I’ll be honest. I wasn’t all that excited for the surfing aspect of our surf and yoga retreat. Sure, I’ve always wanted to join the big kids on their waves, looking cool, getting barreled, and doing whatever else surfers do. But this wasn’t my first time trying to stand up on a surfboard, and I was prepared for the inevitable—when it comes to balancing on a board that’s being propelled forward by a surge of water, I’m just not a natural.
Dan, on the other hand, is a bit like a little kid when he’s near the ocean. We’ll be walking down to the beach when suddenly he’ll involuntarily break into a bit of a walk-skip-run as he’s approaching the shoreline. It’s kind of adorable. Needless to say, the surfing lessons were primarily for me.
While I didn’t go into my surf lessons expecting to become a master, I did plan on having a good time. Luckily, Mark—the instructor—had the same idea.
Before we even went out to the beach, our lesson began with the standard ‘lay on the board and practice your pop up’. This part was easily manageable: push-up stance, balanced weight, quick jump, and wide legs. When Mark said we were practicing this part on the patio of our hotel so we could just strut out on the beach looking like pros, I could have hugged him. Though I wasn’t sure how long our façade would hold out…
One of the best parts of Santa Teresa is that, no matter the day, row after row of waves break cleanly across the shore. Dan could take his surfboard to the outer edge while I safely practiced on the white water closer to shore. Even better, with such a long and spread out break, I was never in danger of other beginners whacking me on the head with their boards (something we did observe often on other beaches).
Although I wouldn’t say I have a fear of the ocean, I was very grateful to have Mark around as my teacher. He was knowledgeable but laid-back, putting me at complete ease. Before each wave he would steadily hold my board, counting down and yelling at the perfect moment when to step forward. When I kept making the same mistakes over and over again, like not widening my stance or sticking my butt out too far, he never showed any annoyance. It was clear he had listened to me when I told him my goal was to have a fun and entertaining afternoon.
By some miracle, by the end of our lessons I was actually standing up more than I was belly flopping into the water. It took about five hundred attempts to get there, and unfortunately there’s no photographic proof of my best rides, but it happened—and I was thrilled.
Of course, there are a lot of photos of me learning to surf. Dan and I laughed out loud at more than one of them, so we decided we just had to share them with all of you. I hope if they don’t give you a good chuckle, they at least inspire you to get out and try something new. You won’t be the only person out there making a fool out of themselves!
Even though Dan has surfed in Bali, Hawaii, Australia, and now Costa Rica, he also benefited greatly from Mark’s instruction. Dan didn’t have a formal lesson, but Mark went out surfing with him on more than one occasion to give him pointers on how he could improve even more. That’s not to say Dan’s perfect though—I was secretly I bit glad when Mr. Yeti snagged this video, too:
I’ve only practiced my surfing skills once more since my lessons. I won’t say I’m good, but I haven’t forgotten everything quite yet. Dan is already counting down the days until we go to Mexico so he can surf every morning. You never know—perhaps I’ll find myself out there too.
A huge thanks to Mark from Lucero Surf Retreats for such a fun time out in the water. An additional thank you to Mr. Yeti the Photographer for capturing a few of the great (and not so great) moments along the way.
On Monday we’ll be talking all about the yoga, so stop back for our last bit of Santa Teresa goodness!
Do you surf? Would you want to try? Where is your favorite place around the world to surf?
We were guests of Lucero – all thoughts and opinions remain our own.
Casey, you are a trouper! At least you were willing to try and allow them to photograph you doing it!! Love you both, Gma Lorene
thanks! :) though i will say i didn’t necessarily realize they were photographing all my falls haha!
These are great and definitely made me smile. Looks like you’d gotten the hang of it by the end!
Heather recently posted…Say What? The Best Chinglish from Two Years in China
Thanks Heather! I was starting to get it… though I’m sure I’ve already forgotten all that I had learned :)
Great action shots guys! Casey you are inspiring. I am terrible in the water, and did learn to scuba dive (with much upset along the way!) but surfing freaks me out! I really would love to give it a go though. You’ve given me a little push to get out of my own way! Hope you have a great weekend whatever you guys are up to.
Bernadette :)
Bernadette recently posted…10 Signs You’re Resisting Life & How to Reignite Your Flow
YAY! You can do it! Congrats on learning to scuba dive even though it scared you. Surfing definitely intimidated me a bit, but it really is so much fun. Just make sure you get a good teacher! :) Have a great week!
It does not look easy, but you did great!!! Well done!
Agness recently posted…Polish vs. Dutch people: How We Differ And What We Have In Common
Thanks Agness! Have you tried before?
We took surfing lessons years ago in Maui. We pretty much both sucked but it was fun and I’d definitely give it a go again on baby waves.
Jennifer recently posted…Ballooning Over Bagan
Loved your pics, they look great :-)
I did try surfing as well. Once I took a windsurf camp when I was about 14 I think. That went pretty OK, I found it a lot easier to balance on a lake than on the waves ;-) I tried ocean surfing when I was in Senegal, and just fell down everytime I tried to find balance. I believe my longest stay on the board was about 3 seconds ;-) Still would like to try it again someday – it was big fun!
Ooo Senegal sounds like fun, too! I’ve always wanted to try windsurfing or paddle boarding, but haven’t gotten around to it yet. But paddle boarding on still water definitely sounds a bit more conducive to balancing- especially for someone like me!
Maui sounds like an intense place to learn! You guys are awesome! I’m definitely a fan of that white water :)
That is definitely a sign of a good teacher; not getting annoyed with students who make the same mistakes over and over. Glad you had fun and got some laughs out of it!
Sam recently posted…How We Rent Apartments While Travelling: South America Edition
I know- I don’t even think I would have been that patient with me :)
Great post and some sweet action shots – I recently took my wife surfing for the first time on our honeymoon and she did pretty good! It reminded me of how much I love being in the water too :)
tom recently posted…Surfing in San Diego
Aww that’s awesome! There’s definitely something healing about just being in or near water :)
I have never given surfing a try, but my girls did in Essaouira Morocco last year. You look like you were doing pretty well.
Rhonda Albom recently posted…Celebrating My Dream Destination
Wow, I didn’t even know that Morocco had surfing! It’s so interesting to hear all the places that people have surfed around the world!
Haha, your tongue sticking out! That’s hilarious.
Love these photos. Glad you managed to have a great afternoon and even stand up a bit. I really want to try surfing on day!
Colleen Brynn recently posted…Good Food.
Thanks Colleen! Yea, I have no idea what I was thinking in that one haha. You’ll definitely have to try surfing one day! I would love to do it again :)
I love the water but I’ve never tried surfing. I like to think I have pretty good balance, but I’m actually pretty sure I’d be flailing about (but maybe gracefully?) like you rather than swooping about like Dan. It’s hard for us to break free of the tight grip SCUBA has on us and invest our money in trying other activities… whenever we get that close to the ocean, the only thing I have on my brain is DIVING! ;)
Looks like you had a great time and even if you didn’t surf away a pro, you had fun and that’s really the biggest success of all. Good for you for trying something new!
Steph (@ 20 Years Hence) recently posted…To Market, To Market: Kota Kinabalu in Photos
Thanks Steph! I don’t blame you for always wanting to dive- it’s something that we really miss, and are looking forward to doing this week on our cruise with the family :) I don’t think I would have ever tried surfing if it wasn’t for Dan- he is seriously like a little kid when he gets the chance to go! You guys should totally try- I bet you would do great if you have good balance!