Surfing

I’ve never felt the ocean more viscerally than that hour I spent surfing.

We swam out maybe 50 yards into the ocean, close enough to be in sight of shore and far enough to be at the mercy of the waves.  Floating was really easy on the board, the thick material and the long shape and the salt water all working in conjunction to hold you solidly above water.

It’s soothing and then exhilarating to lie or sit on the board facing the ocean, see a wave roll in, push yourself up and feel it lift you and pass under you while you’re left in place, rocking gently on top of the waves.

The same waves where if you wipe out you feel the crush of the water pushing you down for a moment, trying to pin you under, legs on the shelf. You would be helpless against the press every time. Your best recourse is to wait calmly for a second for it to pass before coming back up.

The mechanics of surfing were actually pretty simple, but beyond practicing the motions and increasing stamina and strength, the magic really lies in knowing how to read the waves and how to time your movements.

To know when to turn around, which wave to catch, when to start paddling away in anticipation of it, at what point to sit up, to stand up, to balance, to glide, to soar, to feel on top of the world.

It’s life.