Surfing Lesson

Ah, the last day of Jenni's Blog Every Day in May challenge. I can't believe this is already the end- it feels like the last day of Summer Camp. I think we all need a big group hug.

Today's prompt: a vivid memory. Given how heavy some of the posts have been in the past two weeks, I'm going to share something a bit happier: one of my favorite memories from my travels.

Let me paint a little picture for you: the air is a balmy low-80 degrees Fahrenheit. There is a slight breeze, but it's warm. The scent is Hawaiian tropic, along with the faint scent of plumeria and gardenia floating on said breeze. The beige sand is warm beneath my feet, and the ocean is blue-gray, just like the sky, which is a bit cloudy. I can hear sea birds and crashing waves. I'm on Oahu.

It is May, 2010 and I have taken a few days off of work to visit Hawaii for the first time. I didn't tell my boss what I was doing, just that I was taking personal days (because I had personal days to use up before i lost them, and I was afraid that if she knew I was going to Hawaii, she wouldn't let me take the time off- strange, but she was crazy). There were really good deals on flights and hotels that Spring, so Ir took the leap and decided to check Hawaii off of my must-see list.

As soon as I booked my flights and hotels, I knew I wanted to take a surfing lesson. It was on my bucket list, and I'd always admired the sport of surfing- it looks so exhilarating! I did some research and found Hawaiian Fire Surf School, where I could learn how to surf from firefighters, and if I happened to drown, they would be able to save me. Totally safe. I had to do it.


So fast forward to a Friday in May, I had just gotten to my hotel in Waikiki the night before. I wake with the sun and put on my tankini and a cover up, slather on some sunscreen, and head to the beach. The beach is nice and peaceful, so I plop down on the sand and take some pictures and enjoy the view of Diamond Head. Anticipation is building in my stomach as I await the time for me to find the shuttle that will take me to my surfing lesson.

I'm one of the first people on the shuttle and the driver asks me if I'm nervous. Heck yes, I'm nervous! He asks why, and I explain that I've never tried surfing before, and I'm really not a great swimmer. He tells me I'll be in good hands, and the beach we're headed to is tranquil anyway. We drive around Waikiki to pick up the other students for the lesson, then head off toward our special beach.

When we arrive at our beach, I see the clouds in the sky and the waves crashing in the ocean. Is this the tranquil beach? My anxiety is rising within me, along with excitement to try something new. We all climb out of the van with our beach bags and we're instructed to put on rash guards. I feel like a girl in junior high again, stripping off my cover up and pulling the tight rash guard over my pale skin. I'm glad I'm wearing a tankini because I just don't have the nice flat stomach the other girls have. But these thoughts are not allowed to linger for long, because our lesson is about to begin.

First, we get a brief lecture about how to surf- how to position ourselves on the board, how to paddle out to the waves, how to steer ourselves against the current, how to push up and jump to our feet. We're told that normally the beach is much calmer than it is today. Just my luck, I think.

Next was the hands-on part of the lesson. We each took a humongous surf board and practiced jumping up onto our feet. I do really well with this part- I've got my positioning down and my timing is good. I'm thinking to myself, I can do this!

But then came the time to go into the ocean with our surfboards. I felt a bit like a prisoner with the ankle strap connecting me to my board, but I would later be (somewhat) thankful for it. I walk out into the water until I'm about hip-deep and then I climb on my board. I start to paddle. And paddle. And paddle. Good lord, I don't remember swimming to be this hard. I also find my self heading away from the instructors, when I was aiming for them. So I paddle and paddle some more. All the while, waves are coming at me- some small, some not as small. Each wave seemed bigger than the next. We were taught to push up with our arms straight on our boards as we headed into the waves so as not to get flipped over, and for the first several waves that is what I did. Eventually, one of the instructors comes to steer me toward the instructors who would help me push off with the waves and head to shore.

When it was my turn to ride a wave, I paddled with the wave, just as we were told, and when it felt right, I hopped up. To my knees. I was to afraid to try for my feet, and not a little tired. But boy, riding that wave, even on my knees, was a blast. That trip to the shore felt way short in comparison to my trip out into the ocean. I caught my breath and headed back out into the water for another try.

Warning: surfing can cause MAJOR bruising along the pubic bone. Don't say you weren't warned.

This time the paddling seemed endless. My arms grew achy and tired with each stroke, and I could barely see anything for all of the saltwater in my eyes. The damn waves just keep coming and I'm losing the strength to push up into them. So one wave catches me off guard and throws me off of my board and into the water below. I'm so surprised and unprepared, I suck in water through my mouth and nose. I'm now panicking under water, trying to find the surface, which feels a million miles away. I can't be far from my board, since I'm connected by a leash, and when I finally hit the surface, I suck in a huge breath of oxygen. By this time, my lungs and sinuses are burning, I can hardly see a thing, and I"m exhausted. But I climb back on that board and do my best to paddle toward the instructors.

My second wave was much like my first. I was hoping to muster up courage to make it to my feet, but being sucked underwater really shattered my confidence. By this time, my only goal was to stay above the water. I just wanted to survive the day. So I ride the wave on my knees and have just as much fun as a kid on a slide.  Dredging the surfboard out of the water is a lot harder than going into it, so I have a bit of a struggle picking up my board, and picking up my legs to move toward the nice, dry sand.

Once on dry land, I collapse into one of the lawn chairs and down as much drinking water as I can stand. My lungs are still burning and my throat is scratchy as all get out. I enjoy watching the other students try their hand at surfing, and some of them do quite well. I'm happy for the ones that manage to stand on their boards. I chat with another girl who had decided to throw in the towel and observe with me. She's from New York and she's a travel writer, about my age. We talk about travel, about coming to Hawaii alone, about how we never need to try surfing again. There's a camaraderie that comes from agreeing that the view is nicer from land.

After the surf lesson, we all gathered to give back our rash guards and take pictures with the instructors. I felt a bit silly posing with these muscly, six-pack strewn firefighters, but I had to get in on the fun. Once in a lifetime, right? After that, we were driven back to Waikiki, all the while sharing our personal experiences with the surf lesson, and some of us making plans for lunch on the beach. I may have traveled to Hawaii alone, but that certainly did not mean I had to be lonely.

I learned a lot about myself in that one morning. I realized I'm a terrible swimmer, and though I love watching people surf, it is just not for me. I learned that when I put my mind to something, I will do my best, but it doesn't necessarily mean I'll move mountains. There are simply things that are out of my control. And I think that was the hardest part, and is something I still grapple with. Ever since that trip, I have had occasional nightmares about tidal waves. I will be somewhere along the coast- a hotel, on a cliff, in a car, and a sudden, massive wave will be headed my way. I wake up feeling just as I did when those waves came at me during my lesson in Hawaii, like I have absolutely no control. I've just got to hold my breath and hope I make it through. And so far, I have.

Have you ever tried surfing? If not, do you have any memories that haunt you?

9 comments bravery, happiness, nostalgia, wisdom

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