[youtube=http://youtu.be/YaTNbb7M-EU]
After a few months off and a few retreats in El Salvador, the Amigas are back in Nicaragua for the dry season. The week of November 9th kicked off the new season with an awesome group of Amigas who were completely shredding in the water, upside down on the sand, and racing on horseback.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMDvj9EwtKI]
It’s been a long time in the making, but it’s finally finished – the Duck Dive Tutorial! Holly Beck, pro surfer and coach at Surf With Amigas explains how to do a duck dive and analyzes footage of Amigas trying it so you can see what they’re doing wrong and how to fix it.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vikemIlo12Y]
A few days into their retreat, the Amigas started really getting comfortable with the waves and were totally charging. They’d look at the footage and couldn’t believe the size of the waves they were able to ride. Trust Ako when she tells you, you could do it too!
For all you older ladies out there who are learning to surf at 40+ and for all the younger ladies out there who still want to be shredding at 65, here’s a beautiful film showcasing a trio of 50+ ladies from Australia. It’s inspiring to say the least!
[http://vimeo.com/76042270]
[youtube=http://youtu.be/9CrbDFGKAPY]
Continuing our theme of highlighting ladies who overcome fear, this is the story of Debbie Teng.
Debbie Teng is a classic character with a big laugh and an awesome attitude. She came on her second retreat with Surf With Amigas to El Salvador and paddled to the outside for the first time. Despite big waves and a lot of fear, she overcame and caught her first green waves which left her feeling totally empowered, like she could conquer anything! If you have a great attitude, willingness to go for it, and trust in our instructors, we will help you achieve your dreams!
[youtube=http://youtu.be/IgBvVxROZ-E]
Sisters Therese and Thera came on a retreat together with very different goals. Thera had always imagined herself a surfer and as an athlete who excels at everything she tries she expected to be awesome at surfing right away. Therese was badly injured by a suicide bomber while serving in the military and came on the retreat primarily to support her sister without a lot of interest in surfing herself. The two of them together were incredibly inspirational. Check out their story.
[youtube=http://youtu.be/vLRUwXi4Dd8]
In the first episode of our new series “Surf Completely” Holly Beck talks about how to turn your surfboard. This is the first step of learning to surf after the very basic part of standing up and riding is mastered. Watch and learn and remember to “use your boobs!”
[youtube=http://youtu.be/0_cpZJQCY7s]
One day Nadia was minding her own business out surfing the Boom (gnarly tubular wave rarely surfed by girls) when Holly paddled over and started in with 20 questions. “what’s your name? where are you from? where are you staying? how long are you here? have you ever taught surf lessons? want to come work for me?” It’s rare to see smiling girls out shredding with the boys and Nadia was out there with a big smile, paddling around and dropping into bombs. She spent a few weeks in November with Surf with Amigas and came back for two months this summer. We hope she’ll be back again! This is why….
Learning to surf is tricky. There’s the physical part, the mental part, and the ocean part. The physical part you can practice. The mental part you can overcome. The ocean part you can learn. But all of that takes time. It’s a process. Whether you’ve come to a retreat and learned the basics and are now testing your new skills in your home waters without the protective guidance of an Amigas instructor, or you are struggling on your own while you count down the days to your retreat, here are a few tips to get you in the water with more confidence.
• Watch the waves. The hardest part of surfing is reading waves. Even if you aren’t going surfing, actively watch the waves. Imagine where you’d paddle out, where you’d take off, and in which direction you’d ride. The more you pay attention, the more you’ll see the subtleties that will help you read waves better.
• Admit your skill level. As a beginner surfer, it’s intimidating to paddle out into a crowded lineup of surfers waiting to catch waves. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Pick out someone who looks like they know what they’re doing and has a smile on their face, and approach them. Compliment them on their last ride, explain that you’re a beginner and need a little help figuring out the best place to sit to catch a wave.
• Be determined. Don’t give up when something goes wrong. You will feel off balance and think you’re going to fall, but…try to regain your balance and adjust your footing. If mentally you are thinking, ‘Uh-oh, I’m falling,’ you will definitely fall. If you think, ‘Stay on, stay on,’ you just might.
• Ride the wave all the way in. When you are first learning to catch waves, you ride green waves, which are the unbroken part of the wave that comes before the white water. A lot of people stand up, ride for a few seconds and then jump off their board so they don’t have to deal with the hassle of paddling back out through the white water. Even if it’s just whitewash, the more time you spend actually riding a wave, the more you’ll improve, so ride it all the way to the sand.
• Focus on fun. Every wave is different, which makes it really hard to practice consistently. Focus on the joy of being out in the ocean, the thrill of getting pushed by a wave. If you remember it’s all about fun, you’ll be a happier surfer, which makes you a better surfer.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znKwDsP1hgE]
Introducing a new dance move called “the pelican swat” in between super fun waves at Sunzal, the girls from Amigas Surf and Yoga Retreats are always having a good time!
The “pelican swat” dance move originated when Holly was teasing Nadia about her tendency to arm flail. Holly happens to have unusually long arms (the better to carry your longboard for you!) and suggested that if she flailed like Nadia she’d end up swatting pelicans left and right. And just like that, a new dance move was born!
We’re doing retreats at this location in October! Come play! See the Schedule for details!
