After a fall, come out of the water hands first. RELATED LINKS Back to Maui City Guide

In the movies and on TV, surfing looks effortless and instinctual. When watching a surfer pick a wave and then hit the curl, it seems like the easiest, most natural thing in the world. But like all sports, surfing actually takes a lot of skill and focus, and without the proper attention to safety, serious injury is a real possibility.

Corky Carroll has been surfing for almost his whole life, and he's racked up a fairly impressive collection of trophies and titles during his career, including five US Overall championships and three International Overall championships. He's also a surfing instructor and a surfboard designer, so it's fair to say he's a true expert when it comes to surfing safety. He offers these three fundamentals as the basis for safe surfing:

• Come up hands first. According to Carroll, after a fall from a board (as any surfer is destined to do many times), cover your face with your hands and stay underwater for a few seconds. Then, when coming to the surface, lead with your hands high, so they break the water first. After a wipe out, the board could be anywhere, and it could be flying around like a helicopter blade. If it hits you when surfacing, it's better to be hit in the arms than the head.

• Carry your board flat. Carroll has seen many people walk into the water with their boards held sideways. The problem with doing this is that if a wave hits the board, it can fly up and hit you in the face, or go right into your mouth. To avoid tasting the board or needing some emergency orthodontic work, surfers should always carry their board flat.

• Pay attention. Due to the unpredictability of the ocean, surfing demands constant attention. You may have a good ride and want to catch a friend's attention on the beach, but as you're waving to them or bragging, the next wave could hit you in the back and knock you down.

For more information on surfing and surf safety, check out the following organizations and websites:

Corky Carroll.com
www.corkycarroll.com

Surfline
www.surfline.com

Surfermag
www.surfermag.com

Eastern Surfing Association
PO Box 582
Ocean City, MD 21843
800-937-4733, www.surfesa.org