Don’t Miss Opportunities

I had the opportunity at the end of September to do some surfing with a stand-up paddle board in Morrow Bay, California. It was a blast! Aside form the numerous bruises and aches, I haven’t had so much fun in a long time. I don’t have a lot of experience but found the technique quite straightforward.

I would paddle out beyond the break point as fast as possible and then get ready to commit when the right wave arrived. Committing was the key because a partial commitment or ‘testing’ of the wave usually resulted in me being dropped from the crest of the wave and tumbling head over heals in the turbulence while being whacked repeatedly by the board – very painful.

I wouldn’t wait too long, watching the break line, and once I would set my eye on a wave, I would commit by turning the board and paddling frantically to begin picking up speed as the wave rose up beneath. That’s when the trill begins – zooming towards the beach as the water crashes behind you.

Having the paddle is great to help balance but also to drag on the wave to make turning the board much easier. After four hours of fun, one broken surfboard leash, many sore body parts, and a big smile of satisfaction, I decided to call it a day.

What I noticed with some of the other surfers though is they would straddle their boards, outside of the break line, and just watch the waves as the minutes passed, without committing to any of them. A few of them hardly surfed any waves that day as it seemed as though they were always waiting for a better wave or the ‘perfect’ wave to come along.

I’ve adopted the mentality in life that when a good opportunity comes along, it’s better to seize it and see how far it will take you rather than just continue waiting year after year for something better. Plus, the more waves that you surf in life, the better you become at surfing them.

Have you let a few great waves pass you by? Don’t miss the next one!