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Surfing Maths

Surfing personal bests maths challenge

A child-friendly sports challenge using personal bests to practise subtraction with real examples.

Quick answer

You can use subtraction to find out how much better your surfing personal best is than someone else's, or how much you need to improve to beat a record.

Learning outcome

By the end of this page, you will be able to use subtraction to compare your surfing personal best with others' times or records, and calculate how much you need to improve. Success signs:
  • You can subtract two numbers to find the difference between two surfing times
  • You can work out how much faster you need to go to beat a record
  • You can solve real-life surfing maths problems using subtraction
  • You can explain how subtraction helps you improve at surfing

Why this matters

Subtraction helps you understand how much better or worse you are compared to others. In surfing, this is useful when you want to know how much faster you need to go to beat a personal best or beat a friend. It also helps you track your progress over time, which makes you feel proud and motivated to keep trying harder. Whether you're planning your next surf trip or setting goals, subtraction helps you make smart decisions and measure your improvement.

How it works

To compare surfing times using subtraction:
  1. Write down your surfing time and your friend's or record's time
  2. Put the bigger time first and the smaller time second
  3. Subtract the smaller time from the bigger time
  4. Read the answer to see how much faster or slower you are

Examples you can see

Let's imagine you're learning to surf and you want to beat your friend's time. Here's how subtraction helps you:
  • Your time: 12 seconds
  • Friend's time: 15 seconds
  • Subtract: 15 - 12 = 3 seconds
  • You are 3 seconds faster than your friend
Another example:
  • Your time: 18 seconds
  • Record time: 14 seconds
  • Subtract: 18 - 14 = 4 seconds
  • You need to improve by 4 seconds to beat the record
Let's try a more complex example with minutes and seconds:
  • Your time: 1 minute 20 seconds
  • Friend's time: 1 minute 10 seconds
  • Convert to seconds: 80 seconds and 70 seconds
  • Subtract: 80 - 70 = 10 seconds
  • You are 10 seconds faster than your friend

Try it as a mini adventure

Adventure: Surfing Challenge You are on a surfing trip with your friends and want to beat the best time ever recorded in your local beach. You've been timing yourself and your friends. Here's your challenge:
  1. First time: You surfed for 16 seconds
  2. Second time: Your friend surfed for 18 seconds
  3. Third time: Your best time so far is 12 seconds
  4. Fourth time: The local record is 10 seconds
  5. Fifth time: You need to beat the record by how many seconds?
Answer:
  • 18 - 16 = 2 seconds
  • 18 - 12 = 6 seconds
  • 16 - 12 = 4 seconds
  • 12 - 10 = 2 seconds
You need to improve by 2 seconds to beat the record!

Common mistakes

  • Mistake: Subtracting in the wrong order (smaller from bigger instead of bigger from smaller)
    Why it happens: Not thinking about which number is larger
    Fix: Always put the larger time first when subtracting
  • Mistake: Forgetting to convert minutes to seconds when comparing times
    Why it happens: Not thinking about the units of time
    Fix: Convert everything to seconds before subtracting
  • Mistake: Confusing "how much faster" with "how much slower"
    Why it happens: Not reading the question carefully
    Fix: Ask yourself "who is faster?" and subtract accordingly

Parent and carer guide

To help your child with this surfing maths challenge:
  • Start by timing a simple activity like jumping or running to get a feel for how times work
  • Ask your child to compare their times with a friend's or family member's
  • Encourage them to write down the times and subtract them
  • Use real-life examples like race times or sports scores to make it more relatable
  • Be patient if they make mistakes – it's part of learning
  • Ask questions like "What does the answer tell you?" to help them think about the problem
  • Don't worry if they struggle with minutes and seconds at first – it's okay to start with whole numbers
  • Make it fun by turning it into a game or competition
  • Use a timer or stopwatch to make the experience more realistic

Practice questions

  1. Tom's time: 15 seconds. Sarah's time: 18 seconds. How much faster is Tom?
  2. Lily's time: 20 seconds. Record time: 16 seconds. How much does she need to improve?
  3. James's time: 1 minute 5 seconds. Emma's time: 1 minute 15 seconds. How much faster is James?
  4. Ben's time: 12 seconds. Friend's time: 14 seconds. How much slower is Ben?
  5. Ava's time: 1 minute 25 seconds. Record time: 1 minute 15 seconds. How much does Ava need to improve?
Answers:
  1. 18 - 15 = 3 seconds
  2. 20 - 16 = 4 seconds
  3. 1 minute 15 seconds = 75 seconds, 1 minute 5 seconds = 65 seconds, 75 - 65 = 10 seconds
  4. 14 - 12 = 2 seconds
  5. 1 minute 25 seconds = 85 seconds, 1 minute 15 seconds = 75 seconds, 85 - 75 = 10 seconds

FAQ

What is subtraction used for in surfing?

Subtraction helps you compare your surfing times with others or with records. It tells you how much faster or slower you are, or how much you need to improve.

How do I subtract times in minutes and seconds?

First, convert everything to seconds. Then subtract the smaller number from the bigger number. Finally, you can convert back to minutes and seconds if needed.

Why is it important to know how much faster or slower you are?

Knowing the difference helps you understand your progress, set goals, and stay motivated to improve your surfing skills.

Can I use subtraction for other sports?

Yes! You can use subtraction for any sport where times or scores matter, like swimming, running, or basketball.

What if I don't understand the subtraction problem?

Try drawing a picture or using objects to help you understand. You can also ask a friend or adult to help you work through it step by step.