Be Whole

Whoa! What a way to spend a morning.

Imagine waking up on a Summer’s day, heading to the beach and catching a few waves with friends in Cape Town.

I did.

It’s 2020. I’ve always been adventurous but this year I decided that I want to be a little less cautious and leap into the unknown. I’ve also always loved the ocean and growing up in Ocean View, I spent many weekends digging my toes into the sand of surrounding beaches like Fish Hoek, Kommetjie and Soet Water. But surfing wasn’t ever a thing so this was a definite leap.

Is surfing expensive?

A cousin mentioned that she was interested in taking a surfing lesson and I gladly agreed, managing to find a good discount deal for our group with The Entertainer app.

Surf Emporium in Muizenberg deserves a slow-clap for teaching me how to stand on a surfboard in one (90-minute) lesson. It was bliss.

Well, the last 50 minutes was bliss because, for the first 40, I was still trying to lift my body off the board.

Your own bodyweight feels a lot heavier in the water, trust me. It was a good upper body workout and if you’re patient with yourself and listen to your instructor, you – too, can stand on a surfboard in one lesson.

Our instructor taught us how to stand, sit, and how to hold our boards correctly before even heading into the water. He also went into the water with us and showed us how to paddle in order to catch a wave.

What’s included in the lesson?

I’m strongly considering just hiring a board and going heading back to test my new skills one morning, now that I know the basics and have my own wetsuit, I can just go can have fun in the ocean to be close to nature, and get a good workout. And while I had my own wetsuit, which I’d picked up for a multi-day hike and trek through Cape Nature’s rivers, the lessons at Surf emporium are inclusive of gear and boards.

All you have to do is arrive.

If you’re keen to catch some waves with Surf Emporium, remember to pack a swimsuit and sunscreen for the day.

You can book directly with Surf Emporium via their website or find out if they have promotions running via social media.