After eight months, going on nine, I have finally gotten the chance to go surfing. I had figured that while in Mexico I would be given the chance to "ride" some waves, but the opportunity had never come up. Until the other night at dinner, when Dave (local ecotourism expert) invited me to join him for the day up in Arroyo Seco. He admitted that it wasn't the best place to learn the art of surfing, but figured I could paddle around and get the idea of what it is about.

So, after packing up at 7:30am, armed with our cups of coffee and power food we made the drive up north. The beach was as I expected, full of hot sand, big waves and a couple of other local surfers. What I didn't expect was the difficult session I was about to encounter with the open sea. Dave was kind enough to bring his "forgiving" surfboard for me. He saying that it tips less and rides a bit more gentle...ok, I said, that sounds great! I need as much forgiveness as possible.

Then a few lessons were given to me about leaning this way and that way, where the best place to be is when a wave is crashing down on you, how to watch out for the surfboard coming back and hitting you in the head. You know, your basic life survival skills of surfing, or in my case just even being out in the open seas. I, nodding the entire time thinking that I got it all. This should be somewhat easy I thought, I'm used to the open water, I should be "ok" with this. But also knowing as we started out into the ocean that those BIG waves don't look very inviting. I can always swim back to shore and boogie board I reassured myself.

But first, I had to get out over the wave break. Don't kid yourself people, surfers make it look easy. I am here to tell you it is not! So as Dave yelled back to me, "hold onto the end strap and dive under the big waves" I plodded ahead. Tightly, apparently too tightly, I held on and dove just as I heard the snap and realized that the board was flying to the beach and the foot strap was still around my ankle. I had had my first default. The foot strap had broken off. Thankfully my foot was still attached to my body and not to the board that was now floating at mock speed towards the beach. Inwards we went, putting on a new strap and again returning to the ocean.

This time I was determined to make it the 200 feet out past the wave break where I could rest my weary body on this "forgiving" board. It seemed as if it took me hours to get out there, when in reality it probably took 5 minutes, but I swam and dove like I had never before. For those of you that aren't familiar with the ocean pull let me explain it (in layman's since I don't know any other way), every time these huge waves break on the barrier they carry a tremendous undertow that pulls you back and forth so even if you have swam ahead 20 feet you may be pulled back 25 feet closer to the beach. This takes a bit to get used to, Hood Canal doesn't have much of a wave action other than the occasionally water skier that flys by. And that is what I am used to when using the term I am an open water swimmer. I now stand corrected.

Finally I make it over the last wave break and painstakingly pulled myself on the board, which obviously doesn't forgive me and flips me off. Again I try and again that pinche board slids me off. The third time, as always, was the charm. I think I hugged the board (a kiss may have been given too) and swore that I wasn't going to leave it. Ah, but then I looked back and realized that I was floating into the waves again so paddle I did. The entire time Dave yelling at me, you did great, you made it past the waves. I am sure he was being kind. I really was surviving. So I assured him I was going to be fine and told him to go off and have fun. Afterall he was there to surf, not to take care of me.

So that left me alone with the ocean and all that is in it. I practiced paddling, I practiced sitting up (sweet lord even that is hard on this forgiving board) and I watched the waves. I watched them to see how it works, how do you know what each wave is going to do. I would edge closer to the wave break and would then realize the intensity of the ocean for one moment I would be at eye level with the beach and the next moment it was like I climbed up two stories in a building the wave pushing me closer and closer to the sky. I knew I wasn't ready to take the plunge, even laying down. But I did like the way it looked, and I pictured what it would feel like to ride down these waves. But this wasn't the place for me to do it. Because who are we kidding, I'm not 23 and stupid anymore. This 35 year old body isn't quite as forgiving and I did want to be able to walk again, or at least be able to have a cold beer when I was done. So watch I did. And imagine.

But wait, I then realized I still had one more feat left. I had to make it back to shore. Oh, for the love of god, that meant I had to go back over the wave break and go with the waves into shore. So, while looking back behind me, with the Hawaii 5 0 music thundering in my head I began to paddle...and with the foam, half the ocean in my nose and the surfboard still attached to me I finally landed on the beach.

Ah, what a day at the beach! Even though my body feels as if I was thrown into the spin cycle of the washing machine and I walk like I was hit by a truck, I thank god for Dave for giving me my day on a surfboard. Forgiving or not, it will always be a fond memory of mine!