Surfing. I totally get it.

I took a surfing lesson this morning. Totally worth the money, even though I could have figured out how to surf on my own. The teachers are firemen/fireladies/paramedics and such - so I had that going for me. If I totally wiped out, I had a chance of being rescued :) Was with a group of 15 (I think) 4 from Japan - only spoke Japanese - they had a different tent than us Engrish speakers. I was the only solo - all the rest were couples in this class.

We started out with the basics - safety (did you know that a person paddling in the water has the right of way over the person surfing? I didn't either). After that, we went to the boards on the sand. We had nice forgiving beginner boards. We practiced paddling and then "popping" up on to the board. I got used as an example. Evidently I could do this pretty well ON SAND. Making that point known. :)

So off to the water we went. We paddled out. Paddling out is the HARDEST part about surfing. My shoulders were smoked before I even got to the buoys. The instructors were out there to help us figure out what wave to use and to push us to get speed. It really helped having that push. So a wave comes along, the instructor says start paddling, and then the wave picks you up and the instructor pushes, you go scooting down the wave. Remember how I said I was good at "popping" up on the sand? Yeah - not so much on the water. First time I popped too hard and pushed myself right of the back of the board. Second, I went right and somersaulted off the side. THIRD time was the charm. I nailed it. It was a small wave and it just was "right". It was me, the board and the wave. Totally awesome and poetic all at once. Then I started wondering why the water was getting closer, then I hit it :) I think I rode or tried to ride at least 50 waves. I was totally spent. Great workout.

So back to the reason for posting "I totally get it". I was kinda resting and bs'ing with one of the instructors, when all of a sudden, a wave took me. No paddling or nothing. Just woosh. I popped up perfectly and had a total in the moment ride. Nothing else in the world was on my mind, just me and the ocean playing like long lost friends. When I was done with the ride, meaning I DIDN'T wipe out, the instructor was so Zen. I was totally stoked talking about what just happened and how I wasn't ready and things just worked and all he said was "Sometimes the wave picks you". So, I totally get it.