Bring on Early Retirement: Surf’s Up!

Learning to Ride the Waves

William Finnegan’s Barbarian Days captures the essence of a surfing life: all consuming, addiction, passion, way of life and wellbeing. Now I understand more about the thrill, search, hunt and the stoke.

I will happily oblige when The Handsome Surfer says it’s offshore. Or when he says on our travels we need to check out a secret wave spot.

I can run for two and a half hours but find surfing for thirty minutes to be a challenge. My body gets the better of me. That’s the pain and joy of learning to surf in the mid to late thirties. This old dog can indeed learn new tricks.

I love it when the waves are mellow I can ride Mr Anderson, our mal. I can hang out with the groms and marvel at their agility.

From Landlocked to the Sea

The Frugal Doctor can only dream of catching big waves like The Handsome Surfer. He has been surfing for more than thirty years.

I was born in a landlocked country. I fondly remember seeing the ocean for the first time as an eighteen year old, when I moved to Australia. During orientation week, the university had a bus trip to the Gold Coast. I had never seen so much water.

That first day, when I was getting my feet wet, I stumbled and fell into the sea. The Nokia 3310 that was in my pocket was ruined. It had been my mum’s. I had worked so hard to convince her to part ways with it. Leaving it in rice did not work. I had to figure out how to get a part time job quick smart if I needed to replace it.

The Surfer’s Companion

Decades later who would have known that I would enjoy many surf trips with TheHandsomeSurfer.

Sometimes I sit and watch the “pros” from the shore. Sometimes I am the videographer, the photographer, the security guard watching over the tripod. Other times I am lost in a book, or I head out for a long run.

The most fun though is when I get to go in and surf in the spot where the “pros” have been (they are disappointed conditions has mellowed, I am stoked!). In those moments I hope to replicate that feeling I got when I caught my first green wave. I want to catch an unbroken wave, glide in unison with it, feel weightless, feel the sense of flow. First I have to make it out back, get through the whitewater.

Making it Out Back: Riding Wave of Freedom

Sometimes making it out back is a hard slog. I say to myself be present. Know what’s going on around you. You can do it. Once you are out in the line-up, you will catch a breath.

Choose a wave wisely. Commit to it fully. No two-minds about it, or it will be a wipeout. Once up and going, remember where you look is where you go. In time you will learn to manoeuvre and stay close to the pocket.

There’s a bit of a lull I am ecstatic, I made it, I’m in the line up! I feel so alive. I am sitting on the board, breathing slowly and deeply. I take in the moment (mindfulness bliss). The sounds of the birds, the outline of the sky, I look out to the shore then back to the sea.

Look the sets are coming, I need to paddle. Oh yes, I can catch this wave, no one looks to be going for it. It’s my wave to ride. Take in this moment, this is it. This moment will never be repeated!

Bring on early retirement, we are frothing to surf our hearts out and not worry about osteoporosis!