Surfing for the Thrill of It!

I am sitting at a secret break in the middle of Indonesia on the island of Sumbawa, my arms surfed out and my nose dripping saltwater.  I am satisfied with the fatigue from a three hour surf, and I am seconds away from drifting into a siesta with hopes that I will wake up to find the wind still so that I can indulge in a sunset session.  Moments like this were what I was always searching for, and for the moment I was a predator content with having caught my prey. 

Surfing didn’t fall into my lap, as I grew up in the landlocked Midwest of the United States.  A region known for growing corn, basketball, Indy car races, and deer hunting.  My eyes first witnessed the wonder of an endless blue horizon, the ocean, at 12 on family vaction to Florida.  The love affair commenced then, though I didn't learn how to surf until much later, at 19, and living in Florida.

Learning to surf threw my life into another realm, and I was consumed by it. Nothing compared to the ecstasy of dropping into a glassy wall of water, my gut shrilling with excitement like thousands of hummingbirds flitting in mad circles inside my stomach.  I craved nothing more than waves.  My obsession was more intense than a bad crush because it didn't just go away one day.  My love for the art of surfing grew stronger the longer I surfed.  Most people in my life did not understand my affinity for surfing, and saw it as a phase.  Once graduated from college, questions directed at me often encompassed what I was going to do with my degree, and the time came to place my loyalties.  The thought of joining the world of Monday through Friday 9-5ers depressed me.  I opted to continue working as a waitress and moved to the beach so that I could surf every day.

 My goal was to travel the world in pursuit of waves. In between travels, if there was surf in Florida, I got my shifts covered.  Over time I became a surf instructor and a substitute teacher.  These jobs also enabled me to work as much as I wanted when it was flat, but still offered the flexibility to take off whenever I needed.  Surfing was more than just a hobby, it became an addiction I based life decisions on.

And so my life began, and the cycle of working and traveling was what drove me.  I surfed all up the East Coast of the United States, Hawaii, Costa Rica, Mexico, California, Spain, France, Nicaragua, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, and Indonesia in the past six years.  I even spent a year and a half living in Nicaragua where I worked at a surf camp. 

My next destination was J-Bay in South Africa.  These twists, turns, and detours are my life, and I will never forget the waves I caught, the lessons I learned, or most importantly, the people I met.  The journey never ends, because one always led to another.  Drop into my world of soul surfing soley for the thrill of it.

By Melissa Diamond

Next Surf Story; Local Love