Green Ocean Surfing - About us

We often approach surfing the wrong way: what you see… is not necessarily what matters…

“nice board”, or “these boardshorts match my lycra” or even worse “surfing makes me look cool!”.

But in the end what matters is that you surf, and once you’ve tried surfing you’ll never quit. Once you catch your first wave, you’re hooked !

What we would like to do is to bring surfing back to its true essence, help surfers respect the ocean, the environment and other surfers who share our passion and experience. If surfers know more about the environment they’ll respect it more and they’ll make sure others respect it too. Learn how to surf in the best possible way, advance and teach others, the world will be a better place…

In the end it’s just a man and a wave, and whatever stands in between them is man-made. We, as surfers and human beings, are responsible if something comes between us and nature: 99% of the stuff we use is among the most polluting (such as neoprene, resin, surf wax, etc.). GREENOCEANSURFING doesn’t want to radically change a worldwide business, we want to raise awareness of the issue. Knowledge is the best weapon in the fight against pollution.
We, as consumers, can make the surf industry become more environmentally aware by choosing the right products. And, as surfers, we can and MUST do all we can, to prove we deserve the gift we’ve been given: riding waves. If we knew the extent of the environmental damage caused by making a surfboard and the environmental impact of producing a wetsuit, we would probably change the way we see ourselves in the surfing equation, and understand that things have to change and that we MUST take action now! Tomorrow’s already too late!!! We can grow together as surfers and as an integral part of this wonderful planet…
Mother nature has had enough! How about you?

Green Ocean Surfing
The first totally free interactive online surfing course
http://www.greenoceansurfing.com/

Andrea Bonfili _ Surf Coach
Fabio Fontana _ Web Master
Bruno Pepe _ GOSpublisher

GOSURF 'N CLEAN

GOSURF ‘N CLEAN
IWGA (International World Games Association) statistics say that, as of 2006, there were approximately 20 million recreational surfers worldwide: just think what could happen to our environment if each of them started cleaning a section of their beach! What a great environmental impact it could have!
…it’s our duty to do something… but an incentive to motivate our effort is always welcome. I mean, it’s only fair! We would all like someone to pat our shoulder and tell us: “GOOD JOB!” And that’s what GOS is going to do! We’re going to motivate you to do something more for your beach and nature in general. And how is that?!?!?
It’s very easy: go surfing, have fun and clean a section of your beach; don’t forget to shoot a short video of you raking up the sand! Then send it to gosurfnclean@greenoceansurfing.com along with your personal info and information on the surf spot where you shot the video and you’ll receive an awesome GOS t-shirt!!!!!
But remember to always respect nature and clean your home spot; don’t do it just for a free t-shirt, do it because you’re doing something right! It will make you feel a lot better!

MOTHER NATURE HAS HAD ENOUGH!!!!! It’s time to do something! Remember that surfing means being part of something, a living organism that goes on living no matter what we do. We’re certainly not the solution, but we can be a part of it.

Green Ocean Surfing
The first totally free interactive online surfing course
www.greenoceansurfing.com

GOS PRO WAVES

- THE BEST WAVES OF THE PROS DISSECTED FOR YOU SEC-BY-SEC BY GOS
- LEARN FROM THE PROS, GOS WILL TELL YOU HOW!
- WATCH AND LEARN… FROM NOW ON THE PROS WILL BE SURFING FOR YOU!!!

Until a little while ago to have some fresh news on the surfing world and see the pros surfing the best waves on the planet you had to wait ages and crave for those few international magazines that were just impossible to find if you didn’t live in one of the best surfing countries; otherwise, you had to find a friend, or even a friend of a friend, just anyone who would lend you a videotape, which, of course, had already been copied over and over again. Older surfers remember, and miss, those videos passed from hand to hand and all those hours spent looking at awesome photos on surfing magazines.

Today, with the web-revolution, things are a lot easier and the world seems to be ‘cramped’ in a screen… Currently, with a simple ADSL connection you can watch ASP world tour finals taking place in Hawaii while sitting comfortably on your couch while it’s snowing outside!

But, apart from having fun watching some good surfing, how can we improve Our Surfing by watching pros? GOS knows how: we’ll teach you the best possible way to study pros surfing technique and analyze their surfing or yours. The best way to improve your surfing skills is to watch your surfing, understand what you’re doing wrong and learn from your mistakes! You can send us your videos and we’ll analyze them together! We’ll explore your strengths and weaknesses together, but we’ll also teach you how to analyze and learn by watching the pros – or you – surfing… have fun with GOS and don’t forget to check out our GOS website for more pro waves!!!!

Green Ocean Surfing
The first totally free interactive online surfing course
www.greenoceansurfing.com

SHOOT HELL (photo database)

SHOOT HELL (photo database)

Since we’re convinced that you have to know your enemy, with your help GOS would like to set up a database containing pictures of pollution from all over the world: how, where and why, but also who is trying to so something about it and how. A picture is worth a thousand words! Have your say!   

Basic Beginners Guide – WHAT YOU CAN GET OUT OF SURFING

Basic Beginners Guide – WHAT YOU CAN GET OUT OF SURFING

THE FIRST ONLINE INTERACTIVE SURFING COURSE

Green Ocean Surfing: “Basic Beginners Guide”.

Our e-books aim to help you develop basic surfing skills. This is a totally free interactive online surfing course.

So don’t hesitate to download and print our e-books or forward them by e-mail to all the people who could benefit from them! And don’t forget that this is an interactive course! So don’t hesitate to contact us, we’re here to help you and answer your questions.    

Remember: to make the best use of your time on the beach, go surfing!
www.greenoceansurfing.com

WHAT YOU CAN GET OUT OF SURFING:
LIFESTYLE, PHYSICAL FITNESS, SATISFACTION, JOY AND STOKE!!!


Surfing is inspiration.... watch this and you'll understand why:-)

Congratulations on choosing Green Ocean Surfing!!!
You’re ready to start!

The first step to becoming a surfer is to just WANT TO SURF!  

You’ll get a feeling out of surfing that’s called getting “stoked” and “addicted”, it will change your “lifestyle”: we think it’s an awesome way to live and “exploit” the ocean, as well as to bring surfing back to its true essence and help surfers respect the ocean, the environment and other surfers who share our passion and experience.

If surfers know more about the environment they’ll respect it more and they’ll make sure others respect it too. Learn how to surf in the best possible way, advance and teach others, the world will be a better place!

Surfing is for everyone: adults, kids, girls and guys, at both the amateur or professional level. 

Whether you just want to go surfing once in a while or become a pro, you’ll start living a healthy lifestyle and Green Ocean Surfing, with its videos, free surfing lessons and surfing instructors, will teach you the basic techniques for a beginner starting out or an experienced surfer who wants to gradually improve his/her skills!  

But be patient! Learning how to surf takes time and surfing is a lifelong progression!

That’s why it’s so intriguing! You know the feeling you get when you ride your first wave? Well, you’ll get the same feeling every time you catch a wave, for your whole life!  

So just grab your board and head down to your local beach! Enjoy your ride! 

RESPECT NATURE AND MAKE SURE OTHERS RESPECT IT TOO! YOU’RE PART OF IT!

Stretching exercise no. 1

Hi guys, today we’re going to start with a set of stretching exercises, to loosen up tight leg muscles. Get into the initial position, which means sit down on the floor with your back straight and your legs stretched out in front of you.  

We’ll start with one leg, then we’ll stretch the other. Let’s start stretching the left leg: bend your right leg and place the sole of your right foot on your left inner thigh. Make sure your butt is on the floor. It’s very important.    

Take a deep breath, bring your palms together and raise your arms above your head, then slowly lean forward, with your back straight; hold your breath and clasp your left foot with your hands, you’re still holding your breath. 

Andrea Bonfili - surfing instructor - Green Ocean Surfing

Exhale and bring your head toward your left knee and pull your left foot toward you. Hold this stretch for as long as it takes you to take 3 deep breaths. Make sure you keep constant tension. Don’t jerk back and forth, maintain a constant stretch. If you feel pain, stop; concentrate on the part of your body where you feel tension and start breathing. It will help release tension and the pain will slowly go away. This means your muscle is stretching.   

Return to the initial position: slowly straighten your right leg and place it next to your left leg. Switch legs and repeat this exercise. Then slowly place your left leg next to your right leg, exhale, inhale, now we’ll stretch both legs. Slowly lift your back up, take a deep breath and let the air out. The exercise is over. Remember: 3 deep breaths on one side, start with your right leg, then do it with your left leg, then both. This exercise will take you less than 5 minutes but it will help you loosen your tight leg muscles after a surf session. 

Warning: the contents of our training lessons must NOT be considered as being prescriptive, they shall only be for information and cultural purposes. Our “tips” require an authorization from your personal doctor. 

edited by: GOS
www.greenoceansurfing.com

Explosive power – exercise no. 1

Hi guys, today I’ll show you some strength training and workout exercises specifically for surfing.

We’ll talk about “explosive leg power”.

Why do we need “explosive leg power” in surfing? If you are a surfer you know that surfing involves a lot of extensions, keeping your legs flexible and bending your knees. Explosive power is the “power” than allows your muscle to gain maximum strength in very little time.   

The exercise I’m going to show you today is very simple but very effective; we’ll jump in place, making sure not to perform too many jumps per set. I suggest you start with 3 sets of 6 to 8 repetitions. Today I’ll use a brick for this exercise, but you can use any object you like, as long as it’s safe to use. Remember, safety comes first.      

This is your initial position: keep your feet slightly apart, your arms stretched out in front of you to help you keep your balance; now bend your knees and jump up on the brick, land on the ground with your knees bent, then up and down again. Repeat 6 to 8 times in a row.   

Why are we performing such short sets? Because if you perform sets of up to 6 to 8 jumps you build explosive power, while sets of over 8 repetitions are resistance training exercises.     

Rest for 20/30 seconds between sets, then start again. 

Warning: the contents of our training lessons must NOT be considered as being prescriptive, they shall only be for information and cultural purposes. Our “tips” require an authorization from your personal doctor.

edited by: GOS
www.greenoceansurfing.com

Yoga – Surya Namaskar - sun salutation

Yoga – Surya Namaskar - sun salutation

Suryanamaskar (sun salutation) is to be considered a complete sadhana (practice), a series of yoga exercises to stretch and fortify the muscles, loosen up joints and massage body organs.

 

It comprises of twelve postures (asanas), including forward and backward bending of the spine, which will flex and stretch the spinal column through their maximum range, enhancing overall flexibility of the body. This series of postures will stretch your body joints and muscles, enhancing agility and vitality.

  

If you want to practice this regime, you should familiarize yourself with the postures first, then you can combine them with breathing (in or out). You should breathe in when you bend back and breath out when you bend forward; bending forward will favor the compression of your chest and abdomen, helping you get all the air out.  

Practicing a full round of these poses on a daily basis (it would be better to do it in front of the rising or setting sun) will allow you to reap optimum benefits for the spirit and the body.

Sun Salutation is a magical, alchemical ritual that absorbs and reflects power and energy from the sun, which in ancient times was worshipped as a god. All living beings are born from SURYA (the sun god), recite the Rig Veda, one the oldest Indian texts, thereby expressing the primordial homage that all the civilizations, since the beginning of time, have voluntarily rendered to the sun. 

By practicing these twelve poses, which match the various phases of the sun, from dawn to sunset, we take energy from the sun and build an intimate and special relationship with the creator and energy force, bringing prana (vital energy) within our body, and re-balancing it. It’s an ancient ritual, which enables each person to reach a state of complete well-being and accumulate energy.       

Yoga Sun Salutation is a complete practice which comprises of poses (asana) breathing (pranayama) and meditation (mantra). It holds equal benefits for the body and the mind and awakens the spirit and vital energy.  

Like all yoga practices, sun salutation is the perfect antidote to stress, it alleviates anxiety and stress as well as all the unhealthy states of mind from which most people suffer. Surya Namaskara delivers a multitude of benefits, thanks to the combination of various key yoga techniques. 

Through practicing ASANAS we work on the whole body, it affects blood circulation, the lymphatic system, glands, and spine.    

Through practicing PRANAYAMA we affect the respiratory system, by enhancing flexibility of the rib area, improving lung capacity and, most of all, increasing vital force.

Through practicing MANTRAS (chanting) we affect the mind by eliminating disorders and granting a clear and alert mind that is capable of concentration and meditation, which is necessary to live a healthy life and create complete harmony of the spirit and the body.

Once you’ve learned each move and pose, as shown on our video, that you can view on http://www.greenoceansurfing.com/, this exercise will take only 10 minutes; if you practice it on a daily basis, you can obtain maximum results and infinite benefits faster than you think.

Trim and surfing stance

In today’s lesson we’ll deal with the toughest and most important part of surfing, which is how to trim the board, i.e. hold the correct surfing stance. We’ll start by holding the correct position while lying down on the board.

This is a lesson you have to pay very close attention to. How do you trim a board, how do you find the correct position on a board?

In the video you can see how you have to keep the surfboard in the water, its tail and nose should stay out of the water.

Place your hands on the edges of the surfboard, put one foot on the board first; it will help you find your balance.

Then place your chest and then your other foot and look what happens to your board.

If you see the nose sinking under the water, it means you’re holding the wrong position. What do you do to make the nose come out of the water? Place your hands under your chest and start moving your whole body slightly backwards.

Andrea Bonfili - surfing instructor - Green Ocean Surfing

Same thing if you see that the nose sticks out of the water too much; it means that you’re too far back. To move forward stretch out your arms and, while still holding on to the rails of the board, push your body slightly forward helping yourself with your toes. It’s important that you move slowly, an inch at a time.

When you feel you found the correct position of the board on the water you can start focusing on the correct body position.

At the beginning, if you feel your board moving under you, wobbling to the right and to the left, place both feet off the board.

Remember to always keep your hands near your shoulders, to arch your back and lift your chest high off the board, never put your chin on the board, and keep your head and eyes forward, face the nose of the board.

If you feel the board tends to roll to one side, you can find your balance again by automatically moving a little to the other side of the board. Slowly place your feet on the surfboard, keep you ankles close together.

Use the point of the nose for reference and keep your eyes and nose in line with the nose of your surfboard; if you do that, you’ll be exactly in the middle of the board.

This is the toughest thing to do. The easiest thing is to stand up. As soon as you feel the board is stable on the water, you’re ready to start paddling. To paddle correctly on a surfboard, you need to have a deep, short stoke. 

Remember: if you have a long stroke, you’ll move your whole body and your surfboard sideways. If you have a deep, short stoke, your body will stay still and only your arms will move. 

edited by: GOS
www.greenoceansurfing.com     

A surfboard’s component parts

The deck, bottom, rails, nose and tail.

In today’s lesson we’ll talk about a surfboard’s component parts. The top side of a surfboard is the deck: this is the side surfers lie on and the surfboard wax is applied to.

The bottom of the surfboard is simply called the bottom and it’s the side the fins are attached to.

The sides of a surfboard are the rails. The front part is the nose and the back part the tail.

Fins are found at the bottom of a surfboard. But what are fins used for? Fins are like a car’s wheels, they help surfers steer their surfboard and gain direction control.

A surfer executes a turn on the board by shifting his/her body position; fins help turns by keeping the surfboard from sliding sideways and allow the surfer to draw lines on the wave.

The lines drawn can be more or less sharp and radical; what do we mean by radical? We mean a surfer’s level of surfing and technical ability: the more radical a surfer is, the sharper and more vertical the turns he/she executes on a wave will be.

The leash or leg rope is the cord that attaches a surfboard to the surfer’s leg and is made up of many parts; it helps you keep your surfboard when you wipeout. Without a leash you will have a long swim to retrieve your surfboard.

The leash is made up of three parts:

- one end is attached to the surfboard’s tail;

- the middle part is made of elastic rubber having a limited stretching ability (and this is very important!).

- and the other end is an ankle strap that the surfer attaches to one ankle. Attach it to your back leg (the foot that is on the board’s tail).

In the video I’ll show you how to attach your leash. The first part of your leash is composed of overlapping and securing Velcro straps. At the end of your surfboard’s tail you’ll find a small hole, or leash plug. Create a loop in the leash cord. Thread the cord through the leash plug on your board. Now you need to attach the leash to the cord. Overlap the three Velcro patches and your leash’s attached to your board!

edited by: GOS
www.greenoceansurfing.com 

Introduction to surfing – the first online interactive course for beginners

Hi, I’m Andrea Bonfili. I’m a surfing instructor and the COACH of the ITALIAN JUNIOR NATIONAL TEAM. Together with Green Ocean Surfing, I wish to welcome you to the first online interactive surfing course that is totally free.

This course aims to teach you how to surf. Our beginner surfing lessons are divided into different sections.

There are three main sections.

The first part will cover a surfboard’s technical features and its component parts.

The second part will deal with how to trim the board and hold the correct surfing stance.

And the third and simplest part will teach you how to “stand up on a surfboard”.

Remember that these first basic lessons are just the beginning! Many more will follow, which you may view for free.

This is an interactive online surfing course, which means that you may ask any question you like or request any information any time for free.

You can contact me and the Green Ocean Surfing staff on our forum and blog or by sending us an e-mail. I suggest you check out our GOSBLOG often, it’s rich of updates, news and information on our initiatives regarding ecology and the surf world!

Enjoy your surf lesson!

Andrea Bonfili

edited by: GOS
www.greenoceansurfing.com

Board features

There are three main features to consider: length, width and thickness.

Length is important, as a longer board allows a fast take off: the longer the board the easier for it to gain momentum; the shorter the board the harder to catch waves on.

Width is also important, as it affects how stable the board is. The wider the board, the more stable, and the easier for you to find your balance. A beginner will find it hard to lie down and stand up on a narrow board.

Thickness or depth: the thicker a surfboard is the more volume the surfboard will have and the better it will float.

Learning how to stand up on your surfboard is NOT the hardest thing to do when you learn how to surf: the hardest thing is to learn how to paddle correctly.

A surfboard with more volume will help you paddle correctly. The more volume a board will have, the better it will float and the easier it will be for you to paddle on it. 

edited by: GOS
www.greenoceansurfing.com

Basic Beginners Guide – Your Surfboard

Basic Beginners Guide – Your Surfboard 

Your surfboard

The basic rule to remember when you choose a beginner surfboard is: the bigger, the better. Longer boards float better and are more stable. 

As it floats better and is more stable, a bigger surfboard will help you paddle correctly, as well as easily catch waves and stand up. 

If there’s no experienced surfer who can offer you assistance and advice when you’re buying your first surfboard, you have two options:

1-     You can either write to us – and we’ll tell you what board to buy;

2-     Or you can follow this tip on how to choose the right beginner board: raise one arm, your board should be as long as your fingertips.  

When you buy your beginner board, choose a board that has the right features. A board with the right features but a graphics that’s not exactly cool is better than a board that has a dazzling graphics but is NOT the right board for a beginner.


Surfboard parts

There are some things you need to know about your surfboard; it will help you with your surfing.

1-  The rounded or pointed end is knows as the nose.

2- The other end is the tail, your back foot will go on the tail. 

3- The edges are knows as rails.

4- The top part is the deck: this is the side surfers lie and stand on.

5- The bottom is simply called bottom, and it’s the side the fins are attached to.

6- The leash, or leg rope, is the cord that attaches a surfboard to the surfer’s leg.

7- Surf wax, which is applied to the deck, adds grip.  

nose

tail

rails

deck

bottom

surfboard length

surfboard width

surfboard thickness

rocker

fins

leash

ecological surf wax