The Drauski Diary

I’ll never forget the day I caught my first wave. I had been in Costa Rica for nearly two weeks. Most of my time was spent being pushed and tossed around by strong waves on the still undeveloped beach of Avellanas. The water had been cold due to strong offshore winds. The days were hot, but even the veteran surfers could not stay in the water much longer than 30 minutes.

But then, the day before I left, conditions were perfect. The water had finally warmed and the waves rolled in smoothly. My back burned in the sun as I lay on my board, but the ocean splashing at my sides kept me refreshed.

I bobbed with my board up and down in the water. The board, a 7’9”, was shorter than the typical 9 foot beginner board, but still considered a long board making it easier to stand up on than the 6 foot boards of the surfers around me. My toes dangled off the edge of the board and into the water. As I felt the sun soaking into my skin, I realized I should invest in a surfer shirt – also known as a rashguard.

“This one!” Reggie yelled, “start paddling!”

I glanced behind me and threw my arms into the water as fast and as hard as I could, pushing myself forward as the wave approached. I made it to where Reggie, my friend and surfing mentor, was standing in the water just as the lip of the wave reached me. Reggie gave my board a final small push and I jumped up. It was the first time I jumped straight to my feet rather than balancing on one knee first. I was standing on my board riding down the wave! My first real wave! Disbelief and exhilaration at once.

Suddenly a swimmer’s head emerged in my path. I hadn’t learned to turn yet. I panicked and dove off my board into the ocean. I immediately put my arms over my head and stood up gasping for air. In the water you lose all sense of direction and don’t know if your board is floating right above you. The first and most important lesson I’d learned was to always protect my head.
I turn around to see Reggie with his thumbs up.

“That was awesome!” I cried out, throwing my hands into the air. I fish around for the leash of my board, pull it back to me and make my way back into the ocean to see if I can do it again - maybe this time all on my own.