Thinking of Surfing? Know the Right Equipment You Will Need Beforehand

If you have recently been thinking of taking up surfing, you are going to need to know exactly what equipment you will need before you start. You may or may not have thought about it, but there are various pieces of equipment which are absolutely essential in surfing.

The Equipment You Will Need

When thinking of which equipment you will need, you need to first know what type of surfing you are going to be partaking in. Most people do start off...with original stand-up surfing and for that you will need a surfboard.

Surfboards have been around for years, though the ones around today are a little different to the ones which were around years ago. They used to be made completely out of solid wood which meant that they were often really heavy to carry. Not really ideal when you have to run with them into the water! It wasn't until the 1940's that surfboards started to be made lighter and the material which was used to do that was 'balsa wood'. So, they were still made out of wood, only a different kind.

These days' surfboards are a lot more portable and light. They are created using polyurethane foam which has usually one or more wooden strips, polyester resin and fiberglass cloth. There are people constantly updating and improving the surfboard and at the moment they are researching a new type of board which is going to be even stronger and lighter than the fiberglass one.

Apart from a surfboard there are other types of equipment which you will need. These include a leash, surf wax, appropriate clothing, and fins. All of the mentioned are important and the leash is used to keep the surfboard close to the surfer. This helps to stop any other surfers from becoming injured if the surfer falls off the board. As it is tied on a leash, the board will not go floating away. This also helps the surfer to keep hold of the board so that they do not lose it or become stranded.

Surf Wax helps to keep the surfers feet on the board and stops the board from becoming slippery. Appropriate clothing generally depends entirely on the weather and in summer shorts are usually worn or a swimsuit for women. In winter when the weather is a lot harsher, wet suits are worn.

So, that is the equipment which you will need. If you are unsure of anything you should ask an assistant in your nearest surfing equipment store. You can also find out any questions you may have on the Internet on surfer's forums for example. Overall surfing can be fun but only if you do purchase the right equipment for the sport.