The only thing worse than living 7 hours from the nearest surf break is showing up at the beach with arms that turn to Jello 20-minutes into your first session, missing wave after wave, and getting repeatedly pummeled trying to paddle out past the breakers. When you’re a land-locked surfer, or even a beginner looking to take a lesson or sign up for a surf camp, getting your arms, shoulders, and neck in shape for a surf trip well in advance is key to getting the most out of your trip. In the past, I’ve tried swimming laps and even prone-paddling an 8-foot paddleboard back and forth in early-winter river conditions in my wetsuit to prep for a warm-water surf trip. While that helped, a Surfinshape board will take your training to a whole new level. The Model O Surfinshape board I have is a 4’2” foam board designed small enough to fit in a lap pool lane while being big enough to mimic the experience of paddling out on a short board, and it’s got a resistance bucket that you can adjust to make your paddling harder or easier. After following the recommendations from the company to start training 60-90 days in advance of a trip with a specific training program the owner emailed me himself, I landed in Costa Rica and hit the water in some of the best paddling shape I’ve been in in years, catching countless waves I wouldn’t have made without my Surfinshape training. MSRP: $289.99. Surfinshape.com
