Surfing: A Beginner's Guide

Surfing: A Beginner's Guide has been the go-to surf book for beginners since 1996. This third edition, now with the endorsement of Surfing England, takes you through all the vital steps to become a surfer: you will learn where to surf, when to surf and how to surf safely. You will learn the foundations such as choosing the correct equipment, which is essential to make any progress as a beginner; pre-surf preparation, including getting fit with tips and advice; and your first surfer steps on the beach and in the ocean. All these stages lead up to you catching your very first wave and the surfing bug. The sea is renowned for its beauty, but infamous for its dangers. Alf provides you with transferable skills to safely enjoy your new hobby. Safety features heavily in the book, and you will learn all the basic common-sense aspects of surfing that even the most experienced surfer forgets.

Praise for Surfing: A Beginner's Guide

"This is just the book for anyone wanting to get into surfing...a fine combination of authoritative explication and practical know-how."
— TimesOnline

"...takes you through all the essential first steps".
— Carve Surfing Magazine

About the Author

Alf Alderson is an award-winning freelance journalist and photographer who splits his time between the Pembrokeshire coast and the French Alps. He specialises in adventure sports and travel journalism, and his writing has appeared in a wide range of publications and websites including The Guardian, Daily Telegraph, Independent, Toronto Globe & Mail, South China Morning Post, Financial Times, Abu Dhabi National, Coast Magazine and a wide range of surfing and skiing magazines and websites.

With four decades of surfing behind him in almost every corner of the globe, Alf is a regular fount of knowledge for all things surfing.

About Fernhurst Books

Fernhurst Books was founded in 1979, initially publishing books related to dinghy racing. The list soon expanded to include cruising and other watersports. In 2006 the business was sold to John Wiley, but in 2013 a group of sailing enthusiasts (including the original founder) bought the list and name back, once again creating an independent nautical publisher owned and run by sailors. Fernhurst continues to publish books that instruct, inform and inspire those with a passion on, in or under the water. Their 140+ titles range from how-to guides to narrative to coffee-table books, covering sailing, surfing, canoeing, kayaking, stand up paddleboarding, swimming, diving and fishing.