calories used when surfing

[abbaroo]

I wear my Flex when I go out surfing, and I think it underestimates the calories that I burn while surfing. There is an entry called "Surfing, body or board" that I use to log my exercise. For 1 hour of surfing, it says that I burn 225 calories. For an hour of yoga, it says I burn 324 calories. Walking for 30 minutes, I burn 229 calories.

Now I know for a fact that surfing for an hour is more strenuous than walking for a half hour. I know that there is some sitting around time when waiting for waves, but after a surf session, my body feels it much more than for walking.

[yldthng]

I use this: http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc

They have surfing listed under Sports & Recreation. The counts are pretty accurate - based on weight, height, age, gender.

[Heybales]

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@yldthng wrote:

I use this: http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc

They have surfing listed under Sports & Recreation. The counts are pretty accurate - based on weight, height, age, gender.

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That site is really making the rounds lately.

But it is using the exact same database Fitbit is, and the exact same method, resting metabolism as basis, which Fitbit has to, based on weight, height, age, gender.

Fitbit generally has more levels of intensity or pace, and more descriptions available though - so always recommend starting on Fitbit's database.

In this case, surfing isn't there, which is odd, because it is in the METs database, BMR x 3 (general) or 5 (competitive) x min depending on level of effort.

https://drive.google.com/viewerng/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxjb21wZW5kaXVtb2ZwaHl...

Surfing  1 hr

That site - 228

Using MET's database 3 & 5 and Fitbit resting calorie burn per min 1.28 - 230 & 384

So they are using only the general level, not competitive

But just thought I'd share, because several are thinking it's doing something special compared to Fitbit. It isn't.

It is doing something special compared to every other exercise database out there, which assumes a 1.2 cal/kg/hr calorie burn at rest.

[abbaroo]

I checked that, and I still find it hard to believe that surfing an hour would burn only a few more calories than walking 2 MPH. I know that there is a lot of time spent sitting, waiting for a wave, but I always feel like I got more exercise after an hour of surf than an hour of walking. Also, I'm sure sitting in the cold water burns calories.

[Heybales]

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@abbaroo wrote:

I checked that, and I still find it hard to believe that surfing an hour would burn only a few more calories than walking 2 MPH. I know that there is a lot of time spent sitting, waiting for a wave, but I always feel like I got more exercise after an hour of surf than an hour of walking. Also, I'm sure sitting in the cold water burns calories.

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Now the cold water is very true. And hard to estimate, because differences in, huh, insulation, and ability to make heat. So that is extra free calorie burn.

As to the comparison to walking, it is very hard to do that, for exactly the reason you state.

Even study comparing running on treadmill to outside found people went harder and burned more outside, but felt it was the same effort as treadmill - because the extra stimulous helped.

In this case, I'm betting the intense peaks downplay the waiting time. It would be interesting to watch raw surfing video for say 30 min with a timer, and see how much time is actually spent on the feet even.

[abbaroo]

Well, I wish the time spent on the feet was more, but it's a pretty small amount of time. The most energy is burned in paddling, just to get out to the waves, and paddling back out after a ride.

[knels5]

I am a surfer as well and one hour of being in the water has to burn a ton of calories! Unlike any other sport, every muscle in my body is tired after surfing for a couple of hours. Paddling alone and fighting thru the waves just to get out past the break zone is 75% of the workout! I think surfing is one of the best full body workouts you can do. I'm a long boarder and I'd probably estimate that I burn around 500 calories an hour surfing 3-4 foot waves. That's going off of what I burn doing my normal weight lifting routine without cardio. My trainer said I probably burn about 200-300 in half an hour. They don't say surfer's have the best bodies for nothing! Surf on! 🙂

[flyboy]

I started logging my surfing sessions in the manual entry section for FitBit for my own records.  Basically what I've come up with by wearing a Heart Rate Monitor and extrapolating my numbers from running and biking I average around 400-500 calories per hour surfing but those numbers vary widely depending on water temperture, if and what wetsuit I wear, surf size, surf location ( a beach break doesn't burn nearly as many calories as a point or reef where I have a long paddle out to the line up and back after taking a wave), wind and current conditions, etc.  The FitBit Flex does register some movement from paddling but basically it gives you very little credit for the work you're doing surfing, especially when you're in cold water and big surf.  So I take that 400-500 range and add in a RPE (Rate of Percieved Exertion) factor and add in something for the water temperture if it is cold, especially if I'm wearing a wetsuit, and try to come up with a number that makes sense to me.  The fact is that on Big Wednesday in So. Cal in August I paddled like a mad man for 2 hours to catch 3 waves, the current was massive and the surf was huge, I got pounded every time I paddled out to the line up.  I burned way more calories that day than I did a few days before in smaller albeit still solid surf with warmer water and many times more waves. 

BTW, I started a group for surfers, you should join it if you're interested search for Surfing FitBit.

[Nayaki]

It can vary enormously between different surfer. I feel I can burn at least 500 kcal in an hour on a bodyboard but burn 1000 on a push bike. I have been exhausted more generally surfing and I feel this is because of many factors. Like wave size, land to sea extremes and length of surf. That's cool man it must be doing your energy levels good man. Like it's a whole new level man. Peace!

[Skydog007]

Dawn Patrol is by far the more superior app for surfing when compared to fit bit. Dawn patrol has said that fitbit simply needs to contact them to integrate the app. Please vote to add dawn patrol.

Another issue is that if there is a lull the app will shut down and not start back up automatically