Set Until Surf Season

Surfset Fitness a great for workout for non-surfers and pros alike

Surfset is a class for anyone—non-surfers, beginners, and advanced surfers who want to get in shape. (Courtesy of the Sports Center at Chelsea Piers)

Anyone who has hit the ocean to surf or even attempted to surf will agree that the maneuvers required—paddling for waves, diving under waves, catching and riding waves—are a tremendous workout.  Even if you are not “shredding” (doing powerful snapping maneuvers which only pros can), you are still exercising. As many of my surfer friends will attest, during my first year of surfing frustration, I would always end every surfing session by saying, “Hey, I may not have caught any waves, but at least I exercised!”  So it should come as no surprise that taking a simulated surfing class outside of the ocean is a great workout and can yield similar body results. For those in search of that toned, lean surfer body, it is within reach through Surfset Fitness classes.  How It Started The concept of Surfset Fitness was born when Mike Hartwick, founder and CEO, noticed that when his surfing season ended, he lost the lean and toned physique that surfing gave him.  Although die-hard surfers surf year-round, even on the East Coast, a surf-ready body is at its peak during surf season, as is the case with any seasonal sport.  The equipment that makes Surfset fitness possible is an innovative board designed to simulate the movement of a real surfboard in the ocean. The board is bolted to the ground but still gives you just the right amount of “wobble” to make the Surfset workout extremely effective. Classes are indoors so inclement weather is also never a problem. What’s In a Class I took my first Surfset fitness class at the the Sports Center at Chelsea Piers in Manhattan with instructor Diana Garrett, who was very helpful and cheerful, managing to put a smile on every student’s face even while we struggled with our sometimes not-so-cooperative board.  It was fascinating to see how even the non-surfing and non-yoga practicing students were able to learn to balance on the board by the middle of the first class—proving that Surfset is also great for people with no surfing experience. With surfing footage playing in the background on a large screen, the class started with some warm-ups and heart rate-elevating jogging and jumping in place, followed by transitioning to the board for some paddling and pop-ups.  Pop-ups are exactly what they sound like; the point when you stop paddling for the wave because the wave has taken over; you pop up into surfer stance. Back down again for some more paddling and pop ups. This alone will get your heart going while working your arms, legs, and core. The 45-minute class included simulated surfing moves like Duck dives, the way a surfer dives under an oncoming wave, and turtle rolls, a technique used with a long surfboard to paddle past oncoming waves. In addition, resistance bands attached to the underside of the board were utilized to further work on total body conditioning. More advanced students were challenged to perform yoga poses on the board including the boat pose, where the body makes a V-shape, balancing entirely on the buttocks and crow pose, a balance pose on the hands with the shins resting on the upper arms, and feet lifted. Garrett explained and modeled all these techniques making them easy to learn. Although only a real ocean experience can teach you how to ebb and flow with the unpredictability of Mother Nature—Surfset will get you surf ready and perhaps stoked to try the real thing one day. Or at the very least it will give you that highly-sought-after surfer body. A Class for All Surfset is a class for anyone—non-surfers, beginners, and advanced surfers who want to get in shape. However, Surfset is not meant to teach you how to surf. Even though the exercises simulate surfing moves, nothing prepares you for being in the ocean like the real experience. But for those aspiring surfers, the better shape you are in, the better surfer you will be, and this class can definitely help you get into better shape.  Elena Marks is a freelance writer specializing in health, fitness, fashion, and adventure travel. She is based in Port Washington, N.Y.