by NOMB Surf | Apr 8, 2019 | SURFCOACHING, SURFING
No doubt that surfing is our passion, our sport and our favorite thing to do. Small waves, big waves, longboarding, shortboarding – we love it all. But sometimes there is this little thing, called being scared or fear of surfing or bigger waves – a really ugly thing to deal with but not impossible!
“I have days, where I can surf waves up to 2 meters easily, and then out of nowhere I get scared when I see waves that are bigger than a meter or a lot of people in the water! I feel like my mind is totally blocked and can’t do anything else but sitting in the channel and waiting for the tiny little waves that will pass by from time to time…”
I bet that a few of you also had this feeling from. Well if you started surfing before walking you probably don’t know this feeling, but the surfers amongst us who started a “little bit later” might know what we are talking about here 😉 . It doesn’t matter in which situation (bigger waves, lots of people) you feel this “fear”, the question is how to overcome it in general.
Let’s start from the beginning guys, first of all you have to figure out, what this fear is about, meaning what are the roots of it. We’re not psychologists, but there are a few simple things that you can consider.
Did something happen? And what exactly are you scared about while surfing?
Ask yourself the question! Did you hava a really bad wipeout once and got stuck under water really long? Or maybe you lost your surfboard once because the leash broke and you just felt alone in the water and also felt how strong the ocean and the currents are without a surfboard? Or is your fear of surfing coming out of nowwhere and you just feel mentally blocked?
Try to find the trigger for your being scared in the water, that’s the first step! So when you feel uncomfortable in the water, when this happens to you, you might feel like you are not controlling the situation – your surfing and you being out there in the line up. No matter what, don’t give up, sit down in the channel, take a few deep breaths and focus on what you might be scared of. Maybe you just want to step up from surfing small waves and start surfing bigger waves? We are not talking about surfing Nazaré tomorrow, but it would be nice to surf steeper and maybe overhead waves to bring your surfing to the next level. So go deep in yourself and think about what exactly you are scared of, cause only if you know what’s triggering this fear, you can work on it!
So what can you do to overcome your fear of surfing (bigger waves)?
First of all you should focus on yourself and your body! That means stay fit! If you’re body is charged to 100% (which means your fitnesslevel, your awareness and your consciousness) you will feel way more comfortable in the water. As this is not coming out of nothing, you have to do something for it! Yoga for example is a good supplement or your surfing, it does not only help you to achieve more balance in your body but also being awareof the right breathing can help you to calm you down in moments where you might feel uncomfortable in the water. If you are scared of wipeouts, improve your “holding your breathe” technique. In the end it is just water, you will always come up again. But if you know, that you are able to hold your breath long enough, probably you won’t be scared of the next wipe out in a big wave and will just go for it.
It might also help you to go surfing with a person you trust and who knows the surfspot very well. It should be a really good friend if he will sit there with you to give more selfconfidence instead of surfing nice waves ;)) but maybe you’ll have this one good surfbuddy who will help you to get your confidence back. With these people you also might “go for something that you are scared of”. Cause you know that they won’t let you die when your leash breaks or you will be stuck under water for a while 😉 oh yes, and if you are scared of bigger waves, wipeouts or something else, even if the lineup is empty don’t go alone in the water.
Don’t let the fear eat you but also don’t pressure yourself too much!
You have to find the slim line between getting out of your comfort zone and not putting too much pressure on your surfing. Go and take a risk sometimes, to grow with your fear and overcome it (make sure you won’t hurt people with your surfboarf during a possible wipeout ;)), and you will see what’s the “worst thing” that can happen to you on this day – and maybe if you take a risk you will have the wave of the day! (To take “risks” for yourself make sure your body is well prepared for it like mentioned above!) And if you go a step back in the sense of surfing smaller waves a few days or for a while – well that’s life and absolutely not a bad thing! You have to feel comfortable and believe in yourself! And the most important thing: Never forget that surfing should be fun! Grab your friends and go for a Foamie Fun Session on a small day – it will bring your smile back and make you forget that you are scared of this water =)
Start a surflog to focus more on your good days!
The fear of surfing and bigger waves is just in your mind! So free it! Maybe to start a surflog is a good idea for you to focus on what’s going on in your mind. Start to write down how you feel before and after the session, how you surfed the waves, how many, which goals you set yourself, if you achieved them and so on. Also note the swell- and wave size and direction as wall as the wind. This will help you also to feel more comfortable with your surfspot cause you will have your own experiences what you could accomplish on a surfing day on paper. That might push your selfconfidence, cause you know you can do it!
Check your equipment
Especially if you are afraid of breaking your leash and be out there alone in the ocean, we have a pretty simple first step solution for you: Go and buy you a new leash every few months! These 30 bucks are definitely worth it 😉
Also ask yourself if you feel comfortable with your surfboard. It should be you and your surfboard against the rest of the world. Well of course not like this, but maybe you feel it is too long or too short for you. So go and change it! It isn’t the end of the world if you take “a step back” from your shortboard to a minimalibu or even a softtop if that makes you feel much more secure (by the way, surfing with a softtop is actually such a fun thing, look at all these Mick Fannings and Jamie O’Brians who developed their own softboard brands).
Also go and check your wetsuit, espceially if you are a surfer who tends to freeze like hell. Your body won’t be charged a 100% if it also has to concentrate on this “freezing cold water”. If you spend money for a good wetsuit you will have one thing less to worry about in the water – you see figthing your fear starts with eliminating all the small avoidable problems you could have 😉
Go and get yourself a private surfcoaching!
Besides of setting yourself small goals (like every day a little bit closer to the peak) go and get yourself a private surfcoaching! Cause you will never have learned enough in this kind of sports, every day is different! And if you have someone from the outside, who also helps you to understand the ocean environment and improves your surfing skills, you will have it way easier!
Just one important thing to remember: overcome your fear of surfing but always maintain your respect of the ocean!
Sea you in the water soon!
YOUR NOMB SURFTEAM
by NOMB Surf | Mar 16, 2019 | SURFCOACHING, SURFING, SURFTRIPS
Here at NOMB Surf we like to offer you the best options to improve your surfing: On our surfcoaching trips you share a certain time learning within a group. During our individual surfcoachings on Fuerteventura it´s all about you and your own surfcoach.
However, we do understand that not everyone wants to travel to Fuerteventura or join one of our surfcoaching trips. And that´s how NOMB SURF CUSTOMIZED was born.
So what exactly does that mean? Well, it means that we are open to any surfcoaching suggestions you can think of. How about coaching a group of friends at a certain destination? How about guiding a family during their surfholiday? How about teaching university sport students the basics and beauty of surfing?
Whatever it is, if you feel like you are in need of a surfcoach, that´s what NOMB Surf Customized is there for. Head surfcoach Angie (ISA Level II qualified, valid lifesaver, very experienced, German, English, and Spanish) is keen on coaching at new destinations and discover the world with you.
But is this for real you think? It certainly is. Let us tell you about a couple of really cool surfcoaching projects from last year
1.Teaching students from of the German university of Hildesheim how to surf – on an island in the Northsea
Island? Northsea? Germany? Yep, the beautiful island of Sylt, located just below the boarder to Denmark, is a watersports mecca. Generally more know for it´s perfect conditions for kite- and windsurfing Sylt also offeres some rare days that will make every surfer feel like in heaven. Imagine how super stoked NOMB Surf headcoach Angie was when she arrived on Sylt and found this little gem just on the other side of the sanddune from her homebase.
Based in a big youthhostel, 5min walk over the dunes to the beach, a whole basement full of great surfequipment, the islands best coffee shop just around the corner – what a treat for Angie.
A total of 24 sport students from the University of Hildesheim, Germany, flogged to the island to take part in a watersports excursion. Within 10 days they got taught the basics of surfing, kitesurfing and SUP. NOMB Surf headcoach Angie was in charge of the surfing business. Theory sessions, explaining of surfequipment, ocean awareness and loads of hours on the beach. At the end every single one of the students looooved surfing and promised to go for more! Job done!!
2. Family holiday to Galicia, Northwest Spain
10 days surfholidaying with your family on the Northwest coast of Spain? There is hardly a better way to spend your autumn vacations. When Angie was asked if she wanted to join her favourite surfer family from Berlin, Germany, on their holiday, her answer was: YEEEEES, for sure!! While the family stayed in a real cool house overlooking the beach, Angie rented herself a mobile home and that way wavechecked every morning to find the best conditions for the day.
3 adults and 5 kids, what a great surfer family. And everyone, apart from little Willy who is a little bit too small still to surf, was keen to go surfing every day. Angie, knowing Galicia and it´s hidden spots, made sure the surfing family was at the right beach at the right time, with the right conditions for everyone. Sure, sometime the group was split because of the different surflevels but there was always a beach where everyone could surf together.
Loads of days of surfing, surf theory, ocean awareness excercises… Angie made sure that her family didn´t get bored. And was super stoked to see that after the holiday every single one had improved their surfing. Woohoo!! Looking forward to coaching you again next month 😉 Here you see the surfing grooms at a little tea pitstop at Angie´s mobile home parked on the beach.
There are a few more surfcoaching projects planned in the future, involving families, social engagements and a fitness camp. But psssst, let´s not tell all the secrets yet..
If you have a cool surfcoaching project, involving travelling or not, NOMB Surf would like to hear from you!! We are always happy to help you improve and realize your dreams! Simply get in touch and tell us about it!!
Sea you in the water soon!
YOUR NOMB SURFTEAM
by NOMB Surf | Jan 14, 2019 | SURFCOACHING, SURFING
Stuck with your surfing? Not sure which board to buy? Unsure about how the ocean, waves and all that stuff works??
Well, surfing is a sport that not only requires you to learn chains of movement but also to be able to read and predict the ocean. They didn´t tell you that at your first surflesson? If they would, surely there wouldn´t be as many people out there trying to surf… 😉
But now it´s too late, you are already hooked on surfing, there is no way back. You do feel however that you are not advancing anymore. Going back to a surfschool or surfcoach is a bit outside your budget for the moment. But the summer is not too far away and you and your van are ready to hit the Atlantic coast.
So how can you boost your surfing without having to invest in quality surfcoaching?? The answer is simple: hit the internet! Yeah right you think, there is so much info out there, where to start? Right here, right now. Check out the following great sources to get free surfcoaching tipps and tricks.
1. You Tube
That´s an obvious one for sure. There are tutourials for pretty much everything. One of the most complete and easy to understand You Tube channels for surfcoaching tricks is 110% Surfing Techniques. With straight video and clear commentary these tutourials are very easy to understand. They cover pretty much everything, from beginner surfing to advanced tricks. You can buy their complete course as DVD or as download but by now they have nearly all the videos available for free on their You Tube channel. Here is an example of what they do, a short clip about how to wipe out correctly.
https://youtu.be/Wl2ZnS8_QR0
2. Facebook
Facebook is a great platform to keep in touch with family and friends. Especially important for us surfers who tend to spend more time at the coast than back in our hometowns. Apart from keeping everyone informed about how you are doing Facebook is a great source of free information. There are loads of different Facebook groups out there creating spaces for people to ask questions, give tipps and get in touch. In big groups like Surftravellers you can ask for advice on destinations and transport for example.
New on Facebook is a community called SURFCOACHING TRICKS where you can ask concrete questions about your actual surfing. You can post videos or photos of yourself surfing, getting responses with tipps and tricks from the other community members. There will even be a monthly life chat where you can ask questions and get an immediate response. We are proud to confirm that our surf headcoach Angie will regularly offer free professional advice in the Surfcoaching Tricks group. We here at NOMB Surf believe in the essence of surfing: the connection to the ocean and within the community. and are happy to do our little grain and share the stoke. So sign up for SURFCOACHING TRICKS now!
3. Hang out with people who surf better than you
One of the first rules of surfing is to never surf alone. Even though surfing is a very selfish sport it´s not advisable to surf with noone else in the water. Just imagine you get knocked out by your board (happens) and there is noone around to get your head out of the water.
So find yourself a surfbuddy. And here is the trick now: find someone who surfs better than you. That doesn´t mean to hang out with someone who gets barreled on every wave if you are still practicing in the whitewater. Find someone who can share your session at the same spot with the same conditions but is more advanced than you. Why that? Isn´t it nicer to surf with someone who has less experience than you? Giving you that sneaky little joy of being better? Well, leave your ego behind, you want to advance, right? So hang around surfer who have a higher level and simply watch them. Their position. Their timing. Their chains of movements. Watching others is the best free advice you can get. And if you ask nicely, surely you will get some tipps as well. Everyone remembers how they started surfing and the little tipps along the way that helped.
Caution: don´t copy wrong styles. Always go back to double check with videos of professional surfing.
There are loooads of other free resources available, especially on the internet. Hopefully above three will help you, and your budget, to improve and catch more waves. Let us know how you got on!
Sea you in the water soon!
YOUR NOMB SURFTEAM
by NOMB Surf | Jan 7, 2019 | 2019, SURFCOACHING, SURFING
Happy new year from the whole NOMB Surfteam!! We hope you started 2019 in style and got some great waves along the way.
Here on Fuerteventura the waves have been pumping. What a winter it has been so far. Clean groundswells of all sizes, Offshore winds. Epic. After the winter holiday chaos the island is now returning to it´s chilled out vibes. Loving this time of the year..
Like everyone else, we here at NOMB Surf have made some resolutions for the next year. And you know what? They all involve SURFING!! The whole team will be working extra hard for you to have the maximum NOMB Surf experience. We are dedicated to improve and evolve. This includes staff training, improved coaching structures, new trip destinations and an overall exciting new surf experience. Watch out for our new image clip, soon to be released!!
So what´s gonna happen at NOMB Surf in 2019?? There are some exciting news on the horizon.
Let´s start with the NOMB Surftrips, here is a quick overview of this year´s upcoming trips:
- 7 days surfholiday TENERIFE TAKE-OFF (Jan 2019)
- 14 days intensive surfcamp GALICIAN GALAXY (May 2019)
- 7 days surfholiday GLITZY GALICIA (June 2019)
- 14 days adventure surftrip SOON TO BE ANNOUNCED to somewhere in Africa (Sep 2019)
- 7 days surfholiday ICONIC IRELAND (Nov 2019)
On our surfcoaching trips, as well as during our private surfcoachings of Fuerteventura, we guarantee an individual and professional coaching. The maximum number of participants on our surftrips is 6, making sure that everyone improves quickly. We always work with a local surfschool and have one of their experienced instructors in the water with us. That brings the student-instructor ratio down to max 3 surfers per instructor. Wouldn´t you want to be part of the great NOMB Surfcrew??
If we are not away running one of our fantastic surftrips we offer private surfcoachings on paradise island Fuerteventura, our homebase. So what exactly is private surfcoaching? It means it´s only you and your own surfcoach. Your coach is fully dedicated to making you learn and improve fast on a one to one basis. So what should quality surfcoaching look like?? Indivdual – goal setting – feedback. Those are some of the keywords that you will come across when training with NOMB Surf. And watch out, quality surfcoaching is not only about commenting every one of your waves, it also included a lot of indirect coaching drills, essential theory and visual analysis. And you wanna know what? NOMB Surf offers all of the above, in English, German and Spanish. Choose the language that suits you most.
NOMB Surf sticks out in the national and international surfmarket, choosing quality and individuality over quantity and profit. If you want to be part of the NOMB Surfcrew, either on one of our cool surfcoaching trips or getting coached on Fuerteventura, get in touch with us. We are happy to tailor make just the right experience for you.
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Thanks to all of the existing NOMB Surfcrew, we had a hell of a 2018, and it wouldn´t have been possible without every single one of you. Thank you for trusting and believing in what we do, you guys rock!!
Sea you in the water soon!
YOUR NOMB SURFTEAM
by NOMB Surf | Dec 3, 2018 | SURFING
Well chicas & chicos, all of you out there are surfers? Probably not. Surfing means people who surf, and these people are sometimes hard to understand. Well, we surfers understand the other surfer’s behaviour but maybe we should explain ourselves a little bit. Here are a few things that you will only understand if you are a surfer. Can’t identify yourself with any of that? Well, it might help you to understand your surfing friends a bit better 😉
Wetsuit tan is totally in
Tanned feet, tanned hands, tanned face – and the rest of the body is absolutely white. Well we surfers really don’t care (mostly) cause that wetsuit tan means we have spent a lot of time in our wetsuits and therefor in the water! And to all the girls out there: we love the bikini stripes from surfing without wetsuit – it eill make us remember the good times of surfing without wetsuit when we are landlocked again =)
Relaxing at the beach without waves makes us depressiv
While a large number of our friends are happy to simply relax at the beach and get tanned, we really can’t understand this scenario! Cause this ocean without any movement or waves is giving us a really weird feeling. Of course, we can enjoy the colors and the sun, but hey, where are the waves? If we might go in the water (just to refresh and without surfboard cause there is noooo surf) it’s possible that we start hallucinating and imagine a wave on the horizon! Well somehow we have to escape this horrible no wave situation 😉
Salty hair don’t care
Going to the hairdresser? Well what for? They will just give us a treatment for our hair to make it look nice and straight again. But noooo, we don’t want that! Sunkissed hair bleeched by the sun – what more can we ask for? (Psss.. from time to time we also do treatments and wash our hair, but saltwater is just the best!)
Forgetting about time and space
Surfing with watch? We hate it but if we have important appointments (really really really important appointments) or we are in for a quick morning surf session before work, we need this tiny little thing around our wrist. However, if we have a day off it might happen that we just miss lunch / dinner /coffee with our friends / partners cause these beautiful waves simply didn’t let us leave. Good thing about that: Our surfing friends will probably sit next to us in the line up and also missed our lunch date 😉
Interrupting conversations and leaving is not rude
At least not if there is a wave approaching and we are sitting in the line up. While waiting and watching the waves it is always nice to have good conversations but sometimes we have to interrupt them! If there’s a good wave coming we will just stop talking in the middle of the sentence and go for the wave. And honestly, it would be really impolite if this beautiful wave would have been unsurfed! Other surfers will understand that =)
Coloured faces are for surfing and not for carneval
Because we really don’t like sunburned skin (ans skincancer is an ugly issue), Zink is your best friend! And sometimes we just forget to remove these colours from our face after surfing and run around with a pink face all day. Sure we understand why people are looking at us weird the whole day! But if you are on a supermarket run in between surf sessions, there is no sense in removing the zink and put it on again a few minutes later for the next surf!
Planning your day around tides and waves – no long term planning possible!
Dentist appointment, meeting at work or any other appointment – first thing to do is looking at the forecast. What if your favourite surf spot just works on high tide, hightide is at 11.00h tomorrow and a good swell is coming in – we don’t want to have appointments at the same time! Remember: Check the forecast before making appointments! Planning anything more than one week in advance is also not possible – what if the swell changes? You don’t wanna miss a good surf session for letting them remove your wisdom tooth 😉 It’s difficult enough to plan tomorrow, you don’t wanna miss an epic surf for brunch! So we surfer will always be spontaneous if it comes to socializing 😉
Choosing jobs by location
You just good this amazing job offer with a really good salary but it is in the middle of the city and there is no ocean close by… can you really take it? More likely that we will choose the job with half of the salary but living close to the next surf spot – that is especially something only surfer will understand =)
To all you non-surfers out there, it might be hard sometimes to be friends / partner with a surfer but hey, amazing places, sunsets, stories and buena onda come with every surfer of this planet. So don’t be too hard on us.
Sea you in the water soon!
YOUR NOMB SURFTEAM
by NOMB Surf | Nov 5, 2018 | SURFING
Getting up in the morning – for some of us super easy and for some it´s one big struggle. Mostly when we have to get up to go to work, that can be really hard sometimes! But what about getting up early and surfing? Wouldn’t it be perfect if we can just sleep in on Sundays and then go to our favorite surfspot and there will be no more than 10 people in the line up? Wake up! That will never happen if the surf forecast looks epic! So we should think about going surfing in the morning! And with morning we mean early morning, 6ish and not 9ish. For those who love to sleep in it can be hard in the beginning, but trust us, it’s worth it!
Buuut there are a few things, you should consider first!
1. Are you a breakfast person? How long you need in the morning to get up?
Well, in case you are, can you really make it to get up at 4 am to have your healthy breakfast before surfing? Because you want to be at the surfspot with the first light of the day, to make sure to be the first one in the water! If you don’t need to eat before surfing: Lucky you – just get up, grab your stuff and go surfing! But even if you don’t need breakfast in the morning, you might also need time to wake up and can’t just leave your house immediately after waking up. Consider this when setting your alarmclock – you don’t wanna waste time with waking up until 10 am and then having to share the wave with 1000 other surfers!
2. Pack your surfstuff – and plan the rest of the day – thinking!
It doesn’t matter if you can walk to your surfspot or you have to drive by car or take the bike, you’ll always need a few things for surfing. Starting with your surfboard, that’s the thing you should really not forget at home. You should also have a bit of wax with you and maybe check if your surfboard also has a leash – yesss one day we also will be able to surf barrels without leash, but that might take a little bit more time. So are you going to pack your car in the evening or in the morning? Probably it would be better to do it in the evening, half asleep you might forget half of your stuff! Make sure you got your wetsuit (or bikini or boardshorts), wax, surfboard(s) (yes better take 2 or 3 and let the wave that you’ll find decide which board to take), something to eat (better put that in the car in the morning) and clothes for changing. Cause it might be super cold in the morning (or better night, cause there will be no light when you leave the house) and after your surf session the sun is shining and it will be freaking hot! Be prepared for everything.
3. Working after surfing – are you a shower person?
It´s known that there are people who love showering and don’t really understand the gypsie lifestyle – isn’t it enough to shower twice a week if you surf every day? The salt in the hair and on your skin is just the perfect feeling! Well, not for all of us! So if you want to shower after your surf session and have to work as well, ask Google where to find the next public shower. Or you calculating your time well, you might even have time to go home before working. But honestly, who needs a shower after surfing if you can stay up to 15 minutes more in the water ;)? If the waves are epic we will all end up arriving last minute at work, maybe still wearing our wetsuit. If you are lucky your boss will be tolerant and understand that you couldn’t leave the water earlier and hey, at least you arrived in time!
4. Worst case scenario – No waves!
Of course we are able to read the forecast! But sometimes nature simply changes while we are sleeping! Alarm clock set, waking up somehow and then the big surprise when you arrive at the beach: There are no waves! Did they just disappear the second you arrived? But now you are already awake and at the surfspot without waves, what else is there to do? If you are lucky you will have a few more surfspots around that you can also check, if not: life sucks! But don’t cry, you can find other things to do! Surfing is everything but not everything. If you aren´t completely awake yet you can go and find a coffeeshop to have another coffee. There you will probably bump into a few other poor surfers who will share the misery. Another idea: do a little yoga session at the beach, cause yoga exercises will help you training your balance and muscles that you will need for the next surfsession!
So is surfing worth getting up that early?
A definite YEEESSSSS!!!!!!! There is always less wind in the morning and the line ups are emptier. There are not that many people who are crazy enough to leave their cozy bed and their house when it’s still dark and cold outside! But is it worth it getting up that early and sleep less? Yes, cause surfing in the morning is just refreshing and frees your mind! You won’t understand if you never tried!
And this feeling, when you are in the water before the sun rises and you can surf into the first light of the day on an amazing wave – priceless!
And these colors! Being in the middle of the ocean, alone, watching the sun rise and the colors of the sky change from dark grey to purple, pink, blue and light…. No words needed for that! Nothing against watching sunrise and sunset from the beach, but when you are in the water, you will always see both sides – the horizon when you are watching and waiting for waves and the sky above the beach while surfing a wave. You see, with surfing you’ll get the full ankle of the sunrise and nature 😛
Best thing to do: Get a van or a bed in your car and sleep at the surfspot!
If you are not a person who wants to think too much about what to pack in your car, at what time you have to set your alarm clock and and and, just go and live on the beach! Yeesss sounds crazy, but hey, even in the smallest cars you install a nice and cozy bed! And be able to wake up, have a look at the waves and if there are none, turn around and keep sleeping! Or have a coffee while watchign the ocean – either way, you will have a great start into your day. Fazit is: early birds rock!!
Sea you in the water soon!
YOUR NOMB SURFTEAM
