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The beach. It is central to island living. So many activities can be had in the ocean--swimming, fishing, snorkeling, whelk-hunting, relaxing on the beach, sailing, kite-surfing, diving, etc. My usual repertoire is swimming, snorkeling, and relaxing. If available, I do enjoy a good boogie-board outing.
On my list of 101 goals for 1001 days, I have listed finding new hobbies. One of these will now be surfing.
How does this all come together? Well, being from Hawai'i, a question I hear regularly is "do you surf?" (People ask more often than you might think. The word on the street is that I should be surfing to work regularly.) I do love the water, and I did boogie board when I could when I was younger. I actually do love the waves, and I might have liked surfing if I had any regular access to a car growing up. As it was, I caught the bus to the beach with my boogie board when I got the chance. A surfboard may not have made it past the bus-driver.
End result, I decided to pick up surfing. On St. Kitts, there is not much surfing at all. For one, not many local people swim. And otherwise, there are no shops on island selling gear for surfing. Also, I have heard since I started, this island does not have the even curl of endless waves as places such as Costa Rica. The surf here is hit or miss, and the spots can be rough and tumble.
For those of you interested in shaping up, this gives you an upper body workout like you wouldn't believe. I went out with another gal Ms. K, and we had a blast. The break at the beach we went to is rather rough, and it takes gumption and some luck to get past the break. The first time we went, it felt like 20-30 minutes before we were out with the 'Big Boys' (our buff co-workers ;). From all the paddling, you can get 'noodle-arms' (tired arms that feel like noodles). And when I was done, my shoulders needed a good-'ol massage. The Big Boys will go twice in a day if the surf is good. I opt for an afternoon nap. If I eat a good hearty meal on a surf day, I feel pretty content about treating my body right for the day.
For those more interested in the fun-factor. Shoot, this is some awesome stuff. It's got challenge, a sense of danger, it's in the water on a sunny day, and you get up soo early to catch the surf, that you have the entire remainder of the Saturday to do whatever you planned. It's a great activity, because you keep your mind and body active. And you still get to chill and chat while waiting for waves.
I've tried it a couple times before, on the huge foam 8 foot boards that could float a sumo wrestler. But here on this island is where I am officially trying to learn. I stood up for the first time on a mini-longboard the other day!! Woot! It is a little premature, but I actually ordered a board to be shipped to St. Kitts. I figured that if I'm going to be here for another year, a wholesome activity such as surfing would enrich my stay.
That's it for now, but I'll leave you with this: Wear Sunblock.