Why you’re not improving at longboard surfing (and how to fix it)

This one might sting a little.

But if you’ve been surfing for a while and feel like you’re not getting better, or somehow even getting worse… you’re not imagining it.

I’ve had surfs where I didn’t catch a single wave and paddled in like… cool, love that for me. Confidence gone. Skills gone. Whole personality gone 😅

If that’s where you’re at right now, this is for you.

you’re probably not doing anything “wrong”

This is the frustrating part.

Most people think they’re bad at surfing or that they’ve hit some kind of limit.

But honestly… most of the time it’s not that deep.

You’re just stuck in a cycle that isn’t helping you improve.

you’re relying on the ocean to teach you everything

This is the biggest one.

You go out, catch a few waves, try your best, go home… and hope next time feels easier.

But the ocean is unpredictable.

Some days are messy, some days are slow, sometimes your timing is off, sometimes your confidence is off.

So even when you almost get something right, you don’t get enough clean reps to actually lock it in.

That’s why it feels like you’re stuck.

fear is low key running the show

Not in a dramatic way… just quietly in the background.

That hesitation before you step
Pulling back instead of committing
Second guessing yourself mid wave

It doesn’t feel like fear, but it is.

And it stops you from actually progressing.

you’re not practicing the right things

Surfing more isn’t always the answer.

If you’re repeating the same movements over and over without fixing anything, you just get really good at doing it the same way.

Which is why it feels like nothing is changing.

you’re being way too hard on yourself

This one… I know this one well.

You watch other people and think they’re doing it effortlessly.

You compare where you are to where you think you should be.

And instead of just learning, you’re judging yourself the whole time.

That kills confidence faster than anything.

what actually helps you improve

Not in a perfect, structured way… just real stuff that makes a difference.

Getting more reps outside the water
Even just practicing the movements at home so your body starts to understand them

Slowing things down
Not rushing everything and actually feeling what you’re doing

Working on balance and footwork
Not just standing there, but actually moving and getting comfortable with it

Letting yourself be a beginner again
Even if you’ve been surfing for a while

what changed things for me

I stopped expecting every surf to magically make me better.

And I started practicing in a way that actually gave me more chances to learn.

That meant taking it out of the water sometimes and just focusing on the movements.

That’s a big part of why we made a longer balance board.

I needed something I could actually move on, practice stepping, and build confidence without everything else going on.

And once I did that consistently, things started to feel way less random in the water.

if you feel like you’re going backwards

You’re not.

You’re just in that awkward stage where you’re aware enough to notice everything that’s not working yet.

Which honestly… is where the progress starts.

Stick with it, give yourself a bit more grace, and focus on getting more proper reps instead of just more surf time.

You’ll get there.