Did I Surf Just Now? | Skills Series #SK9
I recently went surfing, and I recount my experience from start to finish. I also provide some basic tips for when you decide to take the plunge and go surfing yourself. It certainly is something that I would revisit in the future.
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We here are keen on trying new hobbies to increase our repertoire of skills. Whether you’ve stumbled across this for the first time or are a regular, thanks for taking the time to look through what I have created. Read on to start your journey towards mastering skills you are passionate about.
Today we are looking at surfing! I never thought this day would come, and yet, here I am. I surfed for the first time in my life earlier this week, and I am excited to share it with you. Without any further ado, let’s get started on my story of surfing!
This definitely wasn’t me during my first day of surfing
The story
Before getting into the water
Recently I was given a choice between surfing and kayaking. Initially, I was siding towards kayaking as I am a big fan of kayaking. But in keeping with the theme of this blog, I wanted to try something new. Therefore, I put my name down on the surfing list.
The day finally arrives, and I am walking towards the surfboard and wetsuit hire place. I felt quite nervous as I wasn’t sure what was in store.
We reach the hire place, and the price is quite reasonable. For a board and wetsuit combo, the price was around $20. You don’t usually need a reservation, but we decided to book for ourselves since we were a party of six. We were each handed one wetsuit and were pointed towards the changing area. If you are easily uncomfortable with sand getting everywhere, you may not like this next part.
The changing area was tiny, about 1.5m x 1.5m wide cubicle with a thin curtain for privacy. The changing cubicle I was assigned didn’t have a hook or surface to place my belongings. Therefore, I had to place my bag, clothes and wetsuit on the floor covered in sand. This didn’t bother me, but I can imagine some of you reading are cringing right now.
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If you have seen movies or TV shows that include surfing, you probably imagine it’s super easy to hold the surfboard. But this isn’t the case. It isn’t easy to hold the surfboard by your side. I tried my best to make my best impression of the rock carrying the surfboard, but in the end, I embraced my roots and went all Baahubali and carried the surfboard on my head.
Before heading in, it was essential to tie a leash to your leg. To determine which leg to tie your leash to, you have to know which leg would be in front. The way that you determine that is by finding out what your stance is. My friend did this by pushing me half unexpectedly and checking which leg I naturally put forward. It turns out that I have my right foot forward naturally, so I tethered my left foot to the board.
Getting in the water
The seawater felt quite cold when I first entered the ocean, especially around my legs which were bare with no protection. I could feel the cold piercing through my skin and making me regret my decision a little bit. But very soon after, the temperature felt quite pleasant.
Wading into the water was tiring as there were many waves. Therefore getting into hip-level water took a bit of time. I followed my friend, who would guide me on what to do. We didn’t sign up for lessons since most of the others were quite familiar with surfing. Much like how some children learn swimming by being thrown into the deep end, I was thrown into the wave end with no idea what to do.
The instructions were simple, get on the board, and start paddling when you see a wave to match its speed. Once you feel the wave take over, stand on the surfboard. When you reach the end of the wave, fall gracefully into the ocean. Easier said than done. The very first lesson was on how to get on top of the board. It’s important to keep your weight distributed well such that you can stand up with ease. If not, you would either tip backwards or forwards and end up with a mouth full of water.
The first wave I managed to catch was facilitated by a friend who spent some time helping me understand the mechanics of surfing. With their help and a little push just as the wave approached, I managed to surf for the first time. The feeling is quite difficult to explain. It’s almost like riding a bike; once you reach a certain speed, you don’t need to balance as it feels quite stable without trying.
I spent about a good one and a half hours just enjoying myself. Although there were times when I was tumbling around in the water, not knowing which direction was up, and times when the board smacked me in the face. Despite this, I still had a lot of fun. I never managed to surf a wave independently, but I still managed to kneel on my board a few times, thanks to the friend. Looking forward to learning more about surfing in the future.
Mechanics of surfing
From my time surfing for about one and a half hours, these are my lessons for any new surfers. Please note that this is coming from an absolute amateur.
Safety tips:
Surf only in the area marked between black and white flags; this is so that the lifeguard can see you
Ensure that you have a buddy looking out for you; this is so that someone else can grab a lifeguard's attention if you were to need rescuing. If they aren’t with you, make sure to let a buddy know that you are going surfing and be sure to check back in with them when you are back
Point your board towards the waves; try not to face the board sideways in front of you as this can cause the board to smack you in the face.
For more safety tips, check out this article here.
A step-by-step approach to surfing
Step 1: Wade into deep enough water with the surfboard facing the direction of the waves.
Step 2: Turn around and wait for a decent-sized wave.
Step 3: Once you spot a good wave, pick up speed and match the speed of the wave.
Step 4: When you feel the wave pushing you, stand up.
Step 5: Look cool until the wave no longer pushes the board.
Step 6: Repeat steps one through five.
Surfing is a physically demanding activity while simultaneously connecting yourself to nature.
I’d love to hear from you. Have you surfed before? Or are you someone who has been surfing regularly? Do you have any tips that would help ease the starting trouble? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments below or tweet at me with your thoughts.
That’s all for this week. I hope you enjoyed reading about my adventures while surfing (SK9). Surfing has been my long-time dream, and I look forward to learning more. Do leave a comment and subscribe if you want to be inspired to learn new skills on a week-ish basis.
Until next time,
Tony
Additional Resources
• Blog articles: Safety Tips
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