A Leash: A leash is a cord that is atached to your ancle and board to keep your board from hitting someone. To use a leash take the velcro wraparound part and put it on your ancle with the cord part pointing outward.
Wax: Wax is fundimental in surfing. There are special bars of wax for surfing. If your wondering wax is used for grip on a surfboard. To apply it rub it up and down on the bottom 2/3 of the board,it is unessasary to wax the nose. When waxed properly the wax should form into beads on the board.
Safety is one of the most important parts of surfing. The first thing is that you should always wear a leash becaus if you don't you can cause "killer board" or a loose board looking for peoples heads and they don't call it "killer board" for nothing. Another thing is that if you fall off and are under water make sure the board is away from you. You can tell if it's away if the leash tugs your ancle. If there is no tug put your head and slowly come up. Also make sure the waves your surfing on are small and crumble along the face of the wave and make sure there is no riptide. When your surfing make sure there are no lobster traps near you,each year surfers die from getting caught in lobster traps.
One thing you need to learn before you go out are pop-ups. Pop-ups are the action of standing on a surfboard. To do a pop-up lie down on your stomach with your hands like your going to do a push-up. Now lift your chest up and slide your legs forward and stand up. When you do this you will find out if you are goofy foot or regular foot. Goofy foot is with your right foot forward and regular foot is with your left foot forward. Getting back to the leash from ch1 always wear it on your back foot.
It's time to hit the waves so grab your board and head out into the ocean.Wade out in the water until it's waist deep then plop yourself down on the board and do the crawl stroke paddle out where the waves don't break. while your paddling keep in mind one thing and that is staying in trim. Proper trim on a surfboard is when the nose of your board is 2 to 3 inches above the water. If you are to far forward you will nosedive or if you are to far back you will stall. Once your outside the breaking waves you're ready to catch your first wave. To catch a wave paddle with the wave towards the shore. As soon as you feel the wave take you pop-up. Don't even think about it just do it. Make sure your in trim when you stand up so you don't nosedive or stall. If you do this right you will actualy be standing and guess what you will actualy be surfing. Oh,if you fall off try again.
Going sideways on awave is called angling. If you look at surfers in pictures they will usualy be going sideways instead of strait towards the beach. To angle angle across a wave you paddle into the wave the same way it's breaking,if it breaks right possition yourself slightly to the right and if it braeks left aim a little left. As soon as the wave takes you pop-up. If this is done right then the wave should be breaking right behind you and should be speeding across the swell sideways.