Surfing is definitely not the same as paddle boarding!
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A few weeks ago, a young lady posted in one of my Facebook groups that she was interested in learning how to surf. So, being the adventurous person I am, I obliged! She also mentioned that there was a black surfing conference in California every year in June. Initially, I was super interested. Now, I think I’ll be too embarrassed to try in front of all those people.
The three of us researched the closest surf lesson we could find. Charleston, SC. The school, Isla Surf School. We drove three hours, down to the coast for our lesson on Folly Beach. We worked with Jake (not from State Farm) and he did not disappoint. He taught us on land for the first 15 minutes, then we practiced in the water for 45 minutes.
FYI, make sure you pay for parking. I ended up with a ticket by the end of the day. Lastly, after your lesson, walk over to Loggerheads for a seafood lunch.
“If you can stand by the end of class, I’ve done my job”
Guess what y’all, we each stood up at least once by the end of class. Here are some pointers if you decide to surf in the near future!
- Never wear a two piece: Y’all, my bottoms kept falling off when I jumped up on the board. I’m pretty sure I mooned the entire ocean. Poor kids…lol. Also, they gave me this “rash guard” shirt to wear to prevent me from getting rubbed too much. So, you couldn’t see my cute swimsuit anyway. Insert sad face…lol.
- You will fall: and that’s ok. It won’t hurt. Be prepared to fall off the board the first few times. You will either slide off the board or fall backwards. Either way, you’ll end up in the water and it won’t hurt. Be careful that you don’t get hit in the face with the board.
- Body: don’t bother trying to keep your hair done because the waves will demolish it. Thankfully, I have locs, so my hair was fine. But, others, their hair looked crazy afterwards. You will need to have some level of fitness to surf. Your arms/ upper body strength will need to be on point to continuously pull yourself up.
- Never give up: No matter how hard it gets, never give up. When those waves are rising and your board is thrashing around, just keep trying. The feeling of standing up on your board for the first time will wash away any pain you thought you had from pulling up. Feeling the wind blow past you and hearing the folks in the water cheering is an experience everyone should have.
Overall, I prefer paddle boarding over surfing. However, I will definitely try again!
Shana Hannibal 