A Guide to Surfing with a PLAN

Ali Hale wrote an article on her blog about creating more time in your day, and it got me to thinking about the same thing with regards to surfing. Although you cannot actually create more time – I checked and even Einstein couldn’t get his hands around that task – the management of tasks and time can allow you to be more efficient and streamlined during the course of the day.

I get that some of us like a slow and steady day, but this isn’t about type a and type b personalities … it’s about surfing and creating a more enjoyable session as inspired by Ali Hale’s article.

Get Up Earlier : This particular one is a personal favorite since I surf dawn patrol most of the time … where the line ups are less crowded, more friendly, and enjoyable. Just when the crowds (especially over the weekends) are pulling in at the parking stalls, I have already logged two to three hours of water time. As a bonus, I get to watch the sun rise as I am stretching on the beach. Even better, if you’re out early enough, you have a 30 minute window where you’re the only one in the water and the line up … empty waves!

Create a Plan : I get the most grief over this one, often being accused of being ‘type a’ … but it’s about prepping everything the night before so that I don’t have to rush around early in the morning when I am getting up early to surf. I already checked the surfboard for dings and damage, rewaxed the board if it needed wax (so I don’t have to beg for wax at the lineup), packed my gear and towel – fin key, leash, sun block, plus snacks and water – AND placed everything near the front door so I don’t have to go looking for it in the morning. This is especially helpful if you have to go to school or work directly after surfing!

Batch Tasks Together : Constantly jumping from one task to another often causes confusion and chaos at work, and although you may feel ‘buzzed’ by all the activity, you often don’t get much done. What can you batch together while surfing? The ‘planning’ part helps here … I can get up early, go for a 30 minute run or a quick yoga session, stretch, surf like a king, and stop by the supermarket for milk and eggs … you get the gist!

Block Out Chunks of Time : This is where most weekend surfers fail … and newbie surfer succeed. You MUST take the time to go and surf. Yes, we all have chores, homework, to-do lists, and jobs … but you have to block out a chunk of time of your day to go and enjoy the surf. Your body will thank you for it, your family and friends will love you more for not being so grouchy or tense!

Don’t Multitask : You know this one! You sacrifice one task at the cost of another … and although you may think you are doing 2 things at once, you are actually doing two things at 50% efficiency and concentration. With that in mind, once you paddle out into the water (hopefully even as you wake up and get into the routine of going to surf) LEAVE everything behind. The shoreline becomes an invisible barrier for all things not surf-related. Surfing is all about surf … it needs your full focus and attention at the present moment … once you lose focus, you ruin your session and end up not getting either your surfing or whatever was occupying your mind completed with any satisfaction.

Stay Focused : I don’t even have to say much on this … just BE IN THE MOMENT!

Finish Work On Time : That’s right … if you say surf for an hour, you are done in an hour … so don’t cheat yourself by not doing any of the items that came before this one. All the tasks and advice above are the things that contribute to being able to enjoy a session fully, without having to feel rushed or cheated!