How I learned to surf in Bali

Thinking of learning to surf in Bali, yeah?

Let me first share with you my story and some things you need to know from a beginning surfer’s POV, then you can possibly gain from my experience and learn to surf the less stressful and painful way.

Unconventional surfing intro.

Living in Bali, it was inevitable that I learned to surf. Not that this was something I set out to do the moment I stepped foot on the island, in fact, it was the opposite.

Being from land-locked suburbia and living stints in major cities, I didn’t have the privilege of getting into water sports much apart from yearly trips to the beach. More so, the skills and muscle movements of my long-time sport of football (soccer) is almost the exact opposite of surfing.

Moving to Bali, with a need to stay active and physical (I’m sure every athlete can relate), I tried desperately to find for a women’s soccer or futsal team to join with much dismay. There just was none. I briefly played with some locals in the afternoons on the beach, but it was not enough. After having given up and highly considering ‘running’ instead which I hate – I’m not a runner or a gym kind of person -- some friends took me out one day, threw me into the water, and forced me on a surfboard.

And the painful fun began.

I say painful and fun because of the sheer pleasure of overcoming the learning curves involved with one of the most difficult sports in the world. It helped that I’m a water-lover but mind you, I’m not 10 years old like most hard-core and highly-skilled surfers normally start; I was 32 then, so yeah, imagine that.

Anyway, after much shrugging-off the logical suggestions of my friends to learn surfing while in Bali, because I simply didn’t think I could and was too old to do it, I gave in after being forced on a board and realized how scary and  exhilarating this sport is.

Wrong learning method and location.

I decided against enrolling at a surf school then due to the cost. Besides, I had some friends willing to teach me and figured I could pay some dude at the beach for lessons. Was I ever wrong. No offense to my former teachers (they were all good) but in hindsight, I think paying for lessons and getting better instruction at a better location would’ve helped me progress a lot faster than I did, and probably with less surf scars and humiliating moments.

I got a few lessons from my friends and when they had to leave Bali, I hired a local at the beach near my place for lessons. I lived in Dreamland then and I didn’t know better that the beach really isn’t for beginners. The local dudes I hired were okay, but since they didn’t have proper teaching credentials or experience, they could only teach me the basics (mediocre paddling and popping up) and nothing about safety, line-up etiquette nor information on reading waves, conditions, or tides.

Nevertheless, I scored myself a secondhand mini-mal and began charging there daily like a kook.

Almost quit.

Was I in for a lot of pain. Not only did I go out on big days I could possible die in, I also went out on the wrong conditions – windy, choppy waters, wrong tide, etc. I couldn't read the sets or the waves themselves. I spent a lot of time wiping out, not catching waves, losing my bikini tops, and shitting my bottoms (well, I wanted too).

I must’ve experienced every humiliating surf experience in my first months of learning!

Not to mention the cuts and bashes I obtained --  a nasty fin cut to my thigh, facial bruises from my board, bumps on my head, reef cuts all over, etc… Seeing my body black and blue daily still wasn’t as bad as the bruises it gave to my athletic ego! Being an athlete all my life, I couldn’t believe how much difficulty I was having with surfing. I felt like it was taking forever to master just one small step and when I do, I would make a mistake and fall 10 steps back! It was hard to deal with and the frustration just kept mounting. About 3 months into the sport, I couldn’t handle all the work and pain surfing involved. I was ready to throw in the towel, in this case the surfboard, and give it up.

I would’ve quit all together if not for my love of the water and nature, and probably my perseverance to learn; the athlete in me wouldn’t let me quit. Things got a lot better when I finally accepted the reality that I’m not as young and agile as I used to be, stopped competing with myself, and instead worked with my limitations in consideration. I started surfing more for exercise purposes and the love of nature (oh the beauty of sitting on your board out in calm waters staring into the sunset), and I started having fun. More so, I started getting better instruction from well-meaning friends and my partner Michael, who is an amazing surf teacher and motivator. He basically re-taught me everything from my skills to learning about waves, etiquette, currents, and techniques. He also kept pushing me to surf and simply have fun doing so.

So from being scared to get in the water to being all excited, even driving almost an hour to a spot, I’ve regained my confidence and started liking the sport more. Still, in retrospect, I kick myself for not availing of better instruction in the beginning.

I admittedly still am not a very good surfer, but I sure enjoy myself a lot more out there.

To LEARN HOW TO SURF, read:   Learning to surf in Bali 101

a good way to start the day