My first time
Three readers tick very different pastimes off their bucket lists, from surfing to basket weaving and ice-cream making, as part of our My First Time Series
Growing up in Cornwall, I was always jealous of my friends who got to surf. I was a dancer at 11, with a ballet scholarship, and surfing was off limits in case I injured myself. Later, I moved away and got married. I’d always wanted to go on surfing or skiing holidays, but when my now ex-husband broke his knee, extreme activities were out of the question once more.
When we divorced, I felt Cornwall calling me back home and I moved to St Merryn last January. I didn’t realise how much I’d missed being by the sea and I was inspired to finally try surfing.
On the morning of my first lesson I didn’t feel nervous at all. I met my teacher, Windy Miller, at Harlyn Bay beach on a beautifully sunny day with clear blue skies. Harlyn Bay is a big, sandy, sheltered beach known for its low surf, so it’s good for beginners.
We started off by discussing beach safety: what the different flags mean, where you can surf and what the lifeguards do. Windy explained about rip currents, how to avoid them and how to signal for help if I got stuck in one. He also taught me some surfing lingo, such as ‘regular-footed’ and ‘goofy-footed’. This relates to whether you naturally stand with your left or right foot at the back of the board. I stand with my left foot at the back, so I’m ‘goofy-footed’!
Before we could get in the water, we started on the beach. I learned how to lie on the board (‘prone position’) and paddle, then got to grips with how to go from lying down to standing up. I’m quite fit from years of teaching Pilates so I didn’t find this too difficult, which was encouraging. The positioning of your feet is quite specific – too far forwards, backwards or to the side and you’ll tip the board. Windy also taught me how to fall off safely and avoid the board hitting me in the face! After some stretches and a jog along the beach to warm up, I was fitted with a wetsuit, boots and gloves. Finally, it was time to get in the water.
Windy explained how to choose a good wave – ideally, one with a big gap before it to give me time to get on the board and start paddling. I fell off on my first tries, but on my third attempt I managed to stand up and ride a wave. It was exhilarating! Once I’d caught my first wave, it was addictive – Iwanted another one and another one. I caught a dozen waves in the end. Before the lesson, my only goal was to stand up once for a few seconds, so I’d exceeded my own expectations. I had a big smile on my face for the w
