Six surf tips from champion surfer Rusty Miller

By Ann Binlot Published August 14, 2015

In 1965 California-born Rusty Miller was the top surfer in the United States. The US Surfing Champion was also a finalist in the famous Duke Kahanamoku Invitational in Sunset Beach. While studying at San Diego State, Miller went on a Seven Seas trip twice and discovered Australia, he eventually moved to picturesque Byron Bay, where he still surfs regularly while teaching one-on-one and group sessions on surfing. We took a lesson from him, and out of all the surf lessons we’ve had, Miller’s was definitely our favorite. If you’re ever out in Byron Bay, one of the best places in the world to learn to surf, we suggest you look up Miller. “You’re out there riding waves,” Miller told the Manual. “You don’t make the wave, they don’t know your name. You just fit in with them, so maybe. look at the wave as your companion.” Here are six tips from Miller:

You want to learn about the ocean. You want to observe what’s going on in the ocean because you have to have respect for the ocean if you want to surf. You want to surf safely. Find an instructor. Have good manners and spirit in the water, and everybody will get along because you have to share waves, especially in a place like Byron, it gets really crowded.

Recommended Videos

Don’t think too hard. Just look at surfing like a dance. It’s something you practice and don’t think too much and go along with the flow.

Learn how to paddle really good to get your paddling strength up. Paddling is the key to surfing good, developing your paddling skills.

Find a surfboard that floats you in the water good. Don’t find a tiny little board and think you’re going to be Kelly Slater in five minutes. It’s easier when you start with a long board, then what you do is develop your skills so you can surf something a little bit shorter.

Learn how to trim on the surfboard. Keep the board nice and flat, and learn how to fit into the wave.

Stand up in one sweeping motion so your feet land at the same time on the surfboard, and then you can center yourself. You have to be prompt.

For more information, visit rustymillersurf.com.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Ann Binlot is a New York-based freelance writer who contributes to publications like The Economist, Wallpaper*, Monocle…

Topics

Travel

Culture

Everything we know about Alien: Earth so far

The show is set 30 years before the original Alien movie.

One of the hallmarks of the Alien franchise to date has been that, regardless of the quality of these movies or when they're set in the Alien timeline, all of them are set in space. That's about to change with Alien: Earth, which will also be the first time this long-running sci-fi franchise has come to television.

The show, which is being produced by FX and will be available on Hulu, is intriguing for any number of reasons, and some people want to know more about what to expect from the show. Here's everything we know about the upcoming series:

Culture

Can you bring a cigar torch on a plane? What to know before you fly

Cigar torch lighter travel rules: Why most are banned and what to do instead

a bespectacled man lighting a cigar using a torch lighter

Imagine this: you're at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) line when you see a security officer holding your beloved triple-flame torch lighter as if it's a bomb. Your heart falls when you think about saying goodbye to your $120 lighter you've had for years. Sound familiar?I've done it, and so have many other cigar enthusiasts who learned the hard way that traveling with cigar torch lighters isn't as easy as throwing them in your carry-on and going on your merry way. The regulations are murky, enforcement varies wildly, and a single misstep can see you lose your beloved piece of cigar gear.

Can you bring a cigar torch on a plane?

Culture

5 shows to watch if you liked Netflix’s Dept. Q

The show follows an obsessive Scottish detective.

Matthew Goode in Dept Q

Netflix produces all kinds of shows, one of its most reliable genres has always been the detective story. Everyone likes a show about police officers and the crimes they solve, and Dept. Q is one of the best versions of that concept we've seen in some time. The series, which follows a Scottish detective who returns to work following a massive, tragic accident, is an examination of the high stakes of the job, and what it means to really mess it upDept. Q has been earning rave reviews, but if you've already watched every episode, we've got you covered. We've pulled together this list of five shows like it you can check out now:

Slow Horses (2022-)