California Board Sports Keep Tourists from Being Bored

Don't be bored in California. Get a board! Surfboards are believed to have been created in Hawaii and were originally made of balsa wood. Today's boards are lighter, friendlier and are made of a variety of foams materials and polyurethane.

Surfing, the sport of riding a surfboard, requires extra gear such as a leash attached to the board and the surfer's ankle so as not to lose the board; fins that are applied to the surfboard to provide additional maneuverability, a wetsuit worn in the cold ocean to stay warm, sometimes a rash guard for the upper body, wax for the board, and sometimes booties can be worn on your feet to provide traction on the board.

In addition to today's surfboard, the original surfboards are now called longboards.  There are also shortboards.

Other types of ocean sports include kitesurfing, kiteboarding,skimboarding, bodyboarding, and paddleboarding.   When you check out the prices on gear and boards, you quickly discover that it is better to rent for your first adventure. Find out if you like the sport and then you can decide if you want to invest in it. Cheap boards for skimboarding and surfing can be purchased starting around $29. A nice board with custom designs can extend into several thousand dollars.

Which board is right for you?

Easiest sports to begin your ocean sports adventure with include skimboarding. Surfing class instructors actually guarantee that you'll be up on a board within 30 minutes to an hour, however, so don't be deterred by your lack of familiarity with surfing.

Club Ed Surfing School in Santa Cruz allows you to book your lessons well in advance of a trip for an excellent vacation.