Zen and the Art of Surfing

I started surfing relatively late in life, I had always dreamt about it and woke up on my fortieth birthday thinking that if I don't start now I am gong to have to surf in another life, I decided to make it this one and bought a surfboard. For the last few years I have been surfing on and off, probably more off than on. Surfing in the Cape is challenging, its mostly freezing cold especially after a good blow from the Cape Doctor, the wind is often onshore mushing up the surf and then there are flat days. Good days of swell coinciding with my being in town and having time on my hands have been fairly few and far between.

Every surfers dream is to have a month or more on an island with good waves, warm water and lots of time. So here we are in Bali certainly one of the best surfing venues in the world living that dream.

Not all waves are the same, in fact there are as many different waves as there are surfing spots in the world and each one presents its own challenges. Further each wave is affected by the tide, swell and wind direction, the period between waves and of course swell size. I realize very quickly that the breaks around Bingin where we are based are not for beginners by any means and almost all of them (other than Dreamland) break onto very shallow reef.

The Bali tattoo is evident everywhere, surfers walking around nursing nasty scrapes and gashes across backs, arms, legs, faces, heads. The standard of surfing is high and unlike a friendly easy break like Muizenberg or Big Bay the points are crowded, surfers are from all over the world and its each man for themselves -you snooze you lose.

I am here to learn so sit out at the backline and observe the good surfers.

Firstly you need to be really fit to paddle into waves and catch them and even more so to paddle out after catching them pushing under endless foamies. I realize I am paddling all over the place backwards and forwards, in and out wasting energy, often being caught by the big sets. I am also allowing others surfers to hustle into position past me.

The good guys don't, they paddle out and take a key position refusing to allow other surfers to hustle them out of it. They have patience and don't waste energy chasing after smaller waves and consequently are ready when the big set arrives. More though they seem to intuitively know where that position is and when the big set is coming. When it does they choose their wave and then have the confidence to commit 100% and squeeze all the juice out of it.

I decide to practice this philosophy in business and have a feeling that by doing this I will have a lot more time for surfing.

I make some surfing buddies, Eric the local surfboard hire man from Dreamland is a gem that shows me around and we shared a few Bintangs on the beach with the local boys. I meet a few South Africans and lots of Europeans; of course there are loads of Australians but its weird that Aussie - South African rivalry extends to surfing as well, so not many mates there. Special thanks to Andre a Brazilian now based in France who surfs all over the world. One morning he pulls me out of my comfort zone and we go out at Uluwatu.

This feels like the big time, the cliffs are lined with professional photographers, surf shops; look out points, bronzed surfers and striking woman.The paddle out is tricky with currents, reef, sets and surfers to avoid, There are three main breaks to choose from, the one we start at is called Peak and I catch my first wave which is snapped by one of the photographers (attached), the other breaks are called temple and railway tracks aptly named because it works at low over a shallow reef and you need to to go like a steam train to make it.

Another day when its really flat everywhere else we venture out at a place called Green Ball which is a magnificent bay at the bottom of 300 steps. We are the only ones out that day and I soon realize why, its a lot bigger and more powerful than it looks from the cliffs and with spring lows rapidly approaching when the wave sucks up the reef is knee height. There is something pioneering about surfing a new place for the first time, you are on your own and need to rely on your own observations and common sense.

I surf most days over 6 weeks and by the time we leave I am feeling fit and a little more confident in what I am doing (ready for Elands!!!). Yes there are crowds which can be a little frustrating but I am getting my fair share of waves. There are also days when I find secret places with only one or two other surfers, we sit out there in the early morning a couple of hundred meters from the shore as the sun rises enjoying each others companionable silence. Surrounded by nature one lives in the present, there is nothing else, horizons are limitless, you move with the ocean and in that movement you can feel the energy of the whole universe, that is Zen.