To be honest, I was nervous as hell. Surfing always intimidated me, and I didn't expect it to be anything less than a huge challenge. I'm on vacation in a new place though; it is one of the best spots to surf, and I was determined to try it if I could. I am definitely glad I did it (although I'm still bruised and sore from the lesson I took TWO days ago).
They had me watch a video for begunners, and then I met my instructor Miguel (AKA the most patient man alive). He taught me how to stand up while we were on land, I practiced a few times, and then we got out there. I think he figured the best way to learn in a short amount of time was to just throw me in there. I think my lesson was maximum one hour, so this was understandable. I did not feel ready at all though.
I picked up my extremely heavy board (that was a bad sign) and dragged it in the sand until we reached the shore. The leash was strapped to my ankle, and we were ready to go. I also had protective shoes on in case I ever stepped close to the bottom of the ocean (there were sharp rocks and sea urchins). Miguel, that jokester, assured me that it would give me about 50% protection, which was really comforting. Miguel stayed behind me for the most part; he helped me get my board more into the ocean as I struggled to paddle. That was actually the most difficult part: paddling. If you haven't noticed, I am more of a lower body person (something I'm going to work on after this experience) and I struggled to get out into the water quickly. Another difficult aspect was paddling out and colliding with incoming waves. You have to paddle into the, head on, almost, and that was nerve wracking. I timed it correctly when it came to paddling into the wave then desperately holding onto my board when I hit it.
We paddled out A LOT, I assume due to the time constraint on my lesson. Normally, in surfing, you would paddle out and sit there until we felt like riding a wave. I tired out quickly because it was constant riding and paddling, despite Miguel's assistance. When the right wave came when we were out far enough into the water, Miguel and I would position my board, I would paddle with the incoming wave, and attempt to stand up (and eventually throw myself off before I got too close to the shore). I actually got up a few times! Standing up was my goal, and the experience was really cool. You have to make sure you don't overthink when you try to surf; just do the steps and be conscious of timing and safety.
A few things to keep in mind if you want to try surfing: be very safety-conscious, wear the right gear (I would invest in a rash-guard (which I had and was really thankful for) and some swim shorts (which I didn't have and definitely could have used for the sake of those around me...I may have blinded a person or two), and be a decent swimmer.
I'm so glad I tried this; I can now cross it off my bucket list(:
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