We hosted an advanced shortboard retreat in North Nicaragua with the goal of teaching our guests how to get tubed. You will see a couple of long boarders as well who wanted to come and join in the fun without the pressure of getting tubed. This is the highlight video of the week with everyone included!
There are waves for everyone in North Nicaragua and we scored an awesome swell and conditions all week. So much fun! Be sure to watch til the end to enjoy the hilarious wipeout reel!
[youtube=http://youtu.be/68OvcMQO2Cs]
Wendy had never really surfed before coming to Surf With Amigas. She also admitted that she wasn’t a great swimmer. That did not stop her from paddling out into some pretty big waves. She did learn one valuable lesson though : never turn your back on the ocean!
Check out her impressive wipeout and what she had to say about it.
[youtube=http://youtu.be/TDCx0iw6wAE]
At Amigas Surf & Yoga Retreats we appreciate a good wipeout as much as we appreciate a great ride. Every year we compile all the wipeout footage and create a contest for best wipeout. The year has just started and there will surely be more, but here are the first two solid contenders for Best Wipeout for the 2012/2013 season!
Rachel is into dog sledding and Christine is a mountain biker from Calgary. Neither had ever surfed before coming on a retreat but both picked it up quickly. Unfortunately, the waves were pretty big towards the end of the week but they had mastered the whitewash and wanted to explore the outside. I am super proud of them for going for it!
Anastasia Ashley and I use to do battle over 1st place finishes back in our amateur days. We have since become good friends although I don’t get a chance to surf with her very much anymore. So it was with a mixture of competitive “ha ha!” and friendly “yikes!” that I watched this video of her getting destroyed by a late drop at a gnarly reef pass in Micronesia.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edqVpxvrFHE]
I then thought that it was an entertaining and instructive video on what not to do. If you notice in the clip, the problem is that she doesn’t fully get into the wave before standing up. She takes a few paddles and pushes to her feet, but the wave hollows out beneath her, and she air drops, landing in the flats, and then face plants and bounces as the wave swallows her.
What could she have done? Taken a few more paddles! If you watch her try to stand up at the top of the wave, she gets held up in the lip for a second. On a wave like that you really need to paddle down the face a bit. Even in “normal” waves, it’s a trend I see a lot with Amigas – trying to stand up too soon before they are really into the wave. If this is a recurring problem for you, try taking a few more paddles! The next time you’re out surfing, think about it. Take as many paddles as you normally do, and then take a few more before you stand up.
Feel free to come back, leave a comment and let us know how it worked out for you!
Happy shredding!
