There’s nothing like starting off the morning with the potent smell of the salty sea and the anticipation of jumping in the water for your first-ever surfing lesson. Today I joined a group of 7 other new surfers in an excursion in Lima, Peru to test our luck at surfing. Although a few of us had experience with snowboarding, boogy boarding, or other balanced-focused sports, we were all excited to hit the surf and get out on the ocean (océano)!
To start off our adventure we picked up by the awesome staff of the Pukana Escuela Peruana de Surfing (a local Peruvian business that offers quality surfing lessons for individuals and groups) and taken to the beach. After suiting up in our wetsuits we began promptly with some running, stretching, and a technique orientation on land (tierra). After roasting in the hot sun, while learning the basics of surfing, we were able to start (empezar) our lesson in the water and test our listening skills as we put our training to the test. The whole time we had three amazing guides that were with us on the water with keeping us safe and making sure we were all enjoying ourselves.
After just about 30 minutes we were all able to catch a wave and experience the thrill of surfing. I personally got the hang of things pretty quick and realized that the limiting factor when learning to surf is your arm strength. While I find myself to be fit, I would definitely warn everyone going out for their first surfing lesson to be prepared with a good nights sleep and a healthy breakfast!
During out time at the beach I know we all caught the surfing bug so now it is time for me to schedule my next class and start doing a little research on surfing. Feel free to take a look at a few of the links I have found about surfing in Peru and maybe you will decide to come hit the surf for your first time as well!
Check out these sites:
- http://www.perusurfguides.com/
- http://www.wavehunters.com/peru-surfing/Nperu.asp
- http://www.expatperu.com/surfing-in-lima-surfing.php
