Hey there! My name’s Joe but most people call me Joey Hustle, Hustle or something similar and for the last 12 years I’ve been teaching people how to surf. Most recently I’ve created a business that combines wellness with surfing so that you can Optimize Your Surfing (or maybe another activity).
And what does that mean? Let me back up… Optimizing your Activity can mean quite a few things. Basically my passion lies with helping people get the most out of their ability, health and mindset. Currently my main focus is to help people learn to surf in and out of the water!
I know this is an About Me page but you’re here to make sure I’m the guy that can help you with your surfing!
Let’s look at a few issues people new to surfing experience.
- You struggle in the ocean and feel as if you are working against it rather than with it. You can’t identify waves. Ocean terms confuse you and you don’t see what others see.
- Lack the strength to consistently catch waves, feel fatigued often and struggle to get through the impact zone.
- Have no idea what board, what beach, what condition is right for you. Sound about right?
Where do we start?
Surf Lessons
Back in 2014 I was living in Costa Rica and surfing everyday. Life was great. That’s when the Bossman reached out and changed my trajectory. It was a simple question, Do you want to teach lessons for me?
Absolutely!
But a surf lesson isn’t 100% about learning the technique. Surfing is many things to many different people. It’s unique to the individual. My lessons help you get to know the surfer in you.
They won’t look like what you envision. I’m teaching the entirety of it and it may look like many things.
- It can resemble two buds paddling out together.
- A hands on approach that starts on the inside whitewater waves.
- It can be 45 minutes on the beach and 45 minutes in the water.
- It could look like ding repair
- Watching surf film together
- It could even look like a party wave where everyone wipes out!
The important thing is to get someone that can articulate the information to their client so that they understand the moment in real time, when it’s happening. The moment being when they are paddling for, catching and transitioning to your feet while going down the face of a wave!
My years of experience are so vast that I often forget that I’ve done roughly 2000 surf lessons. I’ve seen it all and none of those lessons were about standing up on a surfboard. It’s about the culture, the equipment, catching and then riding that wave!
You see a wave and then it’s gone!
Don’t see a wave and then get rocked!
Think you’re lined up and then you’re nosediving.
Ocean Awareness!
The ocean is an uncontrollable environment. There’s report of what the ocean is going to send you prior to paddling out. So how do you prepare? Simply surrender to it and learn to work with it.
It takes time to understand the ocean. My ocean literacy lessons started around the age of 4. And I truly believe that the time between age 4 and 16, when I got my first board has helped me the most. This is an overlooked part of surfing. Anyone that hasn’t grown up near the ocean doesn’t quite grasp how important these experiences are for your learning. Simply swimming in the ocean, wading in the currents or getting tossed around the impact zone help us understand the movements of water. Inadvertently, people new to surfing aren’t considering this and they are comparing themselves to watermen & waterladies that have been in the ocean their entire lives!
As someone new to surfing I bet you’ve experienced somethings similar to what’s listed below:
You’re paddling out and have no idea what to do when a set or another person is coming towards you.
You step in the ocean and then find yourself on your back!
You hear terms but can’t connect to what that actually means. Like what the hell does closeout mean?
Green Waves, I thought they were blue!
Down the line, I don’t see any lines out here!
Swell Direction~Swell Period~Wave pocket
I get it, surfing terminology can be confusing! There’s simply nothing you can do that helps you understand the ocean in real time. We don’t have a pause button and sometimes handling those situations in the moment can be overwhelming. Lucky for you I’ve been around the ocean and other bodies of water my whole life.
I’m most comfortable at the beach and in the water. After years of experience, I’ve grown to have fun in the conditions that may scare the shit out of you. Now I definitely have a limit and I often say your big and my big are two different bigs! But the truth is this, you have to want to be in some of these scary moments. I’m not saying jump into a Double Overhead swell. I’m only saying that to experience the glory of it you’ll also have to do the work and get through some suck.
Strength & Conditioning
This is a tough one. The ocean is humbling! It’s impossible to truly understand how surfing works your body until you’ve paddled out. Mother Ocean can really make you feel like an uncoordinated gober! Somedays aren’t very challenging and others are super challenging. The kicker is that you never really know what you’re getting into until that exact moment.
Then you mix in age. Starting anything at an older age can be challenging. Experienced watermen can make it look effortless yet you find yourself gasping and struggling to even get your arms out of the water when you paddle! Your shoulders burn, your back is crying and your lungs can’t seem to get a good breath. And just when you think you can’t take it anymore, you get tossed around underwater for what feels like a minute. It’s okay, this is normal. It’s never as long as you think!
If this is you and you’re still reading this, then you’re already making progress!
The Positive Sol Surf Coaching Program is designed to help people just like you!
At times we’ve all felt like a kook. Maybe you’ve paddled out but somehow got in everyone’s way. Decided to ride a board and couldn’t figure out why you didn’t get any waves. Rode a board missing a fin…and didn’t even realize it. And you’ve definitely put your wetsuit on backwards that first time.
Yet here you are, making a decision that will change what didn’t work in the past.
Positive Sol Surf Coaching includes top tier surf lessons with video analysis. Ocean Awareness lessons that help you overcome those uncomfortable? moments. And a Health & Fitness Program that will get your body (and your mind) where it needs to be.
So not only will you learn how to surf, you’ll also learn more about ocean dynamics plus the healthy habits that will strengthen your body. If you need to lose a little weight, well the program will also help with that! Let’s be honest, it’s hard to learn a new activity at an older age or when we’re carrying extra body weight! Some may say it’s age but usually it’s weight that brings us down. No matter the activity, being healthy & fit matters!
I thought it was all about time in the water when, in reality, that’s just a part of it. Habits matter! The ocean simply doesn’t care. You will find yourself in the situation you least want to be in. You’ll spend time underwater. You may even feel a bit helpless at times. The crazy part is that in time, you’ll learn to laugh at these moments.
Positive Sol Surf Coaching aims to make that experience easier and fun. Yes, fun, those moments have to elicit a chuckle right before they happen. Knowing this, don’t you think you’re better off putting yourself in the best condition possible to optimize your fun. How you take care of yourself matters!
My surf journey began as I was trying to figure out life. I was 16 years old. Not in shape and knew nothing about surfing. I actually wouldn’t even call what I was doing surfing but rather going in the ocean with a surf board! Also contributing to the problem was me trying to learn on a 7’6” gun instead of a longboard! Oh yeah, I was out of shape, blind (because I didn’t have contact lenses) and ready to slay some double overtoenail bombs!
But surf lessons weren’t really an option. My only resources were my friends (who were also learning to surf on the wrong boards lol). We went at the wrong time. Let our boards bounce around the back of a pickup truck as we flew down the highway. And we really had no idea why we needed to go early in the morning.
And total transparency, I wore my leash on the wrong ankle!
What I really needed at the time was to build up my strength and conditioning!
In time I realized the simple choices truly made the difference! But in those early days I didn’t realize that you can improve your surfing outside of the water. I wasn’t even considering the importance of my fitness. I thought surfing was some adrenaline sport…hint, 99% of the time it’s not! Most of the time you’ll be in 2’ waves that lack energy.
Most high level surfers start so young that it’s all they know. It’s an activity they’ve been doing for their entire lives and they don’t even remember learning. They were too young to understand the struggles.
If you are starting out and you are in you’re 20’s or 30’s you might experience some learning curves. Positive Sol Surf Coaching can help you feel more confident & coordinated by focusing on equal parts surfing, ocean awareness & health and fitness!
Healthy habits are a great place to start. Aside from surfing we want to focus on habits such as waking up and drinking a glass of water. Proper hydration and proper rest are always overlooked. Other choices like having a positive mindset, emphasizing protein, eliminating/reducing added sugar & alcohol, a consistent fitness regimen, 10K steps, etc. These habits will help you become stronger and make surfing that much more enjoyable.
And I’m sure now you’re saying, “if I just do this then why do I need Positive Sol Wellness?”
The key to success is about building the right habits and working on them every day of your life. Unfortunately life and sometimes ourselves get in the way! The glimmer I get from helping people become healthier so they can enjoy life more is why I started Positive Sol Wellness. Now it’s morphed into Positive Sol Surf & Wellness so that I can do all the things I love.
Besides learning to surf, this surf coaching program is designed to help you overcome the issues that hold you back and help you enjoy surfing with an added benefit of great health! In time you’ll start seeing the reward in terms of waves.
What separates Positive Sol Surf Coaching from your past attempts is the process!
The right board
The right beach
Actual instruction
Proper Tutelage
Seeing yourself do the thing
Understanding the environment
Staying consistent with your health & nutrition goals
During the program we’ll be spending plenty of time in the ocean but we’re also going to talk about nutrition. We’ll stop bossing around our bodies and start listening to them instead. While we’re at it, we’ll try to be nicer to ourselves. We’ll get you to win the Gold Medal for Sleeping! You’ll find yourself working with the ocean rather than against it. In time you’ll look back and realize you really aren’t the kook you thought you were.
The real question you’re probably asking yourself is why Positive Sol Surf & Wellness? There are thousands of surf professionals out there. What does this service have that others don’t?
Well, I’m a Certified Coach & Fitness Nutrition Specialist (ACE). Have been an Educator for most of my adult life, which gives me the ability to articulate information practically (and lets you know that I know my shit). I’m passionate about all things health. My lifestyle is active+! On any given day I find myself catching waves, engaged in a strenuous workout & maybe even out on a hike or a run after it all! This happens along with my job as a health & nutrition coach/surf instructor and my other endeavours. I may not have 10,000 hrs logged giving surf lessons but I’m closing in on 2500hrs and that experience matters!
To do all this requires a dedicated lifestyle to all things health, nutrition & fitness. And those lifestyle choices that I’ve made definitely contribute to making this activity feel effortless. You can’t have a nickname like Joeyhustle and not live up to it! At the time of writing I’m 47 and feel young. I won’t be outpaddled by anyone. I’m comfortable in both the chaotic or the serene ocean. The worst case scenario that beginners fear brings out a chuckle in me. While I know I might be getting tossed, I also know that this is part of the fun.
My tag line…Optimize your Sol has many meanings but for me it’s a way for us all to tap into who we are.
And who am I?
Well here are a few tidbits…
Atlantic over the Pacific (I live in California now, but I’m East Coast all the way!). Sand over Mountains.
Linen Napkins over paper for the win!
Sweating over lounging.
Eating Colorfully—eating real food from nature, not from a box.
My love language is positive reinforcement, with a dose of foul language (I just call 4-letter words adjectives)
Willingness to do the work.
Attention to detail.
An early riser that secretly wants to sleep in.
Full windsor over half ass.
We all have our quirks and I make it a point to Embrace my Sol. As I approach middle age, I feel younger than ever. I enjoy helping people accomplish their goals. Deep down I’m a normal guy that loves baseball, burritos and werewolves.
If you find yourself intrigued, fill out the contact form below. Once you do then we can get to work on Optimizing your Sol!