Elise Carver, Founder of Surf Style Training, shares her tips on how to keep your healthy resolutions this year. Photo: Ming Nomchong
Editor’s Note: Check out Surf Style Training to learn more about Elise Carver’s 3-month surf-specific workout plan. Use code BANTAM20 to save an additional $20 on lifetime access.
For a limited time, you can also access the Surf Fitness Course Bundle at a reduced price: $250 for both Elise Carver’s Surfstyle Fitness and Kassia Meador’s Definitive Guide to Longboarding, a savings of $200…all to make sure you hit your 2020 shred goals in the best way possible.
Whether you’ve committed to a boat trip, want to dominate at a wave that makes you shit your pants, or just want to feel comfortable and confident in the water before the end of the year, personal surf resolutions require a plan of attack.
These plans can be as loose as donning a wetsuit at least once a week or as committed as surfing, training, and reviewing your technique on a regular basis. Regardless, every surf resolution is important, especially if it’s yours.
Here are five hacks that guarantee to keep you on track to achieving your 2020 surf resolutions. And if you really want to commit and see your goals through, start your three-month Surf Style Training Course today. Use code BANTAM20 to save $20 for a limited time.
1. Write down your goals.
Writing down your goals is a commitment in itself, and when we don’t have them right in front of us, it can be easy to let our dreams fall by the wayside. Make it something actually achievable (surfing Jaws during your third year of catching waves is probably not ideal). Pick something just outside of your comfort zone and set a D-date to complete that task. If you’re not the vision board type, scribble it on a piece of paper, and stick it to the bathroom mirror. That way it’s the first thing you see when you wake up and the last when you go to bed.
2. Commit to a minimum amount of water time per week.
The best thing for improving your surfing is to surf. So water time is essential. Commit to a minimum amount of time in the water per week or a minimum number of surfs. Anything on top of that is a bonus! In winter when the water temp is bone-chilling, I commit to a minimum of two surfs per week, three good waves or 40 minutes, whatever comes first. Again, make it reasonable. It’s nice to believe that you could get out in the water 365 days of the year, but the reality of it happening is slim. Remember, this is your MINIMUM number – not your ideal number.
3. Put a solid training plan in place.
Massive improvements to your surfing strength and technique can be gained out of the water. If you think it can’t, you’re missing out on a great opportunity to tick off your surf resolution earlier than what you may have first thought. By focusing your training on movements specific to building the strength and mobility required for surfing, you give yourself the upper hand. After all, the body loves repetition! Focus on the following: core strength, stability, balance, endurance, and agility. Look for surf-specific workout plans and commit to a select number of workout sessions per week to be consistent.
4. Get yourself a recovery plan.
Know that your recovery plan is just as important as training and surfing itself. If you don’t give yourself time to recover, injuries and accidents will happen. Surfing may not seem like a brutal sport, but the unpredictable nature of the ocean and the positions surfing imposes upon your body can be super challenging. Go with this equation when working out regarding how much time to spend on recovery: Training and surfing time divided by two equal parts recovery time.
Your recovery should consist of stretching, self-massage, heat therapy, cold therapy, massage therapy, regular adjustments to align the body and its functional patterns and plenty of sleep. For more guidance on recovery plans, check out the 12-week Surf Style Training program with the The Inertia.
Find someone to work with rather than alone.
Get someone on board to get you motivated. Whether it’s a friend who sets a surf goal of their own, a mentor you trust to paddle out with, or a mate who’s happy to sit on the beach and film a few of your waves, having someone by your side on the journey can make all the difference. They get you out of bed when you can’t be bothered, they help you get insight into how you look on the waves. They are there for you when you’re scared shitless about paddling out into a new line-up. But best of all they keep you accountable!
Editor’s Note: Check out Surf Style Training to learn more. Use code BANTAM20 to save an additional $20 on lifetime access.
For a limited time, you can access Elise Carver’s Surfstyle Fitness and Kassia Meador’s Definitive Guide to Longboarding for just $250, a savings of $200.
