Surf's Up!

Who said black girl's can't surf

I’m black and I can swim. No I don’t mean jumping up and down or bathing in a river but I mean actually swimming, was one of the best swimmers at school. And no the water doesn't need to be warmed up before I jump in.

Now as good a swimmer I am I’ve never been a fan of the sea, in fact I had a bit of a fear for it due to some childhood experiences which I’d much rather not get into. But when I was offered to go for surfing lessons my concern was not about my fear, I’m a grown woman now so I ain’t scared of waves, if anything I was excited and looked forward to it. I’ve always wanted to learn how to surf, looks amazing when the pro’s do it, and I could just imagine the rush of riding a wave. My only concern was my weave. You can mess with anything but a black woman’s hair is a no go area. I did more preparation for getting my hair fixed than preparing to surf. Having figured out a solution of redeeming my hair, after experiencing the trauma of being submerged under salt over and over, I looked forward to my surfing lesson.

They first showed us the basic instructions of lying on a board, standing properly and getting the right balance. That part took like five minutes and in to the water we went, talk about being thrown in the deep end. According to the instructors, the waves were quiet feisty and not the best of conditions for surfing lessons, none the less we went ahead. The water was extremely cold of course but got used to it. Walking against the current was a bit of strain and got worse after having to walk back a few times due to many failed attempts of standing on the board and riding the wave. First time I got onto the board I was determined I could do it, I was natural footer after all, well at least that’s what Bronwyn (the instructor) said...maybe they tell that to everyone to give them a boost...no I'm a natural footer I believe it', that's my story and I'm sticking to it. 

As I mentioned before I fell quiet a few times but I had fun, regardless of the terrible taste of sea water in my mouth, stinging in my eyes and being toppled over by the waves. If there was such a thing as knee surfing I would’ve killed this lesson, sadly there isn’t, but I did manage to get on my feet a couple of times. It was quiet an amazing experience, a rush really and I’m definitely going back.

My hair looked course and frizzy, weave's worst nightmare, but it was worth it, besides it wasn't anything a hair dryer, moisturiser and hot iron couldn't fix, (side thought - yes niggas we go through all that trouble to look good but don't get cocky and think we do it to impress you but acknowledging that your girls hair looks good is a must if you know what's good for you) Infact I already had an appointment set up to get it done even before the surfing lesson began.

So ladies don't deprive yourself of having fun because you fear for your hair. Don't get scared get smart! Surf's Up!