This is my son taking a nosedive in the surf. He was only 6 in this photo! He has wiped out more times than I could possibly count. To see this wipeout in its full glory, scroll to the bottom of the post.
My little guy has been begging me to do a post about him surfing. I have told him that I don’t like to put pictures of him on the internet, but he is most insistent, so here is part 1 in a 3 part series…
Both of my kids have been swimming since they were babies. As the Australian anthem says, “Our home is girt by sea” so Aussie kids often start swimming from a young age. My kids started swimming in the ocean in the arms of my husband, and then progressed onto boogie boards at a young age. They are now learning how to ride a surfboard.
This is a photo from 3 years ago when they started boogie boarding. Miss J (left, 7 years) and Mr D (right, 5yrs).
My husband was addicted to surfing in his youth, and he is teaching our kids how to read the ocean. They are learning how to judge the size of a wave; how to see a rip and what to do if they are caught in one; and they have also learned a healthy respect for the power of the ocean.
Dad is often the tugboat that pulls the kids out to where they can catch a wave:
When they were first learning, he had to push the kids onto a wave. He still does this if the kids need an extra boost onto a wave.
The kids are always under the watchful eye of their Dad:
This is the kids paddling out to Dad who is watching to see if there is a set of waves coming in:
Even our dog Tango has been out on a surfboard:
I have always been a bit afraid of the surf. When I was a kid, I had a scary experience in the waves. I was standing in the water with my back turned on the surf. A wave knocked me over and the power of the wave plunged me deep under the water, all the way down to the sand. I struggled to stand up, gasping for air only to be knocked over immediately by another wave. As I tumbled with the wave, I couldn’t figure out which way was up and I couldn’t breathe . In that moment, I thought I was going to die.
I have since learned more about the surf and don't mind getting in for a swim, but surfing isn't my thing. And I have to admit that when I see either of my kids wipeout, my heart just about stops:
But no matter how many times they wipeout, their love of surfing only seems to grow:
PS: These photos were taken at Huskisson Beach and Bulli Beach in NSW, Australia.