Surfing blog #6 Catching my first green wave
Small Victories: Catching My First Green Wave
Whitewater vs. Green Waves
For beginners, surfing usually starts in the whitewater—the foamy aftermath of a breaking wave. It’s where you learn to balance, pop up, and feel the board move beneath you. Whitewater is forgiving, but it’s limited.
A green wave, by contrast, is unbroken. It’s the clean face of the swell, rising and rolling before it crashes. Catching one means paddling into it before it breaks, angling your board, popping up with precision, and riding its energy. For me, catching a green wave was the milestone that separated “pretending to surf” from actually surfing.
Nose Dives and Frustration
My first attempts at green waves were disasters. I would paddle hard, feel the board lift, pop up—and immediately nose dive. Over and over again.
I didn’t know how to angle the board on takeoff. I didn’t know how to turn. I didn’t know that you need to look in the direction you want to go when popping up, not straight down at the nose of the board. My body was tense, my eyes glued to the wrong place, and my technique nonexistent.
The result was predictable: nose dives, wipeouts, and frustration. Each failed attempt left me gasping, wondering if I would ever figure it out.
Jenness Beach: The Breakthrough
Then came Jenness Beach in Rye, New Hampshire. The waves were small—just one to two feet—but clean. I paddled out, determined to try again.
As a green wave approached, I felt something different. My timing was better. My paddling was stronger. The board began to glide forward, pushed by the swell. I popped up, bracing for another nose dive. But this time, I didn’t fall. I didn’t nose dive. I stayed upright.
I didn’t ride down the line of the wave. I didn’t carve or turn. I simply went straight toward the beach. But it didn’t matter. I had caught a green wave.
The Magic of Possibility
That ride was short, awkward, and technically unimpressive. But to me, it was magical. I had paddled into, caught, and ridden a tiny green wave. For the first time, I felt the pure energy of the ocean carrying me forward.
It made me believe surfing was actually possible. All the nose dives, all the failures, all the frustration—they had led to this moment.
I duplicated the feat once more that day, but no more. Two rides. That was it. But it was enough.
A Leap Forward
That day felt like a huge leap forward. I had gone from endless nose dives to actually riding a green wave. It wasn’t mastery, but it was progress.
I left the beach buzzing with excitement, replaying the ride in my mind. I wanted more. I needed more. I went home and started watching YouTube videos with new ferocity, devouring tutorials, studying technique, trying to understand how to angle the board, how to look where I wanted to go, how to paddle with efficiency.
Surfing had hooked me again, not with perfection, but with possibility.
My Daughter’s Reaction
To me, it was a massive achievement. To my daughter, it was… less impressive.
She watched me ride that knee‑high “mega wave” and shrugged. While I was elated, she was amused. My arms were raised in triumph, my heart racing, my mind convinced I had conquered something monumental. She saw it for what it was: a small, wobbly ride straight toward the beach.
Her reaction made me laugh. It reminded me that surfing is both humbling and hilarious. What feels monumental to you may look ordinary to others. But that doesn’t diminish the joy.
Why Small Victories Matter
That day at Jenness Beach taught me that surfing is built on small victories.
• Standing up in whitewater.
• Catching your first green wave.
• Riding a little longer, a little smoother, a little stronger.
Each step matters. Each step is worth celebrating.
Surfing is not about ultimate achievement. It’s about progression. It’s about embracing the struggle, celebrating the victories, and paddling out again and again.
Lessons From My First Green Wave
Looking back, that ride taught me more than technique. It taught me:
• Failure Is the Path: Nose dives weren’t wasted—they were practice.
• Timing Matters: Paddling too early or too late leads to frustration.
• Eyes Up: Look where you want to go, not at the nose of the board.
• Celebrate Progress: Even the smallest victories are worth joy.
• Humility Is Key: Your “massive” achievement may only be knee‑high, but it’s still progress.
The Journey Continues
Catching that first green wave didn’t mean I had “arrived.” It didn’t mean I had mastered surfing. It meant I had taken another step on the journey.
There is no finish line in surfing, no moment when you declare, “Now I can surf.” There are only moments—moments of progress, moments of joy, moments of connection. That green wave was one of those moments, a milestone that reminded me why I keep paddling out.
Final Thoughts
My first green wave was not perfect. It was not long. But it was unforgettable. It was proof that persistence leads to progress, that failure leads to growth, and that joy can be found in the smallest triumphs.
It was proof that surfing, like life, is not about mastery. It’s about the journey. It’s about embracing the struggle, celebrating the victories, and paddling out again and again.
And it was proof that sometimes, even a knee‑high “mega wave” can feel like magic.