TO become a professional surfer do you have to be a big wave ride

Kelly Slater learned to surf in Cocoa Beach, FL
We do not have large waves here, at all. We're lucky if we get anything overhead.
He made it.

yes if u wanna make act as it is very competitive these days

how big?
if you are a contest surfer---you have to surf the contest waves. your sponsors wont let you drop a contest at Pipe because its 15 ft. you have to be ready to surf any condition.
if you are a free surfer---you have to surf the wave that your sponsor sends you to. thats how you get paid.
with time you will get over that fear of bigger waves--you will start to love surfing them.

No, look how many professional surfers are Brazilian. They usually suck when it gets big, with a few notable exceptions like Bruno Santos and Maya Gabiera.

NO...HELL NO if u can ride a wave thats over head ie 6ft n up u will b just fine ay..its all about knowing the conditions and knowing the break ov where ur surfing. like whats under the water like reef to sand bars..but u can tell all that by how the wave breaks and look out 4 rips n currents and positioning.drop in the deeper the better and practice backdoor drop ins hope this helps ay wooooooh go 4 it ay

There are lots of good here. But let is look at the important issue. When you get really good on whatever size wave you usually ride, becoming a big wave rider is a much more attainable goal.

no not really. u can do some pretty awesome tricks on some small 6 ft waves in competitions & maybe get noticed. but mostly, if u can surf almost any size wave, u can probably get noticed. then get a sponsor. then get better & go pro. l hope this helps.

and if u were asking this question because u r scared of big waves, keep surfing a lot & soon u will actually look forward to walking out on the beach & looking at those awesome big waves & thinking, YEAH! IM GONNA GO SURF THOSE WAVES! once u have riden ur first big wave, u just cant get enough of it.

have fun surfing!!!

the big clambouski thinks not

Well, in some cases yes and in some no. Every surfer, even pros all start out on 1 foot waves and build up from there. And then eventually after years of commitment 15 foot waves are not that scary to a pro. But it does not matter what size wave you ride it depends HOW you ride.

Yes, contests take place all over the world. Pipline Sunset Beach Teapuhoo. These are all big wave spots and If you want to compete on a pro level you have to surf these spots and surf them well