water paddle. Because if there are no waves When there are no waves in sight, we sometimes lose sight of the point of paddling. But hey, even if there are no waves, paddling is still worth it! And for two reasons alone!
Because every stroke trains our muscles and brings us a little closer to the next wave we’ll be paddling toward! And if you’re heading out to paddle at Babyswell (preferably with friends—it’s not quite as boring that way ;)), you’re best off bringing a nice longboard.
And who knows, maybe a nice little longboard wave or two will come along every now and then =)
