The Addiction of Surfing

The addiction of surfing is an amazing phenomena. As an instructor I see it develop often in a first lesson. The thrill of being on a surfboard pushed by a wave is a real connection to the ocean and Nature.

Surfing attracts a lot of snowboarders and skateboarders as well as wake surfers because these are board people. People develop a skill on a board and it seems natural that the skill would transcend to other board sports.

What Happens to Self in Surfing?

There are a lot of things people can do regularly like yoga, biking, running, the gym, and swimming. I have done them all. I do get addicted when I find something that can test my limits and/or allow me to expand who I am.

We frequently get addicted to our passions. For ten years I wrote every morning turning out posts, books, and podcasts. The writing was addicting and I just pointed it. I was addicted to running for years and identified myself as a runner. I feel the same about biking and people feel the same about yoga and the gym.

Part of it is how you feel during and after the engagement. I love experiences where I get into flow. In flow, you have learned the mechanics of an exercise and your mind can be set free into the enjoyment of the exertion.

The addition to surfing you don’t find in these other endeavors is the need for courage. Surfing is frightening at every progressive step. Big wave surfers say they were terrified when they first moved to 6′ waves and again as they kept moving to bigger waves.

The Development of Courage

I find this developing of courage especially pronounced with women. Women tend to be the more cautious of our species and Nature has built in their bent toward keeping safe. Surfing maybe the first time girls and women face the dangers of Mother Nature and learn to manage their fears.

They develop an expanded image of self. They thrill at the speed of riding down a real wave. They imagine the day they can ride real waves like the other people they see. In the process they are becoming more skilled, more comfortable in wild ocean waves, and having more experiences of speed as their wave riding improves.

There is little in every day life that matches the freedom, the excitement, the self expression, and the personal growth you can create in surfing. No wonder so many people are up and surfing at 6 a.m. before work. Now people venture to the beach at 4 p.m. after a day of remote working or schooling.

Generally in life, people are telling us what to do or expecting us to perform certain services. In the ocean, we are artists, creating our own experiences and engaging the ocean to serve us as we try to expand our capabilities. It becomes a tangible test of who we are. It leaves limitless opportunities to push skills and courage.

Like any extreme sport, you can feel like everything is one and you are directly connected to God. Surfing is physical and very spiritual.

Learn More

For Oceanside Surf Lessons, see the Home Page

See the Post Surf Lessons Begin with Foam Waves

See the Post What You Learn in a 2 Hour Lesson

See the Post How to Progress in Surfing

See My Dry Land and In Water Demo video

See How to Catch a Green/Real Wave video

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See Excerpts

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80 page Learn to Surf Book

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I also have books on Creating Your Own Happiness on a site called Happiness and Work Life Balance