I've recently developed a new liking towards a happy way of surfing: Group Surfing!
RJ, Lovelee and I joined some people for a group surfing session in Waikiki with the help of our awesome friends at
Big Wave Dave Surf Co--Et voila! It turned out to be a fun experience for us, not to mention it was a great workout, and a good way to keep the summer heat at bay.
I have tried surfing before but this experience stands out in comparison 'cause aside from doing it with my favorite decade-old power couple, the Waikiki coastline felt so safe and the waters were pretty manageable.
And, albeit living here for quite a while has synced my personality with the Hawaiian culture, lifestyle, and social norm (yes, even its pidgin language!), I'm not surprised to say that I never really had "that pressure" to be a super surfer, contrary to the
normal expectation of "
you live in hawaii = you must be a motherpaddling mothersurfer".
Guys, that notion is overrated. (see #5 of this
link) It's like saying that
all bakers make good bread. Depending on how you appreciate it, Hawaii may well be as normal and as regular as any other normal, regular place could get. Unlike your average preconceptions, not all of us are necessarily surfing enthusiasts here, (although many are, in their own respect, great surfers) and yes, we still keep 8-hour jobs each day and we don't necessarily spend them bumming about on the beach, mai tais in hand (well, weekends in exception. Ha-ha) But still.
Pareho-pareho lang lugar yan, we just happen to be darnfully blessed with breathtaking geographic and aquatic landscapes and this has made it convenient for us to find creative ways of incorporating Hawaii's beauty into experiences we now enjoy like water sports & recreational activities. (see #9 of this
link)
Hawaii is slowly becoming one of my favorite places to settle down, just because work doesn't always feel like work here, and you can save your 5pm's for
Pau Hana happy hour, or just by kicking off your shoes on the sand, sharing beers with friends in the back of pick-up trucks, and waiting for sundown while
''talking stories''. I guess we're blessed with being surrounded by the ocean wherever we go, which means every "beach" is just a different angle to the same majestic beauty of the Pacific Ocean.
I love this island, because it's super convenient for me and my friends to enjoy its beauty for a little to no cost, and being that it's navigation-friendly enables us to explore it to the fullest without the grandiose planning or extravagance of having to sail or fly to get to the water or to hike to the mountains, or to capture the perfect scenery all at once. It's a lot easier for us to enjoy the water and its recreational perks when we're already actually surrounded by it. If you're planning to move here, you're looking at a very small chance of boredom, I promise you. And for some reason, time seems to slow down a bit here, too, even my tourist friends notice that. :-) (like the other #9 of this
link)
---Which brings me back to our afternoon of group surfing--it was practical for us to go to Waikiki to surf since we were all coming from Honolulu, and besides, there's tons of other things to do, see (and eat) in Waiks too! The only challenge is the parking (as with any other tourist destination). But other than that, it's a decent enough spot to catch some steady waves. A lot of local friends would have had disagreed with our choice of surfing place, because it's too "touristy" or "heavily populated" but the thing is, if we really wanted to go to the surfing Mecca of Oahu and treat this experience as seriously as we would a heart attack, then we would have gone to the
North Shore, and go crazy in
Sunset Beach, where all the
Kate Bosworths are. But since we just really wanted to chill and there was no real need to sensationalize this experience, we stuck to the cool, calm waters of Waikiki and crossed our fingers for a good surf.
What I always liked about Surfing is that, innate to any kind of sport, it teaches you how to master timing and coordination. It can be a bit tricky if you're not very comfortable with those inevitable underwater whallops, but just like what they tell kids in swimming lessons, the water is your friend and you just have to trust it to know it. (Blind faith. Trust muna. Ha-ha.)
When I learned how to surf (years ago), it took me a while to realize that the advantage of a wipeout is to give you control and leverage over your next attempt to catch--and ride--a wave. I've always been a keen learner--I wanted to know and master motion controls based on the proximity, playing field, leverage and even the "texture" of the playing field (in this case, the texture of the sea floor, haha) to have a total understanding of how I'm supposed to carry out my maneuvers. So for me, wipeouts were always helpful in the sense that they acquaint you well with the rhythm of the ocean and arrest your fears of falling into the water by virtue of familiarity with the fall. In short, falling over and over again empowers your foresight on your next attempt of riding a wave. Imagine if you had to battle the same giant over and over again--you'll know it well enough to keep yourself from making the same mistake right? You've sized it up so many times that it doesn't even look so huge anymore. What doesn't kill you... (takes you to the rest of the cliche.) Haha :-)
I guess I could say that in essence, I like surfing because it's not all that easy. First of all, I don't have the arms of a paddler, and that alone was a challenge for me, getting back into the mid mark from the shore after riding a wide, solid wave. Second, some brain work goes into the timing of your paddling, and the direction of your strokes versus the current, and then into your mind-and-body coordination when you to stand up and ride the wave. I like that it uses a little scientific action-reaction, too. Preparation --> Timing--> Paddling--> Catching--> Balancing--> Riding. That's what makes it actually workable--the logic behind your paddling and catching a wave and the body and mind coordination it takes in balancing your weight on your surfboard, maintaining that balance once you catch the wave, and maintaining that posture as long as your body would allow you to. Thats it. Everything else has to do with relative judgment, and like i said, blind faith! At least that's how I see it! :-)
I love group surfing in particular because Lovelee and I got to ride waves at the same time! It was so awesome and it felt so G-double-O-D!!! (But boo, no pictures!) It was so much fun riding side by side and getting on the board at almost the exact same time because it makes the experience more communal and exciting! Anyone who wants to try it should! It's a special kind of feeling being out in the sea with an awesome bud or with your special group of friends. I highly recommend it.
For all the fun we've had, I'd like to throw out a BIG 'thank you' to our friends at Big Wave Dave, especially to Patrick, who refreshed our surfing knowledge to make sure we're all ready and re-oriented enough to hit the waves again, and of course for giving us a wonderful time. Here's a little snippet of him sharing his knowledge to make sure we
surf safely.
Big Wave Dave gives out special discounts in board rentals too! If you're by the Hyatt Regency in Waikiki, don't hesitate to pay them a visit! You'll be glad you did! :-)
We had fun and we're grateful for this season. Everyone deserves a
great summer!
2410 Koa Avenue (by Hyatt Regency Hotel)
Waikiki, HI
(808)386-4872
