5 Essential Surfing Tips for Beginners at Tanjung Aan

With its gentle, rolling waves, white sandy bottom, and breathtaking turquoise water, Tanjung Aan beach is the perfect classroom for learning to surf. To make your first experience less about falling and more about flying, follow these five essential tips.

1. Master the Pop-Up on Land First

The pop-up is the single most important move in surfing, and it's also where most beginners struggle. Don't wait until you're on a wobbly board in the water. Spend 15 minutes on the sand practicing. Lie on your stomach, place your hands flat on the sand under your chest as if doing a push-up, and then in one fluid motion, push up and spring your feet into your surf stance. The more you drill this on stable ground, the more it will become muscle memory.

2. Learn to Paddle Efficiently

Surfing is 90% paddling. Inefficient paddling will drain your energy before you even get to the fun part. Lie centered on your board, with the nose slightly out of the water. Use a deep, alternating freestyle stroke, cupping your hands and pulling them through the water. Avoid short, splashy strokes. A strong, steady paddle is your engine in the water.

3. Start with the Whitewater

Those pristine, unbroken "green" waves look tempting, but they are fast and require precise timing. Start your journey in the whitewater—the foamy, broken waves closer to shore. They are more stable and provide a gentler push, giving you the time you need to find your balance and practice your pop-up without the pressure of a steep wave face.

4. Understand Basic Surf Etiquette & Safety

The ocean has its own rules of the road. The most important one is: the surfer closest to the peak (the breaking part) of the wave has the right of way. Never "drop in" on someone else's wave. Always hold onto your board to prevent it from hitting others. When paddling out, try to paddle wide around the area where people are surfing. These rules keep everyone safe and the vibes positive.

5. Take a Professional Lesson

You can save yourself hours of frustration by investing in a lesson from a certified instructor. At Lombok Vibess, our instructors will provide you with the right beginner board, guide you to the safest spot in Tanjung Aan, and give you personalized feedback to correct mistakes before they become bad habits. It's the fastest and safest way to progress and truly enjoy the soul of surfing.