Surfing in Counter-Strike has long transcended its status as mere entertainment content. For decades, Surf tournaments have been held with prize pools in the tens of thousands of dollars, and the scene keeps growing year by year.

Surfing actually originated in Counter-Strike 1.5, which was based on the GoldSrc engine. It is this engine that gave rise to popular concepts like Surf and Bhop in our beloved game series.

Back in 2003, players thought it was just a temporary bug in the game engine that developers would soon fix. However, as time went on, the developers cleverly ignored it, while fans of the Counter-Strike series started creating Surf forums.

By then, the Surf community was growing rapidly, but exact statistics are unavailable since everyone played on local servers or simply via LAN cables with friends. This led to Valve not correcting this bug, which over time evolved into a feature.

Fast forward to today, especially in Counter-Strike 2, you can find over a thousand servers with Surf themes in the “Community Servers” tab, each with its own players.

But what exactly is Surf, and why is it needed in competitive matches? We'll explain step by step how to Surf in Counter-Strike 2 and how this skill can help you in your competitive matches.

Where can you Surf in Counter-Strike 2?

It's important to note that mastering the Surf technique can take anywhere from one to five hours on the appropriate maps for different players. However, after reading this guide, it will be much easier for you to start your journey in the fascinating path of Surf in Counter-Strike 2.

So, how do you access a Surf map? Simply go to the “Community Servers” tab and enter “SURF” to find the closest servers where you can play this mode.

You don’t necessarily have to be online to play on such maps. All you need to do for offline Surf or solo play is download your desired map from the “Steam Workshop.”

First, select “Counter-Strike 2” in the game, then search for “SURF” to discover a vast world of various maps created by players themselves.

Keep in mind that Surf maps also have their difficulty levels:

• Tier 1 – For beginners
• Tier 2 – Easy
• Tier 3 – For professionals

Regardless of how many hours you've played Counter-Strike, if you're new to Surf mechanics, you should start with Tier 1.

After selecting a map, subscribe to it in Steam, launch the game, start the map, and enter the following commands:

• "sv_cheats 1" – activates the use of cheats and console commands for surfing in CS2;
• "bot_kick 1" – removes all bots from the game (necessary as they can be distracting and annoying).
• "sv_accelerate 10" – sets the acceleration speed during movement. The usual value is 5.5, but surf servers prefer to set it to 10.
• "sv_airaccelerate 800" – sets the maximum acceleration in the air, making surfing easier – the higher the value, the easier it is to control movement.
• "sv_staminajumpcost 0" and "sv_staminalandcost 0" – eliminate stamina loss when jumping and landing.
• "sv_autobunnyhopping 1" and "sv_enablebunnyhopping 1" – enable bunny hopping mode.

Currently, the most popular maps for Surf mode among beginners include:

• surf_rookie_fix – an ideal choice for beginner surfers: this map includes various sections that gradually increase in difficulty, perfect for your first run.
• surf_mesa – another extensive surfing map, combining both simple and complex sections, making it an excellent place to improve your surfing skills.
• surf_utopia_njv – a long map with an attractive colour scheme and several challenging sections.

Now you're at the start of the map, ready to begin your journey into the world of surfing. But how do you start?

Beginner tips for Surf in Counter-Strike 2

On nearly all Surf maps, you start in front of the first ramp. Eager to jump and fly? We understand, but first, you need to remember the basic rules of moving on the ramp:

1. In the air, it's impossible to gain speed.
2. To accelerate, you need to move down the ramp from the top. However, it's important to plan the direction of your next flight in advance.
3. Forget about the W and S buttons; all necessary air strafes are done using the A and D buttons.
4. To reach a distant target or if the next ramp is located higher than your current position, take off from the top of the ramp.
5. If you need to descend or accelerate, it's best to take off from the very bottom of the ramp.
6. If you just need to continue moving along the same trajectory, choose a point roughly in the middle of the ramp, and everything should work out well.

Let's delve deeper. The Surf mechanics in Counter-Strike 2 are quite simple.

When you slide on the ramp with the left side of your model, you need to hold A and build your trajectory with your mouse. Conversely, when the ramp is to your right, hold the D button and control your model with your mouse movements.

How do you control your model in the air?

Air strafe in Counter-Strike is a unique ability to control the direction of your model's movement during a fall. A feature of the game is the ability to influence the flight trajectory even in the air. You remain in motion, even while in the air. To perform this manoeuvre, you need to start running forward (pressing the "w" key), then jump and quickly release "w." After that, press "a" (or "d") and simultaneously turn the mouse left (or right) accordingly.

It's important to understand that in surfing, excessive movements are not welcomed. Aim for smooth movement along the shortest path, as this significantly impacts the result. Unnecessary manoeuvres can prolong the time to complete a level or reduce your speed, which is a crucial factor in surfing. Therefore, the fewer the manoeuvres, the more effective your movement.

In Surf mode, we often encounter air strafes, as after the end of the ramp, we need to fly to the next one, which is not always straight ahead.

How do you gain speed in Surf?

Quick speed gain is one of the most important skills for beginners in Surf mode. There are several ways to do this:

The easiest way is to move from the top to the bottom of the ramp. With such movement, you can gain almost infinite speed, depending on how long your ramp is and the angle of your model's incline. The greater the incline angle of your model (simply put, how low your crosshair is relative to the ramp), the faster you gain speed.

Another way to gain speed is through air strafes, which allow you to gain speed even in flight. All you need to do is alternately press the A and D buttons at high speed. At the same time, make minimal mouse movements in your plane. Mouse movements should not exceed five centimetres on your mat.

How do you use surf in competitive matches?

This is quite simple. In your competitive matches, you can now slide on all sloped objects in the game, such as the walls on Monster on Overpass.

By sliding on these walls, you can cover distances much faster and surprise your opponents. Just remember that the weapon spread during SURF is significant.

For example, on Overpass, instead of running through the swamp, you can quickly reach the canal by using Surf on that wall.

Moreover, Surf can be used on strange objects, like on Nuke, when you jump from the cliff to Main, you can do it almost noiselessly.

While Counter-Strike 2 still has a large number of bugs, you can find even more textures to use Surf on.

S recurfords

The main indicator in Surf mode is, of course, the time to complete. Therefore, straying and falling off the map is strictly forbidden, as you would have to start all over again. But let's talk about world records on the maps we mentioned earlier.

• Surf_utopia_njv was completed by a player named ellyever in 58.8 seconds
• Surf_mesa was completed by a player named cole in 49.1 seconds
• surf_rookie_fix was completed by a player named Oliver in 1 minute and 2 seconds

Maybe you're the next holder of the title of the best Surf on the planet? All you need is practice and more practice. Use SURF as a relaxer after difficult games or a tough day. After all, games are meant to bring us pleasure.

Counter-Strike 2 is not just about constant shootouts and all that, but also about exciting movement training and relaxation. There's nothing better than going into Surf after a tough game and flying through maps to some nice music.