Page 31 of Social Sinners

Chapter Eleven

Day two, we spent doing nothing more than resting and relaxing. Easton and I sat in lounge chairs underneath the umbrella, basking in everything and yet nothing at all. The best sort of nothing which we more than needed. I snoozed while he read. I’d have been turned into a giant lobster had it not been for the umbrella. By the end of the night, I was jonesing for sunrise and my first surfing lesson to start.

Nine a.m. sharp, the doorbell rang, and I sprinted to it like a kid on Christmas morning.

“Dan?” I asked after I opened the door. A man, whose appearance was the epitome of a seasoned surfer was standing there. He was the same height as I was, sported a sweet ass tan, shoulder length blonde, curly hair with a few silver strands twisted through it. He had on board shorts and a wet suit top that was almost identical to mine.

“Yeah,” he extended his hand. “Diamond, I take it?”

“That’s me, come on in.” Easton came around the corner just as I shut the door. “This is my boyfriend, Easton.” They exchanged pleasantries before Dan and I went out to unload the longboard’s he’d brought for us to use, from his SUV. East met us out back, surfside with his iPad and a glass of iced tea in hand.

“Today you’re going to learn the basics about surfing, so no water training until tomorrow,” Dan informed me. I’d figured as much, so it came as no surprise. “Since we’ll be on the sand today, I won’t show you how to wax your board until tomorrow, either. Otherwise, the sand will get stuck to it, and we don’t want that. Okay, lay your board down and secure the Velcro leash around your ankle on your dominant foot. If you’re right-handed, that will be your right foot.”

I grabbed the strap, or leash as he’d called it, and attached it to the appropriate ankle.

“Okay, lie down on your stomach on the board, so your body is lined up down the middle. Now, practice paddling so you’ll get a feel for the muscles you’ll be working. Good,” he said as I began paddling, sand flying everywhere. “Next, you’re gonna try popping up. This takes a bit of practice. While you’re lying on the board, shift your hands from paddling to below your chest, palms flat on the board and wrap your fingers around the sides. Yeah, just like that,” he told me when I got it right.

“In one swift motion, you’ll need to push your body up with your arms and tuck your feet under you. Put one foot where your hands were when you pushed up and the other about a shoulder’s width behind it. Now practice that until you get it without stumbling.”

After the first dozen times, he stopped me. “It may be easier if you get up on your knees first and then bring one foot at a time up until you’re standing. It’s a bit slower than the pop-up method, but sometimes easier to grasp. Don’t grab the rails or the edge of your board when you first take off. You could wind up with a gnarly chin split when your hands slip, and your face meets the board.”

“Yeah, that would seriously suck,” I told him.

“If your hands or feet slip when you’re trying to stand, that’s a sign you may need to add more wax to the board. Again, we’ll wax tomorrow, and then you’ll see what I mean. I’ll leave the boards here for tonight so if you wanna continue to practice popping up, you can. All I ask is that you not go out on the water with them when I’m not around.”

“No worries, I won’t,” I assured him. Drowning or getting lost at sea on our vacation wasn’t on my list of things to do, any more than having to call the cops was.

“Right on,” he replied. We practiced this maneuver for a while longer until Easton brought out lunch for us. After baking in the sun, we hopped in the pool and chilled on the floats before Dan called it a day and headed home. Lesson number two was tomorrow, and I was jonesing to get out on the water. I spent the rest of the afternoon working on my pop-up technique in the hopes I wouldn’t make a fool of myself the next morning.

I was up with the sunrise and back at it on the beach working on the techniques Dan taught me the day before. Which was where he found me when he arrived.

“Aloha,” he greeted me, flashing the hang loose sign.

“Aloha.”

“No audience today?” he said, noting Easton wasn’t out yet.

“Nah, the beauty queen is still sleeping,” I laughed, ecstatic that he was still nightmare free and relaxing.

“Right on. Today we’re gonna hit the water after we wax the boards,” he began, tossing me a bar of wax. “There are different waxes, and everyone has their own method to wax their boards. I cleaned them before I brought them over because you always want your board to be clear of the old wax before applying new. A quick internet search will bring it up for you to check out, but this is the way I found that works best for me.”

I followed his motions as best I could. When he checked it out, he said I’d done a decent job, which made me prideful.

“The only way to find the most comfortable position on your board is to paddle around in the water on it for a bit. The idea behind landing a good wave is that your board should skim across the water, much like a rock does when you’re skipping stones. But the nose should be angled, so it hovers just above the surface.If the front or back pops up, you’re unbalanced so you must readjust to evenly distribute your weight again… preferably before toppling over. Once you find the fit on your board and you’re evenly balanced, you’ll have the control you need. But never underestimate the ocean, she can turn into a wickedly cruel mistress without any warning. If at any given time you don’t feel comfortable with the spot you chose, move on or get out of the water. There’s always a reason why you’re feeling that way.”

“Got it.”

We paddled out a couple hundred feet. This was theonetime when being a drummer with Popeye forearms paid off.

“All right, this feels like a good spot. Until you’re more seasoned, it’s best to stay within eyesight of the shore and ride the smaller waves. Zone in on something you can remember whether it be a structure or rock formation so if you get turned around you can find your way back easily. Make sure the water is deep enough that you won’t hit your head if you fall off your board.Just like with driving, surfing has its own rules. Some of which are unspoken, and you’re just expected to know them. A big rule is that if more than one surfer is trying to catch the same wave, the person who paddles out closest to the peak has the right of way, so wait for another one to come along. Not only is it rude to push your way in, but it’s way dangerous. Always keep an eye out for others.”

“Noted.” I wasn’t sure I’d ever surf alone but knowing the rules of the waterways were always important no matter what you were doing out here.

“I’m gonna give you a few pointers before we try to tackle a wave. When you see one headed your way and you wanna ride it, get as close to the peak and into position as you can without taking over and pissing off the other boarders. When you think you’ve found the right one, paddle like your ass is on fire and give it your best.Once you feel like you’re in a good enough position and that you've caught its forward momentum, dive in and put the techniques you've been practicing to good use.Keep looking forward and don’t turn around, you’ll lose your place ahead of it, and will probably wipe out.”

“Dude?” Was he serious? The sea bitch was gonna eat me alive!

“You want to catch the wave before it breaks so you’ll need to be quick. If you don’t, you won’t have time to get into place on your board. If you miss a wave, just paddle back out and chill while you wait for the next one. There will always be more waves, so don’t push yourself. If you’re nervous or it doesn’t feel right, remember, wait it out. Keep your feet firmly planted on the board with your knees bent, your arms loose, and your eyes focused on the direction you’re heading. Enjoy the ride and let it guide you ashore. But always be cognizant of others in the water while you’re surfing.”

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