5 tips on how to lose your fear of surfing

Surfing and being afraid of the sea are two characteristics that, at first glance, do not seem to match. However, there are many people who, even if afraid, dream of catching a wave. Believe it or not, even professional surfers are afraid, but the love for the sport is so much that it is worth the adrenaline.

In today's post, we'll tell you how to lose your fear of surfing by reconciling your board with anxiety!

Why am I afraid of Surfing?

Being afraid of the sea has a name: thalassophobia. This expletive concerns the fear of saltwater, big waves, the distance from the land, and the ocean's emptiness. This is because we understand the ocean as something mysterious and everything that is unknown generates fear.

In addition, there are frequent reports of surfers suffering from shark attacks, documentaries, and images about dangerous sea creatures and cases of drowning and shipwrecks, which can sensitize some individuals more specifically.

Another common cause is fear of trauma: a bad experience, direct or indirect - broth, drowning, or fright - that happened in the water can cause paralysis in front of the sea. Thalassophobia is often passed from parents to children when adults, fearful of accidents, threaten or tell traumatic stories so that children do not venture into the sea.

How to overcome fear of surfing?

There are various way to overcome your fear of surfing

Control anxiety

In general, people who already suffer from anxiety disorders are the most likely to be afraid of the current, as they try to have control over external events and, when they cannot, despair. If that's your case, it's time to nip it in the bud by learning how to deal with that anguish better. Remember that the important thing is not to dominate the sea, but to understand it knowing how to make the right decisions according to each situation.

Do mental exercises

Psychologists recommend occupying the mind with good things to avoid tragic thoughts. Counting the strokes, imagining a song, or building mental images of success (you doing that tube riding!) Are some of the activities that help to forget the fear when it comes to catching a wave. Another strategy is to establish an internal dialogue, in which you calm yourself by repeating what you see and each maneuver you do.

Go more often to the sea

Okay, you can watch the documentaries of successful surfers or read about those who have overcome their traumas, but there is no better remedy for fear than facing it. If you are hoping to feel more secure and then learn to surf, you are doing it wrong: the right thing is to combine your own activity with overcoming thalassophobia. Start little by little, read the theory, swim in the shallows and, little by little, trust comes.

Take Apnea Courses

Apnea courses aim to increase the resistance capacity underwater. In addition to training the physical part, in which techniques are used to improve the ability to hold your breath, psychological work is done. After the course, the individual tends to be calmer in the face of risk situations, knowing that his lung capacity is greater.

When you despair at sea, your heart rate accelerates and your oxygen consumption too. So by staying calm, you are more likely to get out of a broth or drown. On average, the broths last 30 seconds, but you will learn to take 1 and a half minutes to 2 minutes without breathing in the course.

Look for quiet regions

When you start to practice, try to go to beaches that have a calmer sea and don't forget to check the weather conditions of the day, especially the wind. In the beginning, it is very important always to be accompanied by someone who is better at surfing, so you will feel safer!