5 Life Lessons I Learned From Surfing

Photo: Oriana Fowler/Surf Simply

A year ago, I was on a beach in Costa Rica doing something I never dreamed of doing - learning to surf. I'm not exaggerating when I say that surfing changed my life. I never would have thought that I would own two surfboards, surf in NYC, religiously check the surf forecast and obsess about anything and everything surf.

For me, surfing felt like I was coming home. Don't get me wrong. I was terrified and it was hard but there was something about being out on the water, the camaraderie, and yes, the hard work that just fit. When I read this post by MizFit, it all made sense to me.

"I am often surprised at how often the things we don't think we'd ever want to do ignite new passion in us when we simply try them with an open heart and open mind."

Photo: Oriana Fowler/Surf Simply

Though the process, I've learned some important lessons that go beyond the water.

1) Check Your Expectations
I am normally not a braggy braggy person. I believe in the idea of hard work and that if you work hard, you will make progress. At the same time, I do have high expectations for myself. I felt like I should "get" surfing and be good at it. I understood what I needed to do technically but I couldn't manage it. I was extremely frustrated. Only when I adjusted my expectations did I start having fun and, consequently, start surfing better. I learned how to be more forgiving of myself.

2) Slow Down
Learning to surf seemed so overwhelming at first. How was I supposed to paddle, catch a wave, stand up on the board and ride the wave at the same time? There were so many things to think about. My surf coach started from the basics and slowly added one new step at a time. He made learning to surf feel manageable and I learned to slow down. For me, this was such an important lesson. I have a tendency to rush through things in life or become overwhelmed when things start piling up (work, family, etc.). Now, instead of being overwhelmed by the big picture, I try to focus on one thing at a time and breathe.

3) Commitment
One of the most important lessons I learned was about commitment. When you paddle out in the ocean, you have to be committed to make it past the breaking waves. If you're not, you will be continually battered and pushed back to shore, exhausted. When you paddle for a wave, you have to be committed to catching the wave.  If you are wishy-washy, you can get into trouble and potentially hurt yourself or another surfer. Surfing taught me to trust my judgement and instincts and to stop second guessing myself.

Photo: Oriana Fowler/Surf Simply

4) Patience
There's a lot of waiting involved in surfing - waiting for the ocean to calm down so that you can paddle out, waiting for a set of waves to approach, waiting for the right wave. I learned to sit on my board and to appreciate the amazing gift it was to be in the ocean.

5) Learn something new
It was an incredible experience to learn something completely new in my mid-30s. How many opportunities do you have to do that? I was so far out of my comfort zone but I think that was why this experience was so rewarding. Yes, I pushed myself physically and mentally. Yes, I fell countless times, got water up my nose and earned new bruises. But, there's something about learning a new sport that made me feel incredibly alive. It made me happy. This experience has made me more open to try new things and to be uncomfortable because the reward is often so great.

Source: fromupnorth.com via Christine on Pinterest

Riding Unbroken Waves

Thrilled with the ride. You can't wipe the smile off my face.

Photos by Oriana Fowler/Surf Simply

{Blog Note: March 26, 2012}

I'm linking up this post as part of Alison's and Ado's 1st Blogoversary Blog Bash! Both are incredible women and bloggers. They asked us to link up our favorite blog post of all time. I choose this post, describing my first experience catching and riding a wave on a surfboard, for two reasons. 

First, surfing is the reason that I started this blog. I learned to surf in April 2011 and completely and utterly fell in love with it. Some might even say I am obsessed. In either case, I experienced a sense of exhilaration and happiness that I haven't felt in a really long time. I started this blog because I wanted to stay connected to that feeling as well as chronicle my quest to learn to surf and what I learned along the way. There aren't many resources out there for newbie surfers. 

Second, today - March 26, 2012 - I am having my ACL reconstructed in my right knee. I'm having surgery because I want to continue to lead an active life, one that includes running, yoga, swimming, hiking, playing with my kids, skiing and surfing. What better way to remember this day than by celebrating one of the main reasons why I want to get better.

I hope you like it. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Happy Blogoversary Alison and Ado!

{Original Post: November 21, 2011}

The first time time that I paddled out the back - out past where the waves were breaking so that you're in position to catch unbroken waves - was amazing. It was a little nerve-wracking to paddle up and over waves that looked like they were about to crash on my head at any minute. I felt like I was bracing myself for battle, taking on each oncoming wave one at a time - at least in theory until my fear and anxiety began to rise. Then I started to sprint and quickly get out of breath. 

But once I'm out, it is so peaceful. You get to sit on your surfboard, enjoying the view while noticing how lumps start to appear on the horizon and watching how they roll in and change shape to get a sense of where the wave will break, if it's surfable or not and where you would have to be to catch the wave. You watch as your fellow surfers start to paddle for a wave, start to stand up and then disappear down the other side of the wave.

As I sat there watching everyone take their turn in the line up, I looked out to the horizon and noticed a larger lump moving in. Uh-oh, thinking to myself that this one looked like it's going to break sooner and way before it gets to me. Crap. That meant that I would have to paddle out to meet the wave. That meant that I would probably have to turtle roll in order to get through the wave without getting crushed. And so I did. And I survived, again waiting in the calm beyond the wave with my heart pounding in my head.

The next time we paddled out, I catch my first unbroken wave. And then my second. The first was OK. After I caught the wave, I was a little off balance. The front edge of my board dug in and I fell off. The second wave was AWESOME. It wasn't a big wave but I got up, managed to turn my board so that I trimmed across the face (a little bit at least) and rode the wave all the way into the beach. It was an exhilarating experience. You feel all that power of the wave, surging forward and backing off slightly before surging forward again. And it just made me happy. 

As I get back out to the line-up, Ed asks me, "So, was it worth it? Was it worth all the paddling?" All I can answer is "YES!!" 

"And it's worth the turtle rolls?"

"Totally worth the turtle rolls."

Understanding the basics or how to handle a surf board so it doesn't smack you in the face

One of the things that I really appreciated about the coaching at Surf Simply was the way the coaches were able to break everything down into simple and manageable steps and to build on those steps at each lessons so that it didn't seem overwhelming. They didn't just tell you to "feel the wave" and didn't speak in technical surf talk but used very specific, concrete language that you could understand and relate to. Plus. delivering feedback on my miserable surfing in a British accent always seemed to make the situation seem slightly brighter.

We spent the first two days in the whitewater, learning the mechanics of our board and how to control it before even thinking about venturing out the back to catch unbroken waves. We learned how to accelerate the board (by shifting your weight forward) and how to decelerate (by shifting your weight back). We practiced this over and over again, sliding our bodies up and down the board while lying down. Those rash guards really earned their name during those first few days. Once we practiced that, we moved on to learning to turn our board left and right and the difference between trimming turns and carving turns. Back in our room after our lessons, I frantically tried to take notes and scribble drawings so that I could remember all the things I was learning.

But, by the end of those first couple of days, we had the tools we needed to feel comfortable and confident in the water...in theory. While I rationally understood what I was supposed to do, it was a different story trying to get my body to do what my brain was telling it to do. I felt like a stumbling fool most of the time. There was just so much to think about and remember. It's hard not to rush it when the urgency starts to rise as you feel the wave begin to pick up the back of your board. Instead of thinking about bringing my hands back and looking up so that I can stand up on my board, I'm just thinking, "Crap Crap Crap!!" And trailing behind me are the cheery sounds of my British coach saying, "Right. Nice one. Just climb back on your board and give it another go." Sure.

Yet, it is an amazing feeling to catch a wave, even in the whitewater and feeling all of that power behind you. And that's what hooks me and sends me on this quest to experience that feeling again and again.

Photo: Oriana Fowler/Surf Simply

OK, here are some of the basics (more for my own benefit than anything).

Trimming turns are gently banking turns that allow you to ride across the face of the wave. For me, as a natural foot stance (meaning when I stand on the board, my left foot is forward), I shift my weight to my toes, keeping most of my weight on my left toes, to trim to the right and shift my weight to my heels, keeping most of my weight on my left heel, to trim to the left (backside). Obviously, it's the opposite if you stand with your right foot forward or goofy foot.

Carving turns are sharper turns that allow you to quickly change direction. To do this, you need to shift your weight back in order to lift the nose of the board up in the air so that the board basically pivots around - the pivot point being the tail of the board. However, by bringing your weight back to turn the board, you've also in effect stepped on the brakes and slowed down the board. So, once the board comes around, it's critical to shift your weight back forward to accelerate again.

OK, sounds great in theory, but how does this actually work? How do I actually make this happen out in the water and shift my weight back and forth and left and right? Well, apparently, it's all about the stance. Our coach also hammered into our head a "stance mantra" that would help us get up into the most stable position each and every time.

Feet: Slightly wider than shoulder-width, feet perpendicular to the length of the board

Hips: Squared off and weight forward
Hands: Hands are out to either side of the body i.e. one hand in front and one hand out by your bottom
Head: Look up and where you want to go!

For me, the one thing that I need to remember is to make sure my knees point inwards - kind of like you are knob-kneed - rather than pointing outwards like they do when you are doing a plie squat, especially my left knee (my leading knee). When I consciously remember this, I find that I'm more stable on the board and I'm less likely to dig the front of my board into the water or fall off the back of my board.

Surf Simply has created a set of podcasts that go through all the fundamentals which you can find here.  I have found them to be great, straightforward refreshers on the various lessons we learned.

Best. Surf. Camp. Ever.

Photo: Oriana Fowler/Surf Simply

So what and where exactly is this magical surf camp? It's Surf Simply, located in Nosara, on Costa Rica's Nicoya Peninsula. The beautiful resort is located about 800 yards from Playa Guiones and its consistent, year-round surf along four miles of white sand.

Ed relaxing in the deep pool at the Rancho after our morning surf lesson.

Neither my husband Ed nor I have previously surfed and I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this experience. For once, I left the entire vacation planning to Ed. I literally had no idea where we were going or what we were getting ourselves into. In April, a few days before we left, we received an email from Gem, one of Surf Simply's owners, outlining our arrival and first 24 hours at the Rancho. Breakfast, surf lesson #1, surf theory class, lunch, yoga, surf lesson #2 and dinner. Repeat five times (plus a day off mid-week). Whoa. I was a little intimidated but excited at the same time. However, after the first time I waded out into the water, battling the whitewater while trying to control the huge board banging against my arms and legs, I was a bit skeptical that this was the best way to spend our vacation. After those first two lessons on Day 1, I was overwhelmed and completely humbled by the ocean. I have a pretty high tolerance for pain and physical activity, but I wasn't sure if I was going to survive the whole week, especially given my fear of the ocean and open water. Did I mention that before?

In the end, it was the coaches and my fellow surfers that got me through the week. By the end of the week, we were all cheering for each other out in the water, so proud of everyone's accomplishments. Seriously, it was like a pep squad out the back, hooting and hollering every time someone caught a wave.