We had a great time surfing at St Clair beach. We got our wet suits and surfing boards for a really good price and the surfing teachers were really patient and kind.

First of all we warm up by shaking and moving about … then they teach us a bit about the theory of surfing and safety in the sea. We are warned to be careful if there is a “hole” in the sea because that means danger — there’s a rip. They also warned us not to panic when we get dumped under a wave.  On the sand they showed us how to “pop up” on the board... then we went into the sea to try it out.

Balancing is tricky. You stretch out your arms when you stand for balance and that can also influence the way the board moves. Feet need to be wide apart and  in the middle of the board.

Some of our group — especially Lennart and Vincent, learned how to stand up quite quickly and by the end of the first lesson they had mastered that part. The rest of us were pretty good at it by the second lesson.  But what counts most is that we had a lot of fun.