Now that you've paddled out passed the breaking waves, it's time to get yourself one.

Again, be sure you are picking a small, mushy surf spot to get your initial experience.

Once you've made it to the lineup (where other people will generally be and the waves havent broken), sit up and straddle your board and sit just below the center-point of your board, so that you can easily swing the nose left or right when you see a wave coming.

Watch the waves to see how they are breaking and try and pick a point were you see ones that you can handle.

Pick one that has not broken and as it approaches, turn the nose of your board with your hands, your legs underneath, and your body so that you are facing the beach, lay down and begin paddling.

As you feel the wave lift you and your board, paddle as hard as you can and lean your weight forward. The natural tendency is to lean back to keep the nose from going under water, but that will only slow your momentum which in not conducive to wave-catching.

Lean forward but raise your chest so that your weight is just above the center of the board.

You should now be sliding down into the trough of the wave. The first phase of surfing will entail that you wait until you are in the flat water in front of the wave before you stand up. However, the ideal is to begin standing just as you feel the pull of the wave.

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