Surfing for NWBS

Not to be redundant, but….

IT’S SO TOOOOOTALLY AWESOME, MAN!!!!

The feeling of being carried by a wave, precariously balancing atop a massive swell of water. It’s amazing. I only felt the thrill of the small afternoon waves today, but once my sunburn goes down, we’ll be out there again for sure.

Contrary to what I imagined form the easy going surfer persona, this is NOT a sport for beach bums. It’s incredibly intense. I figured it would be as chill as the dude who rented us the boards; you swim out there, wait for a big wave, and stand up as it comes. Once you got the hang of it maybe do a flip or two. Easy peasy - just like snowboarding, right?

Not the case.

Once we got out into the waves, I was fighting for every step. Strong waves mean strong undercurrents, and the rock bottom kept things interesting in my sorry excuse for surf shoes. I felt like I was pulling a tire.

Surfing is also a lot more precise than it appears. Standing up and balancing are really the easiest parts. Just like a runner waiting for a baton, you need to time your take-off perfectly; waiting for the right size wave that is going to break at the right time and place, then turning yourself around and paddling HARD as it approaches. Then, if you built up enough speed and caught it at the right moment, you’re propelled with the wave as the swell grows. THEN you can stand and balance as you fly over the water.

So Rad.