Surfing has given me many unforgettable years of fun, health and recreation. After teaching beginning surfers for more than 20 years, I've seen the long list of obstacles that they have to overcome in order to learn. To put it bluntly, surfing literally takes years to master. But with the help of this instruction, you should be able to avoid many of the common mistakes that students make.

It always helps to start when you're young, but age isn't nearly as important as physical conditioning. The best cross-training for surfing is swimming. As you'll quickly discover, at least 95 percent of your surfing time will be spent paddling rather than riding waves. To make this a bearable experience, you must have a strong upper body. A pool will work, but the optimum option is open-ocean swimming. It will help your conditioning and confidence in all types of ocean conditions. Sooner or later, your leash is going to break, and when it does, you'll be infinitely safer if you know what to do. I'd recommend a workout regimen of three days a week with a mixture of long-distance and sprint swims. Also, I recommend taking a course in CPR before you start spending extended periods of time in the water. The ocean is unpredictable-always be prepared for the worst.