Many holiday surfers know the problem: it’s finally time to head back to the ocean, but in the first few hours in the waves you have to build on your surfing skills from your last holiday… But even as a landlocked surfer, you can train your surfing skills at home. Among other things, mental training and breathing techniques for surfers are a valuable part of surf preparation. They play a crucial role in (surfing) sports as they help athletes to optimise both their physical and mental performance. We’ll show you why this is the case and how you can integrate these techniques into your everyday life!
Mental training and breathing techniques for surfers – overview
Mental training and breathing techniques for surfers
Surf training at home
To be really well prepared for your next surf trip, you need a lot: fitness, strength and endurance. Mental training and breathing techniques for surfers are also incredibly valuable when preparing for your next surf trip.
You can prepare for surfing in a variety of ways, even far from the sea. Through fitness and strength training, swimming and paddle training, endurance training or surf skating. The effectiveness of mental training and breathing techniques for surfers is often underestimated. However, mental preparation for sporting challenges and practising different breathing techniques can be extremely helpful in critical moments in the wave and, in combination with more ‘sporty’ preparation, is the perfect training for your next surf trip.
Mental training and breathing techniques for surfers
What is mental training for surfers?
Mental training for surfers is not physical training to strengthen your fitness or power, but is aimed at your mental strength. Mental training for surfers uses various techniques to train the positive alignment of the mind and thinking. In this way, movement sequences can be studied but also fears can be overcome and blockages released.
You may know it from dreaming: sometimes you wake up and are no longer sure whether you were dreaming or whether it actually happened. Mental training utilises precisely this weakness: your brain cannot distinguish between what you are (intensely) imagining and what you have actually experienced.
Why not try out these 4 mental training techniques when preparing for your next surf trip?
Visualisation
Surfers often visualise perfect wave rides in their heads. This technique helps to internalise the movements and timing, which improves confidence and performance in the water.
Mindfulness and meditation
Mindfulness exercises and meditation help surfers to stay in the moment and not be distracted by external factors or fears. This can improve responsiveness and decision-making.
Positive affirmation
Positive affirmations and self-talk can help to overcome self-doubt and maintain a positive attitude, which is particularly important in challenging circumstances.
Set goals
Short-term and long-term goals help surfers to measure their progress and continuously improve. Goals can include specific manoeuvres, fitness goals or mastering certain wave conditions.
Breathing techniques for surfers – (no) fear of the washing machine
Sooner or later we all end up there: in the wave washing machine, which rinses us thoroughly after the wipe-out and takes our breath away. Underwater, you not only lose your bearings, but also your sense of time. What seems like an eternity is often just a few seconds and yet we run out of air before we can count from twenty to twenty-two… To be better prepared for such situations and at the same time reduce the fear of the next wipe-out, breathing techniques for surfers can help: how to train your lungs & calm yourself down through conscious breathing. Win Win!
Pranamaya
This breathing technique from yoga emphasises slow, controlled breaths that can help to increase lung capacity and calm the nervous system. Examples include alternate breathing (Nadi Shodhana) and deep abdominal breathing.
CO2 tolerance exercises
Exercises aimed at increasing the body’s tolerance to elevated CO2 levels are particularly important for surfers who often have to stay underwater for long periods of time. One technique is the controlled holding of breath after an exhalation.
Box Breathing
This technique, in which you breathe in for four seconds, hold your breath for four seconds, breathe out for four seconds and then hold your breath again for four seconds, can help to reduce stress and increase concentration.
Activate diving reflex
The diving reflex can be activated by breathing in and immersing your face in cold water. This slows down the heart rate and reduces oxygen consumption, which is particularly useful when being held underwater.
Breathwork in the Sea Inside Studio in El Cotillo
Svenja from the Sea Inside studio in El Cotillo not only offers yoga, but also regular breathwork sessions. She knows all about how ‘correct’ breathing affects our quality of life and how regular breathwork sessions can support us in our everyday lives as well as in sport.
What is Breathwork all about? How can you explain Breathwork to someone who has had no previous contact with it?
“Breathwork” is an umbrella term under which there are many different types of breathwork. I would roughly divide it into 2 groups:
- Conscious Connected Breathing (also called LSD Breathing, as the experience is similar): You may know this one as “Holotropic Breathing” or “Rebirthing”. Here you breathe quickly and without pauses in order to get in touch with your subconscious through a slight undersupply of oxygen to parts of the brain. The idea here is to allow your thoughts to calm down and thus gain more access to your body, your intuition and any experiences that still need to be processed.
- Somatic Breathwork: This involves looking at your breathing patterns, which can have a long-term impact on your mental and physical health. We may develop unhealthy breathing patterns (fast & shallow breathing, no abdominal breathing possible, unconscious holding of breath, etc.) as a result of a stressful everyday life, a lot of sitting, little movement, clothing that is too tight or traumatic experiences. These breathing patterns can trigger stress in our body. Targeted and personalised breathing exercises, somatic techniques and specific movements can slowly regulate the nervous system again and thus build up more resilience in the long term, which can help with chronic autoimmune diseases, but also simply with stress management.
Have you noticed a difference in your surfing since you have been more involved with Breathwork practices?
Quite clearly! Since I’ve known and experienced for myself how long I can hold my breath if I stay calm, I’m no longer afraid of possibly being underwater for longer in a wipeout. The positive effect of breathwork on my nervous system has also helped me to be calmer and less stressed in the line-up. Since I’ve had a regular breathwork practice, it’s been much easier for me to keep a clear head in the water, even in stressful situations, and to react more confidently.
At the same time, I can assess my limits much better: I have a better sense of which conditions and which spots are right for me and my nervous system on any given day. This means I no longer expose myself to situations that would overwhelm me due to, for example, too much surfing in the line-up on a particular day. As a result, I now have a lot more fun in the water and a lot less stress.
What 3 tips would you have for surfers who have not yet dealt with breathwork & breathing techniques?
1. Sit upright in a position where your stomach can be relaxed and your back straight and try to observe your breath:
- Where do you feel your breath (chest area or also in your stomach?)
- How fast is your breathing?
- Do you breathe shallowly or deeply?
- Are you breathing through your nose or mouth?
In general, we want to encourage diaphragmatic breathing through the nose. This means that we can breathe easily into the abdomen, the side of the ribcage and the chest. This breathing in general suggests to our body that we are “safe” and not in a stress mode.
2. Try to breathe through your nose as much as possible when exercising. This is recommended for a number of reasons, but among other things it helps to increase CO2 tolerance over time, which is good for our health in general, but also when it comes to performance. Of course, not if you are just coming back up after a wipeout.
3. I would recommend checking out the Bolt Score (related to CO2 tolerance and how long we can hold our breath) and trying exercises that increase CO2 tolerance. For starters, something like Box Breathing can be a simple but effective method.
Or you can simply drop by one of my Breathwork Classes in the studio or online. If you want to work more consciously on your breathing, I also offer private and individually tailored programmes to help you achieve your breathing and wellbeing goals.
Benefits of mental training and breathing techniques for surfers
The integration of mental training and breathing techniques for surfers into your surf training is recommended by many professional surfers and coaches and can be practised both in the water and on land to achieve the best results. You don’t need a lot of equipment and can integrate mental training and breathing techniques for surfers into your daily routine relatively easily. Mental training and breathing techniques can help to reduce stress and anxiety caused by big waves or difficult conditions. Through better mental preparation and breathing control, surfers can better utilise their physical abilities and increase their overall performance. In addition, improved lung capacity and CO2 tolerance increase safety in the water, especially in emergencies when you need to stay underwater longer.
It’s all about where your mind’s at.
Kelly Slater