Inside the Barrel: Richard’s Tips and Writings on Surfing

Since the beginning, the Richard Schmidt Surf School has offered scholarships for students to attend camps and lessons who otherwise couldn't afford it. To help supplement the cost, in 1995 we started a non-profit called Surf USA (United Services Agency). Surf USA's mission statement: To offer surfing and the ocean as a positive, healing experience to those who can not afford it. We accept donations for anyone wanting to help share the stoke. Checks can be made out to Surf USA and be mailed to: Richard Schmidt Surf School, Inc. c/o Surf USA 849 Almar Ave Box 192 Santa Cruz, CA 95060 Surf USA is a program of United Services Agency, a California 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Tax ID #77-0311835.

Here is the opening piece I wrote that was originally published in "Santa Cruz World Surfing Reserve," by Save the Waves. Or you can click to download (PDF: 5.5 MB) the whole book. It's a great read on why Santa Cruz is such a special place so many countless number of ways! Aloha - Richard # # # A Liquid Playground By Richard Schmidt Growing up in Santa Cruz as a surfer was an incredibly fortunate experience. I rode my first waves at the Rivermouth on an inflatable mat, along with my parents and three brothers. This was back before Boogie Boards, and some days there’d be as many as 40 mat riders out there mucking around, having a ball. It was a magical time to be a kid, and the sense of magic only intensified as I grew older and came to discover that Santa Cruz was awash in [...]

Here is the piece I wrote that was originally published on Surfline.com. The core "7-steps" are also found on the bottom of our Surfology page. This is a great beginner's guide to learning how to surf! Aloha – Richard # # # Learn To Surf: How to Walk on Water in Seven Easy Steps. By Richard Schmidt INTRO Surfing has given me many unforgettable years of fun, health and recreation. After teaching beginning surfers for more than 20 years, I've seen the long list of obstacles that they have to overcome in order to learn. To put it bluntly, surfing literally takes years to master. But with the help of this instruction, you should be able to avoid many of the common mistakes that students make. CROSS TRAINING It always helps to start when you're young, but age isn't nearly as important as physical conditioning. The best cross-training for surfing [...]