I LOVE SURFING! All summer, my family, my friends and I go surfing. Regardless of the fact that we have been surfing for years now, we still go to Doheny Beach because I have been teaching my friends to surf as well. After I teach and surf with my beginner friends, I always ask them if they liked it or not. Here are their (and my) pros and cons of surfing.

Pros

• It’s refreshing. The cool water against the hot summer weather makes you feel nice and fresh.
• Health benefits. During the summer, most people like to binge out and watch Netflix shows (I am literally doing that right now), but you do have to stay active. Surfing is a great way to get your exercise without going for a run or lifting weights. You have to paddle a lot which really helps your arms. Every summer that my brothers and I have surfed, we have come out with muscles on our arms. It also helps your balance, you have to stand up on a moving board. The amount of core strength and stability that you must have is surprising. 
• Fun thing to do with friends. I love going out surfing with my friends. It is so fun to cheer when they catch a wave and, I am going to be honest here, make fun of them when they fall. You also get to talk and catch up a lot when you are waiting for the next set (lots of waves in a row).
• Wildlife! Even though Doheny Beach is a closed off beach with the rock pier, wildlife still runs rampant. We have seen turtles, sting rays, sand sharks, sea lions, crabs, hermit crabs, sea slugs and so much more!!!! Surfing with sea turtles is the best thing and every surfer I have met has their own names for the 2 turtles that tend to swim by. My brothers and I affectionately call them Benjamin and Carl, but I have met someone who calls the Potato and other quirky names. With wildlife comes…
• Respect for Mother Nature. My siblings and I grew up on the beach and have so much respect for nature. While surfing, we pick up every piece of plastic or trash we see floating around. We have learned to watch, but never touch the turtles. To pick up, but never take home or endanger the crabs. To never harm any wildlife. Respect for wildlife is very important and recently people have been acting more and more harsh towards Planet Earth. 
• Life Skills. You get better posture and learn resilience. The posture comes from all of your standing on the moving board. Resilience is practiced when you fall off or don’t catch a wave, you have to try again. 

Cons

• You wipe out. I’m just going to go ahead and say it; you will wipe out. You will get water up your nose and sand in places sand is not supposed to be. But you will also get the feeling of flying while you catch a wave. 
• It’s crowded. No matter which beach you visit, it will be crowded. We live in Southern CA in the summer. You have to learn to live with the other surfers and children. It is worth it though, because sometimes you are the other surfer and/or child and you want to be safe.
• It’s hot or cold. I hate wearing wetsuits, so for me the water is either freezing cold or nice. It could be so cold my arms turn red when I am paddling and my teeth chatter as I ride. The temperature outside can be so hot you feel as if you sunburn just stepping out of the car. It is worth it if you wear sunscreen and  take proper care of your skin. You also get a nice tan. 
• You need to practice. Don’t expect to go out, catch a wave and stand up on your first try. Don’t even expect to stand up in your first week! It took me 3 weeks to stand up and 3 summers to catch MOST of the waves I wanted. You need to keep on practicing, however, it’s like riding a bike. You don’t forget how to surf, just how to be good at it.

I love surfing and think that more people should learn how. It’s a great way to hang out with friends, exercise and not get sweaty during the summer. I recommend learning how to surf!!