Learn to surf.

“I knew that I was going to wear a wetsuit that would keep me warm in the cold sea, but there was one tiny detail that I never thought of until I actually entered the water. The wetsuit does not cover your feet! I swear the first 10 minutes in the water were awful; I thought that I would lose any of my feet right there. I’m really sensitive to the cold, so you can imagine how I felt. The good news is that after a while you forget how cold you are and start to focus more on not falling off the board and on being able to stand up during your first surfing session.”

“I’m a small person, and the size of the surfboard was another thing that I never took into consideration. Beginner boards tend to be long and thick (at least those that I was offered). For me, it was a challenge to handle it while I was in the water (and even out of it). If you are a short person like myself, take this into consideration and be prepared to get used to the board during your first surfing session. On the bright side, though, you will feel really powerful after nailing it!”

“I believe I caught a whitewater wave on my second lesson. I was hungover my first lesson and swallowed a lot of seawater and barfed in the ocean. Good times. Keep at it. Think I got my first green wave my tenth session. Give yourself time to learn and enjoy the process.”