Happy Friday Surfers! Can you relate to this? I feel like being in the right position is the best cure for low wave count. My shrimpy arms agree (though I'm SO much better at paddling now than when I first started and was pretty sure I'd die out there).

Surfing lit some kind of fire in me and I just want to GET GOOD AT IT ALREADY! It's so hard though, sometimes I don't feel like I'm making any progress. The list of things to work on only gets bigger and harder, and I get into my head about it.

I used to get into my head about my art too. Everything had to be amazing to matter. It has taken me a long time to understand that the journey of trying and failing over and over again is actually the point.

Few hobbies will kick your butt like surfing, physically and emotionally, especially if you start when you're 38 like I did. And making and sharing YOUR ART is incredibly vulnerable. But it's not about being great. Mostly, it's actually about having fun and making a life for yourself that is satisfying and full.

I'm super lucky that my husband is the patient type, who can watch me spin and then gently bring me back down to earth with just a hug.

Happy Friday surfers and wannabe surfers! I hope everyone had a good week. Mine was exhausting and lacking surfing because I'm sick and it's been raining. BOO! Here's to a sunny, healthier weekend for all!

Date: Sun 9th July 2023

Location: Highcliffe

Waves: 3-4+ ft

Journal: I woke up today feeling super tired after my surf yesterday, but I couldn't resist getting back in the water. My elbows were aching (wtf?), I felt kinda hazy, and I was struggling to paddleout past these big ass waves that kept breaking relentlessly. However after warming up for about 30+ mins I suddenly felt back to normal and started to go after the waves with focus and power. Once again I wiped out a bunch on the new board, but I definitely caught more than I did yesterday, and I could feel myself getting used to this beast.

The waves that I did manage to catch felt different... I think because more skill is required on this board, when you catch one it actually feels like you really earned it, y'know? There were about 2 or 3 waves I caught that I can confidently say were the best I'd ever ridden, I wish one of them had been filmed so I could relive the experience. They came together so well, and I found my bodily instincts taking over as I rode them for longer than I ever had before. One just kept going and going, and I felt my right arm naturally throw itself back above my shoulders as I maintained balance. My god it felt awesome!

I've been obsessed with turning lately, but for the second half of this session I decided to focus on going straight, just to get used to the new board and not get ahead of myself. As I sat in the line up awaiting a wave, I kept repeating to myself "Easy pop up. Back foot. Go straight." This mini mantra really helped, as it kept me focussed and instilled my mission for the day in my mind. Towards the end, I rode one beautiful wave in and finally made the conscious decision to dive into the wave like I'd seen other surfers do.

I felt super proud at the end of the session, and tbh I wanted to keep going, but I didn't want to burn myself out. Also, I bumped into the random European middle aged dude that I met here before! It was cool to see a familiar face and give each other a fist bump :)

Learnings: Dive into the wave when the ride is coming to an end. This is more controlled and safer for yourself and those around you, I believe.

Wrapping your leash around the tail of your board before going it to/from the beach makes it way easier to carry.

Don't make your pop ups to strenuous - hop up in a nice fluid motion, almost sliding up. Don't rush. This action doesn't need to be hard.

Date: Sat 8th July 2023

Location: Boscombe + Highcliffe

Waves: 3-4ft

Journal: I started today intending to take my first trip to Kimmeridge Bay, but as I was getting ready a new thought crossed my mind: what if I went to my local surf shop and got my first mini mal board? I'd been toying with the idea of upgrading from my foamie for a while now, and even though money is tight, I couldn't resist... I tore my wetsuit off and raced up to Sorted Surf Shop in Boscombe!

The shop has been there for over 20 years and it's not hard to see why: the stock is amazing and the staff are lovely. I got chatting to local legend Deano (who coaches Team GB when he's not in the shop!) and he was super patient and helped steer me in the right direction. Love that dude. Telling him I wanted more control and ability to turn on the waves, he advised I get either a 7.6ft NSP Element funboard or a 7.4ft Torq fish board. The fish was beautiful and definitely called to me, but I went with the NSP in the end as it seemed like the most sensible step for my progression and it was reduced in price due to a couple of minor dings. Perhaps I'll get a fish board next time...

I loaded up my gorgeous new board and headed home, I quickly noticed how much lighter and easier to carry an epoxy board is compared to an 8ft foamie. After chilling for a bit I headed down to Highcliffe as Surfline promised some 2-3ft waves. It was late afternoon and raining when I parked up, and foolishly I applied my first coat of wax to my new mini mal in the rain, which seemed to be a lot more effort and is something I'll avoid doing in the future.

I immediately noticed the difference on this board - it humbled me reallllll fast 😅 it's slightly less buoyant, much harder to balance on (even when you're just sitting in the line up), and ultimately felt like taming a wild horse. Though a little shaken, I was determined not to be deterred, and I went for several waves. I ended up wiping out even more than I did on my first ever session a few months ago. I even got a nasty little cut on my wrist from one of the fins, but that only filled me with a weird sense of pride lol.

After a while I started to get used to this wild horse of mine, and even caught a few nice waves, though my form was probably a bit sloppy. As the session went on, the line up started to get really busy, but everyone was nicely spread out and there was plenty of room. On top of this the rain was hammering down and it felt epic. I headed in after less than 2 hours, as I just felt knackered, but as I left I felt some hometown pride - seeing all these surfers, swimmers, kayakers, and paddleboarders enjoying the big waves at this humble little beach that I'ds grown up next to. Idk, it was just a cool thing to witness.

Learnings: Start waxing up at home before heading out. Waxing up on the beach is not the move.

Paddling on a mini mal requires slightly more effort than a foamie, be prepared for putting in a bit more elbow grease.

Date: Thu 11th May 2023

Location: Highcliffe

Duration: 2hrs

Waves: 2-3+ ft

Journal: As my work day drew to a close I checked Magic Seaweed out of curiosity, and to my delight saw some decent swells were forecast. I couldn't pack up the car quick enough and I got to the beach as golden hour approached to find the area almost empty. Right as I was ready to jump into the waves, disaster struck - the zip on my wetsuit snapped off 🫠 My stomach sank and I spent about 10-15 minutes trying to fix it before realising it was a lost cause. Rather than go home I decided to risk and went in feeling a bit embarrassed and annoyed, with some of my back exposed.

Within minutes, however, those negative feelings dissolved. The waves were looking big, fast and choppy, and by some miracle, I actually caught the first wave I went for! As the wave carried me off I almost freaked out with excitement, but remembered I'd needed to stay calm if I wanted to ride it for as long as possible. So instead I focussed on balancing and counted in my head. I think I managed about 5 seconds in total. It doesn't seem like much when I write it down, but even just 5 seconds felt INCREDIBLE. I tried to turn a bit and pumped a little too.

For the next hour I caught some nice waves, but didn't manage to ride them for any longer than maybe 2 or 3 seconds before losing momentum or losing balance. I was also being weight down by my wetsuit, which kept filling with water through the broken zip. I wiped out a bunch. Super annoying. By the second hour I had foolishly exhausted myself, but I didn't want to go in, the waves and weather were just too lush. I was starting to feel a bit disorientated and I should have taken a break to drink some water and eat a snack.

Oh, and about halfway through my session another surfer paddled out. He was a middle-aged dude with his kids, who were playing on the beach as he surfed. How cool is that? We chatted a bit on the waves and I tried my best to give him space. Soon we got into a rhythm where we were taking the waves in turns. He was pretty sick, and I tried to study his riding, though he was mainly just riding the waves with a few nice little turns and stuff. I hope I can get to that level soon.

Side note: I fixed my wetsuit zip once I got home, thankfully.

Learnings:

If I'm surfing for longer than an hour I definitely need to take breaks more often. Having some water or coffee and a protein bar would have helped me out a bunch during this session.

Getting your back foot up first is essential.

Date: Mon 8th June 2023

Location: Highcliffe

Duration: 1h 30m

Waves: 1-3 ft

Journal: My first time surfing in over 10 years, and my first time surfing solo! I was full of nervous energy before I left, but as soon as I got in the water it was nothing but adrenaline and joy. I opened myself up to be willing to make mistakes and to learn from them, and not caring about what any onlookers thought of my wipeouts. On the beach before heading in I stretched, practised popping up, waxed my board and attached my fins. By some miracle, I caught the first wave I attempted, but I think I only got one leg fully up, however it gave me the confidence to immediately try another.

Paddling out in the rain and choppy water felt epic. It took a minute or two to get used to the cold, but I loved it, even wiping out and getting a wave in the face felt fun. The waves were consistent and seemed to only get bigger as the session went on. I fully stood up and timidly rode the wave two or three times. All the other times I either lost my balance or only managed to get one leg up. I definitely need to stay focused and confident.

Towards the end my arms were starting to feel the burn, but my recent bouldering and weightlifting will definitely have benefitted me. Eventually, my skin was starting to chafe so I had to call it a day, but I would have happily stayed in the water if not.

Shout out to my dad for coming with me and taking some pics btw!

Learnings:

Keep my wax handy so that I can re-apply it to the board every hour or so.

Practise popping up at the gym. Try to get some swim practice in at the pool too.

The first time I actually made it out surfing without a professional lesson was with my Hawaiian gal pal who we’ll call Kay.  She started surfing seriously maybe in her teens or twenties?  Her dad is a surf instructor.  So I guarantee there was some exposure in her childhood. But she got serious about mastering the sport after childhood.  

She says she used to just go out the same break by herself and wipe out day after day after day until one day, she finally got it.