Glorious Day

Spent the day today at the beach. I'm still staying at my parents' place on the coast, and every time I'm over here I make an effort to get to Byron Bay. It's the most easterly point of the mainland, and has this gorgeous bay that has probably the best learner surfer beach in the country, The Pass, where the waves actually roll along the beach rather than crash straight into it. It's really laid back, easy surf in a really laid back, easy town.

I grew up on the coast. My parents have not moved since well before I was born and aren't planning to. So growing up I was ten minutes from the beach and right on the river. A water kid. Mum and my sister would be there baking away on the beach and I'd be in the water looking at them thinking you pair of boring losers! Pretty much because I wanted someone to play with, but also because my main approach to sunbaking is to lie there and let the board shorts dry off.

So I've been an amateur bodysurfer for a long time. I can pick a wave and stick my arms out and have a pretty decent ride. But I've never been on a board. Hang on, not till today. My sister and her husband were there and they're both keen learner surfers.

Next thing, I'm on a board to have a go. These things, you watch surfer kids who've been in it all their lives and these things are a natural extension of their body. I fought this board for the right to even stay on it. Any time I paddled on one side, I tipped in that direction. I didn't fall off (redeeming factor) and I got the hang of it eventually.

Then came trying to ride a wave.

I'd already been warned away from attempting to stand up. I'll leave that for another day. So I just rode the thing like a boogie board all the way up the beach. Loved it. Fast, no water rushing through your ears like body surfing and you could have a bit of a look around. Getting back out there was not so easy since there was a really strong current to go against.

And then my sister tried to help me. She pushed from behind the board I was on (hers) to get me a head start on a wave. I had my weight too far forward on it, I think because the nose of the boardwent underwater and started diving. So it digs it's nose in, the tail end gets flipped forward in the direction of the wave and so do I. Then, somehow, I am under the wave and being carried forward.

I now know of a fantastic sinus-clearing treatment. Charge a bucketload of money and drag people underwater through the surf. My nostrils burned for hours but I'm still working on all clear.

But the funny thing? It hurt, it was hard work, AND I LOVED IT.