Surf's up!: Camps combine instruction with a holiday in the sun
Pete Estabrooks, For The Calgary Herald
This is a very surreal position to be in. I am sitting in paradise, so tired I can barely write this column. A double espresso my only hope.
I can't sit comfortably in this (or any other) chair. I am sore from my heels to just behind my ears. My arms hang like lead weights from my shoulders, my calves lock up every once in a while, the skin is peeling off my nose in chunks, but I am wearing a grin so big on my sun-cracked lips that you could not beat it off with a hammer.
What Is It?
Surf camp in Maui. Yes, I realize the snow is about to fall, we are cocooning and thoughts of sun and scant clothing are months away, but forget about all that for a minute. Think of surf camp as an out-of-the-box vacation with a 6 a.m. wake-up call.
A day at surf camp goes something like this: breakfast and coffee and into the truck at 6:30. Brian DeCook, host and surfing instructor extraordinaire, will have already sussed out the surf report, watched the way the winds are blowing, observed the clouds above the valley and picked "Break No. 1."
A couple of hours of instruction, a ton of paddling and before you know it, you get your first shot at nirvana, dancing across the face of a wall of water that is clear as glass and smooth as ice. OK, maybe not the first time. We start with all the grace of a linebacker on a tricycle and are pushed by a wave Hawaiian kids wouldn't get out of bed for, but that 20 seconds is killer.
Lunchtime calls for serious fuel: salads, sandwiches, meat, fish and double chocolate cookies. (Those calories are history by 3 p.m.)
Ignore that "no swimming for two hours after you eat" rule. You're back in the water as soon as you can drive to the next beach and "break No. 2."
It's more of the same -- great instruction and poor performance, getting on and falling off boards for a couple of hours -- all for one or two rides that will be the basis of conversation for most of dinner to your delight and to the distraction of your friends.
Just when you are almost too tired to lift your arms, it's out of the water and back to the condos. If the surf gods are with you, it becomes all about lawn chairs, beers, sodas and "break No. 3" -- surfing right out off the beach near your condo, seeing your friends in action, talking trash and watching the sun sidle off for another day.
The fabulous dinners are followed by local nightlife options for the brave, while the old guys -- like me -- succumb to the need for sleep, crash and dream of tomorrow's waves.
Who Would This Appeal To?
This is the vacation for people who want to combine a holiday in the sun with the chance to learn a skill that is not in any way applicable to life on the Prairies, but a whole lot of fun anyway.
My friend Tobin Walker describes it as "living the life of a surfer," and it is true. If you are not surfing waves, you are in the truck chasing waves. Learning the essentials of surfing in one week is fun, exciting and a lot of physical exertion. If that sounds like your kind of getaway, surf school is for you.
Who Would Hate It?
Surf camp is no spa vacation. If you are looking to experience the sights, sounds and culture of Hawaii in a laid-back way, surf camp may not be your best option. If you are high maintenance and require the aesthetics and service of a resort, you may just hook up for a surf lesson or two and find a pace that works for you.
The Klutz Factor
It is huge. A neophyte surfer on a board in the wrong spot is an invitation to bumps, coral cuts, staph infections and stitches galore.
Conversely, in the hands of a good instructor, surfing becomes very manageable as it is about positioning, timing and co-ordination. If you have a modicum of balance, DeCook will have you in the right place at the right time -- and the rest is magic.
What Do You Need?
Surf camp requires making a reservation and the arrangements to get there. Other than that, all the surf gear is supplied. You just bring board shorts, sunscreen and plenty of muscle rub.
You also need waves. That part calls for a little homework. Check online for weather and wave forecasts that suit your schedule and correspond with the likelihood of good surf.
Mother Nature calls the shots. On occasions when the waves are not with you, surf camp offers downtime activities that visitors to Hawaii usually seek out, such as boating, fishing, snorkelling, kayaking and hiking.
The summer surf clinics are co-ed and open to surfers age 16 and older. The fall sessions are reserved for adults age 18 and older.
Where Do I Find It?
The website www.SoulSurfingMaui.com has all the information necessary.
Brian DeCook, owner of Soul Surfing Maui, can also be reached at 1-808-870-SURF.
What are the Costs?
An all-inclusive 5-day surf camp (running weekly) includes a beachfront condo (shared or private), surfing equipment, all transportation, meals, housekeeping, a masseuse, video coaching and professional surf photography of your sessions. The cost is $2,500 US per person. Airfare is extra.
Bottom Line?
You may not be hanging 10 when it's all said and done, but you'll know full well where the 10 are supposed to go.
Pete Estabrooks is a personal trainer and author of Six Weeks to Start Your Six Pack, plying his trade at Probodies Gym and www.petesclass.com.
fitguy@shaw.ca.
© The Calgary Herald
