Can Fat People Surf? 9 Things You Need To Know


As a big guy who’s gotten into surfing…….I’ve found there are LOTS of stuff you need to know if you’re overweight and want to surf. In fact, there’s a TON of stuff to learn about surfing in general before you hit your first wave.

These are the 9 things I wish I would’ve known before the first time I tried. 

Read all of them, some might save your life. Others, might save you a bit of embarrassment.

#1 Big Guys can ABSOLUTELY SHRED on a surfboard.

Watch Jimbo Pellegrine shred some MASSIVE waves in this video……it’s not just him. YOU can do the same. I think before he’s said he’s 385.

The reason I bring this up, as number one in my list……. is that I felt INCREDIBLY unconfident after trying for hours and hours and failing. The point is that you CAN do it, and it gets WAY easier the more you do it. 

If you’re larger, chances are you won’t be able to catch a wave your first day. There are a rare few that can, but as larger people it is harder for us. Still, you can ABSOLUTELY shred on a board as a bigger guy no doubt. 

Want some more inspiration? Watch this guy getting up on a board. Perseverance is key! Also, he’s a little more motivating to watch because he’s a little more relatable than Jimbo ripping absolutely massive waves. This video will give you kinda an idea what it will be like for your first time.

#2 You’ll need a specialized board

Simply put you’ll need a large, foam board. – A longer board equals more stability, and so you’ll need at least a ten foot board. You’ll also have to get foam because not only will it support you better, but you’re just simply not going to be able to go straight onto a fiberglass board. Basically no one can. Plus, being larger…..it’s going to be very difficult/expensive to go straight to a fiberglass board. Since you’ll need a larger one to hold you up in the water.

Now, to get more technical……foam boards are all measured by volume. Meaning how much volume of foam there is in the board. So, you’ll need to do some research on exactly how much foam you’ll need in order to support you. 

Now, you’re going to need something larger with more foam. Most people are fine beginning on 8 foot boards, but if you’re larger like I am you’ll need a ten foot board.

If you want to go the absolute SAFEST and EASIEST route you can get a 12” Surftech softop L2S (Learn 2 Surf series). This board is seriously massive which makes it waaayyyy easier to catch even the smallest of waves and is super buoyant.

Check out this review of the Surftech L2S as well. I thought this review was pretty good.

 Now if you want to be even safer, read on to the next on my list…..it’s a great alternative.

#3 Consider surfing on a SUP board instead – 

SUP boards are awesome. They’re have a TON of foam so they’re INSANELY buoyant compared to surfboards – AND they can ride waves like surfboards. Seriously, they’re SO much easier to balance and ride on. 

Honestly, I also find them more fun. You can ride over small waves, you can paddle around, and you DONT have to worry almost at all about balance. I’ll repeat myself: They’re INCREDIBLY easy to balance on. This is the best part, you enjoy yourself way more when you don’t have to focus on balance constantly.

Plus they’re WAY cheaper.

Top all this off with the fact that these are versatile (you can bring them in lakes and have fun with them there as well) and these are seriously a no brainer to get in my opinion. 

The only thing that isn’t great about SUP boards is surfers basically hate you. Their culture is honestly awful though. But, at least many of them will admit it’s toxic. (I’m dead serious btw go read on forums and you’ll see)

Also, if you’re interested in what I think the absolute EASIEST and BEST SUP board is for a bigger person…..you should check out this board in this video below. It’s a great deal

(Hobie Duraglide)

#4 Surf lessons are going to be super helpful 

There’s a lot that goes into surfing, and an instructor can get you going WAY faster than you ever can on your own. I’ll admit, I don’t see the point in group lessons……but one on one lessons can be helpful. To each their own though, some people do like group lessons.

Really, make sure to look at reviews before you sign up though. A good instructor can get you up and riding waves fast……but….

Bad instructors can be a huge waste of time, and not really helpful. You can find complaints practically everywhere online of people going to group surf classes and half the time the coaches just traded “war stories”. I get that they’re just trying to have fun and connect with their students…..but man, when I go to learn something I go to learn!

I’ll say this though, you can sometimes find group lessons SO SO SO cheap. Sites like Groupon and others every once in awhile have absolutely ridiculous deals that would be hard to pass up on. So do check those out if you’re thinking about it, but like I said…..best to read the reviews as well.

#5 Balancing on a surfboard isn’t like you’d think 

It’s hard to explain exactly HOW it feels to balance on a surfboard/SUP board…….but that’s not the point. The point is that it’s much much different than a skateboard, longboard, or a snowboard for instance.

If you’re like me, and used skateboard/snowboard a lot………(I used to skateboard a TON back in the day) you probably think that you’ve got the balance down. 

Unfortunately, it’s not the same. Like, at all. So, I hate to say it……but I actually think if you have experience in any of those you’re going to have a harder time than most. Mainly because you’re going to have learn new muscle memory in how you balance. Some people of course disagree with me.

Side note when it comes to balance: Make sure you’re standing right on the board before you practice a lot. The proper form can make you a MUCH better surfer, and makes it easier to. Habits however, can be tough to break. (Fun fact I pushed mongo when I started skateboarding and was never able to break the habit! So beware!)

#6 Check The Weather

There is a lot more to weather than you might think. Just because the weather looks okay and the waves look decent does not mean they’re surfable. There’s seriously so much that goes into it. If you want to have good surfing days you’ll need to know quite a few terms and how to read a surf report.

What’s good surfable weather for a seasoned surfer isn’t the best for a beginner either. Learning all of this won’t be to difficult, but it does take some time. There’s plenty of good articles out there and videos that can teach you. Check out this link or watch the video below to learn more. Link = https://upsurfcoaching.co.nz/learn-how-to-surf-lesson-2-forecasts/

Seriously, learn this stuff. It’ll save you loads of time. Also, it’s pretty interesting. Especially if you’re into weather like I am.(that’s probably weird lol)

#7 There are a lot of people in the community that hate on fat people surfing

I don’t want to discourage anyone at all from following their dreams and doing what they want to do, but honestly you should be prepared for this.

I honestly didn’t expect this at all. The way these “adults” talk is awful.

And yes I get it, it’s not good to be overweight. I do understand, but it’s not that people that aren’t overweight are “nasty” and I’m not going to say all the other things that were said there. 

And this isn’t the only place like this. There are tons and tons of people in these groups that are extremely rude and not understanding of what it’s like to be out of shape. Absolutely no decency from these people.

Now, that’s not to say that EVERYONE is like that…..but there’s enough people that are that it will make you feel uneasy (at least it does for me).

Again though, don’t let it discourage you. It’s their problem. Not your problem. Let them be angry, and kill them with kindness is all you can do.

#8 This will save your life.

The ocean is an extremely dangerous place, think about the pain you might cause someone if you were to die or be seriously injured. Not only does this happen, but this happens often to many people in the ocean. Each year there are tens of thousands of accidents in oceans.

My personal biggest fear is being swept away in a riptide. (This actually almost happened to me once, it was a horrifying experience)

Thankfully, you can learn some safety measures that will help prevent anything serious from happening to you while surfing in the ocean.

I’m not going to list them, because I found this great video online. Note: Some of these are normal tips, and some are specifically catered to surfers.

WARNING: If you learn NOTHING else from this video, LEARN HOW TO FALL. The video will explain why.

#9 Save yourself embarrassment

Basically, I’m just gonna lay it on how it is. You might be to big to surf, and need to lose a few pounds before a surf shop will rent you a board. If this is you I’m sorry. But there is hope! You can always buy one yourself, or go and lose a few pounds! 

I’ll say, I saw some reviews out there where shops seemed seriously rude to people. So I am happy I found out about this before contacting them.

Conclusion: 

Hope you enjoyed this article!!! There are tons and tons of stuff that goes into surfing, I never would’ve thought personally………

But there is quite a bit of stuff to learn!

But seriously, don’t be discouraged. I remember it took me literally almost 6 hours just to get just on my knees on a SUP board…….but everything worth it takes time.  

Again hope you enjoyed this article!!!! Thanks again for reading!!!!