6 Ways to track your Progress

Are you Getting Better at Surfing?

Surfing in Bali and Sri Lanka is epic! But once the surf trip is coming to an end how do we know if we actually improved? Surfing is not a linear progression and it’s also not as easy to track like going to the gym and measuring your strength based on your reps and weights.  Each surf session is different and impacted by changing tides, winds and surf spots. At our Surf Camps in Bali and Sri Lanka our main priority is to improve your surfing level, our knowledgeable surf guides will work hard to help you improve, help you hit your goals and stay motivated and here are 6 ways you can track that.

1. Set Realistic goals

Avoid setting vague goals like ‘surf better’ and ‘pop up faster” etc, these goals are not achievable. It is important to set Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound goals for your surf trip to Bali or Sri Lanka and review this set of goals before each session.

Some examples of SMART goals include:

2. Wave Count

How many waves you catch in a session are a great progress indicator. A beginner surfer may only start their journey with one or two successful waves in their session but after one week of staying at Kima Surf Camps in Bali or Sri Lanka this wave count will dramatically increase. It is also important to track:

  • Take off Success Rate: How many pop ups are bringing you to your feet and how many are resulting in a wipeout?
  • Ride Length: How long are you riding the wave?

Our experienced surf guides will improve your surfing in Bali or Sri Lanka starting from a wave count of 3 and ending the week on a wave count of 10.

3. Get Footage

The best way to track your progress and identify the mistakes you are making is with video analysis. Video analysis is the best way to correct your pop up, surf stance, maneuvers and more! That is why video analysis sessions are included in your Kima Surf Package at our surf camps in Bali and Sri Lanka.

While watching your footage you should look out for the following:

  • Mistakes: Any stance mistakes, pop up or positioning mistakes.
  • Watch other learners’ videos and try to identify where they are going wrong.

Once you have your footage you can compare your footage from your earlier sessions to the later to see where you have improved and you can listen to the surf guides tips, critics and advice for improvement.

4. Write About it

When it comes to tracking your surfing progress it is best to log all of your sessions in your surf journal. After every session it will be beneficial to write down what worked and what didn’t work so you can identify the areas that need improvement. It is also important to note:

  • Surf Spot and Conditions: noting whether you surfed Bali’s beginner friendly breaks or reef breaks or Sri Lanka’s point break in Weligama is important and also noting the tide, wind and size is important as this can impact your surfing on the day.
  • Board Size: Were you on the right board for yourself and the wave conditions?
  • Wins and Challenges: Note if you did a good pop up or if you struggled with positioning etc.

When surfing twice a day in Bali and Sri Lanka, writing down your surf sessions is a structured approach to improving your surfing abilities in a visual and motivating way.

5. Believe It

Progression is not purely physical, it is also mental. Big growth is characterised by confidence in the water. Ask yourself the following questions and also write the answers in your surf journal.

  • How did you feel in today’s conditions?
  • Are you sitting closer to the peak?
  • Are you trying to go or bigger waves?
  • Do you feel nervous when the set approaches?

A confidence shift in mindset shows you are leveling up as a surfer.

6. Monitor Paddling Strength/Endurance

80% of your time in the water is spent paddling, duck diving, turtle rolling and correcting your positioning so as you can imagine this is rather important. It is important to track how strong and efficient you have become in the water. When surfing try and record

  • How long did it take you to reach the line up?
  • When surfing the same spot twice did you notice a faster paddle out time to the line up?
  • What is the length of your session, how long can you stay out before feeling exhausted?

At Kima Surf Camps we have daily yoga sessions, functional gyms on site and more to help you improve your strength and endurance on land to help with your water time.

It takes time and practice to get better at surfing. There will be days when you feel humble and days when you feel great. But you’ll stay inspired and realise how far you’ve come if you keep track of your progress.

Every day of your surf trip will be guided by our experienced guiding, video analysis, and the ideal setting for growth are all provided by Kima Surf Camps, whether you’re surfing in Bali or Sri Lanka.

Are you prepared to watch your surfing development ride by ride?

Make every wave matter by reserving your stay at Kima Surf Camps in Bali or Sri Lanka right now.