surfing in Costa Rica

ok, so I am about to book a trip to Costa Rica with my friends.  I would love to be able to try surfing for the first time.  I need to lose about 18 pounds by april 11 and get in shape for surfing.  I am 5'7" and currently 158 lbs.  any ideas to help me along my way?  any surfers out there that can help me prep for my first time?  i would love to know some exercises that can not only help me get to my bikini weight but in shape for surfing.

thank you...and hang ten

Hey!! I've no idea about surfing and such but it's funny because i am also 5"7, 158lbs, and looking to loose 14lbs by sometime in april!! We are twins! haha.

We should keep in touch.  the calorie meter said that i should be eating roughly 1300 calories a day in order to lose that amount of weight by April.  I just need the will power to motivation to do so.

Im an 'old' broad who just happened to try surfing this past summer.  Wow what a rush!  I am 50, and if I can get myself up on the board, you should be able to as well.  Yoga will help you with balance, squats will help w/ quads and leg muscles, also treadmill on an incline to help w/ gluts.  You may want to try some free weights to increase upper arm strength. 

Good luck and enjoy Costa Rica.  I have heard it is beautiful!

Hey! I'm also a surfing dunce, but I was almost 170 and 5'7" and now I'm hovering between 150-153. 1300 cals is definitely a good cal amount to lose on, I can tell you that -- I've been losing on it. :D

But if I were you I would definitely focus more on working out so you have the stamina to remain on the board. I have skied, and the hardest part of that experience for me was to keep my legs in the correct form to actually do it successfully. It was very tiring after a while. I imagine surfing would be the same way.

Good luck! And I am soooooooooooooo jealous of you going to Costa Rica! Be careful, though, if you go outside of big tourist areas, their water supply isn't very good. D:

thanks ladies for the motivation!!!

hey i'm from Costa Rica,  and living curretly in MN, sad, i know, anyway you should try to focus on your core abs and back, you're going to need it for balance. Also try to do squats to strenghten your upper legs.

have a good trip and Pura Vida