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!