Surfing

Part of CAS is activity; Surfing is my favorite activity, my favorite sport, my favorite hobby, my favorite everything. Surfing has become much more than just an activity to me, it’s an incredible connection with nature and my inner self. I have lived at the beach my entire life, but only a few years ago I became so passionate about surfing. I really love the ocean and surfing, even if the waves are bad, I’m happy to be out in the water floating around. My favorite part is seeing lots of fish swim by, sting rays beneath me, turtles popping their heads nearby or even whales jumping at a distance, it’s simply magical to be able to experience those moments somewhere so natural, where I can look to shore and see lots of trees and mountains, and only a few houses, instead of an entire city or highways filled with cars. I love living somewhere that is still really natural, I wouldn’t be able to live in the city. There is a quote by Kelly Slater that says “I think when a surfer becomes a surfer, it’s almost like an obligation to be an environmentalist at the same time” and I think it’s so true because once you feel the connection with surfing, you realize how truly beautiful nature is, but also how important it is. As I started surfing, I started paying more attention to the beach, finding trash to pick up or worrying more about the mangrove because I walk through it every day to go surf. Along the way I also learned about issues such as micro plastics and the damage they have on the wildlife, which really irritates me, but I try to implement ways or habits in my family to impact the environment the least we can. I also want to give back to the planet with this project because I hope I can truly assist the mangrove in the restoration process and hopefully get it back to the way it was years ago. This break, I have been enjoying the offshore winds that stay on all day and make the waves beautiful. I have been able to surf other beaches around here, because Avellanas has been pretty small, so I’m super stoked to be able to surf other waves as well. On the last log entry I posted a little video of myself riding a wave down in Marbella, about a 45 minute drive from where I live. I went there with my dad and surfed about 3 hours straight that day because it was so good! Surfing is such a peaceful activity for me, it opens a space for reflection in my life and it has made me more open minded and positive, as well as balanced because as an IB student, I have a lot to do and also a lot of chores at home, but as busy as I can be, I always find time to do what I love the most. I am really grateful for everything in my life, but especially for surfing because it’s just an incredible sensation and such a healthy and happy thing to do, I am really passionate about it and I hope I never lose my love for it! Every day it motivates me to keep going and as I start to improve, I simply get more motivated and excited to try new tricks or surf new places. For the rest of break I will be surfing basically every day for a few hours, and I am really happy and excited because December here is one of my favorite months of the year; although there is a lot of people and the waves are usually small, the offshore wind makes the ocean super pretty and it makes me really happy!

Learning outcomes: Global importance, Commitment and perseverance, Strengths and areas for growth, New challenges and new skills
Learner profiles: Caring, Balanced, Reflective, Open-minded