Can you believe this wave machine? This surfer was one of the only ones who stayed on for any length of time. And that included people who appeared to have surfing experience. Probably that’s because this is a new kind of wave–harder to ride than the usual ones. Kind of like the events and changes out in the world that are new kinds of challenges, harder ones to ride than the usual ones.
So here are some surfing tips I picked up from my early history as a surfing groupie, and from my observations:
1. Watch first. Good surfers check it out, watch how the waves are breaking, observe how other surfers are doing, see where the wind is, and know whether the tide is in or out. Whatever your challenges are, be the detached observer before you try to act.
2. Pick your spot. You don’t want to sit and wait for a good wave in a bad place. No point in being in too thick a crowd, or too near the pier pilings or in a place where the waves aren’t breaking well. Position yourself to get the best ride possible. Be smart about where you start and how you place yourself before you try to make a move.
3. Be in front of the wave. Clearly surfing is about being carried by the energy of the wave, so you have to have it at your back. This is like the old Irish blessing about having the wind at your back. That’s the only way to get assistance from the Universe.
4. Paddle like hell until you catch the wave. You have to act. it’s about timing, and it’s also about effort, at least until you know you’re being carried. Then you get to play and experiment.
5. Get all you can out of the ride. Surfers don’t come toward the beach in a straight line; they angle so that they are at the breaking edge of the wave or sometimes then inside the curl, so that they get the maximum time and opportunity to try out their skills. When the Universe is carrying you, get all you can while the getting is good!
6. When you wipe out, try again. It’s clear that wipeouts are part of the deal. We get tumbled and crunched. So we paddle out and give it another go.
7. Have a blast. If it isn’t fun, then why are we surfing? This is a ride on earth, and it’s meant to be a joyous one whenever we can make that happen.
And your tips? Let’s hear them!
