North Sea Surfing.

Go pro's - great for landscape pics not so great for girls with curves!

Surfing in wet suits so thick you feel like your wearing a tire,  hail storms and freezing temperatures do not sound like ideal surfing conditions. Despite a barrage of reasons for not surfing in January in the UK ( think snow storms, numb hands and hypothermia) surfing the North sea was one of the most magical things I've done in my short twenty four years. 

Amazingly my two hour train ride from Birmingham to Saltburn went without a hitch and despite only technically meeting Jemima my surf companion once, (and rather briefly in the University library before I graduated), we became as thick as thieves minutes after seeing each other again. That's what I really love about surfing the fact that it binds people. It's such a positive, uplifting experience you can't help but make friends. 

You know the best thing of all? I actually surfed, I mean I managed to catch more than a few waves on purpose. The magic happened, I can't explain it but something just seemed to click, I was in the right place at the right time and was actually standing up! I've been pretty quick to criticize my surfing of late, heck my email is sophia.cant.surf! Its largely because I don't like to take myself too seriously, surfing is about having fun and not worrying about how you look. I'm starting to wonder however if perhaps I should be re-labelled to: 

'Sophia can almost call herself a surfer just give it a bit more time,' 

Surprisingly we were so toastie in our wet suits/hoods/booties etc. 

The goofy smile plastered across my face didn't leave me all day, nor did it leave me the next. That's what I love about surfing happiness practically throbs within you after a session in the waves. Something about the sea sets you free and allows you to focus on only the task at hand - surfing. 

Surfer girls! 

Thank-you North Sea for giving me happiness.
Thank you Jemima for reminding why I must try to surf more
Thank you Nick the local surf legend for opening up the surf shack on a day where most people would be tucked up indoors. 

Stay strong, surf well. 

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