132 The Only Way to Get Better at Surfing: Obsess Over It
Are you ready to transform your surfing in 2026 by going all in - completely obsessed, fully immersed, and totally committed? This is the ONLY way to truly improve.
If you're feeling stuck in your surf progression or yearning to break through to the next level, this solo episode with host Michael Frampton dives deep into the one mindset shift that separates average surfers from true masters. It’s not just about passion, it’s about short-term obsession to create long-term transformation.
Learn why a temporary period of full-blown surfing obsession could be the key to lasting surf progression.
Discover practical ways to build your life around surfing without giving up your responsibilities.
Get inspired with a clear roadmap for turning 2026 into the year you finally identify not just as someone who surfs, but as a true surfer.
Press play now to find out how to make 2026 your breakthrough year of total surf immersion and mastery.
Transcript:
[00:00:00] Welcome back, or welcome to the Surf Mastery Podcast, education and inspiration for better surfing and a better surfing life. I am your host, Michael Frampton, and it is the end of 20, 25, 10 years this podcast has been going on, and I was just doing a little bit of reflecting back and looking at all of the episodes and interviews I've done and all of the unpublished stuff, all the work that went on behind the scenes.
the inspiration that, that, that makes me want to get better at surfing and to share that journey. And if you do want to get better at surfing, to be on that path of mastery. This one essential thing that is paramount, and that is you need to be obsessed with surfing for at least a portion of your surfing life.
If you're a listener to this show, you are [00:01:00] already fascinated. With surfing, it's already a passion. You already love surfing, otherwise you would not be listening. But have you been through a stage of your life when you have been completely obsessed with it? That is what it takes to get better at not just surfing, but anything.
Kind of more so surfing 'cause it's so complex. It's the playground is always so different. It's also not just a sport, it's so much more than that. So you do need to obsess over surfing for a certain period of time. I remember I was living in London, focused on career working 70 hour weeks miles away from any coastline and.
the desire to go surfing and the identity I had as a surfer was still there. And it just got to this point where I was like, man, I think I'm addicted to surfing. And I was ashamed of it and I wanted to deny it. Ironically, [00:02:00] that's why I became a personal trainer. It was because I wanted to learn more about health and fitness and to become a better surfer.
And I found myself, just focused on the career side of that. And it ate at me and I tried to push it down and deny it for quite some time, and it was pointless. And it wasn't until a couple of years later, moved to Sydney and was just immersed in, in a rich surf culture and surrounded by good waves, and I just let go of it.
I just gave in. It's okay, I, I love surfing so much. I'm just gonna focus on it every single moment outside of work and family, I was either surfing or I was learning about surfing in some way, and it is a time of my life that. I'll never regret it. it wore off a little bit in terms of the fascination [00:03:00] for surfing has never gone away, but that, that strong desire to be obsessed with it, that was eating at me for years once I gave into it and just fully immersed myself and it just faded into.
Fascination and surfing passion. But that time that I spent completely obsessed with surfing, informed the rest of my surfing life, and without those, that time spent diving into it, being completely immersed with surfing, there's no way I would've got as good as I got now and I can pull up to a beach and feel confident in almost any conditions.
It's such a cool place to be in one's surfing life. So here's my advice to you. As you come into the new year 2026, and you truly want to get better at surfing, make 2026 the year that you [00:04:00] obsess and totally immerse yourself in surfing. Now, that means not only are you going surfing as much as you can, you're committing to going surfing as much as you can.
'cause sometimes you're not gonna feel like it. You might force yourself to put your wetsuit on, but I promise as you're taking your wetsuit off, you won't regret the surf no matter what the conditions. You also, you're gonna drop that Netflix time and you're gonna watch surfing videos and surfing documentaries and YouTube tutorials.
You're gonna dive into surfboard technology. The right shape for you. The different types of surfboard designs there are. You're gonna start reading novels written about surfing, adventure and surfing culture. You're going to do breath work training, and you're gonna stop doing heavy weight training and do different training in the gym.
That's more conducive to having a fit, agile and fast surfing [00:05:00] body. You're gonna read books on sports psychology instead of books on ancient history. You're going to. Fully immerse yourself in that surfing life and come at it from all angles. Because surfing is such a complex thing and there's so many, there's so many surfers out there that are obsessed to that level.
And when you go out into a crowded lineup, you, can't compete with people that have let themselves be such surfers. there's a big difference between someone who surfs. And a surfer, someone who identifies as a surfer. If you want to learn how to read the ocean, negotiate a crowd, choose the right surfboard, work on your technique, all of that stuff.
You have to be obsessed with it, not for the rest of your surfing life, but for a time period. For me, it was a couple of years I'm challenging. You do one year, make 2026 the year that you fully immersed [00:06:00] yourself and obsess. And become obsessed with surfing from all angles. Plan your life around the surf forecast.
Book a surf trip. Have something to work towards. Step outside your comfort zone. Surf every day or at least every week, even in the middle of winter when the waves are a little bigger and gnarly than you've ever surfed before. Dive in. That is the challenge I put forward to the listeners of this podcast.
So over this coming Christmas break and New Year's period, just have a think about it. Is 2026 the year that you really immersed yourself in surfing? And if so, jump on board the Surf Mastery Mini course and you'll learn about the foundational skills that you need. To be able to do that. Not only has my course got those foundational skills of wave, reading and paddling and, popping up [00:07:00] everything that you do between when the board is under your arm and under your feet.
That's what we spend 99% of our surfing time doing. That's what my course is about, but also what else you get in the course is a bunch of. Other curated resources. So one of the tips I mentioned was watch YouTube tutorials. Now there's a lot of bad ones out there. There's a lot of YouTube tutorials out there that aren't good.
There's a lot of fitness and health advice out there on YouTube that isn't good. So I've curated that stuff and that's included in the Surf Mastery mini course as well. And share this episode with a friend, someone who you wanna take on this 2026 journey of surf immersion. Inspire them, work together, help each other, motivate each other, film each other, get some surf coaching done together, fully immerse yourself.
Thanks for tuning into this podcast. I really do appreciate it. Make sure you go to [00:08:00] surf mastery.com to check that course out, as well as all the other free resources available. And until next time, have a very merry Christmas and keep surfing.
The Surf Mastery Podcast:
For the passionate surfer - whether you're a weekend warrior, a surf dad, or an older surfer - this podcast is all about better surfing and deeper stoke. With expert surf coaching, surf training, and surfing tips, we’ll help you catch more waves, refine your paddling technique, and perfect your pop up on a surfboard. From surf workouts to handling wipeouts, chasing bigger waves, and mastering surf technique, we’re here to make sure you not only improve but truly enjoy surfing more - so you can get more out of every session and become a wiser surfer. Go from Beginner or intermediate Surfer to advanced