{"id":339343,"date":"2026-02-13T14:58:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T13:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.freshsurf.de\/how-to-become-a-better-surfer-brad-gerlach-on-the-5-mistakes-to-avoid-when-paddling-out\/"},"modified":"2026-02-13T14:58:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T13:58:00","slug":"how-to-become-a-better-surfer-brad-gerlach-on-the-5-mistakes-to-avoid-when-paddling-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.freshsurf.de\/en\/how-to-become-a-better-surfer-brad-gerlach-on-the-5-mistakes-to-avoid-when-paddling-out\/","title":{"rendered":"How to become a better surfer: Brad Gerlach on the 5 mistakes to avoid when paddling out!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; admin_label=&#8221;section&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.5&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row admin_label=&#8221;row&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.5&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Text&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.5&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.freshsurf.de\/2015\/02\/24\/gute-stimmung-im-surfhouse-und-auf-dem-wasser-unsere-surfkurse-am-24-februar-2015\/surfkurse_24-02-2015-web\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-31530\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-31530\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freshsurf.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Surfkurse_24.02.2015-web.jpg\" alt=\"Surfkurse_24.02.2015-web\" width=\"996\" height=\"476\" title=\"\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"470\" data-end=\"684\">You&#8217;re motivated, the line-up is within reach \u2013 and yet every attempt to paddle out feels like a struggle. White water, shortness of breath, heavy arms.<br data-start=\"629\" data-end=\"632\">If this sounds familiar, you&#8217;re not alone. <\/p>\n<p data-start=\"686\" data-end=\"983\">According to<span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\"> <strong data-start=\"696\" data-end=\"737\">Brad Gerlach<\/strong><\/span><\/span>, many surfers don&#8217;t fail at turns or take-offs, but much earlier \u2013<strong data-start=\"820\" data-end=\"848\"> on their way out to sea<\/strong>. The former pro surfer and coach has taken a close look and identified five classic mistakes that are made time and time again. <\/p>\n<p data-start=\"985\" data-end=\"1067\">The good news is that all five can be avoided \u2013 with a little understanding, calmness and practice.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.freshsurf.de\/en\/how-to-become-a-better-surfer-brad-gerlach-on-the-5-mistakes-to-avoid-when-paddling-out\/#Mistake_No_1_Expectations_are_too_high\" >Mistake No. 1: Expectations are too high<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.freshsurf.de\/en\/how-to-become-a-better-surfer-brad-gerlach-on-the-5-mistakes-to-avoid-when-paddling-out\/#Mistake_No_2_You_overthink_things\" >Mistake No. 2: You overthink things<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.freshsurf.de\/en\/how-to-become-a-better-surfer-brad-gerlach-on-the-5-mistakes-to-avoid-when-paddling-out\/#Mistake_No_3_Your_posture_is_wrong\" >Mistake No. 3: Your posture is wrong<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.freshsurf.de\/en\/how-to-become-a-better-surfer-brad-gerlach-on-the-5-mistakes-to-avoid-when-paddling-out\/#Mistake_No_4_Youre_paddling_with_your_arms\" >Mistake No. 4: You&#8217;re paddling with your arms<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.freshsurf.de\/en\/how-to-become-a-better-surfer-brad-gerlach-on-the-5-mistakes-to-avoid-when-paddling-out\/#Mistake_No_5_You_dont_accept_bad_days\" >Mistake No. 5: You don&#8217;t accept bad days<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Mistake_No_1_Expectations_are_too_high\"><\/span><strong>Mistake No. 1: Expectations are too high<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"805\" data-end=\"931\">It&#8217;s actually quite simple:<strong data-start=\"829\" data-end=\"874\"> thinking too much makes you prone to mistakes.<\/strong><br data-start=\"874\" data-end=\"877\">And that often starts with the first glance at the sea.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"933\" data-end=\"1151\">Instead of simply paddling out, an analysis is carried out:<br \/><em data-start=\"979\" data-end=\"1037\">How do I best ride the wave? What do I do afterwards? <\/em><br data-start=\"1037\" data-end=\"1040\">After 20 minutes without success, frustration sets in \u2013 and the session falls apart before it has even really begun.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1153\" data-end=\"1404\">Brad Gerlach&#8217;s first rule is therefore clear:<br data-start=\"1196\" data-end=\"1199\"><strong data-start=\"1202\" data-end=\"1230\">Lower your expectations.<\/strong><br data-start=\"1230\" data-end=\"1233\">Relax. Enjoy paddling out, doing your first duck dive and simply being in the ocean. Good sessions rarely come from pressure \u2013 they come from openness.  <\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Mistake_No_2_You_overthink_things\"><\/span><strong>Mistake No. 2: You overthink things<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"1456\" data-end=\"1565\">This mistake follows almost automatically from the first one.<br data-start=\"1508\" data-end=\"1511\">Surfing is not a mental sport \u2013 <strong data-start=\"1543\" data-end=\"1564\">surfing is feeling.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1567\" data-end=\"1777\">Those who constantly evaluate, plan or want to control lose their ease and flow.<br data-start=\"1651\" data-end=\"1654\">Brad sums it up: Keep the fun and enjoyment in surfing \u2013 then success will often come all by itself.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1779\" data-end=\"1858\">The less you try to do everything right, the better it works.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Mistake_No_3_Your_posture_is_wrong\"><\/span><strong>Mistake No. 3: Your posture is wrong<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"1918\" data-end=\"2065\">Every sport requires a certain posture \u2013 when surfing, your <strong data-start=\"2001\" data-end=\"2011\">back <\/strong>plays a crucial role. It is your control centre. <\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2067\" data-end=\"2320\">Our consciousness is located in our head, where our eyes are. And this is precisely where the problem lies:<br data-start=\"2160\" data-end=\"2163\">our eyes automatically look down towards the water.<br data-start=\"2220\" data-end=\"2223\">The result: our bottom rises, our body is positioned incorrectly on the board, and paddling becomes inefficient. <\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2322\" data-end=\"2455\">Brad Gerlach&#8217;s simple rule:<br data-start=\"2351\" data-end=\"2354\"><strong data-start=\"2357\" data-end=\"2383\">Head up \u2013 bum down.<\/strong><br data-start=\"2383\" data-end=\"2386\">Look up, keep your back active and stay stable on the board.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Mistake_No_4_Youre_paddling_with_your_arms\"><\/span><strong>Mistake No. 4: You&#8217;re paddling with your arms<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"2510\" data-end=\"2623\">Many believe that paddling is purely about arm strength.<br data-start=\"2552\" data-end=\"2555\">In reality, the movement does <strong data-start=\"2586\" data-end=\"2609\">not come from the arms<\/strong>, but from:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"2624\" data-end=\"2661\">\n<li data-start=\"2624\" data-end=\"2634\">\n<p data-start=\"2626\" data-end=\"2634\">back<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2635\" data-end=\"2650\">\n<p data-start=\"2637\" data-end=\"2650\">body centre<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2651\" data-end=\"2661\">\n<p data-start=\"2653\" data-end=\"2661\">hips<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"2663\" data-end=\"2817\">The arms are just the tool. The real power comes from the centre of the body.<br data-start=\"2745\" data-end=\"2748\">Those who understand this paddle more calmly, more efficiently \u2013 and significantly longer. <\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Mistake_No_5_You_dont_accept_bad_days\"><\/span><strong>Mistake No. 5: You don&#8217;t accept bad days<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"2882\" data-end=\"2946\">Perhaps the most important point:<br data-start=\"2914\" data-end=\"2917\"><strong data-start=\"2917\" data-end=\"2946\">Everyone has bad days.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2948\" data-end=\"3057\">Sometimes nothing fits \u2013 no matter how hard you try.<br data-start=\"3005\" data-end=\"3008\">Brad Gerlach says it clearly:<br data-start=\"3036\" data-end=\"3039\">Accept it.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3059\" data-end=\"3219\">Instead of getting frustrated, get out of the water, grab a drink at the nearest beach bar, watch the sea and relax. That&#8217;s also part of surfing. <\/p>\n<p>You can find out more about Brad Gerlach <a href=\"https:\/\/www.waveki.com\/pages\/meet-brad-gerlach\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You&#8217;re motivated, the line-up is within reach \u2013 and yet every attempt to paddle out feels like a struggle. White water, shortness of breath, heavy arms.If this sounds familiar, you&#8217;re not alone. According to Brad Gerlach, many surfers don&#8217;t fail at turns or take-offs, but much earlier \u2013 on their way out to sea. The [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[31981],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-339343","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-surf-courses-on-fuerteventura"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freshsurf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/339343","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freshsurf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freshsurf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freshsurf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freshsurf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=339343"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.freshsurf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/339343\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freshsurf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=339343"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freshsurf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=339343"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freshsurf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=339343"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}