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Surfing Maths

Maths in surfing: personal bests

Compare old and new results.

Quick answer

Maths in surfing: personal bests helps you compare your old and new surfing results to see how much you’ve improved. You can use subtraction, number lines, and charts to find out how many more waves you caught or how much faster you went.

Learning outcome

By the end of this page, you will be able to compare your old and new surfing results using subtraction and charts to find out how much you’ve improved. Success signs:
  • You can use subtraction to find the difference between two numbers
  • You can show your results on a simple chart or table
  • You can explain how your surfing skills have improved
  • You can use words like "better", "worse", "same", "improved", or "got worse"

Why this matters

Maths helps you understand how much you’ve improved at surfing. Whether you’re catching more waves, going faster, or staying on your board longer, maths lets you see your progress clearly. This is useful not just for surfing, but for any sport or hobby where you want to track your growth. You can also use this skill to compare your results with friends or family, or to set new goals.

How it works

To compare your old and new surfing results, follow these simple steps:
  1. Write down your old result – For example, how many waves you caught last week.
  2. Write down your new result – For example, how many waves you caught this week.
  3. Find the difference – Use subtraction to see how much more or less you did.
  4. Make a chart – Draw a simple chart to show your results.
  5. Explain your improvement – Say if you did better or worse, and how much.

Examples you can see

Let’s imagine you’re learning to surf and you want to track how many waves you catch each week. Week 1: You caught 8 waves. Week 2: You caught 12 waves. To find the difference: 12 – 8 = 4 You caught 4 more waves this week. That’s an improvement! Here’s a table to show your results:
Week Waves Caught
Week 1 8
Week 2 12
You can also draw a bar chart to see how much better you did. One bar is short (8 waves), and the other is taller (12 waves). The difference is 4 waves. Another example: You went surfing last week and stayed on your board for 15 seconds. This week, you stayed on for 20 seconds. 20 – 15 = 5 You stayed on your board 5 seconds longer. That’s a big improvement!

Try it as a mini adventure

Adventure: Surfing Tracker Challenge You are a young surfer who wants to see how much you’ve improved over the last month. Here’s your challenge: Week 1: You caught 6 waves. Week 2: You caught 10 waves. Week 3: You caught 14 waves. Week 4: You caught 18 waves. 4th time: How many more waves did you catch in Week 4 compared to Week 1? Answer: 18 – 6 = 12 more waves Now, make a chart showing your results. Draw a bar for each week. Which bar is the tallest? You can also ask a friend or family member to help you track your results. Together, you can compare how you both did.

Common mistakes

  • Mistake: Subtracting the smaller number from the bigger number in the wrong order.
    Why it happens: You might forget which number is bigger or mix up the order.
    Fix: Always subtract the old number from the new number. If the new number is bigger, the answer will be positive. If it’s smaller, the answer will be negative.
  • Mistake: Forgetting to write down your results.
    Why it happens: It’s easy to forget if you don’t write things down.
    Fix: Always write down your numbers and the answer you get.
  • Mistake: Thinking that a bigger number means you did worse.
    Why it happens: Sometimes children confuse bigger with worse.
    Fix: Remember: if you catch more waves or stay on longer, that’s better!

Parent and carer guide

Parents and carers can help by:
  • Encouraging their child to write down their surfing results
  • Using simple subtraction to find differences
  • Creating a chart or table together
  • Discussing how much improvement there was
  • Using real-life examples like catching fish, scoring points, or running faster
If your child is finding it hard, try using objects like coins or blocks to show the difference. For example, if they caught 5 waves last week and 9 this week, you can use 9 blocks and take away 5 to show the difference. Don’t worry if your child makes a mistake – it’s part of learning. You can ask questions like, “What did you do first?” or “Can you check your subtraction?”

Practice questions

  1. Week 1: You caught 7 waves. Week 2: You caught 11 waves. How many more waves did you catch in Week 2?
  2. Week 1: You stayed on your board for 10 seconds. Week 2: You stayed on for 15 seconds. How much longer did you stay on?
  3. Week 1: You caught 3 waves. Week 2: You caught 6 waves. How many more waves did you catch?
  4. Week 1: You stayed on for 20 seconds. Week 2: You stayed on for 15 seconds. How much less time did you stay on?
  5. Week 1: You caught 12 waves. Week 2: You caught 8 waves. How many fewer waves did you catch?
Answers:
  1. 11 – 7 = 4 more waves
  2. 15 – 10 = 5 seconds longer
  3. 6 – 3 = 3 more waves
  4. 20 – 15 = 5 seconds less
  5. 12 – 8 = 4 fewer waves

FAQ

What is a personal best in surfing?

A personal best is the best result you’ve ever achieved in surfing. It could be the most waves you caught, the longest time you stayed on the board, or the most tricks you did.

How can I track my surfing progress?

You can write down your results each week, like how many waves you caught or how long you stayed on the board. Then, you can compare them to see if you’re getting better.

Why is it important to track your surfing results?

Tracking your results helps you see how much you’ve improved. It makes you feel proud of your progress and helps you set new goals.

Can I use maths to compare my results with friends?

Yes! You can write down your results and compare them. For example, if you caught 10 waves and your friend caught 12, you can see who did better.

What if I did worse this week?

That’s okay! It’s still useful to track your results. If you did worse, it shows you can still learn and improve. You can look for ways to get better next time.