July 18th, 2005 by admin

Kelly and I decided to take a surf trip up to Tofino. We left Nanaimo around 7:30 and eventually got there around 11:00. Kelly has caught quite a bit of swell in California and had been out surfing on Vancouver Island a few times so he knows what he’s doing. I was glad Kelly new his way around a surfboard because I on the other hand had no idea; this would be my first time surfing ever.

I received some tips on the popup, riptides, technique and surfer etiquette while suiting up and by the time we hit the sand at Long Beach I was fired up and ready to hit it.

It is a pretty strange sensation walking into the ocean with a full wetsuit and boots for the first time. No matter how many times I have tried to explain the experience since, I don’t believe that one person has ever fully believed me that your really do not get cold. As a matter of fact I can’t think of a single time that I have ever even been uncomfortable out there, but like I said you probably won’t believe me either when you read this so you will have to get out there and experience Canadian Pacific Ocean surfing for yourself.

Alright, back to the story here. We got out and started paddling around. I watched Kelly get prepared turn, paddle and catch a wave. Looks easy enough, I turned around my giant beginners rental board and started paddling to catch the next wave but it seems that I wasn’t quite in the right spot or wasn’t paddling fast enough because the wave just passed right underneath me. I regrouped got myself in position and started paddling for the next approaching wave. I could hear Kelly yelling “Go Go Go , Take It” so I paddled hard got some speed up and then felt the force of the wave thrust me forward, at this point I hopped up to my feet and was riding my first wave. The feeling and the rush is absolutely indescribable.

We surfed the rest of the afternoon and caught many more waves and each time you catch a wave you get the same stoke but in a different way every time. This is the origin of my addiction to surfing.

Each time you are out there big waves or small it really doesn’t matter.

You get the stoke of being in the right place at exactly the right time in tune with mother natures flow. What keeps you coming back is that she never repeats the same chorus.