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Morocco welcomes travellers with the magic of its enchanted landscapes, the lunar atmosphere and the fine white sand beaches. This country in North Africa, which in some places is separated from Europe only by a thin layer of the Mediterranean Sea, offers unique atmospheres thanks to its always friendly climate. Another big plus? Morocco is the best travel destination for your surf

holiday! For this reason it is one of the most requested destinations for those who want to move in search of surf, relaxation, fun but also history and mystery. Planning a surf trip to Morocco is essential, as well as knowing some preliminary information. This is the reason why we created this practical useful guide on how to get the best of your surf holiday from start to finish. Without any further ado let’s get started.

Another great thing to buy is an insurance. To fully enjoy your

trip to Morocco, we advise you to take out an international travel insurance that covers any medical expenses and offers assistance 24 hours a day before you leave. In addition to health insurance, it is advisable to take out insurance that covers any loss or theft of your baggage, a reality which, unfortunately, you may face during your travels, or better yet, all-inclusive insurance. For added security, we advise you to keep your passport rather than return flight tickets and bring photocopies with you.

2: Exercise to get ready physically to your surf holiday

Nothing will replace the practice to improve in surfing but depending on the conditions, the location or the time available it is sometimes difficult to surf as much as you would like. Did you know that you can make progress with surfing by training outside the water? The physical preparation for a surf holiday does not only apply to professional surfers! A regular physical activity to

complement is essential to improve in the surf; and when you can’t be in the water, it mainly allows you to:

● avoid injury

● be less tired during and after the exits

● prepare the muscles to be more performing on the waves

● improve the awareness of the body, the technical gesture and, therefore, in brief get the best of your surf holiday!

3: WHAT ARE THE POINTS TO WORK TO IMPROVE IN THE SURF

We recommend choosing the right surf board, foamy board will be good to start with, better yet to have a surf instructor that will show you the right way to surf. You will start making constant

progress partly because the coach is making the right decisions for you.

4: TO PASS THE BAR IN SURF, YOU WILL NEED ENDURANCE AND POWER

In surfing, however, you spend 90% of your time pushing yourself with your arms: so it’s better to develop endurance. Then comes the fateful moment of the passage of the bar where you will need the maximum power of the arms to advance very quickly between the sets and favour deep movements to overcome the breaking waves (paddling techniques are essential and you need to work them from the beginning)

5: FOR TAKE-OFF ON SURF YOU NEED EXPLOSIVITY

To facilitate the entry into the fast and explosive wave, it is necessary to be able to considerably increase the rhythm of the stroke / kick and be able to perform the final decisive strokes. After that, you will need to appeal to all your muscular strength to make powerful supports (in the case of thick boards, busy maneuvers ...)

Flexibility is necessary to be able to bend easily and maximize speed, unleashing the potential of surfing.

7: TO FEEL MORE SECURE IN CASE OF FALL, YOU WILL NEED TO EXERCISE THE BREATH

Apnea is necessary when the conditions of practice become such as to prevent you from staying in your comfort zone in order to more easily manage the dive not always desired.

8: SWIM TO IMPROVE ENDURANCE

Numerous cardio sports can help you improve your surf endurance, but some better than others. This is the case of swimming, a sport different from the nautical ones which has more similarities with surfing. To start, swimming and surfing are both water sports: beginner or extreme surfer, knowing how to swim is essential to feel at ease in the marine environment. Therefore, by developing the swimming technique you will be able to pass the bar faster and reappear on the surface immediately

after the wipeouts. As you could see, the main difficulty in surfing is not to take the take-off but to catch a wave, thus exercising more specifically the movement of the crawl that appeals to the same muscle groups of the stroke in the surf.

9: FREQUENCY OF TRAINING:

Swimming regularly, not less than twice a week, will not only help you stay fit for the next outing but will improve your surfing technique considerably.

10: THE SWIMMING TRAINING APPLIED TO THE SURF:

Alternate the pools of the pool with a split workout: for example, perform two pools at your pace in succession and then swim for 25 m as fast as possible (imagine having to go over the bar in the surf). This type of exercise allows both endurance and explosiveness to be developed: two points that represent 90% of the time spent surfing.

11: YOGA TO DEVELOP BREATH AND FLEXIBILITY

Like apnea, yoga is a real advantage to control the breath and stay cool. When you panic under water swept up by a wave, your heart beats faster, your brain is on alert, stress takes over and, logically, you lose control over your breathing. Having breath control in critical surfing situations it is possible to better control emotions and act in full consciousness.

13: STRENGTHENING AND MAKING THE BODY FLEXIBLE

On the physical plane, the practice of yoga allows us to release the tensions accumulated in the muscles, to become more supple and to strengthen the deep muscles.

By developing the flexuosity it is possible to make the take-off much more explosive and evolve on the wave with much more

freedom of movement and fluidity, and therefore gain a little time to perform the succession of maneuvers more easily.

Then, by strengthening the muscle strength and balance, you will perform the maneuvers correctly; particularly useful for this purpose are the positions of Ashtanga yoga.

14: IMPROVE STYLE

If the time at your disposal does not allow you to regularly follow the yoga course, set yourself at least 15 to 20 minutes of stretching every night. If you do not stretch regularly, you will notice a deterioration in the surf style, which will become “stiff”. If you are really stiff, surf “straight” instead of constantly bent over the support and you’ll get a surf style called “stiff”. By developing the flexibility you can, instead, adopt a more “relaxed” surfing style called “loose”, also much more aesthetic.

Above all, don’t forget about warming up before and after going

out to avoid having cramps in the water.

15: Food: Healthy eating before your departure to get the best of your surf holiday

The diet of those who practice surfing is not very different from the balanced diet followed by a sedentary subject. The difference mainly concerns the quantity of calories and the distribution of nutrients throughout the day, therefore taking into account the

times of the various sessions and the hours spent in the water. A board that floats on water is an unstable surface, requires considerable physical effort and requires a lot of energy even for maintaining the right body temperature.

It is advisable, therefore, to make an abundant and rich breakfast (especially if the session is in the morning), a lunch based on carbohydrates (which will then be used as fuel by the muscles during physical activity), and a dinner in which you replenish the main nutrients lost during exercise. Two snacks must be added to the three main meals: one coinciding in the middle of the morning that can include a sandwich or fruit or yogurt, and the other in the early afternoon based on fruit. It is also very important to drink adequate amounts of water during training or very

strenuous sessions or performed in unfavourable conditions (considerable heat and / or humidity as often happens.

What to pack

In Morocco it is hot, so bring short clothes. Remember, however, clothes for the cool evenings of some cities at certain times of the year, but above all items that cover arms and legs to be able to visit religious places. Have you thought about a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen? Good idea! Remember that the sun beats strong, especially in the south bordering the desert. In any case, don’t worry, because in the worst case scenario you can always buy on the spot what you may have forgotten.

In the cosmetic bag you put a painkiller and a disinfectant for small wounds, and something for sunburn and intestinal problems, very frequent among tourists.

A credit card is required to withdraw cash. There are ATMs in every city, but you prefer those in hotels. Also make a photocopy of your passport in case of loss.

During the holiday

Once in Morocco you should definitely use sunscreen and a hat every day to avoid sunburn and other issues. Even if you think you don’t need them, don’t underestimate the fact that, especially when you are nearby the sea or you are surfing, sea waters act like a mirror boosting the reflecting power and

becoming even more aggressive on your skin! After your outings, once you take your shower and you are ready to go to bed, apply some after sun cream to moisturize and protect your skin from sun, hot temperatures but also wind and sand.

During your holiday staying hydrated is crucial as hot temperatures and physical activity will challenge your body in so many ways. A sign of dehydration is headache so, in case you will feel it, try to drink more, even if you are not that thirsty. You will thank us later!

3: Don’t force too much in your first days

Surf is physical and if you force yourself during your first

performances you will be exhausted after few days. The best way, besides getting ready following our tips on how to get ready physically to similar type of experience and holiday is to take it easy. Respect your body, listen to it and don’t force it if you don’t feel it. Your body will need some time to adjust to all the climatic and environmental changes so remember to always take one step at the time. A little goes a long way!

Even if you are on a surf holiday, remember that Morocco has so much to offer to its visitors so go for some excursions to get to know this amazing country! Morocco is like the scent of spices that are breathed in the tangle of its souks: it is an intoxicating mix of cultures, of religion and of everyday life, of ancient traditions and modern sensibilities, of palaces and misery,

delicate aromas and intense aromas. And in fact it is enough to pronounce the name of this country to be assailed by a thousand suggestions ranging from sand dunes to the frenzy of cities, from the scents of a mint tea to the enveloping taste of a tajine eaten in a riad, from the sight of plantations of dates to the rigorous sobriety of its minarets, from the labyrinthine medinas full of stalls to the avenues of modern cities. And all these things that represent only a part of the things to see in Morocco are the cards: the whole of the puzzle is a country that conquers you. Give Morocco a chance and it will surprise you with its history, its charm, its culture.