Top 13 Surfing Equipment That You Should Always Carry Along!

Have you ever surfed in the sea? Neophytes in the domain of surfing may begin with procuring the basic equipment needed for the sport. Some may at the onset hire the basic equipment as the sport is under trial. The basic equipment required is bought first and other accessories are added as you master the art. The budget is one important factor that delays ownership of all equipment at the onset.

Surfing equipment has different pieces to safeguard the surfer, some are necessary while others are add-ons. Riding a full wave comes with practice and use of equipment. The invigorating pleasure of standing of the board after many trials is trilling and rejuvenating.

1. The surfboard

The board aids in riding the waves. It is tied to the feet. The commencement board should be larger in size and soft such as foam style. It is seven to nine feet in dimension. It is called mini mal. It supports learning. In the market you will find various types of boards. They are constructed keeping in mind:

• Dissimilar wave conditions
• Level of experience of the surfer

If your budget does not permit, then purchase a second-hand board. Surf shop will assist you in selection. Bigger your surf board swifter is the ride, and quicker is the next wave catch. Long boards known as Malls are above nine feet. It is difficult to operate due to its size. Best suited for calm and puny waves. Another board called shortboard they have a snug turning arc with a sharp nose. It is not a very stable board. Abbreviated board is lower than seven feet.

2. The Fins

In other words it is the wheel of the board. They extend:

• Support and balance
• Conduct and attainment
• Ride

The fins are labelled based on their wheels such as single-fin, twin-wheel, quad, thruster as well as five-fin equipment. Fins are attached on the bottom of the board. They are a detachable type. Fin faces the wave competence but board without fin glides out of control on the waves.

Top 10 Health Benefits Of Water Sports!

It is always said that ‘Precaution is better than cure’ and this saying goes perfectly regarding the health of a person. It is very important to take care of one’s health because nothing is more important than it. Regular exercise is the best way to live a healthy and happier life. There are various forms of exercising that one can perform to stay strong and healthy.

For people who find it too mundane to perform exercises at home on a daily basis or find it boring in hitting the gym daily, there is good news for them. Now, people can also perform water sports, which is fun and beneficial at the same time. Sounds bizarre, right? There are many health benefits of water sports, and in the blog below there are top 10 benefits of the same mentioned:

The exercise of the full body

It is well experienced that exercising in water engages every muscle unlike in general exercises. This is because of the major reason that when a person performs the exercise in water, they require more amount of force than they require while exercising on land. It is highly beneficial as it opens up every muscle and it also improves the stability, balance and most importantly there is less risk of injury in doing water sports.

Lighten up the mood

Performing exercise usually lightens up the mood and spreads positivity in the body, and when it’s performed in water, it is even better. Calm and soothing water instantly lightens the mood and spreads happiness and positivity in the body. This is because when you enter the water, you will start feeling light and the muscles of your body start getting relaxed. There is calmness inside your body, and you can feel that too.

How to Get In and Out of the Kayak Plus Tips to Be More Comfortable

Getting in and out of the kayak can be a real struggle, especially for beginners. You might look like a fool trying to do it and failing several times. Especially from a dock, it is not uncommon for people to end up tipping.

Getting in the kayak is not as easy as stepping with your right foot and setting in. In the same way, getting out is not as simple as standing and getting your one foot out followed by the other. There are specific steps that you need to learn when it comes to how to get in and out of the kayak.

How to Get In and Out of the Kayak

It does not take an expert to figure out how to do this right. This section will be divided into different parts depending on where you are coming from.

How to Roll a Kayak: A Short Guide for Beginners

Riding a kayak is fun but only if you know how to do it right. Otherwise, it can be frustrating. Worse, it can be unsafe if you are uninitiated!

While there are many techniques that you need to learn, one of the most important is how to roll a kayak. If you are paddling in calm water, rolling may not be as necessary. However, if you are a whitewater kayaker, rolling skill is a must!

Basically, rolling a kayak will let you recover from a flip. This will come handy when you are in rough water or when you lose your balance when paddling.

Fortunately, rolling techniques are quite easy to learn, even if you are a beginner. If you want to know how to do it right, keep on reading and learn from the insights we will be sharing.

A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Roll a Kayak

This section will be broken down in different parts, depending on the specific roll type that you will have to perform in case the kayak capsizes.

How to Put On a Swim Cap: Do It Right with this Tips

Swimming with complete gear is important to perform at your best when in the water. With this, one that you will need is a swim cap. It might not make you look you fashionable, but it is a functional accessory that can deliver several benefits when you are in the water.

If you want to learn how to put on a swim cap, the rest of this post can extend a helping hand. Whether you are putting it on your own head or to someone else, such as a child, this post will share some valuable insights.

The Benefits of Wearing a Swim Cap

Before we discuss a detailed guide on how to put on a swim cap, let us first go through some of the reasons why you need to have one in the first place.

Among others, one of the best things about a swim cap is that it offers protection to the head, keeping it away from the dangerous chemicals that are found in water. It limits the exposure of the hair to chlorine and other chemicals in the swimming pool. If you swim regularly, this will do a lot to keep your hair healthy.

To add, wearing a swim cap also helps to make sure that the goggles will stay in place. In fact, a lot of swim caps these days are made with partner goggles. This will prevent the hair from being pulled when you are wearing goggles.

If you have long hair, this also makes it important to wear a swim cap. It is not enough that you tie your hair. The water will most probably loosen the tie before you even finish your lap. With this, wearing a swim cap offers the perfect solution. It keeps the hair neat, making sure that it won’t get in the eyes of the face when you are swimming.

Surf Tips: How to Duck Dive Like a Pro

In theory, surfing might seem like a pretty straightforward activity. All that you need is to paddle and stand up on the board while trying to maintain the right stance as you glide. Easy, right?

Well, the truth is, it is actually harder than what you might have initially thought. Once you are already out in the water, you will feel that there are many things that you have to still learn.

Among others, one of the most important techniques that you have to master is the duck dive. It is an intermediate skill that you should learn once you are done with the basics.

Want to know how to duck dive? Keep on reading the rest of this short guide and we’ll give you the detailed steps on how you will be able to do it like a pro surfer.

What is a Duck Dive?

First, let us define what exactly is a duck dive.

Basically, it is the technique wherein you are pushing the surfboard under incoming whitewater. You will use your knee or foot so that you won’t end up being throttled by the big wave. This will make sure that all the effort you have exerted in paddling will not go to waste, making it easy to retain the momentum.

Duck diving is critical when you are surfing with big waves.

Surfing Tips and Tricks: Mastering the Surf Stance

Surfing is thrilling but it can also be frustrating. The latter happens when you fail to stand on the board and you get knocked down in the water!

For beginners, do not be depressed when you do not get it right the first time. Even the surfing pros spent years of practice to achieve perfection in the sport!

While there are many things that you have to learn as a novice, one of the most important is the right stance, which is exactly what we will be tackling in the rest of this post.

The Importance of Stance in Surfing

Have you ever laughed at someone while riding a surfboard because he or she looks like an idiot in the water? Do not be the subject of laughter! This is why stance is important! With the wrong stance, you will definitely look laughable out there! Your position will be awkward.

More so, the right stance is a crucial element of surfing because it gives you the balance and power that is needed when you are on the board. When you have poor posture, it will be easy to fall off the board. This can also be a cause of surfing injury.

If you assume the wrong stance most of the time when you are surfing, it is also highly probable that your body will be excruciatingly painful the next day!

Practicing your Surfing Stance

To make it easier for you to learn how to keep the right stance when surfing, this section will be broken down into different parts.

Feet

Your feet will be the foundation of a good surfing stance, making it the most important. Your balance, speed, and control will all depend on the way your feet are positioned and how they work.

One of the most important things is to make sure that both the feet are in the center of the width of the surfboard. Otherwise, the weight distribution will be unbalanced, and it will be easy for you to be knocked down, especially when the waves are big.

Position your front foot at the center of the board. This is also where most of the weight of the body will be. Think of it as the anchor, which will be crucial in the stability of the board.

Pay attention as well to the right space between the feet. They should not be too close or too far apart from each other.

On the other hand, for the back foot, it should be positioned on the traction pad of the surfboard. It should be at an angle of 90 degrees across the stringer line.

Basically, there are two ways by which you can position your feet on the board. If you are a regular surfer, your left foot should be forward. On the other hand, if you are a goofy surfer, it is your right foot that should be forward. Some surfers position their strongest or dominant foot at the back of the board, but this all boils down as a matter of personal preference.

Knees

The knees have to be slightly bent. You have to make sure that they do not touch each other. A good thing to do is to imagine that there is a watermelon and you are holding it in between your knees.

While slightly bent, the knees have to be positioned in such a way that they are pointing at each other. This will give you better maneuverability and will make it easier to shift weight depending on the conditions of the water. You can quickly change the direction of the board when you slightly bend your knees. Meanwhile, bending the knees too much will make you easily lose balance.

Technically, what you need to do is to assume the Pooh stance. This is a position wherein your knees are facing outwards as you stand on the board.

Waist

It is important that you do not bend the waist while sticking the butt out. This will have a negative impact on your balance and maneuverability.

Your waist or hips should be comfortably positioned and aligned with the body to be able to easily shift based on the direction of the wave. It will also help to dictate where the balance of the body will be when you are on the board.

If your hip or waist is too stiff, your momentum can be affected. It should be moving in the same direction as the body. There should be no sort of resistance. If you are too hard, the waist will prevent you from going wherever you intend to be.

Arms

Keep your arms as relaxed as possible when you are surfing. If it is too stiff, the body will find it hard to shift weight when needed. You have to spread your arms at the right distance for balance. More so, the leading arm should also be pointed at the direction where you intend to go.

The right arm lift is also important in a number of situations. For instance, if you want to generate horizontal speed, you have to lift both of your arms up until it reaches the level of your shoulders. You should do this while the body maintains a straight position.

When you are already riding the waves, you should keep your arm up. This is especially important for the front arm. It should be stretched as if you are trying to reach the nose of the surfboard. The other arm, meanwhile, should be stretched to the back but make sure to not do it too much.

Head

Meanwhile, your head should be positioned up, aiming at the direction where you intend to go. The position of your head will also depend on the position of the arm. When your front arm is up, your head should be facing towards the same direction.

To maintain the right position of the head when you are surfing, you have to think of it as your steering wheel. It is going to lead you wherever you intend to go. If your head is bowed down, you will clearly not have a good vision of your board’s direction. Do not turn your head towards your back once you are riding.

Wrap Up

From your feet all the way to your head, it is important that you master the right stance when you are on the surfboard. Assuming the right position will provide the perfect balance and control while also being able to avoid injuries.

Details in https://sawflow.com/mastering-the-surf-stance

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Top 10 Swimming Gear You Must Have To Master Your Swimming Skills!

Do you want to become a master in swimming? The process of becoming a master in swimming is very easy. Whether you take this decision because you are going to compete or interested to have a training partner who is good for you! Even though you know basic techniques of swimming, to become master, you need some important gears also.

If you love swimming but never try to go beyond beginner’s lessons, then set a goal. Setting goals to improve the swimming technique will help you in excelling. More than that let’s face it. The market is full of swimming gears and accessories. To become a master, you need little help to choose the best one.

If you always wanted to have swimming gears but not know exactly what all are important and how here we will help you to get that:

Top 10 Swimming Gear You Must Have To Master Your Swimming Skills!

Swimmer Snorkel
Recently, we saw a local swimmer doing freestyle kicking forth and back without a splash. We saw only one sign of disturbance brightly colored snorkels in the water that cuts silently from the water.

Even all have seen patented snorkels since 1994; a front-mounted snorkel recently came into popularity among pool decks. Today it is not hard to find this one in the best athlete collection of swimming gear.

We started with kick sets while doing long course swimming particularly, and it is helpful mainly to develop a balance and stroke fully. You may think why it is so important. The reason is there will be muscle imbalance in the shoulder during swimming. The best way to combat is mercilessly breathing bilaterally. It straps your face towards up to the snorkel of a swimmer.

A snorkel of swimmer can help in improving anything you want in the water. You may think how? It is like developing a more balanced stroke, to do kick works and mimic body position properly, to do scull properly but not with your head-up. One other best thing about this kind of snorkel is versatility that makes you a better swimmer.

Swim Caps

Via: http://budgetelpiqua.com/index.php/2017/11/08/what-are-swim-caps-made-up-of/

It may be difficult for you to choose the best swim cap when you see them at a sports store. Swim caps come in multiple shapes, size, color, and materials.

• Silicone Swim Cap: While latex swim cap is still popular, some swimmers get an allergic reaction. A solution to that problem is that the manufactures brought silicone material in swim caps. Silicone never leads to an allergic reaction. Nowadays, silicone is the most popular swim cap. It is flexible, a bit thicker, smells neutral, shinier and comes in various colors.
• Lycra Swim Cap: Lycra swim caps are made of the material that is used for making swimsuits. It is a mix of polyester and Lycra. Some come with additional coating outside to improve durability and also permeability. It is thick but the same as silicone, soft and gives a comfortable feeling. Also, it comes in different colors because it is made of Lycra fabric.

Kickboard

Now how we told we love kicking using a snorkel, the first love we should mention is the borderline green kickboard we use. She may not look pretty now but do its job perfectly. If you spend more time on a kickboard, then it can help in building bigger overall motor skill. Why is it?

The reason is our legs have the bigger muscles than other parts of our body. Therefore, it sucks up more of oxygen. Better leg fitness can help you in maintaining better body position and improves the ability to finish and execute much powerful pulling motion.

Usually, kickboards come in rectangular shape made with EVA foam. The commonly seen sizes are 1 to 1.5 foot large and 1inch thicker. But you will find a variety of colors. In my opinion, kickboard is best for isolating the leg movements while learning break stroke in swimming. Also, you can learn flutter kicks in the backstroke or front crawl using kickboards.

Also, you can become expert in front crawling and arm movement backstroke. For doing it, squeeze the board by keeping it between your thighs so that legs get supported. Now, give more concentration on arm motion while swimming.

Goggles

Via: https://potsdambears.com/news/2018/2/23/day-3-of-swimming-and-diving-sunyac-championships.aspx

If you are a beginner, to choose the best goggles for swimming can be a little frustrating experience. There are many varieties available, but a new pair of swim goggles should not be uncomfortable or useless due to leaking.

Check the lenses whether it looks comfortable. First, leave the straps and push its lenses against our eye sockets. It helps in getting a better idea about the lenses. It should be comfortable enough that you can wear for how many hours you want in the pool.

Choose padded goggles with gaskets made of silicone or rubber. Then check it sticks on your face due to suction even without straps. If not, the goggles will fall off and lead water. Afterwards, put the strap and check it is still comfortable.

Fins

Strapping the swim fins can do great things to make you the best swimmer. It helps you in developing more flexibly and motioning in the ankles and feet. It can help you to swim faster and teach you to breathe properly. It maintains a proper technique to swim at high velocity.

We feel a lot of fun to swim and kick with fins. This temptation will get bigger if you pick the best pair of fins but choose only shorter ones. Why? Because massive diving fins with two-foot blades slow down your RPM of kicking too much.

Diving gins are used generally by scuba divers that are too long and used for regular swimming. They are used for years now. Short blades have become popular recently.

It provides less force than longer blades; as a result, your kicking movement becomes closer to those without fins. Positive drive fins are shorter, so they are used for swimming breaststroke. Also, it can be used for other swimming strokes.

Paddles

Swimming paddles are like a staple for every swimmer’s training. Maybe, as an experienced one, you have used paddles so many times. But, do you have noticed what will happen when it is a strap-on? You can swim longer and swim faster per stroke of distance.

To build strength and power, it is specific to get. I do not need to tell everyone that when you swim with paddles, you swim faster. You get a feeling of how efficiently you swim in the water, keeping the rigid torso to early catch and much more.

If you want to use paddles for swimming, you can buy a small variant that comes with holes. They may put less strain on your shoulders and allow you to feel better in the water. While you use it, try to focus on the correct stroke mechanics and feel water instead of force exertion.

Band

As long as low-technology goes, this simple rubber band is a super addition to your performance. If you want that serious power with torque to pull motion, you should have it.

The bands force your arms to move balanced and for no resting with gliding more. It helps the legs to sink, so you need to be more cognizant to keep the hips high swimming in the water and face down. However, you should avoid using swimming band if you have rabid in the shoulder and should progress into.

You should think it as high-level resistance training band. If there’s any deficiency in the stroke, then it can make it worse by using the band. The bands balance your stroke, reinforce critical needs to have high-elbow while your catch, stroke rate increase and work as a stark reminder in keeping your hip nice and up in the water.

Nose Clips

Most swimmers may snicker with the idea of putting nose clip during training or competition. There are many benefits of using a free-range legit nose clip. You get more resistant power during breakouts and will help to breathe and kick out on the walls more.

Nose clips are bent wire little piece made of rubber that can stick to your nose. It will squeeze your nose and keep nostrils shut and water out. If you are not using it now, you may wonder how we should wear it. It depends on the type of clip you buy.

A nose clip always becomes beneficial equipment for beginners because it controls the breath. It is something that many swimmers struggle while learning to work out breathing pattern and doing flip turns without the water getting into their nose. It also makes it easier to extend the underwater dolphin kicking. Everyone loves doing underwater dolphin kicks, but only a few are master in holding their breath repeatedly for a long time and improving each rep.

Pull Buoy

Using pull buoy correctly can greatly benefit swimmers who want to become masters. It is used to separate focus of their arms on the training of pull and arm. Pull buoys are kept in-between the legs either at knees, thighs, ankles or calves.

• Learn and Sustain correct body position: Swimmers who stay higher in water and glides across the surface are said to be master when their legs and feet drop, dragging increase dramatically. So pull buoy keep your body elevated on the water with feet at or below the surface.
• Better breath control: Pull sets are used often on breathes control technique. By kicking heat and respiratory rate increases without leaving energy to give focus on or to breathe. Generally, the swimmers use pull buoys for longer sets. Without kicking can leave swimmer less winded and more strength.
• Focus on technique: Another benefit from cutting out kicks and saving energy will be the ability to focus on stroke technique energy. Arms get sloppy when a swimmer struggles to keep kicking strong and consistent.
• Concentrate more on arm mechanics: As said pull buoy helps a body of a swimmer to mimic proper poster in the water. But the same may not be possible while doing the kicking. So a pull buoy is a time when a swimmer can give more focus on arm mechanics properly to become a master in swimming.

Drag Sox

Are you hearing DragSox for the first time? Don’t worry! I can explain. They are little mesh kind of nets strap to the feet. It allows you to increase resistance and drag in the water. The main purpose of this piece of leg muscle building equipment for swimming is else. It develops leg power and strength to increase the power of swimming.

Dragsox is also great for an overall improvement in leg power and conditioning; it may go beyond that also. It gives a remarkable effect on the feeling of your foot in the water. This may sound silly to you, but at the moment you take it off and make an effort to move you can exactly know what I am telling. It will feel like shaving down or tapering instantly without the cuts and jitters.

The versatility it offers is the best part, do some vertical resistance kicking in the deep water. Also, you can do sprinting and swimming regularly with them, and its design allows you to swim with proper technique as well as full range motion.

Even though swimming is a competitive sport and looks like all you need is a swimsuit and goggles. If you take a glance at the pool deck while practising, you will learn otherwise. The bulkhead of the pool will be filled with everything from swimming bags and swimming gear, and from paddles to fins, caps, band and other miscellaneous items.

Swimming equipment is the one that can make an experienced swimmer to be a master. It provides very important benefits for each ability level. When you use it correctly, it will improve your body position, isolate muscle groups and differentiate the intensity of your swimming sessions. They are only possible if you use gear purposefully and correctly.

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