A few years ago, I started [deliberately] bodysurfing. It was something that I had sort of done, for years. Not as a way of play, but as necessary, during (say) a surf lesson when I wanted to quickly get to my student.
I most definitely wasn’t any good at it, but I could sort of launch myself into a wave and ride it briefly. I didn’t really consider it much more than a tool to get in to shore quickly.
I had always loved frolicking in water — throwing myself into ocean waves, doing handstands in pools and lakes.
There’s a loss of inhibition that comes from being in water — a return to child-like freedom, before grown-up life put distance between us and the act of playing.
Something I’ve noticed in my many years living and working by the sea is that most people are more joyful in (or around) the ocean. Like their worries melt away when they’re in the medium.
Despite all of that, bodysurfing was not really on my radar for some reason. Perhaps I was affected by the flack it seems to get in the dominant [board] surf culture: that it is but the side dish to surfing.
I didn’t really pay it much mind.
Part of it was probably because I considered myself a fairly mediocre swimmer. Strange perhaps, as I had been swimming all my life, and surfing with a board for quite a significant amount of time by that point.
Bodysurfing was intimidating to me as I didn’t really think I had it in me to swim out past the breaking waves and back make it back.
Water does bring out deep-rooted fears that we have. I’ve noticed it while teaching surfing, and I’ve felt it in my own process of learning. The ocean in particular — it’s big, wild, and deep down we know it can be critically dangerous to us.
One thing I know about myself is that I am highly influenced by the people around me, especially when they’re passionate about something. More often than not, their stoke becomes my stoke.
I had started board-surfing because I was surrounded by board-surfers. Following that pattern, when two avid bodysurfers entered my life (separately), I became curious.
And when these two bodysurfers met, their own stoke and thus influence on me was compounded.
I would hear them talking about bodysurfing, sharing stories and experiences they’d had. It was like this fun little club that I now definitely wanted to be a part of.
At the very least, I wanted to give it a real, legitimate try. For me.
At the time, I was in a mental headspace where I wanted to confront the obstacles that I was becoming increasingly convinced I was either inventing in my mind or outright placing in my path.
I was also chasing the feeling of freedom, and actively looking for ways to bring more of the results that feeling more freedom would bring to my life.
I decided that I wanted to do what they were doing — really catch waves. Not just splash around like a floundering seal. To use proper equipment and technique, and ride as far and as well as I could. To get a taste of what they claimed to be feeling.
So, with the help of these two friends, I bodysurfed. And this time, for real.
As cliche as it sounds, any surfer can relate to this statement: I’ll never forget the first green wave I caught and successfully rode.
I think I screamed the whole way. I was actually shocked. Beyond the feelings of elation and immediate “I want / need more of this in my life”, I also remember being confused.
“WHY,” I wondered, when it was this amazing-feeling, “WEREN’T MORE PEOPLE DOING IT?”
After some consistent practice, I found that bodysurfing really benefited my ability to surf on a board. I could understand the waves and position myself better.
I found myself feeling more brave to catch increasingly critical waves (of consequence), and empowered should anything happen to my leash in bigger and more scary conditions (which of course it did).
I’ve been bodysurfing ever since, not always consistently. Sometimes the fear creeps in and I find myself, again, convinced that I will drown out there. Or that if I put myself in a more consequential situation, I will get hurt or have a scary experience.
But having learned to surf with these same concerns, I do continue to push myself, despite this reticence.
Every time I go, it’s like I drink the KoolAid all over again. At this point, I can say that I am hooked. I even dream of it at night.
It reminds me of being a kid in the summertime in Canada, frolicking aggressively in whatever body of water I could find; emerging at dusk, chilled to the bone, deeply tired, and oh-so-happy.
It’s quite magical, the feeling of moving freely through the ocean (flying almost?). Of being as close as you can possibly be to this wild and magical energy source. It is almost inexplicable using words alone.
As for me now, I’m still not great at bodysurfing, but that really doesn’t seem to matter. There’s no element of competition, it just feels like being [content, free, enough] when I am out there.
I am stoked to have this new path unfold in front of me. Another tool. An opportunity to learn. A way to progress.
And what an exciting feeling it is, to be at the beginning stage of this new thing… this thing that was there right in front of me all along.
I am in the process of opening my mind. I am excited to continue looking for the magical opportunities in my life.
In conclusion, bodysurfing has been a wonderful addition to this life that I have already decided will always be beside the ocean.
It has made me more confident in the ocean which, despite being a surfer, I still have a very healthy level of fear of and respect for.
What I’ve learned from bodysurfing
- Keep an open mind. Even if you’re a surfer or other kind of water-person, it will benefit literally anything else you ever do in the ocean.
- Make playing a life-long “thing”. Healthy and fun recreation is very good for mental / physical / spiritual health. I AM CONVINCED it will add years onto your life.
- Get into nature. Our roots are in nature, and when we go back to it, we are going back to something fundamental and necessary for our wellbeing.
Tips for making this a healthy habit
- If you’re just learning or feel unconfident, learn from an expert. I am a huge proponent of doing a guided crash course for outdoor activities like bodysurfing. Sure you can probably figure it out on your own, but it will most certainly be a much longer / less enjoyable experience.
- Find your people. Get a bodysurf crew together for safety, motivation, and just vibes. Or connect with an already existing bodysurf community near you. If there are rideable waves, there are most certainly bodysurfers around, gliding under the radar.
Adrianne Chandra-Huff is a Duke Health certified Health & Well-Being Coach and the founder of Chandra Wellbeing based in Costa Rica.