A lesson from the ocean: Fall better

There are enough quotes out there about falling and the precious value of falling. One of my favorites is for Bear Grylls: ?

“You can't become a decent horseman until you fall off and get up again, a good number of times. There's life in a nutshell.”

And oftentimes, your past falls and how many times you fell in the past can also be a measure of how well you are going to perform in the future (?).

All this about falling has got me thinking last week while I was surfing in Portugal. And it has slightly changed my mind about the notion of "falling" that I would like to share with you and would love to hear your thoughts.

I spent my holidays this summer in the beautiful Portugal. I wanted to try surfing, and I did a little bit of google search to look for the best surf spots and surf schools in there. And I decided to fly to and start my trip from Porto. That way I could combine it with a city visit as well. So, I started in Porto, where the waves were mild, and headed after to Sagres- strong waves, and ended in Albufeira - weak waves. The order is not the best but for some reason, I had to do it this way. [surfers out there, don't scold me please].

Paddle Paddle Paddle - 1,2,3 - Balance

Those are the steps I had to practice again and again in order to be able to catch and surf a wave. On my first surf lesson, I was instructed that to catch a wave I need to prefect the following:

1. Watch closely for a good wave.
2. When the wave is close, jump and lie on the surfboard, and find your position.
3. Paddle paddle paddle to get some speed before the wave hits you.
4. As the wave hits you, swiftly and in balance perform the 3-step stand-up method. Push up to stand, stand with your back foot, stand up completely.
5. Balance. You succeeded at standing. Great job. Now it is time to balance. Body posture, bent knees, hands all work together to keep up the balance just right. Did all this right, enjoy the feeling. You can watch here for a detailed and better visual demonstration.

So, that was the theory that I practiced and practiced many times on the sand just before I face the reality - the waves - that kept crushing me down without mercy. After around 2 hours I could only catch and surf properly two waves. Great feeling as soon as you are on the go but too much falling, which sometimes is disappointing ?? especially when other mates are doing it smoothly and great.

?And that was my second surf day - still in Porto. We were six surfers with one instructor, I was the only one with previous experience. You could see already the pride in my eyes when we were about to start and the instructor asked "Has anyone surfed before?" and I raised my hand and said "Ya". But of course with previous experience in falling ?? - just to set the expectations right. And all others were newbies - it also happened that they all were from Austria ??Don't know how, why!!! Seems like Austrians like surfing and Portugal?

We did some warm-up before the surf. Short-run, activating our body muscles and a lot of stretching - so needed. And as he started to instruct us on the steps again for the new surfers, he looked at me and asked: Ramy, why don't you show us? I mumbled. Mmm yes, sure. Watch and learn guys. I did it just perfect - paddle paddle paddle, 1 2 3, balance. After that, he told me that I could just practice 10 more times on the sand and go hit the water and start surfing until he makes sure all others know the basics and the rules by heart on the sand before they hit the water.?

That day was epic. I could only catch one good wave ??. And the Austrians were amazingly good. From the second or third time, they got it very well. I watched them happily but honestly, was a little bit jealous and a bit disappointed with myself. The good thing is, I did not stop. I kept trying and failing, but I think, I was getting better and better .......... at falling ??????.

My second surf lesson ended. I was a little disappointed, but I was still really happy that I made it. I do think that no matter how good or bad you perform in the water on a surf day you will still be happy and will carry a big smile on your face right after you're done. Because one, it is too much paddling and movement in the water that you want to go out and relax at some point. And two, I think all this exercise is sufficient enough to trigger the release of dopamine - the happiness hormone - in your body. Or three, maybe I was just happy because I knew I was about to have a good seafood lunch. ??

I left Porto on Monday to a Surf School in Lagos, where we went surfing that day in Sagres - the place to go. We were this time a group of five. This time no Austrians. Thank goodness - no disappointment ??

The waves in Sagres were bigger and stronger and coming from all directions. It was windy, unfortunately. Despite all this, I was told that I was doing a good job that day, and honestly, I was more satisfied with myself than in Porto. I knew why I was falling a lot. I was doing slight mistakes in rightly positioning my body on the board, in standing up, and in balancing. But this time, I was closely watched and corrected frequently. Nuno (our Portuguese instructor) was watching us very closely and that was very helpful. I think I missed this in Porto - especially during my very first surf lessons. I just thought, I just needed to keep falling and trying until I get it right and perfect it.

?I was wrong. I needed guidance and feedback. I needed someone to tell me what was I doing wrong. I was doing what I have been told and have been practicing on the sand, but I was not able to see if I was doing it right in the water. And that is why it was invaluable to have someone guiding and giving continuous feedback.

?I left that day reminded of not only the importance of falling but also the invaluable importance of guidance and feedback.

This is why, I think, one should not stop falling and trying, but should always - when possible - ask for guidance and feedback. To get better at falling..... ?

Let me know your thoughts and if you also have recommendations for surf spots. I loved ?????and I am sure I am going to keep on doing/falling.

?Thanks for reading...

RS

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