Up early everyone, surfs up!
We need to be at the surf shop by 8AM, no problem getting the kids up this morning. Everyone is excited for our surf lesson. We have booked a two hour lesson at Toes on the Nose. Great name for a surf shop. A quick breakfast at the Regency Club and then down to the shop just off the lobby.
We meet our instructors, Cody and Jason. Cody greets me with a “Surf’s lookin’ good. We’re gonna have a blast duuude!”. They grab us some wetsuits. These things really MAKE you look the part.
We pick up the long boards and head down to the beach.
They go over some of the basics of the board and we do a little practice hopping up. They also explain they will start by pushing us into the waves, picking the best ones and will give us a signal on when to stand up. They also say not to get discouraged. Many people don’t get up the first time out, just enjoy the surf and the experience.
We all walk the boards out, hop on and paddle out a bit more. The waves are 2 to 3 feet and Cody says they are breaking just right for beginners.
Charlotte is the first to go. They give her a push and yell stand up. She is up and surfing the first wave. I see Cody and Jason looking at each other in amazement. They keep saying they have NEVER seen someone get up first time and ride it to the beach. WOW!
Jackson is next and gets a start then off to the side and down he goes. Same with Georgia.
I am next and with a push and a scream to stand up, I try to hop up. I get up on one knee, but as I step up, over I go. Same for Wendy. It is very tough to find both your balance and the correct positioning on the board.
Jackson then gets up on the next try and rides the wave to the shore. Georgia also gets it on the next ride. Again, both Cody and Jason say they are amazed at how well we are all doing. For the next hour and a half, we all keep getting instruction and catching waves. Jackson and Charlotte are now paddling into their waves on their own. Georgia is getting up each time. Wendy and I have each gotten all the way up for a short ride into the beach. Success by all and boy are we having fun. I paddle out to see Jackson sitting up on his board, hands on hips watching the waves break and looking for a good one. He looks like he has been out here for years. They are working with Charlotte on riding the line to get more out of the wave.
Wendy and I take turns heading in to take pictures. On one of my rests on the beach, I check out the 3 families and other kids getting lessons. None of them are getting up the way my kids are. Guess Cody and Jason were right. Our kids are naturals.
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| Failed Attempt |
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| Charlotte milking out the last of the wave |
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| One I rode all the way in |
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| Georgia - perfect form |
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| Only shot of Jackson - he really did look much better than this |
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| Wendy - she rode this one to the beach |
By the time we are getting close to ending the lesson, I realize I don’t have any more paddling in me. My arms are sore in the shoulders and elbows. I’m sure I am going to feel this later, but for now, this has been incredible.
We grab one last photo op and head back to the shop. This will be one of the highlights of the trip for sure.
We head off to the Grotto pool with hot tubs and soak a while and talk about how fun this was. Then off to the larger pool for some lunch. Charlotte went back to the room to relax a while, so Wendy leaves to take her some lunch. Jackson and Georgia head to another pool, and I sit and soak up some sun. I don’t have a key or phone to see where they are, so I just wait it out until they return. 3 hours later, Wendy returns. She had stopped by the Spa to see if they had any openings and took an immediate spot they had available. We call the kids and let them know we are heading to the beach. We rent some boogie boards and beach chairs and head down. The surf is breaking much rougher this afternoon, and we have some fun crashing in the waves. Jackson and I get beat up pretty bad with a couple of slams into the bottom, but we come up each time ready to dive into the next one.
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| A Huntington Beach Life Guard truck and the Hyatt in the background |
After and hour of this abuse to ourselves, we decide to head back to the room to shower and catch some dinner. Wendy and the kids are tired, but I really don’t want another room service dinner so I head down to the restaurant to check out the menu. They tell me I can order at the bar across the hall, so I head over there and order a glass of wine while looking over the menu. A nice 7 oz tenderloin catches my eye, medium rare and it melts in my mouth.
Back up to the room where they are eating pizza and watching Soul Surfer. Great way to finish off our last day at the beach.
In the morning, back to pick up the RV and off to Yesomite. Wilderness here we come again. Will we survive without electricity, cell phones and internet?