Personal Narrative: Surfing In Hawaii

Surfing in Hawaii One of the most memorable moments in my life would be surfing on the beaches of O’ahu, which is a part of the Hawaiian Islands. It was the best experience of my seven day vacation to Hawaii, back in 2008. Luckily, I was able to go surfing three out of the seven days my family spent in Hawaii. The whole idea was my dad’s. He was the one that wanted to go surfing, but for only one day. Thi0s idea did not last, after the first day of excitement; my family agreed that we had to do that at least one more time before we head back to the brutal winter of Wisconsin. The Hawaiians that owned the surfboard rental shop did not just give anybody a board and said to go have fun. First my family had to take an instruction class. The instruction class was done on the warm sand, just feet from the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean. This class lasted about a half hour, and about fifteen people were there, including my family of four. The instructor gave the class every single detail known about surfing, at
first it was interesting, but eventually all I wanted him to do was shut up, so I could get out the blazing sun and into the water. During the class the excitement started to build inside me, and during the last five minutes of the class, all I wanted to do was to go jump into the ocean and give it a try. Finally the instructor finished, and the class was allowed to go into the ocean. What surprised me the most was that we were not forced to wear life jackets, and the surfboard shop didn’t even carry life jackets with them. The class paddled out into the ocean, but only out about 60 feet from shore. Once the class all got together in the ocean, two more instructors came out to help us get started, it was still shallow enough for the instructors to stand. The hardest part about surfing by far was being able to catch a wave. In order to catch a wave, I had to wait for a big enough wave to come into shore. When the wave starts coming, quickly turn around, face the shore, and paddle with your hands as fast as you can, lying across the surfboard. If you get your surfboard going fast enough, it will catch the wave and off you go, but if it does not get up to speed, the wave will topple over you, and you will be thrown into the salty ocean. Since the whole class was beginners, the instructors would stand behind us, and when the wave came they would push the surfboard from behind as hard as they could. This made catching a wave very easy, and you did not have to paddle. The first time I tried it, I was very nervous and excited, but I was able to get to a kneel, before I fell into the ocean. The next time I was able to stand all the way up. Throughout the day I continually got better and better, and by the end of the day I was able to catch my own waves all by myself. Surfing was one of the best feelings I have ever experienced.
Standing on top of a long narrow board, knees slightly bend, looking off into the distance of the beautiful coast of Hawaii. The wind runs through my wet hair, all of my worries disappear, and then I realize that I am thousands of miles away from my small house in southern Wisconsin. I realize how beautiful this state really is, and I miss it, I already miss the place where I currently am. I do not want leave, but then I notice the space between me and the shore is getting smaller. It is now time to jump into the ocean. I take one last look at the beach, close my eyes, and leap into the air, as I through my arms back. Then there is that spilt second, when all you are doing is falling, falling into the ocean almost in slow motion. Slowly I feel the warm water touch my feet, and rise up my body until I am completely submerged. I swim back to the surface, grab my board, and do it all over
again. Those were my thoughts every single time I got on top of the surfboard. I learned that surfing is possible the most fun activity you can go by the beach, and that people that live on the ocean are very lucky that they can go surfing whenever they want too. When I think about my vacation to Hawaii, surfing is the very first thing that pops into my mind. I haven’t gone surfing since that vacation, but I hope to go again very soon.