Back in the Water: My Return to Surfing After 10 Years
I love surfing so much. It truly is a magical activity. I can’t believe I stayed away for basically 10 years! It feels so good to get back in the water.
I just felt like sharing the stoke today by talking about the experiences I’ve had recently as I get back into surfing regularly. I hope that I can convince some of you to get back into surfing if you’ve fallen out of it.
One of the good things about surfing is that it is largely skill-based. It only takes a couple sessions to get back to your previous level. Knowledge of the ocean, positioning, reading waves, taking off and pumping down the line are all things that will never be unlearned. It’s just like riding a bike.
Paddling fitness after a 10 year break
I’m happy to report that there is a fair amount of crossover in the fitness required for climbing and surfing. Paddling out is really all about your shoulder fitness, which is something that all climbers have in abundance! I was mentally prepared to get destroyed for the first couple months, but paddling has been fine! Sure, I feel the burn when I get caught inside but I’ve been regularly surfing a beach break for 2-3 hours and not having issues with shoulder power. So to my fellow climbing-surfers out there, don’t worry about it, you’ll do great!
Why did I stay away from surfing for so long?
As much as I loved surfing, I fell madly in love with rock climbing. I also got a job at the gym, (Planet Granite) and I suddenly had unlimited access to climbing with my new community. Brimming with enthusiasm for my new sport and living in close proximity to the gym, it was natural to start spending all my time there. Plus, I could easily squeeze climbing in between college classes and my work shifts, which is something that would not have been possible with surfing.
Well, now I am living about 30 minutes away from Morro Bay and it’s such a joy to pop over there for a surf anytime I’m in the mood!
The ocean welcomed me back with perfect conditions
For the entire first month back, the waves were 2-4 ft, really clean, and super fun. The conditions were prime for surfing and trying tricks with little to no consequences. I actually felt like I was better than ever! Paddling wasn’t too intense and falling was casual. I had an entire month of waves that didn’t feel scary or dangerous at all, just really nice and playful.
The second month was different.
Now that I was, once again, a reasonably confident surfer, I began to plan my sessions around the biggest waves each week. Nothing crazy, but some solid head-high to overhead size waves. It’s really incredible how much more powerful a 6ft wave is compared to a 4-footer. Let’s just say that I spent the second month getting HANDLED!!
But that was kind of the point. I really wanted to get my paddling endurance up and practice duck diving in larger waves. Plus, getting used to making faster and steeper take-offs again is definitely something I need to work on.
It’s interesting how waves of different sizes actually call for more specialized skill sets. In waves 4ft tall and below, I really feel like quite a decent surfer. Let’s say 5/10. In waves that are head-high+, it feels like I’m about a 2/10. Big difference! It honestly amazes me that climbing a head-high rock is usually pretty playful and casual, while surfing head-high waves is a very humbling experience!
No pressure to perform
One of the coolest things about all of this is that I am close enough to the beach that I can choose to end my session any time I want without feeling guilty. It used to be such a mission to get to the coast that I felt like I HAD to surf 4 hrs at the MINIMUM! Now, if I go out and just really have a rough time, I can head home with the confidence that I’ll get another shot soon. What a relief! It really takes the pressure off of needing to have a certain level of experience each time I paddle out. Now I can just do my best and see how it goes. No worries.
Now what?
Now that I have re-activated the surfer part of my identity, I’ll be busy manifesting my dream home on the beach with an equally baller greenhouse, of course! I have room in my life for climbing and surfing so it is highly likely I will spend the rest of my life living in proximity to the ocean. Something inside me is just much happier when I see the ocean anyways.
So I hope this gets some of you psyched to either try surfing again or get into it for the first time! Although I will say that the beginner-level of surfing is extremely difficult compared to other activities, but well worth the effort. Every wave you catch is sure to be magical!
I hope you all find more meaningful ways to connect and reconnect with the things you love in this coming year and I wish you all the best in your life!
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