Blue Crush? More like Blue Slushy!

Duuuuuuddddddddde.................ok so maybe marching down the beach with my long board I might have looked like a bad ass surfer chick.........but bad ass I am not. More like not so good. Let's just say I hope it rains tonight in South Beach because the ocean water will need to be replenished.........not a fan of drinking salt water.....but sometimes it happens.....Especially when you are learning to surf for the first time while a tropical storm is in play.........maybe not my smartest move....but I had fun trying.

We rented our boards from South Beach Divers and cool surfer instructor tried to give us some pointers before we hit the beach.

Cool Surfer Guy: OK go out and find a channel.

Deco Chic: Got it!

Cool Surfer Guy: Do you know how to find one?

Deco Chic: Not at all.

Cool Surfer Guy: Look for the line where the waves aren't breaking.

Deco Chic: Easy enough

Cool Surfer Guy: Ok. On the board keep your legs together, and either keep your head down or head up, and remember, remember, remember.........never, EVER turn your back on the ocean.

Deco Chic: Um........don't you have to turn your back to surf?

Cool Surfer Guy:Turn your back, one wave breaking hard over you, your board flips and those fins underneath your board become like knives in your back.........

Deco Chic: Um.....ok. (I am going to end up killing myself)
Got it.

Cool Surfer Guy: You sure?

Deco Chic: ........Overwhelmed, overwhelmed, overwhelmed.........

Cool Surfer Guy: You'll be fine......just be careful out there.

The wind and surf were strong and Marnie showed me how to look for the channel (which is actually the rip current). The channel shows up in between the areas of breaking waves. So we headed out on our boards........SWISH, CRASH, FLIP....gurgle, gurgle......... I am off the board.

This is going to be a challenge.

I am back on the board paddling, trying to keep up with Marnie. I finally learn that I will swallow less ocean if I stop laughing so hard and that when I approach the surf to take a deep breath and head underneath it..............I made a little progress........didn't get up on the board..........well my feet never touched the board.....but my knees did! So I sort of felt what it might be like to surf.

We took a little break......wow this surfing stuff is definite work!.........and then head back out......I wasn't giving up.

Once again I am trailing behind Marnie, trying to keep up..........but she is yards in front of me........and I am being pummeled by the waves and constantly being knocked off my board. All the sudden I thought I noticed a little fin...............

Ok..so I have to back up to mention most times when I talk about SCUBA to my non-diving friends I always get told that it is dangerous because I might get eaten by a shark. I always defend my diving passion with the facts:

FACT 1: More shark attacks happen in 3 feet of water.

FACT 2: Surfers get attacked more than swimmers or divers.

FACT 3: Sharks are attracted by blood and shiny objects.......just make a point of not looking like bait or being around bait.

So there! Don't be ridiculous!

Here I was on a bloody surf board. I refused to yell shark.........because it could've been a jack or a barracuda. But I couldn't help but wonder....

Do I get off the surf board or do I get on?

If I get on the board will the shark think I am a seal?

What a minute......there aren' t seals in South Florida..........but what if it's a pelagic shark who has been around the ocean once or twice.............a well traveled shark and it KNOWS what a seal is???

I headed back to the beach. Then realized I was being an idiot and headed back to the surf until I was too exhausted to try again.

My salt intake has to be through the roof, I am pruney, and wiped out. We guzzled some water and headed to the shower station to rinse our boards.

So I didn't actually surf.........but I refuse to feel defeated....I still look cool carrying the surf board around in my bikini in South Beach! No one will ever know the difference!