Why Do Surfers Run to The Water?
Surfers are interesting folks. We often see them running down to the water as if their lives depend on it.
And while every second might count, there are also a few more reasons for their haste, including high levels of excitement, adrenaline, momentum, and keeping them warm.
Most surfers will tell you that running to the water is not a necessary action. In fact, it can seem quite pointless to some.
Some surfers have all the time in the world, while others are on a tight schedule from their day-to-day work.
Either way, they both ultimately enjoy surfing for the relaxation that it provides them. It’s hard to explain, but there’s something about running to the water that just feels right when you’re a surfer.
Maybe it’s the thrill of an adventure or the sense of urgency that comes with getting in the water before the set disappears.
Adding a quick sprint to their water entry can help them make the most of their upcoming session and might be more than just a quick run.
Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why surfers might choose to run to the water.
Running Is a Warm Up
Running to the water might seem like an odd way to start a surfing session, but there’s actually a method to the madness.
Have you gone surfing early in the morning? There’s nothing better than a little cardio. It can help to get the blood pumping and open up your lungs, which is especially important if you’re surfing early in the morning and need a wake-up call.
Getting the heart pumping and blood flowing can help to keep surfers warm in colder water conditions. When your body is cold, running helps to get the blood flowing and warms you up much faster.
Running to the water is the closure for your warm-up on land. Make sure you stretch your muscles before entering the water. You wouldn’t feel it priorly, but it can save you from unpleasant injuries.
Hot Sunny Day
There’s nothing quite like a hot sunny day at the beach. When the weather is hot and sunny, surfers will often run to the water due to these two reasons:
One, obviously, it’s too hot outside, gotta pour some water on yourself. You might have even brought your cool new wetsuit, and by now you probably regret wearing it, since it’s too hot.
Maybe the sand is too hot as well, or you might have had to park miles away from the beach, and finding yourself carrying your surfboard, makes you sweaty enough to storm at the beach.
Two, sunny days at the beach equals a crowded beach. If there’s something that surfers hate, is a crowded ocean, so they want to get in before it becomes too crowded.
It’s easier to catch waves when there are fewer people out and it’s also easier to get a good ride. Surfing is becoming a super popular activity, so every day could be a challenge, depending on your surf spot.
High Levels of Excitement
For most surfers, running to the water is simply a matter of excitement. They can’t help but get stoked when they see the waves crashing on the shore.
Their feet are tingling, their arms are warm and ready for action and they can’t wait to get in the water, start paddling and turn at those sets.
The anticipation of catching a wave is enough to send any surfer to the water. They know that the moment they reach the beach every second counts and they don’t want to miss a good set.
Imagine you’re hungry, seeing your favorite food in front of you – the only thing you want is to just bring it on and take a bite.
The same goes for surfing, as you just arrived at the beach, the waves are literally whispering in your ear and all you need to do is just take your board and get in. How can you refuse this kind of temptation?
Catching waves is what it’s all about and surfers will do whatever it takes to make the most of their session. Running to the water is just one way that they get themselves pumped up and ready to surf.
An intermediate method would be, that once you arrived at the beach, watch the waves, spot the currents and the waves’ direction. Then let your excitement flourish.
Momentum Is All About Timing
Momentum is key for any surfer. The combination of waves and currents can make it difficult to move forward, even for experienced surfers, especially when you first enter the ocean.
In order to conserve energy while surfing, surfers hit the water with momentum. This can be very helpful when attempting to get inside the ocean since moving forward on land is much easier than moving on your board.
By getting past the first wave or two quicker, this boost can help you avoid having to fight against the breaks.
But not only that, catching a wave at the right moment is all about timing and being in the right place.
It means that they need to be paddling and getting into position as the wave starts to form. This is why surfers often run to the water so that they can get into position as quickly as possible.
Even when they just arrived at the beach, or waiting for the right time between sets. It’s important for them to get into the ocean at the right time.
They are planning on surfing for a while, so saving energy for a wasteless set can be crucial. They also don’t want to miss out on good sets, so they run to the water at the perfect time.
Running to the water is one way that surfers can get themselves pumped up and ready for a session.
Nature Is Whispering
The sound of the waves, the smell of salt in the air, and the vastness of the ocean all combine to create a feeling that is hard to resist.
For some surfers, this feeling is so strong that they have to run to the water in order to get closer to it, as the ocean is a source of power and energy, in good and bad times.
Catching waves is an addicting feeling and the ocean has a lot to do with it. The sound of the waves crashing on the shore is like music to a surfer’s ears.
Salty skin is happy skin, and it’s hard to resist the urge to get in the water when you can hear the waves calling your name.
The smell of salt in the air is also a surfers’ paradise, you can even call it the surfers’ kryptonite, It’s like a natural aromatherapy that relaxes and calms the mind almost immediately.
Conclusion
Whether it’s nature, the excitement, or the momentum, it’s a fun and common view to see surfers run to the water.
It might even be that unconsciously, surfers run to the water even in a middle of a work day to leave the stress behind them and just let go.
Whatever the reason, I don’t know why but it makes me happy to see someone running into the water.
It is the energy that fires the surfers up and their surroundings. Try it and let us know!