Former Irish Champion and Pro Surfer John McCarthy of Lahinch Surf School is one of Ireland’s most experienced Irish Surfing Association qualified surf coaches. In the articles below he goes through:

Most frequently asked questions about Surfing

What you should know about Surfing

Swimming Ability Required for Surfing

The first thing to consider is how strong a swimmer you are, and how far you can swim. Even competent surfers should never paddle out farther than they can comfortably swim out to and back without the surfboard. Your leg rope could break at any moment, and you may find yourself having a really long swim back to the beach.

Physical Fitness for Surfing

It goes without saying that if you are looking to take up surfing seriously, being physically fit is essential. A good surfer will make paddling, carving and wave riding look effortless, but the reality is that there is a lot of physical work involved in paddling around, getting up on your board and doing manoeuvres.

Surf Safely

Safety should always be at the back of your mind. For example, you should never be surfing alone. You never know what might go wrong even on the smallest of waves, and it's good to have someone who can help you out should you get into trouble.
Like swimming you should never go surfing straight after a meal. Wait at least half an hour after eating before going for a surf. If you're up for a surf first thing in the morning you should wait until after for your breakfast.

Surf school's

Surf school's are a great place to start and can be a lot of fun! They will tell you everything you need to know about surfing, from the equipment, to the technique, through to surf etiquette and more. You don't even need to go with anyone, you will no doubt meet some cool people along the way to enjoy the experience with, and maybe go surfing with in the future..
Please click here for a surfing centre near you: Surfing Course Provider

Surfing Equipment

For more detailed information on surf equipment and where you can buy please click here: Surf Equipment

As a beginner you don't necessarily need anything (depending on whether you use a surf school to learn or not). If you use a surf school or camp to learn you should be provided with everything you need. Or alternatively if you have an experienced surfer friend, maybe they can lend you equipment, if not you can always rent it from some local surf shops. As you improve and find more time to go surfing, you will start to build up the equipment you feel you need.

Surfboard

For learning you need a board that is:
More stable in the water (easier to stand on, and stay standing!).
Light and easy to paddle on.
Preferably soft, so you don't hurt yourself or others around you.
Generally the longer and wider the surfboard, the easier these things become. A longboard is a good place to start, as is what's known as a softboard, funboard or foamboard. You are likely to learn on one of these at a surf school.
As you progress you will no doubt want to try different shapes and sizes of boards, the type of board you ride, will greatly effect how you ride the wave, or how quickly you progress, certain boards are designed for different sizes of swell.

Wetsuit

Depending on the temperature of the water, you may need a wetsuit, you can get different thickness' depending on how cold the water is. If the water is warmer, boardshorts will suffice, it is still a good idea to wear what's called a 'rash vest', which is exactly what the name suggests. The deck of the surfboard is coarse from the surf wax and can rub your chest, it is also sticky (not great for the hairier of guys!). Surf wax is a wax (in the shape of a bar of soap) that you rub all over the deck (top-side) of your board to create friction for your feet to grip the board. You can also buy friction matt's for your back foot that stick directly onto the deck of the surfboard.

Other Surf Accessories

Other surf accessories are a surf leash, which ties at one end round your ankle (back foot) and the other to the tail (back-end) of your board, this is as much a safety precaution as it is to prevent you losing your surfboard! Other wetsuit add-on's include gloves, booties and hoods which aid you in the cold, but also further protect your skin, good for reef or point breaks as there are a sharp rocks and coral around, not to mention jellyfish!

Where to surf

As a beginner, bare in mind that you are not going to turn pro on your first attempt, you most certainly won't be doing anything resembling what you've seen on the surf magazines you read! Learning in small, even mushy waves is best for learning, it will teach you the basics you need to progress onto the better waves, you will also learn quicker this way!