Surfing with Mi Chaparrita

The surf report indicated that the swells were going to be large on Wednesday, and the waves were definitely more impressive than my first attempt at surfing last year. I was standing on the beach on Sayulita’s South side, just outside of the Mi Chaparrita office. Earlier that morning, I had taken Luli's HIIT class at El Club, a killer full body workout, leaving me feeling strong and confident, ready to conquer the waves during a surf lesson with Mi Chaparrita.

After tucking our belongings away in a secure locker in the office, we headed to the palapa, which provided a nicely shaded area to learn the basics of surfing. Our instructor, Edgar, got down on the foam board, perfect for beginner surfers (like me!), and demonstrated how to paddle. He showed us how we should arch our backs, where we should position our hands on the board, how to push ourselves up, how to stand on the board, and where our hands should be when standing. The various positions had names, such as chicken wings and iguana, making them fun and easy to recall.

After about 15 minutes of instruction, we were given rash guards and then headed into the water to put what we had learned to practice.  Like most typical days in Sayulita, the sun was shining, the gold in the sand glittered, and the ocean sparkled from the reflection of the sun. The water felt amazingly refreshing, a wonderful reprieve from the heat of the day, and from time to time, I could feel an even colder current of water flow past me. About a mile off shore, I could see a group of paddle boarders, and in the water surrounding me, were surfers of all levels and ages.

Edgar made it easy for me to catch a wave, holding onto the surfboard until a wave approached, and then giving the surfboard a gentle shove at just the right time. On my first attempt, I made it to a standing position, but then found on subsequent waves, I was having difficulty getting to my feet. Edgar was able to point out that I was trying to control the board with my hands, and instructed me to immediately stand up and then control the board. Once I made the adjustment, I was able to get up on my feet again, sometimes riding the wave, but at other times slipping off the board, and taking a tumble.

As I paddled on my board, and tasted salt water on my lips, I smiled, and thought to myself, I need to do this more often! All thoughts of anything, but doing exactly what I was doing, escaped me, and I had an incredibly fun afternoon learning to surf.

If you’d like to experience a surf lesson with Mi Chaparrita or do another of their activities, such as horseback riding, ATV riding, sport fishing, a Marietta Island boat trip, or canopy zip line, contact Mi Chaparrita.