Arming yourself with the basics, like how to balance on your board, using your equipments, and proper exercise can help you avoid lots of problems later on. Drowning Drowning is practically a common problem in surfing; especially those are not really skilled in keeping themselves out of the water after getting wiped out from their boards. Survey the Location No surfer should surf in a beach without knowing what they're up against. It is an important preparation to scour the surfspot for hidden risks, like shallow areas with coral or sharp rocks, sand bars, or any physical obstacles that can put your life at risk when you surf the waves. You also need to have your body in peak physical condition to make sure you can do the basic feats without getting tired easily. First, you need to improve the strength of your arms so you can easily lift yourself up to a standing position to catch the waves. Leg power is also an essential requirement since you need to be able to have the strength to stay in a standing position as you skim through the swells. It is not a good idea to become too dependent on your equipment that you disregard to train your body to be suited for different surfing conditions. A surfer should be constantly undergoing surfing exercises to keep their main equipment -- their bodies -- in top physical shape for the sport. Beginners, who often disregard physical training and concentrating more on harmonizing their bodies with the board, should stick to the basics if they want to succeed in this activity. The most common danger with water-based sports is drowning but you can easily avoid this when you have the right gears. Another danger in surfing is collision. It is important that you surf in a location without any physical hurdles, like sandbars, rocks, reefs, and even other surfers. Other dangers include riptides, hidden reefs, and shallow waters. The current trend includes everyone with a surfboard to try their hand out in the sport. This is one reason why surf shops and beach resorts offer surfing as part of their package -- offering the expertise of a seasoned surfer for a quick surfing tutorial to give you a step-by-step guide on how to surf like an expert and get the most out of the experience.