While our main objective for the trip
is to learn about cultures and people, sometimes we like to learn new
skills too. Or you could say, sometimes home school needs a field
trip specifically dedicated to physical education.
Yesterday Carver, Syarra, and I took
surfing lessons at Muizenberg Beach. We had a great time. Our
instructor, Gabriel, was upbeat and encouraging and taught us a great
deal about the sport.
The first step was to put on the wet
suits. This may, in fact, have been the most difficult part of the
process. (Though taking them off isn't exactly simple.) But then it
was carrying the boards out to the beach. There, we began with a jog
through the sand to warm up the blood, or so Gabriel claimed. While
we jogged, Gabriel told us about the shark spotters on Muizenberg
Mountain, he said that Muizenberg Beach is listed in the top five
places to learn to surf, and warned us that there are many mussel
shells along the beach, so tread lightly.
After our jog, we learned the parts of
our board, the nose (front), the tail (back), the top deck (part
where we stand or lay), the bottom deck (part that is in the water),
the fins (like little keels that stick out of the bottom deck near
the tail), and the rails (the edges of the board). We worked in the
sand on how to paddle, push up with our hands, and use our legs to
stand once the wave had us.
Then it was out to the water. First,
let me assure you that Gabriel need not worry that I am about to
replace him at his job. I didn't exactly master it first time out.
(Also, whenever one said “Thank you” to Gabriel, his reply was
“One hundred percent.” He's the first person here I have noted
using this substitution for “You're welcome.”)
Even without mastery, surfing was a
great deal of fun. But I did have a difficult time getting into a
standing position and staying there for more than a millisecond or
two. Luckily, Alrica did manage to get a few pictures that even look
like I made it.
Carver seemed to be the best at
standing, though Syarra was super enthusiastic and she could
certainly ride a long way on her board. Both kids loved it and asked
if we can go again and rent boards and try to improve. I think that's
a possibility on another warm beach day.
I will admit that an hour and a half of
surfing and trying to rise up on the board (or trying to right myself
after I plunged into the ocean) did get tiring. Maybe it would be
better to say exhausting. My muscles were all up in my face (if
muscles could position themselves that way) saying, “Erich, we are
so done with you!” In fact, I didn't blog about it yesterday
because after we got home and had dinner (Alrica made butter chicken
from scratch! Delicious!) I was out. I was asleep even before the
kids had their bedtime.
And today, I will admit that my
shoulders are still a bit sore. But I think I could be ready for
another go at it. I am going to own those waves! They will be mine!
That being said, Alrica tells me in
Namibia, along the Skeleton Coast, the waves are so much higher that
you ride inside the tubes rather than along the crest. Yeah, I think
I'm not quite ready for that. I imagine those waves would own me. The
good news: It isn't called the Skeleton Coast because of all the dead
surfers, but rather because of all the shipwrecks. Still that doesn't
give me quite enough confidence to say, “Ah, what could go wrong?”
If only back when I was in school gym
class had been as fun. (Though I lived in Iowa, so the waves were
much smaller.)
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