Back in March, I had the chance to go to Huntington Beach with the Travel Mom for her first-weekend getaway. She had many fun activities on her weekend itinerary, including fancy dinners, parties, and some amazing speakers. One thing I never expected, was that I would learn how to surf.

My Experience When I Got to Learn How to Surf

After we arrived at the Pasea Hotel and registered for the weekend, we had the chance to choose some add-on activities. When I found out surfing was one of the options, I knew I had to sign up. Luckily, my friends Terri and Ramona also agreed to surf. Given that they’d traveled from pretty far to be at the event, I think all of us agreed it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. It felt extra special to experience surfing for the first time with two of my best friends. 

The morning we signed up to surf was on the chilly side. I almost decided not to go because it did feel quite cold. But our surf instructor, Rocky (owner of McKinnon Surf & SUP), informed us that we would be wearing wet suits. He said we wouldn’t feel cold once we were out there. 

Once we got to the beach, the wet suits were all hanging up for us. We got dressed and then they taught us some very basics to help us learn how to surf. They started by drawing lines in the sand to act as our boards. Then, they showed us how to paddle and how to get up on the board – but only as a demonstration on the sand.

In less than 15 minutes of practicing and getting suited up, we were out in the water. I wasn’t expecting the instructors to be out in the water with us. I had envisioned the experience of being a lot more independent than it actually was. It actually was a huge relief to have them out there with us the entire time. They warned us about jellyfish and talked through how to move our feet in the sand to avoid them.

Once they said we were ready, I volunteered to go first. I paddled out with my instructor right behind me on the back of the board. He helped direct the board, told me when to paddle, and reminded me to pop up as I went over waves so I didn’t get a mouth full of water. Then, he helped turn the board around and then pushed me off when it was time to catch a wave. He told me when to start popping up and then cheered me on as I slowly stood up. 

Shockingly, I stood on my very first pass and rode the wave until it was close to the shore. I did three passes in a row, and I stood on all three! I was shocked at how easy Rocky and his team made the surfing experience. Honestly, I never expected to be able to stand at all, especially not the first time. 

Surfing in Huntington Beach was a ton of fun. It is called “surf city” for a reason. After my first time when I was able to learn how to surf, I definitely know I’d like to try it again. Next time, I actually want to try on a smaller board. We used a longboard, which provided a lot of stability, and actually made surfing feel too easy. Overall, it was a ton of fun and I’m so glad that my friends and I got to experience this unique opportunity together. If you ever get the chance to learn how to surf, I would highly recommend it.