If your surf confidence feels like a roller coaster, trust me, you’re not alone. Even with years of experience, I still have days where I feel out of place, unsure of my wave selection, or like I’ve taken a step back. Surfing is a tough sport. We depend on the waves, the weather, the tides, so many variables that make consistency hard. That’s why it's so important to stop being too hard on yourself.

What is Surf Confidence?

To me, surf confidence means feeling comfortable in the water, knowing where to sit in the lineup, and trusting myself to make the best decisions. When I feel confident, I flow with the waves, tune into my intuition, and stay present. If I wipe out, I laugh, paddle back out, and try again. But when confidence is low, hesitation creeps in. Anxiety, self-doubt, and negative thoughts can take over, making us second-guess everything: our wave selection, positioning, and even our ability to be out there.

The key is recognizing these thoughts and shifting your mindset before they control your whole surf session.

A Personal Experience with Low Confidence

When the wave conditions is not great here in Bali, I sometimes barely surfed for a month or two. I remember one time, I finally got back in the water. I was excited, but as soon as I paddled out, I felt nervous, shaky legs, uncertainty, and hesitation. It took me 30 minutes of breathing and reconnecting with the ocean to settle back in. The biggest lesson? I had to tune into my senses rather than let my mind take over.

You will always have set backs, rather you got an injury, a bad session or maybe simply no surf for a while. The most important thing is to stay on top of the negative inner dialogue that can take over often. Simply bring awareness to it, as if you are putting some light on the dark thoughts, and they will diminish over time. 

How to Rebuild Your Surf Confidence

If you’re struggling to get back in the water after a break, an injury, or self-doubt, here’s what can help:

1. Push Past the First Session: Don’t let fear hold you back. Acknowledge it, but paddle out anyway. Accept that this first session might be a bit achy, unbalanced, and funny looking. It's O KAY ! the important thing is that you are back our there. Trust the process and allow yourself to begin again.

2. Start in a Comfortable Environment: Choose small, friendly waves with a relaxed vibe. If you get out when it's big and challenging conditions, it will only make your come back harder and more traumatic. Take it easy, slowly slowly.

3. Focus on Small Wins: Just paddling, feeling the water, and catching a few waves is enough.

4. Reconnect with Your Senses: Sit in the lineup, touch the water, observe the ocean, and listen to the sounds around you. This calms the nervous system and brings you back to the present moment.

5. Accept the Ups and Downs: Confidence, like the ocean, ebbs and flows. Some days you’ll ride high, others you’ll be under the waves, and that’s okay too. 

Your emotions are energy in motion, just like the waves. You don’t need to fight them, just learn to flow with them. Take a deep breath, get back out there, and trust that your confidence will return.

Surfing is a challenging sport that requires lots of time and commitment. You surf to have fun, you are not here to become a pro and put more pressure on yourself. My best advice: Be inspired by others, do not compare yourself. Accept your journey and progress, and make sure to cheer and have fun out there.

You got this!

With Love,
Ana ✿