Surf Talk Guru

Spring Break is almost here! Do you have plans yet? Slots are still available for Oregon Surf School’s Spring Break session.

Just $99 will get you three days of surf lessons and rentals. All ages and ability levels are welcome. Enjoy some of the best, most experienced instructors on the coast.

Click here for the best deal on the web for Surf Lessons.

Many people are surprised when they hear about be or see people surfing in Oregon. They think it must be too cold in our Pacific waters to actually get into the waves. And there simply cannot be a wetsuit capable of keeping one warm in the ocean. Many an Oregon surfer has had to pose for a tourist’s camera when going out to surf or coming back into shore.

It is a miraculous feat, this sport called surfing. If you’re a beginner interested in trying it out or an intermediate getting to know the local waters, a surf lesson is the way to go. An Oregon surf lesson can be tailored to your ability level and can be used to give you a step up in figuring out the currents, the lay of the land, the local customs, etc. A lesson is also a good thing to do with visiting friends and family members. Show them a good time without a lot of pressure to help them catch waves.

The sun is finally starting to show itself through the fog and clouds of this dreary winter. By Spring Break in March, we’ll be ready to spend some quality time outside. If you’re looking for something new and exciting to do, sign up for Surf School that runs through Spring Break.

You can also take a guided kayak lesson or rent kayaks to explore the local waters. And don’t be afraid to drive up or down the coast to search out new surf spots. Sometimes that’s the best way to learn and improve your surfing.

This winter has brought us plenty of big, burly waves and local tow surfing teams have enjoyed what the storms have delivered, but it won’t last forever! Summer will come before you know it, and weeks of flat or wind-sick surf will populate the calendar. If you are looking for a new skill to add to your surfing quiver, tow-in surfing lessons are available on the Oregon Coast. Springtime is one of the best times for towing into monster waves.

Since tow surfing is an extreme sport with relatively few experts in the field, it can be difficult to find someone trustworthy to learn from. In fact, there is only one certified instructor in Oregon. If you want to learn to do it right, and do it safely, sign up for a lesson from Dan H. at Ossie’s Surf Shop in Agate Beach. Now is the time, as the conditions will most likely continue to be good through the winter and on into early spring.

Ocean kayaks are one of the most fun and environmentally sound ways to explore our coastal waters and wildlife. But before heading out for the first time, it’s a good idea to go with someone who’s had experience. Make sure this person has been out plenty of times in the specific waters and the weather conditions you’ll be boating in. Whether you’re planning to paddle the bay, a river or creek, or the ocean itself, the tide changes and wind speed and direction will be important factors to pay attention to. An experienced guide can take you out for your first kayaking trip and show you the ropes for a relatively small cost, considering the valuable life-saving training you’ll be exposed to.

A guided trip is especially essential before renting kayaks to take visitors on a tour of our waters. You’d hate to needlessly endanger others, and wind up looking foolish just because you didn’t prepare yourself for the responsibility. Kayak rentals are a cheap, clean way to exercise and see the sights. Just make sure you know what you’re doing!

There aren’t too many surf camps available for beginners in Oregon. Here is a run-down of what we do have in the way of surf schools.

Oregon Surf Adventures in Seaside, OR–provides Surf camps for Women, Co-ed Adults, Teens and Kids. 2 day camps $299, 4 day camps $575, Camps run June through September

Northwest Women’s Surf Camps in Seaside, OR–offers Day and Weekend Surf Camp options to experience surfing. Day camps run $225-$250, Weekend camps are $398 + lodging. Camps run June through September.

Oregon Surf School in Newport, OR–specializes in group classes, schools & lessons. Surf school includes 3 days of surfing w/instruction ONLY $99.00! and runs March-September.

If know of a beginning surfer, let them know about Surf School. They can buy a session in advance to reserve their spot in the spring or summer session. They’ll have something to look forward to all winter and they’ll treasure the memories forever.

Each session of “Oregon Surf School” includes 3 surf lessons with instruction and all the equipment you need included! Ossies will select the equipment for you from a full size run of mens, womens & kids high quality rental wetsuit, boots, and surfboards. All you need to do is show up with a positive attitude and be ready to have a great time learning how to surf in Oregon.

Each Oregon Surf School Session will be made up of groups of 8 – 15 beginning surfers from ages 9 to 99. All surf instructors are first aid/CPR certified and ready to help you have a great time learning to surf this summer! $99 per person includes use of wetsuit, boots, hood, surfboard and instructors in group setting of 8-15 students for 2 hours per day, for three days. Classes run from 10:30am-12:30pm daily unless otherwise noted.

Sign your recpient up for either a Spring Break session in March or one of 12 sessions running June through September!

Ossies Summer Surf School Now Available for 2010!

If you’d like your child to become a pro tour regular or even just a local ripper, there are a few guidelines to follow to make sure you’re introducing the steps at the right ages. Get them started gradually, having them become confident in the ocean, and things should go smoothly.

From birth to age 2, have the child take showers with you. Believe it or not, water splashing on the face and head, and in eyes and nose can be a huge deterrent to future water activities if the child isn’t used to it. Shower spray will get them used to it. Take them to parent/child aquatic classes and have them get used to movement in the water, holding their breath, blowing bubbles, etc.

When the child is 2-4 years old, continue swimming lessons. Get them wetsuits and have them splash around in the surf, under adult supervision, of course, and wearing a PFD for extra safety. Wetsuits are great for beach activities because they keep the child warm whether they’re wading in the surf or digging in the sand. Having them get used to putting on and taking off wetsuits at an early age will prevent them from hating that aspect later on. Also at this age, have the child lay atop your surfboard while you hold it in the shallows. Have them practice the paddling motion on the board.

At 5-7 years of age, continue swimming lessons and introduce related sports such as skateboarding, snowboarding, and boogie boarding. Begin teaching them how to surf only if you yourself are an experienced surfer. If you’re not, pay for regular lessons through a local surf shop. Children should be on softop surfboards. Have them practice jumping to standing on their board onshore then push them into whitewater waves and practice standing and riding on the moving board.

As the child grows to 8-10 years old, he or she will have more strength and stamina, be able to carry their own board, and will have more patience and focus for all the practice they’ll need to improve. The learning curve for surfing might be the largest of any sport, so make sure you have a lot of patience for your child!