Ive said a few times that I see myself as an Island girl. I know its a contradicton as i'm a city girl living in a busy London town, born and bread to survive in a concrete jungle and adapted to cold dreary weather conditions. I do love my city, it is home afterall, however I do believe that somewhere in my past life I was an Island Girl living lovely near the ocean and sunshine.
I've been fortunate to see some breathtaking islands. My recent travels took me to the Islands of Hawaii. Blessed with natural beauty, there is endless shores of golden sands, the clearest blue waters and naturally carved mountains, cliffs and waterfalls. The beaches and bays are wonderful for swimming, snorkelling and most of all the best swells for surfing.
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| Duke Kahanamoku |
Ok..so i'm no surf professional. I dont consider myself the strongest of swimmers either, but I've always dreamed of "riding the waves". Its been on my "lifes to-do list" and what better place to burst my surfing cherry by learning in its birthplace, Hawaii.
I learned how to surf on Waikiki beach. As it is quite touristy, there are a lot of surf schools along the beach offering different packages. I did my homework before I left for the Islands and found Faith Surf School, which is run by Tony Moniz and his family (literally kids and all). The lesson was 2 hours and cost $60, this included a jersey, leash and of course the surfboard. I remember being extremely nervous...All I wanted was to catch at least one good wave. Matt the instructor was a cool relaxed kinda dude (yes duuuude), he was really patient and energetic. He was really positive and motivating! I caught some waves on my own and was up in no time! I even have photos to prove it! Surfing was really exhilarating and amazing. But be prepared to work hard, the standing bit easy.....staying on the board, paddling out and getting thrown off your board is really exhausting. I admit I crashed into the water a few times, but the adrenaline rush just makes you want to get back on the board and try again. Paddling against the waves is also tricky, I had dead arms for the rest of the day.
During the lesson I was waiting for a wave (actually I was catching my breath for a minute or three) and saw a dark patch under the water. I was scared of the sharp coral that is patched on some parts of the sea bed, so I called out to the instructor and tried to paddle away. Matt stopped me and said just to wait and keep looking. At this point I had all arms and legs securley on top of the board as the dark patch grew closer and closer. I was amazed to see a large Turtle surface with its dark shell. As it slowly drifted away he lifted his head and submerged back into the clear water. I was extremely happy to have experienced that and it even made my first surf even more memorable.
I highly recommend Faith Surf School, they are very patient and friendly and I always felt safe in the water. They are situated at the Sheraton Waikiki (near the Royal Hawaiian) and also have a photographer that can catch you on your board. I was even surprised with the photos taken of me! You can either book with them at their headquarters or you can call them to book and just pay on the day.
Mahalo(thank you) Hawaii and thank you for another experience to tick of my wish list.
Faith Surf Website
During the lesson I was waiting for a wave (actually I was catching my breath for a minute or three) and saw a dark patch under the water. I was scared of the sharp coral that is patched on some parts of the sea bed, so I called out to the instructor and tried to paddle away. Matt stopped me and said just to wait and keep looking. At this point I had all arms and legs securley on top of the board as the dark patch grew closer and closer. I was amazed to see a large Turtle surface with its dark shell. As it slowly drifted away he lifted his head and submerged back into the clear water. I was extremely happy to have experienced that and it even made my first surf even more memorable.
I highly recommend Faith Surf School, they are very patient and friendly and I always felt safe in the water. They are situated at the Sheraton Waikiki (near the Royal Hawaiian) and also have a photographer that can catch you on your board. I was even surprised with the photos taken of me! You can either book with them at their headquarters or you can call them to book and just pay on the day.
Mahalo(thank you) Hawaii and thank you for another experience to tick of my wish list.
Faith Surf Website
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