Surfer's Start-Up: A Beginner's Guide to Surfing

by Doug Werner

Recommended by the United States Surfing Federation as a book that every beginning surfer should read, this instructional guide details the basics of surfing gear, conditions, safety, etiquette, and history. Written by someone who went through the learning process, topics are covered with just enough detail to get the reader riding the waves quickly and safely. It teaches the beginner surfer the fundamentals of the sport; what to expect in the first days of learning; and how to cope with waves, learning frustrations, and crowds. This edition has been updated with the latest information on equipment, technique, and resources.

Genres: Sports

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[Nikolay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pleasant, not a lot of depth even for beginners

Reasonably informative beginner book, one will definitely learn something from it, but I don’t see it giving a newbie enough specific steps about how to start. In current times, few articles online will cover similar ground effectively.

[Melvin Marsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting but very brief

This is the ultimate in beginning surfing. Maybe too beginning as there was not much to it. I would have loved a book that was a little longer.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked that it was a quick read. I enjoyed looking at the pictures. The book made me want to get in a wave pool or the ocean and go surfing. I like the glossary of surf terms and websites in the back of the book. I also liked reading about surf history. I enjoyed reading the book.

[Randell Carlton Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.10.18 fun quick read

[Hunter Dobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book is good for those who want to learn to surf or those who are just wanting to read about how other people get tort

[jinxuan Li · Rating 4 out of 5]

玩了大概1个星期，网上找了些视频看，然后又看了这本书。
总的来说，比较entry-level，没啥新的信息。surf simply的youtube视频解释地更简明，更清楚，所以推荐看这个。

唯一新的信息是哪些wave 不适合斜跑。

[Tatiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a beginner's guide to surfing. It has all the gears(wax, leash, surfing board, wet suit for winter) that you need, and the significant of it. Also it tells you different kinds of surfing boards (small for professionals and larger for beginners). Then, the author goes straightforward into writing about safety pre-cautions that is necessary to know about surfing. The author had input a complete guide with illustration to help me know about surfing terms like (swell wave, top-to-bottom wave( a really bad wave to surf on), or riptides). This is guide that teaches the basic of surfing, and how to surf.

I love this guide because every page is essential to learn about surfing. It has all the basic information of surfing, and also gives illustrations of good to bad waves. Also, steps of how to balance out on the board or how to lay on the board without sinking into the water. The author included every details about surfing, and the history of when surfing was first created( by the Polynesian). I love how he included the best surfing spots. He uses little stories of himself and others to help motivate and build up confidence to beginners who want to surf. It has if the author is actually talking to me, and being my surfing coach.

[Justin · Rating 1 out of 5]

The actual lessons on surfing in this book are fine however the "historical" background it provides needs to be taken with a grain of colonized salt. You know, the British kind that was created when salt taxes were imposed in India... just saying.

Here is a quote from one of those passages:

"Going way back (before 1400), a migration of Caucasians headed east across Asia(from India), inter-married with Oriental and Malaysian folks along the way, and made little brown, almond-eyed babies. These pre-Polynesians sat on the beach someplace in southeast Asian, gazing at the open ocean, and unlike practically any other people in history, decided home-sweet-home was out THERE somewhere."

Maybe I need to go revisit my history books a little but does this sound crazy to anyone else?

[Kathy Ellen Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

For someone who knows nothing or next to nothing about surfing (me) this is a good starter guide.
I like how many pictures there are.

haiku review:
Catching waves? Simple.
Paddling out, essential.
Surfing is for all.