On Wednesday we left Barrington and headed back towards the coast to Crescent Head, where we would spend the afternoon and next morning at a secluded surf camp. After stopping for lunch at Port Macquarie, we arrived at the Mojo Surf Camp at about 3. The purpose-built beach house that we stayed in was pretty modern and just a walk away from the sea.
After a quick briefing on the basics of surfing and its culture, we got suited up and headed down to the beach. It turned out that we were the only people there, so there wasn't anyone apart from ourselves to see how bad we would be!
The instructors gave us a demonstration and then it was up to us to learn the skills over the next two lessons. Essentially, all you have to do it wait for a wave to come along, then paddle quickly to 'catch' it so that you're on the front of the wave. Then you've got the hard bit, jumping up to your feet whilst keeping your balance. Once you're standing up it's fairly simple, but to get there you've got to keep your movements quick and smooth.
By the end of our first lesson, most of us had been able to stand up, even if it was just for a second. It seemed that as we got the hang of the basics, we ran out of energy and time. As we walked back across the beach as the sun set, we were all reasonably confident that we could improve and be able to surf properly the next day.
So on Thursday morning we got up early and headed down to the beach again after breakfast. The conditions were perfect and the waves were higher and more consistent than the previous day. I'm pretty sure everyone was able to stand up on their board and surf for a few seconds, including me! I only managed to do it properly a few times, but it was great fun when I did. After I'd done it for myself, I can appreciate surfing more and why it appeals to people so much. I'm not sure I'd do it again without being prompted, but it was definitely a lot of fun.
