Master the Waves: 10 Mental Tactics for Surfing Greatness

At 72, Joseph Grassadonia carves through the waves at Sunset Beach, proving that mental mastery knows no age limits in the pursuit of surfing greatness.

High level surfers spend hours a day, day after day, year after year, harnessing their skills. They are the strongest, fastest and the most skilled, but they have other unseen skills that attribute to their success and training from which all of us could benefit. It takes a combination of physical and mental greatness to create an elite high level performance surfer, but even those of us mere mortals, can make good use of the lessons learned below.

Developing Grit

Wanting to win is very different from doing what it takes to win. Everyone wants to win, but very few are willing to make the sacrifice, commit to the hard work and dedicate much of their time and energy to succeed. That is why only few are successful at the elite level. Success must go beyond the status quo. Grit is what keeps us going despite adversity. Grit is what helps us to consistently deliver results. This fortitude of character and strength of will is a quality possessed by the elite surfer to help them overcome obstacles and beat the odds. You can generate grit through small wins — setting achievable goals and accomplishing one after another. Also, when you make a plan or commitment, stick to it; no excuses.

Visualization

Our actions follow our thoughts. Not only does this speak to the power of positive thinking and self-belief, but also to the power of visualizing our success. Studies are showing visualization produces the same muscle action as physical activity — the brain gets trained for activity through mental processes. In many studies, those who use visualization alone, improve their skill almost as much as those actually practicing the skill. Many elite surfer use visualization to help them develop and solidify skills and to practice their routine before a big event. Likewise, you can use visualization to help you achieve your goal of a higher level of surfing. When practicing visualization, sit or lay in a comfortable position in an environment with minimal distractions. Engage as many of your senses as you can, making the image as vivid as possible. See yourself not just achieving the goal, but successfully completing the detailed steps to achievement. Adding just 10 minutes of daily visualization can go a long way to help you achieve your goals and stay focused on achievement. Successful people see their future, then live it into existence.

Working with fear

Everyone experiences fear. What sets the elite surfer apart is their ability to feel their fear but work toward their greatness regardless. They do not succumb to their inner critic nor do they entertain limiting beliefs. For the elite surfer, fear is a challenge not a threat of defeat and defeat is an opportunity for learning. They wipeout hundreds of times, but refuse to stay down. In order to be successful you must take risks and to take risks you have to embrace fear and failure. Your desire to succeed must be greater than your fears. Don’t over analyze what you’re doing, immerse yourself in the process.

Affirmations and personal belief

Doubt can destroy talent. We act in accordance with our own self-image, therefore it is paramount for an elite surfer to believe in their own ability and right to win. It is common in interviews to hear world class surfers talk with assurance about their ability to win. When you fail to believe in yourself, you create limits to your success. You must believe to achieve. Using positive affirmations is an excellent way to work toward self-confidence, self-belief and owning your deserving of happiness and success. Try to replace your negative self-talk and criticisms with believable positive statements. You can also try creating a mantra you can say to yourself every morning, evening and times of doubt. Any successful person, including elite surfers must dedicate the time and energy to work through their limiting beliefs and if you want to achieve your goals, you will need to spend time doing the same. In addition to plausible positive affirmations and mantras, a journaling practice can be very helpful.

Cultivate focus

Elite surfers are highly focused on their goals and don’t allow for distractions. Everything comes secondary to their training, competitions and success. They create lifestyles and support systems that further their achievement. They have a one track mind and it is focused solely on becoming the best. With the endless possibilities and opportunities available to us and all of the daily distractions, it can be easy to lose focus on what matters most to you. Take the time to clarify exactly what it is you desire, what you will need to succeed, the action steps you will need to take, what help you will need from others and what you will need to give up in order to succeed. Clarity creates focus which breeds success.

Hire a coach

There is no elite surfer without an elite coach. If you want to take your surfing to the next level, hiring a surf coach is a great step. A coach will provide you with direction and a clear, intelligently constructed training program. Coaches are able to watch your performance and provide feedback you are unable to do for yourself. When you are feeling unmotivated — and everyone does at times — a coach is there to keep you accountable.

Hone your nutrition game

Elite surfers often have someone helping them with their nutrition — whether it’s a nutritionist or a meal preparation service. Proper nutrition plays a paramount role in the success of any athletic and health Endeavour and is not to be overlooked if you want to be successful. There is an overwhelming amount of information on the internet and you can certainly go the DIY route, taking the time to experiment with your own body to see what methodologies and foods work best for you. If it is in the budget, a nutrition coach or registered dietitian can help you eliminate much of the guess work, provide a wealth of information, help you stay accountable and often, achieve results faster. If you hate to cook, or if you find yourself eating out a lot, a cost comparison with a healthy meal prep service could be a good expenditure of your money.

Practice what you hate

It’s easy to do what you love, but greatness comes from practicing where you lack. Whether you hate lifting weights, training cardio, skill development drills, preparing healthy meals or doing the mental work necessary to succeed in creating a healthy lifestyle and achieving your surfing goals, you must develop the discipline to practice what you hate. Each element is essential for long term success. Using joyful discipline is a practice of seeing these essential practices as a positive choice, not an obligation, toward goal achievement. This mindset shift can be beneficial in creating a positive experience.

Always be learning

Let today’s mistakes be tomorrow’s progress. Elite surfers are always developing and honing their skills. For a world class athlete, the more they know and the better they understand their body, the better they can perform and the more likely it is they will succeed. We are incredibly blessed to have an abundance of resources available to help us progress toward our goal. Commit to spending time each month increasing your knowledge about fitness and nutrition. Use your knowledge to become your own guru and learn what works best for your body through thoughtful experimentation. Try new workout routines, nutrition programs and food, and different wellness practices to find what helps you further your health, fitness and surfing lifestyle.

Create goal supportive habits

Habits are things we do without thought. The more we can convert our healthy nutrition and fitness practices into habits, the less willpower we require. For elite surfers, training, eating well, working on skill development, visualization — all of this becomes a habit over long periods of practice. They don’t spend time or energy thinking about going to train, it’s a given. By adopting the same habit around going to the gym and eating clean, you too can make a healthy lifestyle a no brainer. While not all of us will become elite surfers, or even want to, we can still benefit from incorporating the practices of these world class athletes to help us achieve our goals in surfing, health, fitness and every other area of our lives.