Catch a wave and stand up on your first surf lesson

“After an exhilarating bit of body-boarding to get used to the water, I spent the next hour fighting to stand up. It became an impossible game on the moving surfboard, which could dump you off the moment your weight was not positioned dead centre. For the first half hour, I got as far as straightening my arms before I slid off. Each time I came off, usually hitting the sand at the bottom, I stood up and battled my way back. I was determined to do it, however long it took, however many gulps of salty water I swallowed. An hour and 10 minutes into the session, I managed it. It wasn't graceful but it felt like the achievement of my life.”

“I attached the surfboard by a leash to my ankle, picked it up and walked into the sea at Croyde Bay in north Devon. I was buffeted backwards and side-to-side as I pushed my way into deeper water, stopping when it reached my chest, and turning the board around to face the beach. [...] The water swelled, Lyndon tugged the board towards the beach and, as he let go, the sound faded out, the chop of the sea disappeared and, for lack of a better description, I was flying. In that single glide to the beach, I was hooked.”

“During our first lesson, we sat and stared into the ocean. When a good wave approached, Meghan swam behind my surfboard and pushed me into the wave, yelling, “Paddle! Stand up!” Dozens of attempts later, I felt clumsy, and embarrassed. The few times I managed to catch a wave, I wobbled as I tried to stand. The board refused to stay under my feet. I fell, slamming into the water and hitting the sand over and over again. Beyond frustrated and on the verge of tears, I was about to quit and go sunbathe. [...] Meghan pushed me into another wave and I stood up! I was only up for about five seconds, but it was such a rush!”