A surf star is born :)

A couple weeks ago, 13 year-old Joel asked me if I would take him surfing. I told him I would love to take him surfing.

Well, on Sunday we finally got the perfect conditions for his very first surf lesson. The wind was calm, the water was clear, and thigh-high waves were peeling off a new sandbar that had just been formed by the recent beach erosion. It couldn't have been a better set-up for young Joel's first time on a surfboard.

I knew that if I were to bring two boards to the beach, I would end up catching some of the waves for myself instead of focusing on making it a fun and safe time for Joel. So we biked to the beach with only one board, a 6'5" shortboard which has been with me to California, Nicaragua, Florida, and now Costa Rica. It's far from being the best board I've ever ridden, but what's special to me about this board is that I made it with my own hands in my old garage in Vero Beach.


Once we reached the sandbar, Joel told me he was a little scared. Waves always look bigger when you're up close and personal with them. I assured him in Spanish that he would do great, and I really believed he would.

Because Joel doesn't have strong arms for paddling into waves yet, I had to push him into the waves. When his breathing calmed down, I helped him turn his board around and gave it a carefully timed, gentle push down the face of his first breaking wave. To my surprise and his, he did a push up and got to his feet, riding the board a good 20 yards before wiping out! Immediately, he spun around in the whitewater, flashing me the biggest smile I've seen in a long time. I knew right then that he was hooked!

About an hour later, after many good rides, we made our way back to shore. As we got out of the water, before I had even wrapped the leash around the board, his question came: "When can we go again?" Priceless :)


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This morning I was awakened to some interesting bird sounds, so I grabbed my camera and stepped outside. What a sight to wake up to: a couple beautiful collared aracaris were hopping around near the banana trees. This is one of several types of toucan found here. Isn't God imaginative?