How To Surf Your Way Back To Life

Way back in 2005, after spending the entire summer walking the length and breadth of every beach within fifty miles as a kind of post divorce therapy, just staring at the sand from one beach to the next, I fell upon, yes actually fell upon, one of the best divorce therapies there is. Surfing on a kayak.

I had my gaze so fixed to the sand I hadn’t seen a row of ocean going kayaks and fell headlong right on top of one. The kayaks belonged to a beachside sailing school and were as cheap as packet of crisps to hire at about three euros an hour.

Beware, most people who drown can swim!

Now I had always been more than a little scared of the sea. I am not what you would call a good swimmer. But as someone once told me, none swimmers make for the best sailors as they respect the sea a lot more than swimmers who often seem to believe that they can swim their way out of trouble. None swimmers do not suffer such delusions and therefore take a lot less risks and a lot more care about not getting too close to the rocks. It is a fact that the majority of people who drown can swim. None swimmers tend not to go out of their depth, nor indeed even into the water in the first place.

My first attempt at just rowing out into the waves was horribly useless. But over time, two hours a day, every day, all summer long, or what was left of it, I soon got the hang of it. I think I was so depressed I had lost all fear of drowning, quite frankly I didn’t care. And that was the key, to a point.

Always wear a lifejacket

First off let me say I always wear my own lifejacket, the ones the sailing school had were terribly inadequate. I remember one day a very big wave hit me and tore off my sailing school lifesaver. That was it, I bought my own. I also bought my own wetsuit for the colder days. Hypothermia can very quickly set in once you’re in the water.

A few tips on how to surf

Here are a few tips for those who maybe tempted to give it a try. Number one, it really is seat of the pants. You need to feel what the water is doing right under your bum.

Number two, never ever get side on to a wave either rowing out or surfing back in. If you do you will be in the drink in a flash. Any angle between forty five degrees to the left or right heading in the same direction as the wave is travelling is ok.

It’s all down to seat of the pants and reading the sea

Rowing out is down to technique more than strength. Learn to read the water, especially where the wave is likely to break. Either hold back and let it break, then race full tilt to get past that breaking point before the next wave arrives, or race at the wave to get to it before it breaks and carries you all the way back to the beach, backwards. If a wave breaks right in your face it is like smashing into a brick wall, so avoid it if you can. You will only do it once believe me.

Keep the waves behind you

Once you are out into calmer waters then you can turn the kayak around keeping the waves behind you. Or stay side on, ready to do a quick swivel to a head on position before the wave arrives.

Wait and watch the waves start to build. Once you can see one is due to arrive, start to paddle straight ahead towards the beach, or in the direction the wave is travelling. Try to get your speed up to the speed of the wave and when it arrives stay with it, better still just in front of it. Your best guide really is your own posterior. Learn to feel what the water is doing underneath you. Go with what the wave is doing. A split second after it begins to break, start to lean back on the kayak back rest. Yes it hurts a little at first, but you get used to it.

Enjoy a thrilling ride all the way back to the beach

Hopefully the breaking wave will launch you forward, taking you with it. The rest is easy, just slowly rise to an upright position and dip your paddle into the water, left or right, to maintain direction, again avoiding getting side on to the wave. If you are lucky you can get on to a series of consecutive waves and have a great thrilling ride all the way back to the beach. Awesome fun.

How to get out of being trapped in a rip-tide

If by chance you get thrown off the kayak and lose the kayak and the paddle, leave it if you have to. First thing to save is your own life. The waves and current should bring the paddle and kayak back to the beach without any help from you. And even if it doesn’t, your own life is worth more than a heap of plastic.

If you get trapped in a rip tide do not try to fight against it, you will get tired very quickly and still end up out at sea. Try to swim laterally, that is to say sideways, out of the current if you can before making your way back to the beach.

If you can’t surf you can fish

On the days when it is a quiet, calm sea go out anyway just for a relaxing paddle around. Or better still, do as I did and buy a telescopic fishing rod with you in a secure plastic bag tied to the kayak and get a spot of sea fishing in. At the very least you just might, as I often did, catch your evening meal. Fresh fish doesn’t come any fresher believe me.

If it’s not dangerous it’s not fun

Surfing on a kayak is not only great fun, it is refreshing and great for keeping fit. And it really is a great way to blow away the post divorce blues. And it is a sight cheaper than a psychiatrist. But don’t forget it can also be very dangerous. Then again, as one of my instructors once said after I barely survived a big sea I really should not have gone out in, “If its not dangerous its not fun.” Hmmmmm, I’ll be the judge of that one I think. It certainly beats staring down at the sand. Have fun.