Surfing never gets old, but sometimes the waves are just too flat to bother paddling out. Other times, you might find yourself somewhere you can’t surf, or maybe you just enjoy the feeling of adrenaline and adventure. Whoever you may be, there’s a lot of stuff out there that you’ll find surfers enjoying the world over.
1) Skateboarding
Skateboarding is the original thing to do when the waves just aren’t up to par. Invented by bored surfers in California it’s currently something entirely of its own. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of gliding over asphalt, and with a proper longboard you can definitely see why the original surfers started doing it.
If you’re the technical type, get yourself a trick deck. It won’t mimic the feeling of riding the waves as well, but you’re sure to have a ton of fun and you’ve already got a head start from your surfing experience.
Just remember asphalt hurts a little bit more than water if you bail. For that reason, you want to have quality and reliable equipment.
2) Snowboarding
Racing down powdery snow, carving a trail at absolutely insane speeds is awesome, there’re no two ways about it. The original activity was pioneered by a man for his daughter, and it was called snurfing, a portmanteau of snow and surfing.
That’s exactly what it’s like. If you’re looking for that surfing sensation and feeling down about not being near the beach, you should give it a shot. There’s a lot of specialized equipment out there, but the new snowboarder can easily rent a cheap board and get right to it. The other essential you can not go without are googles. For more info on that, here is a great resource I found useful when getting my goggles and gear for the winter https://www.snowcentral.com.au/choose-ski-goggles-lenses
If you enjoy hitting the waves, you’re sure to love every minute of carving slopes. Even better, the bails won’t cave in your face like skateboarding will.
3) Camping
A lot of us surf because we enjoy being outdoors. Camping is one of the best ways to enjoy nature, whether you’re on your favorite beach or spending time in the deserts or mountains.
It’s also pretty easy to get into, even if you’ve never done it before. A tent and a minimum amount of equipment can set you up for a night, and if you take up the practice seriously you can see some amazing places on backpacking journeys.
Why not set out and bond with Mother Nature a bit?
4) Hoping on a Plane and Traveling Abroad
Surfers love traveling, there’re no two ways about it. Even if you live on the best beach in the world, the impulse to get out there and try out other waves is a strong one. Taking it up can be an expensive affair, but if you buy tickets ahead of time and plan your trip carefully most of us can pull it off.
If you’ve got the money, you don’t even need to plan. Hop on the plane, head to Hawaii or Australia, enjoy the new surf and the new sights.
Traveling leads to new people, new places, and new adventures and its good for the soul. Catching the best wave of your life in a new area is just a bonus.
5) Rock Climbing
Rock climbing can challenge your body in ways that the ocean never will. It’s great exercise, great fun, and there’s nothing like enjoying the view of an area from the top of a cliff that you conquered with your own body.
If you’re uncertain about it, then try a gym first. All you’ll need to do is rent your rock climbing gear from them and maybe take a class and you’re set for a new challenge.
Rock climbing is a discipline in and of itself, not just mindlessly monkeying. It’ll take some time even if you’re in amazing physical condition but when you apply it in nature you’ll know it was time invested, not just time spent.
6) Working Out
Exercise is good for you, that much is obvious. You’ll look better, feel better, and have more stamina. Surfing isn’t quite enough for a well-balanced routine, even if it is a physical challenge and adding some weights and calisthenics into the mix is a great idea.
Some surfers note that their bodies tend to do some odd stuff when they’ve been in the game for a long time. You might want to consider yoga, you’ll attain both a peaceful feeling and you’ll correct any imbalances in your posture.
If you want to surf well into your old age, exercise isn’t just another activity, it’s an absolute must.
7) Hiking
Like camping, but without sleeping in the dirt. Pretty much anywhere you live there’ll be a trail or two to hit and anyone in moderate shape can take a day hike without any real discomfort.
The real fun begins when you combine it with staying outside, long backpacking treks are a hallmark of those who enjoy the great outdoors.
Whether you’re hiking eight miles and getting in the car to go home, or trying to conquer some of the longest trails in the world, hiking is always a great experience.
8) Sky Diving
If you’re the type who can’t get enough adrenaline, try jumping out of a plane. You might find your limit, or you might have just stumbled into your new favorite hobby.
The first couple of jumps will always be with an instructor, so there’s little risk there. Once you’re on your own, though… watch out, the high might just be addicting.
Skydiving takes some time and money, but if you’re willing to spend both then give it a shot. Jump out of a perfectly good airplane. Open your parachute. Glide back to base earth to greet those of us who’ve remained on terra firma.
9) Hunting
Hunting probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind for most nature lovers, but that’s because they weren’t raised around it. While sport hunting isn’t exactly ethical, hunters raise a ton of money and use a lot of land to attract deer for their yearly harvests.
While hunting for whitetails is a slow, sometimes tedious affair, a lot of people with a want for adrenaline will go for quicker versions of hunting. If you’re risk averse, small game is a great way to get used to the art. If you’re not, go on a boar hunt, which is definitely the kind of thing which will wake you up.
10) Fishing
Fishing is an art that connects you with the ocean nearly as much as surfing itself does. You’re reaching into the briny abyss in order to retrieve a fish. It’s nearly always a fair fight as well, large game fish are hard to bring in and many novices will struggle to even hook an anchovy on their first few trips.
Try pier fishing at your favorite beach, it doesn’t require any kind of license in the US. If you’re willing to invest in a fishing license, you should be tempted to get your feet wet and fish from the surf.
Either way, it’s a fantastic experience, and if you pack your pole with your board you’ll never end up with
