Surfing

I learned how to surf! Maybe not exactly “how to surf,” but I did learn the basics and I got up a few times! South Africa has some of the best beaches for surfing, so it was the perfect opportunity to learn. So on Friday, I went to Muizenberg Beach with Conor and a few of his roommates and took a surfing lesson. Wet suit and all, the five of us attempted surfing for the first time. Our hour and a half long lesson began by learning the three hazards: your own surfboard, other surfers, and sharks. Sharks love to feed on shiny, black seals which, in our tight black wetsuits, we closely resemble. Great confidence booster for the first time out. (Mama, stop worrying, I’m not going to be eaten by a shark). First of all, wetsuits are incredible! To the bare touch, the majority of the ocean water in South Africa is ice cold, yet we managed to spend hours in it without feeling even slightly chilly. Secondly, I have a newfound appreciation for professional surfers, or actually anyone who can surf well. Surfing is exhausting! It takes an immense amount of balance, upper body strength, timing, and concentration. And then you have to think about direction, speed, other surfers/people, the strength and size of the wave, and (maybe) sharks (and jellyfish?) That aside, surfing is very fun. There’s something very cool and different about gliding above the ocean water and experiencing that perspective. I would definitely give it another try.