G'day everyone,
I am new to the ocean lifestyle ( 50 years young ), have never ridden a surfboard, but keen to get on a board of some sort - surfboard, SUP, or wave ski. I would appreciate any well intended advice. Which would be easiest to gain a level of proficiency whereby I can enjoy, without spending months and months falling off ? Use in different conditionAlso, entry level specs and approx. spend, good shops Sydney Northern Beaches. Am keen on something lightweight for portability, but not unstable ! Thanks a lot
If your looking for a sport where you won't spend "months and months falling off" I think surfing is not for you. IMO surfing is one of the hardest sports to master, alongside golf and takes years of commitment to get to even an intermediate level. Perhaps a bodyboard may be better suited for you
Hey old grom, Awsome decision.....f I were you I would.....
Get surfing lessons and learn safety and technique of how to surf firstly. Then if you want to go for a surf and there's no waves maybe rent a stand up paddle board....which you will pick up on the flat water really easily.
Do not get a......
Goat boat
From what I've seen if you can stand up and have two arms you can do stand up paddling.
There's two things you need to deal with:
- The physical strength and skill required to surf. The easiest by far is a SUP. Start off on rented or demo SUPs on flat water. Progress to paddling in windy chop. If you can do that then surf is no big deal.
- The personal resources to learn to read the surf, and behave yourself, and handle yourself in an environment that could kill you if you stuff up. A boogie board is a good way to get out in the surf. You can learn to catch waves, not run people over, not get run over, how it feels to be clobbered by a wave.
The worst thing you can do in the ocean is go in with you brain turned off. You have to constantly evaluate everything in terms of keeping yourself out of the poo, and not causing trouble for others. Think. Always have an escape route planned. Don't die. Drowning is not compulsory.
PS Surfing is not a sport. It's a lifestyle. You can't go to a shop, buy a "surfing set", have a couple of lessons and go surfing. You can't book a wave for 10:30 on Saturday morning for a party of five. With all weather sports you have to go, lots. The more you go the more chances you get to have a good session. Eventually you build up the skill and experience to choose when and how you want to go. For the first 10-15 years you just need to be there all the time. 
Select to expand quoteOldgrommetk said...
G'day everyone,
I am new to the ocean lifestyle ( 50 years young ), have never ridden a surfboard, but keen to get on a board of some sort - surfboard, SUP, or wave ski. I would appreciate any well intended advice. Which would be easiest to gain a level of proficiency whereby I can enjoy, without spending months and months falling off ? Use in different conditionAlso, entry level specs and approx. spend, good shops Sydney Northern Beaches. Am keen on something lightweight for portability, but not unstable ! Thanks a lot
Windsurfing sure does sound like something your gonna love!
It's a no brainier. Kiteboarding is for you. There are schools that have claimed zero to hero in three hours. Gear is easy to transport and at 50 , I'm sure you can afford it. Get in to it ! Ignore RPM, he's just taking the P . He knows its waaay more difficult to windsurf than kite. 
, cheers, J
hey Oldgrom
what is your sporting / active back ground?
Mitchbat may have the answer, bodyboard is easy way to get into the waves to learn some skills.
As for spending months falling off / in, if your not falling your not learning, no falls = no b.....s
Gday Craig66, active background is mostly all landlubber - lots of football for 30+ years (dodgy knees), cycling, swimming
Select to expand quoteGorgo said..
There's two things you need to deal with:
- The physical strength and skill required to surf. The easiest by far is a SUP. Start off on rented or demo SUPs on flat water. Progress to paddling in windy chop. If you can do that then surf is no big deal.
- The personal resources to learn to read the surf, and behave yourself, and handle yourself in an environment that could kill you if you stuff up. A boogie board is a good way to get out in the surf. You can learn to catch waves, not run people over, not get run over, how it feels to be clobbered by a wave.
The worst thing you can do in the ocean is go in with you brain turned off. You have to constantly evaluate everything in terms of keeping yourself out of the poo, and not causing trouble for others. Think. Always have an escape route planned. Don't die. Drowning is not compulsory.
PS Surfing is not a sport. It's a lifestyle. You can't go to a shop, buy a "surfing set", have a couple of lessons and go surfing. You can't book a wave for 10:30 on Saturday morning for a party of five. With all weather sports you have to go, lots. The more you go the more chances you get to have a good session. Eventually you build up the skill and experience to choose when and how you want to go. For the first 10-15 years you just need to be there all the time.
Thanks Gorgo, much appreciated.
Select to expand quoteOldgrommetk said..
G'day everyone,
I am new to the ocean lifestyle ( 50 years young ), have never ridden a surfboard, but keen to get on a board of some sort - surfboard, SUP, or wave ski. I would appreciate any well intended advice. Which would be easiest to gain a level of proficiency whereby I can enjoy, without spending months and months falling off ? Use in different conditionAlso, entry level specs and approx. spend, good shops Sydney Northern Beaches. Am keen on something lightweight for portability, but not unstable ! Thanks a lot
Hi,
I bought a longboard at 51..never surfed before....only been in the water with it once with my brothers who live far away. Back with them and my board for a week at the beach looking forward to trying again. I would love to have someone who lives on the mid north coast to go with as i find it scary going by myself. Good for you, and hope you have fun.
Select to expand quoteMobydisc said..
From what I've seen if you can stand up and have two arms you can do stand up paddling.
This is actually the best way to start by far, much easier than surfing. Start off on flat water until you feel you need more of a challenge, then go out into the ocean, where there are other standup paddlers, when the waves are very small, and observe what the others are doing, and ask questions.
Lots of great info on that at the StandupZone.com forum.
There are many good older stand up paddlers, in the waves, that have never been on a surfboard.
You pretty much have to have a young body to learn how to surf on a surfboard, not so much with SUP'ing.
what ever craft you decide on, learn the rules of the sport first.
don't be that fool that paddles straight to a point thinking, nobody owns the ocean,,,, or ,i have just as much right to these waves .
that lack of respect can get you seriously ****'d up….there is a way of doing it.
find i quiet place learn about the surf and your craft but most importantly the rules.
a quiet place is also away from families and young kids. dads will want you if you run over their child.
go get a craft talk to people and have fun.
As said before, the bad thing about starting late in surfing is that it will take quite a while until you are able to ride the waves at a comfortable and enjoyable level.
That's not to say it can't be done. It will take a lot of patience and frustration etc that most surfers went through at a young age. Lessons aren't really helpful, the only thing that helps is getting out there as much as possible, and to keep going at it. It will eventually fall into place.
A longer board (mal or even mini-mal) could be more suitable than a shortboard in the long term.
I recon give it a whirl. Once you get the hang of it all of that frustration will be forgotten, and you'll be frothing at the mouth to get out in the water.
And be careful, just because there are people out there it doesn't mean it's a good idea.
Select to expand quoteGorgo said..
PS Surfing is not a sport. It's a lifestyle. You can't go to a shop, buy a "surfing set", have a couple of lessons and go surfing. You can't book a wave for 10:30 on Saturday morning for a party of five. With all weather sports you have to go, lots.
Weather sports are fickle. They don't conform to weekends.
Select to expand quoteMastbender said..Mobydisc said..
From what I've seen if you can stand up and have two arms you can do stand up paddling.
This is actually the best way to start by far, much easier than surfing. Start off on flat water until you feel you need more of a challenge, then go out into the ocean, where there are other standup paddlers, when the waves are very small, and observe what the others are doing, and ask questions.
Lots of great info on that at the StandupZone.com forum.
There are many good older stand up paddlers, in the waves, that have never been on a surfboard.
You pretty much have to have a young body to learn how to surf on a surfboard, not so much with SUP'ing.
Yes, you may be right. I have tried sup and can do on flat water... it seems a bit boring though.. like I'd rather be paddling a canoe than a sup I think. I'll keep trying the surfing thing but maybe I am too old.
Select to expand quoteMcNaughtical said..Mastbender said..Mobydisc said..
From what I've seen if you can stand up and have two arms you can do stand up paddling.
This is actually the best way to start by far, much easier than surfing. Start off on flat water until you feel you need more of a challenge, then go out into the ocean, where there are other standup paddlers, when the waves are very small, and observe what the others are doing, and ask questions.
Lots of great info on that at the StandupZone.com forum.
There are many good older stand up paddlers, in the waves, that have never been on a surfboard.
You pretty much have to have a young body to learn how to surf on a surfboard, not so much with SUP'ing.
Yes, you may be right. I have tried sup and can do on flat water... it seems a bit boring though.. like I'd rather be paddling a canoe than a sup I think. I'll keep trying the surfing thing but maybe I am too old.
I disagree with the too old thing (unless you have injuries from younger years etc).
It'll be tough but so worth it.
Select to expand quoteDawn Patrol said..McNaughtical said..Mastbender said..Mobydisc said..
From what I've seen if you can stand up and have two arms you can do stand up paddling.
This is actually the best way to start by far, much easier than surfing. Start off on flat water until you feel you need more of a challenge, then go out into the ocean, where there are other standup paddlers, when the waves are very small, and observe what the others are doing, and ask questions.
Lots of great info on that at the StandupZone.com forum.
There are many good older stand up paddlers, in the waves, that have never been on a surfboard.
You pretty much have to have a young body to learn how to surf on a surfboard, not so much with SUP'ing.
Yes, you may be right. I have tried sup and can do on flat water... it seems a bit boring though.. like I'd rather be paddling a canoe than a sup I think. I'll keep trying the surfing thing but maybe I am too old.
I disagree with the too old thing (unless you have injuries from younger years etc).
It'll be tough but so worth it.
I agree with the age thing
If you are reasonably fit, and committed, you could do it
You would need to paddle lots, paddle paddle paddle, even when it's crap, just paddle
Count how many strokes, don't stop until you beat you last record
Soon you won't even be thinking about how many strokes, you'll just look and think "i wanna be there" and go for it
Then you can start learning how to catch waves, coz you'll already have been looking and learning, and taken no short cuts, and be able to get in and out of trouble
If it's what you want, go for it, but it is not easy,
The rewards are definateley worth it
I believe it all depends on what takes your fancy, and also how committed you are at achieving your goal.
A regular at my windsurfing beach is now a 72 fit and trim windsurfer. I had a frank discussion with him about when and why he wanted to windsurf. He started at a good age of 62. He is a farmer all his life though, hence fitness is on his side.
Now some of would think when the wind is up, he would be the first to pack up and leave. On the contrary, he windsurf in 30 knots choppy sea just like many of us fool-hardy not so young folks do. In fact, some younger folks packed up and watched him.
No, he is not the best, and he doesn't do radical things like big jumps and loops. He just glides in and out of waves. Gybe and back out again. Usually a couple of hours is all he needed. Judging by the way thing goes, he just might keep sailing until he is 80 and beyond.
Might you, he is not the only mature-age windsurfer. There is another European guy even older than him. As long as you stay within your own capacity, and know your limits, you will just about able to do most water sports.
Select to expand quoteMcNaughtical said..
Yes, you may be right. I have tried sup and can do on flat water... it seems a bit boring though.. like I'd rather be paddling a canoe than a sup I think. I'll keep trying the surfing thing but maybe I am too old.
I agree with James or RPM if surfing is too hard. Kiting and Windsurfing would be the way to go. Both are easy to pick up. Do both
I decided to get back into surfing after 20 years out of it so that I'd something to do when there wasn't enough wind to sail. After one session, I've virtually given up. Even when the waves are good, fighting with 20 other people on the break, and paddling for 10 minutes to get a 10 second ride felt like a waste of my limited spare time compared to sailing continuously for 2 hours when the wind is good. (and it's hard to get good!)
So choose a paddling or sailing sport.
Select to expand quoteOldgrommetk said..
G'day everyone,
I am new to the ocean lifestyle ( 50 years young ), have never ridden a surfboard, but keen to get on a board of some sort - surfboard, SUP, or wave ski. I would appreciate any well intended advice. Which would be easiest to gain a level of proficiency whereby I can enjoy, without spending months and months falling off ? Use in different conditionAlso, entry level specs and approx. spend, good shops Sydney Northern Beaches. Am keen on something lightweight for portability, but not unstable ! Thanks a lot
Where are you.. just wondering.. 
kiting will not require supreme amounts of fitness, is easy to learn and once you are better you can get in and out fo the surf and ride waves fairly yeasily.
you can ride less perfectly formed waves and less crowded areas. and catch many waves per session.
I am 58, but I have been in and around the water for more than 50 years. I don't think I count as a late starter, but ...
SUP is by far the easiest to do. Flat water paddling is fun. Small wave surfing is great and easy to do. If you have access to a reef break then you can surf without ever having to paddle over a wave. Reef breaks tend to be crowded. Next best is a shallow tidal beach break. You can have a really good time messing around with 1-2' high waves and still be able to stand up on the bottom when you come off.
Kiting is hard to learn, but easy to do when you become competent. It is quite hard to get good at. The potential for poundings is immense.
Boogie boarding is great fun and you can take it to any level you want. You can slop around in beach breaks or go and get barreled. It is probably the best way to learn to read surf and learn to take a pounding and learn to deal with stink eye from grumpy surfers. By far the majority of people slide along pushed by the white water. This is quite fun but totally lacking in style. If you can take yourself from sliding along to actually surfing the wave face then you will have learned enough to get out and surf on a SUP or other board.
