Missing Surf in the Days of COVID-19

I have so much to be grateful for in this strange unprecedented time. My loved ones. My health. A stable source of income. And I think about that and dwell in that gratitude every day.

But I’m struggling with the closures of the beaches due to COVID-19.

Not being able to pull up, wax my board and paddle out—not being able to call up friends for an early morning pre work session, not feeling that happiest of feelings as I pop up and ride the face—I really miss it. It’s like a hole in my heart. It’s like a phantom limb.

I’m so grateful for what I have. And I can stand behind measures to keep us safe, 100%. But it doesn’t mean I’m wild for it. It doesn’t mean I’m not going bananas when I drive by the beach [which I haven’t been able to stop doing] and there’s just peeling glass. Endless peeling glass and not a bobbing neoprene donning body in sight.

It’s been 2-3 weeks or more since I last got into the ocean and I’m feeling it. I’m feeling buzzy, itchy, grumpy. My skin is suffering—that salt water in the winter has been such a salve against the awful ornery New England winters. And frankly, some days I feel a direct correlation with my confidence level. Surfing for me, is such an instant boost to my confidence and my energy. It instantly makes me feel happy. It instantly makes me feel good. I miss that. Miss it really bad.

I know what I need to do. I need to take advantage of all the surf workouts being posted, I need to get back into my surfboard making project I’ve been doing with Maddie, I need to visualize and dream myself on the water. I need to watch the endless queue of surfing movies I have saved. So that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to stay focused, stay in shape and dream of surf. In the words of Kolohe Kai—”I’ve got a date with Ms Blue.” The date’s just TBD.

~~~~