magic days

Tuesday, the 29th

I have been body surfing at Main Beach the last 3 days. There have been some small (maybe chest high) but fairly good shaped waves that really aren’t that great for surfing on a board (for me anyway). I have been having a great time, but have found out I am not in as great a shape as I thought. Body surfing takes a big burst of speed to catch a wave, mostly kicking but arms as well. When your feet aren’t used to pointing, which is how your foot works when you are kicking with fins on, I find this to be a fairly unnatural position for my foot and uncomfortable as well. It tends to give me cramps in my calves as well. All this said I love to bodysurf, with your head right in the tube. I got more than just your straight ahead ed to the beach I was actually getting rides. I have discovered that my hand by my side (the other hand and arm is pointing in the direction you are going on the wave) if held correctly acts as a “fin” to sort of hold me on the wave so I do not just slide to the bottom. Just like on a board, you can actually stay in the curl of the wave, it is so exhilarating!

Today I was out by myself except for one other bloke who was surfing on what looks like a thick paddleboard. He would “jump up” to his knees once he caught the wave. He did not have a paddle, but just used his hands. He was really good and was getting tubed and everything in between! He had just caught a long left and was in front of where I was bodysurfing, making his way back out to the lineup.

Right then I noticed two dolphins had appeared out of nowhere so I said hi to them. These two were about 10 feet away from me and there was a peak coming my way, I said “come on guys lets go” and kicked into the wave which was a good one, and I got a good ride. As I popped out of the white water the bloke who was on the paddleboard was right in front of me and his face kind of lit up and he said “did you see the two dolphins riding that wave with you?” I wish I could say that I had seen them but I didn’t, my hair was in my face. What was really cool aside from the fact that I was surfing with the dolphins again, was the fact that this was the only wave I rode all day that anyone was near enough that they could have told me that. How wonderful that it all worked out like it did. I saw one of the dolphins swim off underwater just 3 feet from me (I had my eyes open under water), and that was the last I saw of them.

When I was out in the water when I first got in I remember thinking it was a perfect day and how cool would it be if the dolphins would come and surf with me. I guess they heard me. When Greg got back from surfing at Pippi’s he said they were really putting on a show over there, jumping out of the water and racing the waves. The dolphins seem to frolic more over here than they do at home. I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to be with them in the water. If I had one mundane wish I think it would be to have the ability to get into a dolphins body and feel what it is like to move thru the water as they do.