This is a THANK YOU to the city of Deerfield Beach. You surprised us! Even though we were surfing some bigger waves in other beaches, the city of Deerfield Beach stood out in our heart.

1. Thank you for keeping your parking lots open so we could park close and safe.
2. Thank you for suspending the parking meters.
3. Thank you for keeping life guards on duty.

The waves from Hurricane Dorian did appear this Monday morning September 02, 2019. The shutter was open on our camera so not many surf pics to share. Plus, we were busy surfing The above picture with no one surfing is from the afternoon.

The surf was clean at dawn and building with no wind Smaller than expected considering the Category 5 hurricane that Dorian is. The massive storm missed South Florida. Nothing compared to the pounding it gave to the people of the Bahama Islands overnight.

Hurricane waves are always bitter sweet when families are hurt by the storm. We are partnering with the Salvation Army. They have a good reputation for getting funds to those in need. Donate directly to them on their website or through the school. We will partner with other local organizations and neighbors to collect non monetary items. Contact us for more details or if you already have items so we can arrange a pick-up.

The set waves this morning were about 10 minutes apart and clean with no rain or wind to start. Off shore winds started around 10:00 a.m. and coincided with the incoming tide. We had considered Miami, but decided against it because of a few factors. One being the huge crowd. Beach access on A1A was cut off to non-residents from Spanish River in Boca Raton Florida to Georgia!!??!! At least that is what the police officer said when he offered up his “thou shall not pass!” (We completely understand and appreciate our officers : )

The wave size was definitely smaller than expected for South Florida. The forecasted 12 ft surfing hope came ashore as a 5ft ground swell. Still thankful and content with the beautiful surfing day that was Today. Only a few rain bands, but not a sign of VAS conditions in the deep south . Thank you to everyone who surfed eloquently with kindness.

We are still hoping for the bigger swell that is forecast for tomorrow morning, so another dawn surf session is in preparation. Hydrate, healthy eating, and good nights sleep to you. As always..

1 wave Today is worth 2 waves tomorrow

P.S. Didn’t do sunscreen today for the first time this year. Sunburns all around. Thankfully no rashes! A physical block sunscreen is always a great plan in Sunny South Florida, even on those Sunny Florida September Hurricane Days. At least its the first for the 2019 year and we made it through Summer. Ready for Fall! Wear your sun screens. Do Not surf with chemical sunscreen. Read our article on sunscreens for more information. See you in the line up. Maybe more pics to come. Local news stations abound, so should have plentiful access to better videos than we captured. ALOHA

Hurricane Dorian is now forecast to turn up above South Florida. Riding up the East Coast of Florida to the Carolinas. We hope everyone is prepared up coast. We are anticipating Dorian’s waves to start to show up tomorrow on Sunday.

Monday and Tuesday South Florida is hoping for EPIC. Big waves. 12ft. Strong winds, but off shore out of the North West. Maybe waves like Sandy. Time to help a neighbor..while we wait….

Surfing and Sunscreen go hand in hand in the Sunshine State of Florida. When the surfing is great all day long, staying out of the sun between 10 and 2 is impossible! What can you do to avoid baking to a blistered crisp, but still go surfing all day long? Sunscreen. Before you say, “That’s basic knowledge, surfers know to use sunscreen.”, we wanted to inform you that all sunscreens are not created equal. There are many ways to categorize sunscreens, and we want to talk about the category of Physical vs. Chemical blockers. Why? Because we want you to be the healthiest surfer you can be.

Physical Sunscreen blockers block the sun physically like a rash guard, hat, umbrella, or coconut tree would. They are formulated to sit on the surface of your skin and physically block by shading. Zinc oxide is the most common form, and the one EZride Surf Instructors use. Try to find a brand with the most zinc oxide, and other natural ingredients. Ingredients you can easily spell and pronounce.

Chemical Sunscreens, however, work by producing a chemical reaction. They absorb UV rays and chemically change them to heat. This seams EZ on the surface, but there are some alarming facts about chemical sunscreens that literally goes below the surface. Partly because chemical sunscreens have ingredients that are penetration enhancers, after applying the sunscreen, the chemicals are present in urine, blood, and breastmilk samples long after application. That means the chemicals are inside your body, not staying on the skins surface. If that has you thinking, “so what?”, know that some of the chemicals mimic hormones.

Oxybenzone is a common ingredient in sunscreens, and is a weak estrogen. The CDC states they detect oxybenzone in 96% of Americans. Thier information found that adolescent boys with higher oxybenzone levels had significantly lower testosterone levels (Scinicariello 2016). Other studies on pregnant women report significant changes associated between oxybenzone exposure during pregnancy and birth outcomes. That is enough to make a knowledgeable surfer consider their sunscreen choice.

Along with chemicals like Octinoxate, Homosalate, and Octocrylene, the preservatives in sunscreen can produce allergic reactions as well. Methylisothiazolinone is a common preservative and was rewarded “allergen of the year”. It is even found in products labeled safe for babies.

Why are some of these ingredients allowed to be in sunscreen? Apparently the FDA did not review hazards of sunscreen ingredients. They were grandfathered in in the 1970s.

So, when we discovered this information we decided to only use physical blocker sunscreens. We also want to give you a bit of the same information so you can make an educated decision for your surfing family.

When we started surfing, the sunscreen options were very limited. We even made our own! Now there are more informed consumers and more options to purchase. EZride Surf School recommends a physical blocking sunscreen that uses zinc oxide. The use of a rash guard is wonderful at covering a large portion of the body, so less sunscreen is needed. High quality sunscreen can be more expensive than your average store options, so a rashguard helps cut costs. Rashguard rental is included in every surf lesson package. A zinc face stick is also a nice option and helps protect because it stays on longer and doesn’t run into eyes as easily.

Dont be embarrassed by a white zinc oxide face. The other nano, clear, fragrant, lotions, and sprays may appear nice on the surface, but they dont stay on the surface of your skin. Use a rashguard, eat healthy, and educate yourself to make informed decisions. If you cant give up the look and feel of your chemical sunscreen, look for an option without Oxybenzone.

All these measures will help you surf longer and be able to go surf the next day. When the swell doesn’t stop, you dont have to either because of a bad burn. Do you have a favorite sunscreen? Share with us.

See you in the line up!

It’s the best thing you can do on the water.

All the surf lessons below are safe for children and adults. They were developed to provide the best surf experience for all skill levels. All the information below apply to all types of surf lessons. After you read the general information, you can surf on your surf lesson option and have a more detailed surf lesson description.

All of the classes include information about safe procedures, whether you are a first timer, or a experienced surfer. You will have available the ultimate information and techniques that have been developed from 33 years of surf riding and experience.

Hint: It’s Surfing

When you think fun in the water, you think surfing. There’s no better way to enjoy a day at the beach. We’ve put together our top ten things to try when you start surfing.