I Stood Up!!

----Update---

I caught a wave by myself! It was such a rush! I can totally understand the appeal of surfing now.

Learning to Surf in Okinawa

After months and months of talking about starting my surf lessons, the opportune moment finally arrived. The boyfriend and I went on a one week trip to the surfer approved destination, Okinawa. Okinawa, sometimes referred to as the Hawaii of Japan, is known for its stunning beaches and coral reefs. Although I have never been to Hawaii, I enjoyed myself thoroughly.

We managed to time our trip perfectly between rainy season and typhoon season, so the weather was absolutely gorgeous the entire week, albeit hot and humid. However, that was ideal for us as we spent almost the entire time at the beach. I even managed to do this without getting too sunburned, which is impressive! I have to say Banana Boat SPF50 Sport is the best sunscreen I have ever found. No matter how much you sweat or swim, that stuff has got you covered!

But enough with the advertising, let’s get to the interesting part; the surfing!

After watching my boyfriend and WSL for hours on end, I was pumped to hit the surf. I had high expectations for Okinawa, surely I could at least stand up after spending the week practicing! Little did I know that Okinawa is really not a great place for beginners. In fact, it’s a terrible place to learn to surf. I gave up after 20 mins and two waves.

Here’s what I learned about surfing in Okinawa in those 20 minutes.

1.       You have to paddle for what seems like an eternity to reach the break.

Thanks to those beautiful coral reefs, the break is really far from the beach. I was so exhausted by the time we reached the waves that I couldn’t even think about exerting the energy required to actually catch a wave. Yes, I am that unfit, but who uses those muscles in their everyday life!?

2.       You can see the sharp rocks on the sea bed waiting to catch your fall.

My boyfriend warned me that when I fall off the board I should try to land feet first, just in case there is a particularly big rock waiting for me just under the surface. I was wearing reef boots so that I wouldn't tear up my feet. Of course, on my first wave I fell face-first into the crystal clear water. After that I was terrified that I was going to give myself a new face courtesy of the sea bed. I gave up soon after.

3.       You only have a small window of opportunity to surf in Okinawa.

You can only surf in Okinawa when the tide is high. This only gives you about 2-3 hours per day of surf time. All other times, it becomes too dangerous with the shallow water over the reef.  

All in all, the most interesting thing that I learned about surfing in Okinawa is that although a lot of surfers talk about the waves there, Miyazaki is by far the better choice for not only beginners, but also avid surfers. In Miyazaki you can surf regardless of the tides, and almost all year round. Also, there are a variety of points to choose from, which means you can find a good point for every weather condition.

When we got back to Miyazaki, we went to Kisaki Beach and I finally got the chance to have a real lesson. The waves were beautiful and clean and easy to read. I managed to stand up quite a few times! Miyazaki for the win!

I'm surrounded by surfers!

Sunset at Sunabe.

The best coffee shop in Okinawa! Good Day Coffee!

Sunset at Cape Zampa.

How to Be Supportive

My boyfriend and I had a slightly heated discussion the other night. The preliminaries for the Japan nationals are to be held this weekend, weather permitting of course. He has been preparing for this for a while now, and is constantly talking about how he really wishes he could get a sponsor and turn professional.

I know absolutely nothing about surfing, but it seems to me that becoming a professional in any sport is next to impossible. You have to practically live and breathe the sport, devoting all your spare time to getting just a few seconds faster or a slightly smoother movement. Your mind and body must be at its peak. Your diet and exercise routines should be flawless. If this were not the case, surely anyone could become a professional athlete.

After a particularly energizing yoga class on Monday night, I decided to bring this up. I will admit that I didn’t approach the situation very well. “Don’t you think you should be doing a little more than just surfing for a few hours a day to prepare for this? Like, don’t pros do muscle training and follow nutritional programs, and stuff like that?”

His response was, “the best muscle training a surfer can do is surfing.” I was sceptical. “Are you sure? Have you actually researched this? When I was training for my half marathon, my sister (who is a personal trainer in Australia) told me that just running was the worst thing I could possibly do. She said I needed to do strength and endurance exercises as well, to build a body that could actually handle running a half marathon.”  

“Having excess muscle is a bad thing for surfers. We need to be light and fast,” he said. I started to get a little pushier. “You know, muscle training isn’t just about gaining muscle mass. There are many different kinds of training. Are you sure you don’t want to research a little bit more?”

 Naturally, this is when his defences kicked in. “I don’t need muscle training. I just need to surf more. If you wanna support me more, why don’t you come and take videos and photos for me? That’s one thing that would help me a lot. Watching videos of my surfing will help me find area’s that I could improve on.” He then sent me a link to an article written by a pro surfer that supported all his claims, which was pretty hard to argue with. 

So, thanks to my big mouth, I am now the official camera woman. If he does become a pro, I might have to start charging a fee for my services.

If you are looking for some advice on how to improve your surfing, here is the link that he sent me.

My new official job.. taking pictures and videos. At least I will have lots of pics to add to my blogs!

Everyone Is Like a Baby.

One of the things about dating a surfer, is that your joint holiday destinations are restricted slightly. My boyfriend is only really interested in visiting destinations where surfing is a possibility. It’s a hard life holidaying at the beach; soaking up the sun, refreshing in the cool water, falling asleep to the sound of the waves and drinking margaritas by the sea. Somehow I think I will manage.

We are currently planning a vacation to Okinawa. I have always wanted to go to Okinawa, but have never gotten around to booking a trip. My boyfriend also has never been and (surprise surprise!) would really like to check out the surfing scene there.

I jumped on the chance. “Maybe it would be a good time for me to start learning surfing?” I said. He paused and thought about this for a moment. “Okinawa has a lot of reefs, so it might not be very safe for a beginner,” he replied. My dreams of becoming a pro surfer before summer begins were crushed.

We have discussed ‘my safety’ as an inexperienced surfer a lot recently. He is particularly concerned that I will be swept away by a strong current, unable to paddle back to shore. This actually happened to him once while he was in Australia. The current was too strong and swept him quite far out to sea. For this reason, he doesn’t want me to go surfing alone. Fair enough!

“When I first start surfing, I don’t think I will be able to paddle very far. I don’t have any arm muscles!” I laughed. When I used to play hockey, I had a lot of upper-body strength, but sadly it has all disappeared in recent years. I can barely do a pushup! He tried to reassure me by saying, “You don’t really use your arms. It’s mostly your back. Even professional athletes, such as pro skiers or soccer players, don’t use these muscles normally. They must start from scratch when they begin surfing, just like you. Everyone is like a baby.” The last part, everyone is like a baby, he said in English which added a dramatic effect that made me chuckle. It is such a great way to describe the feeling that you have when you begin something new! I am going to use this, often!

So far, having not even set a foot into the water, my advice for anyone who wants to take up surfing is to be careful of currents, and to remember everyone is like a baby! Pretty solid advice! You’re welcome.

What do we do when the waves are too small? Go fishing!

The Patience of a Saint

I am the best girlfriend ever. This isn’t just my ego taking over, he actually told me this. Actually I paraphrased, his exact words were: “You are the best girlfriend I have ever had.” Thanks babe!

I highly doubt that I am the best girlfriend ever. I certainly have a few quirks that might send others running for the hills. Luckily, I am not the only one who has quirks.

For such a laid back group, surfers are surprisingly picky about where they surf. Before my boyfriend goes in the water, we have to drive to several different beaches to check the conditions at each. Before we even leave the house, he is checking the waves on his phone. Did you know there is a website where you can access live cameras of all the beaches? It’s called iinami.com (ii nami means ‘good waves’ in English). He is constantly looking at this site. On a positive note, I never have to use a weather app again. He is my walking weather reporter. Lucky me!

I asked my yoga instructor, who also happens to be a surfer, and she said that her partner is the same. He has to drive to multiple beaches before he gets into the water. I guess it’s a surfer thing. She said it used to drive her insane, but she learned to just go with it.

I am either going to develop the patience of a saint, or I am going to go crazy.

At least the view is good... checking the surf at Takanabe.

When Are You Going to Get Angry at Me?

This is one of my boyfriend’s most frequent questions to me; when are you going to get angry at me? He wants a heads up as to when I am going to lose my patience and get mad at him for spending so much time surfing. Apparently this is one of the biggest problems he has had in his past relationships. His exs didn't like to be kept waiting.

I don't think I will get angry at him, but I might get tired of waiting for him.

I have had the same dream twice now. I am taking a nap when my boyfriend comes back from surfing and wakes me. I am really happy to see him. But then, the dream starts again, because I am not actually awake, I am still asleep, still waiting. This dream repeats several times. Each time is a little different, he wakes me in a different way, or I say something different. When I eventually wake, I am not sure if he was there or not. It is very odd.

To be honest, it hasn’t really bothered me that much so far. I have found multiple ways to keep myself entertained while he gets his fix. When I was training for my half marathon, I ran along the beach front while he surfed. If I didn’t feel like running, I took a nice long walk, or read my book. Who doesn’t like reading at the beach?! A few times I have taken the chance to catch up on a little beauty sleep; a girl needs her beauty sleep.

Usually I just do my own thing. I lunch with friends or do errands and then wait until the afternoon or evening to meet up with him. This seems to work well for him too. He doesn’t need me hanging around making him feel guilty for keeping me waiting, and I don’t want him to feel that way either. I want him to enjoy his hobby until his heart is content, then when he is satisfied and happy, I want him to come and hang out with me. This way, even if we don’t get to spend a lot of time together, I know that I am getting the best of him.  

Of course, the best way to spend the time would be to take up surfing myself. When the weather warms up enough that I don’t need a wetsuit, I plan on getting in the water with him. He is interested in starting up a surf school, so I have volunteered to be a guinea pig. Hopefully my yoga and dance practices are building up the core muscles and balance that I will need to not look like a fool. Can't wait!

Reading at the beach... Is there anything better?

I guess one of the benefits of living in the country is having the whole beach to oneself. Not a person in sight!

I found this stack of rocks on one of my walks. Why do the Japanese stack rocks?

What Have I Gotten Myself Into...

"I'm a surfer," he said.

Upon hearing these three words, the little warning bells in my head began to ring, 'player alert!' I knew it was too good to be true. He's good looking, has been to Australia, speaks English, and did I mention good looking?! The good looking ones are always players, it's a fact.

It took him about a month to convince me that my stereotype of surfers was not factual in any way, and that he is indeed a one girl kind of guy who is boyfriend material. We have been dating now for about four months; four wonderful months of cold days and small waves. But, as the season changes from winter to spring, the weather is getting warmer and the surf conditions are improving. There are competitions coming up, and the World Surf League (WSL) is showing on TV. All of which leaves me wondering, what have I gotten myself into?

To be fair, he warned me. On our very first date he told me that he wants to go surfing every day. He will choose surfing over going on a date with me, almost always. It doesn't mean that he doesn't love me. It means that he has two loves in his life. If I ask him to choose between me and his passion, I will lose. He wants both.

I accepted his terms, on the condition that he did not ask me to give up my hobbies either. I want to continue living my life as I please, going out with my friends, pursuing my never-ending list of hobbies, working whatever job I chose, and enjoying life to the fullest. I want it all.

So far our agreement seems to be working perfectly. We are both living our lives as we wish, and meeting when we have time. I do get the feeling, however, that I am slowly being sucked into the world of surfing. So much so, that I have even decided to write a blog about it. Let’s see where this exciting new journey takes me.

The Surfer’s Girlfriend

I have always been interested in surfing. I have even tried it a few times before. This is me demonstrating how to fall off a board. haha

Like I said, far too good looking!