The Surfers Ultimate Mental Warm up:
Three Powerful Techniques to Boost Confidence and Focus
Surfing is an exhilarating experience, but even the most seasoned surfers can feel a twinge of nervousness before hitting the waves. Whether you’re battling self-doubt or just looking for ways to enhance your performance, incorporating these three techniques into your pre-surf routine can significantly boost your confidence and prepare you for a fantastic session.
1. Deep Breathing Exercises
One of the most effective ways to calm your nervous system and clear your mind before a surf session is through deep breathing exercises. Controlled breathing can reduce anxiety, lower your heart rate, and improve your focus. Here’s how you can practice deep breathing:
- Find a Quiet Space: Sit or stand comfortably in a place where you won’t be disturbed.
- Inhale Deeply: Breathe in slowly through your nose, allowing your abdomen to expand as you fill your lungs with air. Count to four as you inhale.
- Hold Your Breath: Retain the breath for a count of four.
- Exhale Slowly: Release the breath gently through your mouth, counting to four as you exhale.
- Repeat: Continue this cycle for several minutes, focusing on the rhythm of your breath and the calming effect it has on your body and mind.
By the end of this exercise, you should feel more centered, relaxed, and ready to take on the waves.
2. Assume a Power Pose
The power pose, also known as the Superman pose, is a simple yet powerful technique to boost your confidence. Research has shown that standing in a power pose for just two minutes can increase levels of testosterone (the confidence hormone) and decrease levels of cortisol (the stress hormone). Here’s how to do it:
- Stand Tall: Find a stable stance with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Hands on Hips: Place your hands on your hips or raise them above your head in a V-shape, like a victorious athlete.
- Hold the Pose: Maintain this position for two minutes, breathing deeply and steadily.
While in this pose, visualize yourself as strong, capable, and ready to conquer the surf. Feel the power and confidence radiate through your body.
3. Visualizations of the Upcoming Surf Session
Combining the power pose with visualization can further enhance your confidence and readiness. Visualization is a mental technique where you imagine your upcoming surf session in vivid detail, picturing yourself successfully riding the waves. Follow these steps while maintaining your power pose:
- Close Your Eyes: Once you’re in the power pose, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths.
- Imagine the Scene: Picture the beach, the waves, and your surfboard. Visualize every detail as clearly as possible.
- See Yourself Succeeding: Envision yourself paddling out with ease, catching the perfect wave, and riding it effortlessly. Feel the sun on your skin, the water beneath your board, and the thrill of the ride.
- Embrace Positive Emotions: Focus on the feelings of joy, confidence, and exhilaration that come with a successful surf session. Let these positive emotions fill you up.
By the time you open your eyes and release the pose, you’ll feel more confident, mentally prepared, and excited to surf.
Conclusion
Incorporating these techniques—deep breathing exercises, assuming a power pose, and visualizing your surf session—into your pre-surf routine can make a significant difference in your confidence and performance. Give them a try before your next surf session and experience the boost in your mental and physical readiness. Remember, the ocean is calling, and you’re more than ready to answer.
/ Lisa Davidsson, Surf Psychologist
Lisa Davidsson
Psychologist (MSc) & Hypnotherapist
I didn’t grow up surfing. I found the ocean as an adult, after years of studying the human mind and working in mental health, with clinical neuro psychology and behavioral change. But long before I ever picked up a board, two threads were already shaping my life: a deep curiosity about how the brain works, and a love for sport as a path to self-mastery.
As a child, that path ran through horses. Riding taught me something essential ,growth isn’t only about skill. It’s about presence. It’s about your relationship with yourself. It’s about who you become in the process of seeking mastery.
Surfing became that same practice in a different element.
A place where fear, freedom, humility, and joy meet in real time.
A place where your nervous system responds instantly and honestly, no hiding or running away.
A place where your patterns show up without negotiation.
Surf psychology was born from that place.
My background in neuropsychology and mental health has given me a deep understanding of how the brain forms habits, stores emotional experiences, and repeats protective patterns, often long after they’re needed. For nearly two decades, I’ve worked with individuals navigating anxiety, behavioral challenges, and deeply ingrained responses, helping them create lasting internal change rather than surface-level shifts.
Today, I bring that understanding into the water.
This is not mindset coaching dressed in surf language. It is structured psychological work, grounded in how the brain and nervous system actually function — applied directly in the environment where your triggers show up: the ocean.
I don’t teach surfers to override fear or push themselves too hard.
I help them understand what’s happening beneath the surface and change it where it actually lives.
So surfing becomes a place of growth and a source of joy instead of an internal struggle.