Milestones

[Geezer]

So I’ve been teaching my daughter on weekends off and on since she was 7 years old - 6 years now. Was pretty infrequent at first; she didn’t really show much interest and for a couple-few years we stopped all together. Teaching consisted of me pushing her into waves and then playing on the beach while I surfed. She’s 13 now and had come to me about 6 months ago saying she wanted to learn. So we addressed it differently and I started to teach her, from how to carry the board from the car to watching the break for 10min and making a plan before going in the water, identifying rips and peaks and how the breaks were working that day, paddling out through waves and whitewater, how to respond when caught inside, body shape and paddling technique on the board. She’s been progressing and has done well….we were out in solid overhead waves that she was able to ride left and right all the way from out back to the beach last week but has not been able to catch a wave in her own without a push until today.

Anyway, today was the day (Father’s Day) and never was there a prouder papa than watching my not so little angel paddle and catch a head high wave then weave through traffic, ending the ride by sitting down with the board always under control. We continued and she was able to catch several more; I haven’t seen her smile that big since she was a little kid.

Her mother didn’t get the importance or impact passing this milestone had for her; but we both did and that’s enough. Onward and upward; goals now are to build consistency and improve her wave reading and positioning choices which at his point are still dependent on me. It will come; confidence is flowing now.

[oldmansurfer]

awesome! Next thing you know she will be borrowing the car to go surfing.

[jaffa1949]

look forward to days surfing together both capable, congratulations on teaching in he best way!

[Geezer]

Some of the better moments from the last two weeks were one, watching her get absolutely annihilated by a set wave last week when caught inside and get washed 150m in to the beach…..never letting go if her board then gamely getting right back on and fighting through whitewater and waves to get back. Second was watching her this day paddle battle for waves and pull off three times when others got the wave deeper than her and then winning one and taking the wave when the deeper competition missed out. She didn’t drop in once which for Sunday morning Kuta 2-3 foot is saying a lot, and was right there competing and ready to take the wave if she had a fair chance. And she was competing for lefts and rights, and while I would shout “left” or “right” she would go one step further, reading the competition’s priority and reacting correctly.
Kid is doing good!

[jaffa1949]

If she is navigating the Kuta zoo, big credit to her, wow

[Geezer]

It’s where she grew up……..it’s all downhill from here!!!!

[delphin]

I get this...been watching our youngest fall in love with surfing since middle school. Nothing beats watching them paddle out and not give up even when it is pounding and relentless. Their courage is your oxygen. Their rides make your heart sing with primal joy that really is not describable. The first time she said to me that she surfs better when I am in the water with her, I was so happy. This is how I feel when I surf with my coach..that feeling of just go for it, veything is going to be okay. Thanks for sharing your story Geezer.