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Let's Go!...Surfing?

By Bobbi-Jo // 9 March 2010 // Comments: 0 // Related Categories: Best Backpacker Job, Surfing, sydney, Things to do

I’m here in Newcastle (not the Newcastle that makes the beer, that one is in the UK, fun fact) ready to cover Surfest 2010 in the morning.

This might be my chance to meet Kelly Slater, pinch his butt cheeks, and ask him if Cameron Diaz is as crazy in real life as I suspect she might be.

It also gives me a great opportunity to tell you about my first ever surfing experience.

I use the word “experience” loosely.

It was more like, paddle paddle paddle, get swept all the way back to shore, paddle paddle paddle, sport wave, miss it, crash into another surf board...flash forward 2 hours...paddle paddle paddle...SUCCESS! I’m standing up! I win!

Lesson’s over.

Seriously.

I never thought I’d say this, but I think I prefer being under the water (read: scuba tank) than trying to ride the waves above it.

That being said.

I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed doing something I was so fabulously bad at.

I mean, I’m terrible.

I’m surprised the instructor didn’t just tell me to give up.

But Tom, my Tahitian (I’d never met anyone from Tahiti before, I had just assumed it was all vacation resorts and fruity mixed drinks) instructor, didn’t laugh. Actually he did but I was laughing at how bad I was, too, so it was okay. And learning to surf on the iconic Bondi Beach isn’t like, the worst thing you could ever do.

Let’s Go Surfing offers surf courses that range from 2-hours to a couple of lessons over a few days. I’d definitely recommend taking more than one, because, as I said, by the time I got the hang of what I was doing, the lesson was over.

If you’re goal is just to say, “I surfed at Bondi,” and by that you mean, “I stood up on the board at least once,” then one lesson might do. If you want to really feel comfortable, allow yourself a little time to adjust.

Unless of course you possess something I don’t:

Coordination.

I’m going to have another go at surfing when I get a little bit further up the coast. This last week out of a wet suit has been kind of nice, but I’m already itching to get back in the water.* And who knows? Maybe I’ll be inspired by the talent running through Surfest over the next few days and decide I have a little surfer girl in me just aching to get out!