5 reasons why surfing is the ultimate sport

Surfing is a sport for the free-spirited, ones who live with their hearts on their sleeve. It is a sport played in the great outdoors, and offers a lot of physical benefits, with a lot of the settings some of the most scenic beaches on the planet.

If one hasn’t ever picked up a surf board, here are 5 reasons why one should take up surfing and why it is the ultimate sport –

• Full body workout

• Surfing is a sport that offers a full body workout, because of the fact that it involves a combination of many different aspects, all of which work to add to the difficulty of the sport.
• While it starts from paddling out from the shore to the waves to actually riding the wave, a lot of different aspects are tested, with strength, balance, agility, stamina and reflexes put to the limit, increasing the extent of the workout one undergoes.

• All you need is a board and the ocean

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  The board and the ocean – all that’s needed to become a surfer

  The fact that the sport doesn’t require a lot of infrastructure makes it a very attractive one for enthusiasts to pick up. The presence of a good board and a love of water is enough to push one towards surfing.
• Once you start understanding the waves, the same board helps you perform moves of your choice, making your time on the surf most enjoyable and adventurous.

• Helps cultivate patience

• As a sport, surfing involves a lot of small milestones, all when looked at independently might not seem much, but when combined together, have a great effect. The sport has a lot of aspects which seem fearful, and need to be overcome.
• Just like it is a positive step when one learns to balance while riding a bike, or like a kid learning how to stand, surfing involves many baby steps, like learning to stand on the board, or understanding and executing one’s first move, all of which are steps that lead onto a major achievement in terms of the sport, and so help develop patience.

• Will make you fall in love with nature

• Surfing is a sport that functions very close to nature, in that, beaches with good, strong waves are needed for the surfers to experiment and actually have fun pulling off their moves.
• The fact that most beaches are actually picturesque locations, and are some of the most beautiful places on earth, make it a sport that will invariably make you fall in love with nature.
• In a day and age when a lot of the world around us is battling pollution in multiple forms, the ability to be offered a chance to actually be close to nature will without a doubt bring people into the sport.

• Close-knit, exciting community

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  Close-knit surfing community – Canguu Surf Community (Bali) (Picture courtesy – www.cscbali.com)

  Surfing remains a niche sport, and is not really one that has garnered a lot of attention till now. The Indian Open of Surfing is looking to change that perception, and bring surf lovers from across the country together.
• Someone who does take to surfing will be part of a vibrant, exciting community, always open to helping each other, and looking to get the most out of their time on the waves.
• One will get chances to interact with like-minded individuals, who retain an interest in surfing, and will help add a lot of diversity to the existing pool of surfers, promoting good exchange of thought and ideas.
• You can follow the event details here, visit the Surfing Federation of India page here and find out more about the Mantra Surf Club here. Follow the event on Twitter and Instagram here and here, respectively.