By Ashley Morris
For Weekly Surge
Photos by Scott Smallin
For Weekly Surge
"I just saw a big shark fin - I swear," says surfing instructor Cole Richards. "But it was kinda far away."
"Okay, I'm outta here," is my solid response as I frantically paddle to shore.
My husband and I are bobbing in waist-high warm Atlantic water just south of The Pier at Garden City during my first surfing lesson. I was just about to swing my legs up onto the deck of the board belly-first for another attempt at catching a wave, when Richards made my biggest fear a potential reality: the creatures (sharks, giant jellyfish, and sharks) that lurk beneath the surface.
As a precaution, I even tried to combat my fears of a shark attack beforehand by removing all of my jewelry - something I read somewhere said jewelry could act as flashy bait for the jaws of Jaws. I forget the competence of the source, but I wasn't taking any chances.
"Just kidding," Richards, 16, smirks.
"Are you serious?" I'm wide-eyed and very serious right now.
"Yeah, I'm serious. There's no shark."
I had admitted on-shore to Richards before we began the lesson that sharks were my biggest fear with surfing, and he totally got me on this prank. I stayed out in the water, but maybe for only two more waves after that - just in case there were any sharks nearby listening to our conversation and chomping at the bit to take the bait.
My nagging fin fear wasn't the only challenge for me during my surf day debut. Don't get me wrong, this was the most fun I've had in the water in a long time. In fact, I was in such an adrenaline zone that sharks didn't creep into my mind until late in the lesson when Richards mentioned it. But it's a tough sport.
Pros like Billabong-sponsored Richards, however, who takes tournaments by storm from coast to coast, makes it look so easy. He learned how to surf at age 2 practically after his first footsteps from his dad, world-renowned surfer and Perfection board shaper Kelly Richards. "He would have me out there on a board with a lifejacket and swimmies and everything," recalls Cole Richards.
It's a good thing his surf success and telltale natural talent are well grounded by an admirable humbleness and patience that translates well to beginner surfers like me, or to his advance surf camp of kids he oversees every Monday afternoon through his dad's Village Surf Shoppe in Garden City Beach. Although he says it's a lot easier to teach kids (they still have that inborn no-fear instinct and just do what the instructor says, rather than analyzing it too much like adults), Richards worked well with my husband and I - always encouraging or giving helpful tips. This is good, because an egotistical, sarcastic critic could've made this lesson a real wipeout.
With this weekend's Guy Daniels Memorial Surf-Off in Surfside Beach drawing surfers of all abilities from throughout the region, Surge endeavored to find out just how hard - or easy - it is for a novice to catch some waves along our slice of the Atlantic Coast.
And I - along with my husband - was the guinea pig.
Our classroom began in the sand, literally, as Richards went through the basic steps and rules on two 10-and-a-half-foot longboards laid out flat on the sand besides straggling beachgoers. (At Richards' experience level, he's surfing on a board that's half the size, at a little more than five feet.)
• Never let the length of the board get in front of you. In other words if you see the surfboard - from nose to tail - in front of you as you try to stand up, the law of physics says you could get hurt because more than 10 feet of board could flip up and smack you in your pretty little face.
• Once you're ready to catch a wave, you paddle, paddle, paddle, stand up almost in the middle of the board with left foot staggered forward (unless you're a leftie) and ride to the beach.
Sounds easy enough on the sand, right? Well, precious timing and physical exertion must also come into play when in the water.
Richards grabbed a hunk of wax out of his boardshorts to wipe down the fiberglass board; wax is a surfer's best friend for it helps the feet stick to the board. The other board was made of a kind of softer, foam-based material, so no need for wax, dude.
Surf's up!
My husband easily tucked his board under his arm and jogged into the dwindling high tide. I, on the other hand, needed the assistance of Richards before the awkwardly long board and ocean gusts took me down. (Is it a bad sign when one can't even carry her own sports equipment?)
Before we waded into the water and began to hurdle the breaking waves, I slapped the leash collar onto my right ankle so I wouldn't have to swim after my runaway board down to the pier - and said a little prayer.
On the Grand Strand, surfers wait for the right swell at about waist to chest high, which is where the three of us camped out. Richards, who has surfed just about everywhere worthwhile in the world (his favorite is Indonesia), says Myrtle Beach is good for beginners with its meeker 1- to 2-foot wave heights. Our coastline curls south, so local waves are almost similar to that of a mild bay. Perfect for me, the beginner.
I didn't wait for the right wave by sitting on the board with my legs straddled over the sides like all the rad surfers do; in my mind, I think it would've been more difficult to move from sit to paddle to stand position. Instead, I laid stomach-side down on the board, my feet almost touching the tail of the board and waited for a prompt from Richards, who would say from behind me, "Okay, here's a good one... Paddle, paddle, paddle!"
The rush of adrenaline sparked from those last three words kept me wanting to surf over and over and over again for nearly an hour. The timing of each wave's swell to the crest and curl before it breaks - to become one with the wave as you ride from its power all the way to the beach - is difficult, but addicting. I felt powerful for my record two seconds I stood on the board.
I know I need to do more push-ups, because my arms felt rubbery by the end of our session from, well, pushing my body up from my stomach to crouch onto my feet to stand for about two seconds. The next day, my ribs and hip bones also ached from flopping onto the board to await my next wave time and time again. Make no mistake, this job is tough.
Some critiques Richards relayed to me that may be helpful to others who are thinking about testing the waters, literally:
• I tried to stand up too quickly a few times, which threw off my balance (and threw me off the board).
• Other times, on the other hand, I crouched too long before popping up into my stance and the wave just crashed around me.
• Stick to a happy medium by "standing low" he said, like you're on the prowl.
• Always be positioned in the middle to lower middle part of the board; if you're standing too far on either end, you'll tip over along with that end of the board.
Some advice I would pass along to other adult beginner surfers:
• Try it. No excuses, such as "The equipment is too expensive." Most surf shops usually loan you a surfboard for your first few lessons. After that, if you like the sport, then invest. It's great exercise, and such a cool way to experience the water instead of a quick dip in the ocean when you just get too hot in the beach chair.
• Surf with a buddy. I think it's safer - and the added encouragement adds to the fun.
• Women: Wear a wetsuit or one-piece swimsuit (preferably, an inexpensive one). There are too many opportunities for wardrobe malfunctions, plus the constant wear and tear across the surfboard (or tumbles) will be better if your skin is protected.
• Men: Boardshorts are just fine for guys. My husband had a T-shirt on, then took it off, but then wanted it back on because of the constant irritation on the surfboard. So maybe board shorts and T-shirt or rash guard combo or wetsuit.
As the sun began to set and storm clouds loomed to the north, our lesson ended - along with the ability to move my arms. But what didn't end was my desire to surf. I somehow felt stronger, I overcame my fear of sharks beneath (mostly) and, as I looked down the beach at straggling tourists cracking open another beer for their beach chair cupholder, I felt like a taller version of Gidget.
Even Richards said he was impressed: "Most people don't necessarily stand up on their first lesson."
I couldn't ask for better praise from a pro.