Done: Surfing

Surfing is one of those things that were truly out of my to do list in this life. I hate the water, I can't swim and I'm not a beach person either. Still, I also understand the importance of doing something new, changing one's routines and habits, specially while traveling.
Coffs Harbour seemed like the right place at the right time. Nik is an avid surfer, but his technique was more improvised than anything else, he wanted to take a class and sure, I wasn't about to sit and watch.
It was fun to see Nik so surprised, we booked 3 lessons for the two of us and we started that same afternoon.


Once on the beach I realized surfing could be fun, we had a good instructor and he had told me that waves only break on shallow water, which reassured me that I wasn't going to die on my first attempt of riding a wave, off course I conveniently left out the information that I can't swim to save my life (literally). I wish he would have told me about surfer's rash though, by the end of my three lessons I had lost a couple of layers of skin.

Surfing takes a lot of strength and flexibility, that is why most surfers, boys and girls, are so fit and handsome. The instructor had us doing the funniest yoga poses and doing push ups.

Paddle, padle, padle!
Look back!
Paddle more
Chicken position (don't ask)
Lift
Look side
Five toes
Look front
Lean on side
Push up
Do the peace sign (seriously)
Now, surf!

In the end I was able to stand up a couple of times, I ate lots of sand and drank too much salt water but hey, I got a couple of pictures to show off. I also enjoyed doing something unexpected, but mostly something I could share with someone special besides the usual movie and dinner. Life is full of enjoyable things to share, sometimes it just takes getting a little out of our comfort zone, just make sure the coast is free of sharks.