Surfing lessons on Long Island: What to know

For many, summer on Long Island means soaking up the sun, swimming — and surfing.

Elliot Zuckerman, 71, of Long Beach, has been surfing most of his life. He offers classes in the sport through his school, Surf2Live in Long Beach.

Zuckerman said rookie surfers should use foam boards, which are safer and easier to manuever.

And there are two moves that every beginner needs to learn. One is the pop up, Zuckerman said.

Similar to a squat thrust, a pop up starts with a surfer laying facedown on the board then standing up. The move can be practiced either on the sand or in the water.

For some, mastering a pop up is tricky.

“I need to learn more how to read a wave and timing when to pop up,” said Danielle Solomon, 28, of Long Beach, who started taking surf lessons last year.

Describing her experience surfing, she said, “It’s thrilling, it’s sometimes frustrating, it’s funny [and] it’s heart pounding. . . . You just feel like you’re floating and flying at the same time.”

Next, surfers need to learn paddling. Zuckerman said a surfer should lay the center of their body on the board.

“You want to be on your abs so your weight is [distributed] from right above your thigh to mid-waist,” he said.

Zuckerman suggested scooping the water to prevent any resistance.

After practicing how to pop up and paddle, it is time to pick a wave to surf. When it gets close, start paddling toward the shoreline. When the wave has reached you, perform the pop up and start riding it, Zuckerman said.

“As soon as you feel the momentum of moving without paddling, you want to get on your feet on the top of the wave,” he added.

The longtime surfer advised beginners to learn with someone more experienced. “When you’re learning it on your own, you’re going to start to make more silly mistakes,” he said.