If you have tried surfing already, you are well aware of the adrenaline rush experienced while riding a wave. At its core, surfing is to be a fun activity offering endorphin release through exercise and overcoming the senses of fear and uncertainty that accompany each wave. Whatever your pleasure, surfing provides a joyous outlet.
After years of teaching surfing lessons, I have seen a plentiful variety of reactions to an individual’s first experience with a surfboard in the waves. Most of the time the initial feeling depends on the person’s comfort level in the water. Some students are terrified to walk waist-deep into the ocean, while others have to be wrangled in from paddling out too far. Many times, it only takes one wave for the more timid clients to come out of their shells and burst with laughter.
Depending on our personality, surfing is a fun activity for several possible reasons. Some individuals do not enjoy the actual work that goes into surfing, as it can be grueling and strenuous exercise. Most often, the challenge of making it through the entire lesson provides fun for these folks. They have earned the right to boast about their own ability to surf after only one surfing lesson.
Other individuals are simply adrenaline junkies. These are the people who feel the endorphin release most prominently when they encounter the fear and uncertainty that comes with each wave. The ride itself may actually scare the surfer, but the rush of putting oneself at risk and coming out the other side is an incredible feeling.
There are a lot of students who love the experience from start to finish. They spend the entire surfing lesson smiling and laughing. They make jokes about their mistakes and set the intention to correct their errors at the same time. These are the folks who could stay in the water all day long and usually express disappointment when our time comes to an end.
However surfing brings you joy, remember that feeling and that we continue to surf in search of that initial excitement that made us fall in love with the sport.
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Surf Camp: Pacificsurf.com/surf-camp-san-diego
Surfing Blog: Pacificsurf.com/blog
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