Learning How to Surf

If signing a four-month lease on an apartment in the eastern suburbs when I didn't have a job wasn't stupid impulsive enough, immediately afterwards, I registered for a week-long surfing camp. I've always wanted to know how to surf, and I knew it was something I had to do when I came to Australia. By learning at the beginning of my trip, I would never have to turn down an opportunity to catch some waves. I also realized that once I started working as a casual employee, it would be virtually impossible to ask off for five days in a row. So for the week, I cast aside my troubles about job hunting and money, and lived the Aussie saying of "no worries."

Surf Camp was everything that I imagined life in Australia would be like. I lived in a cabin at a campsite in a tiny village called Gerroa, several hours south of Sydney. In my room were three bunk beds that were shared between me and five other guys (two from Sweden, two from Germany, and one from England). The campsite was only a short walk away from Seven Mile Beach, which offers the perfect conditions for beginning surfers--small waves, sandy ocean floors, and minimal wind. For five days I lived on the beach. I didn't wear makeup, fix my hair, or have to worry about what I was going to wear, because we were all there for one purpose-- to learn how to surf.

I would love to say that Surf Camp was the perfect relaxing holiday, but that would be a far cry from the truth. Our daily schedule was as follows:

Breakfast 8:00-9:00

Wetsuits on by 9:00

1st lesson 9:30-11:30

Lunch 12:30-1:30

Wetsuits on by 2:30

2nd lesson 3:00-5:00

Dinner 6:30-7:30

As it turns out, surfing is really difficult. I naively believed that by being a decent swimmer and spending years of summer vacations in the ocean, I would inherently be good at it. I couldn't have  been more wrong. Surfing is definitely an extreme sport, and I'm no extreme athlete. Each two hour lesson began with a run along the beach and a series of stretches. I struggled to carry my heavy, nine-foot surf board the quarter-mile stretch from the main road to the beach. By the end of the day, I was exhausted and curled up in my bed by 10:00 pm.

Winter was still ending in NSW so the water was anything but warm. I'm convinced my wetsuit (which was tight, uncomfortable & made me look like a seal) had a hole in it, because no matter what I did, it always seemed to let the cold water inside. It usually took me about ten minutes to adjust to the water temperature at the beginning of each lesson. I remember one morning in particular when the sun was masked by thick layers of clouds, and I couldn't manage to get warm. I spent half the lesson lying helplessly on my board, too frozen to move, wondering if this is how Rose felt at the end of The Titantic. 

Surf Camp is good for serving your ego a healthy dose of humility. Not only were my small group members and instructors able to watch the glory of me falling off the board and nosediving repetitively, there was also a photographer on site to capture the moments on film so that all 70 campers could see at our daily slideshows after lunch & dinner. On multiple occasions the slideshow was paused so that I could be made an example of "what not to do" or just so everyone could laugh which was actually less painful than the prior. My favorite day was our last lesson during which we were divided into teams for a relay competition. Each team member had to run into the cold surf, ride a wave, standing for more than three seconds, pick up the heavy board and run back to the beach and tag the next in line. Our team came in last place. It brought back haunting P.E. memories of elementary school.

{all images via Surf Camp Australia}

Despite being the worst wannabe surfer that ever lived, I'm really glad I attended Surf Camp. I learned a lot about the types of waves, currents, winds and tides, and I actually stood up on my board multiple times.  I crossed an item off my bucket list and came back to Sydney with new friends, new knowledge, sand on everything I own, and a lovely wetsuit tan line.