OpinionsThe Best Surfer In The Water Is… 

There’s a old cliche which says that the best surfer in the water is the one having the most fun. It’s interesting that this summarizes two completely opposite points of view without moving so much as a comma.

I don’t know who said it first but I’m pretty sure they were implying that the goal of surfing is to have fun, as opposed to surfing technically well (i.e. with speed, power and flow in the critical part of the wave). It follows then that if you’re having the most fun then you are, by definition, surfing the best. But if that’s really true, then what’s the point in learning to become a technically better surfer?

So I’m going to trash that idea and argue that the best surfer in the water (and by that I mean the most technically accomplished surfer), is going to be having the most fun for the vast majority of the time. At first glance this might seem like a slightly elitist thing to say but actually it’s a much more helpful and positive approach for surfers of all levels.

If you’re a beginner and your already having fun, it’s great to know that it’s just going to get even more fun as you improve. It means that all that paddling is worth it. It would be rather depressing if you had less fun the better you got.

Surf Simply coach, Alex, turns a close out into something fun with this lip line floater.

But here’s the real prize: as your surf skills develop, you will have fun surfing a much wide range of conditions! As a beginner you’ll only really enjoy surfing in waist high, off shore, gently breaking, sand bottomed, uncrowded waves. As a more experienced surfer you’ll be able to create speed in horrible onshore much (just check out the expression session at least week’s Quiky Pro below); you’ll be able to have fun in waves which only offer you time for one maneuver or waves which barrel over a shallow coral reef; you’ll be frothing to paddled out when the biggest swell of the year rolls in while everyone else is just standing on the beach; and you’ll enjoy surfing longboards, shortboards, fishes, single fins, SUPs & alaias. I would argue that the better you get the more fun it is. That’s surely the whole point of getting better.

So is the best surfer in the water the one having the most fun or is the best surfer in the water the one having the most fun? …if you see what I mean.