Safety first while Surfing in Crete
Good afternoon in Crete! Conditions for beginner surf lessons could not be better at the moment. Today our group consisted of five first-time surfers and our highly motivated veteran surfer Anastasia! Our most important point when it comes to surfing and dealing with water is safety, of course. That's why it is always a good idea to take your first steps under the supervision of a surf instructor. All surf instructors are required to hold a lifeguarding certificate! As one of the first steps our surf coach Andy introduces us to safety rules. Where it is safe to walk in and out of the water. If there are any rocks or currents to take care of. When nosediving, protect your head as your board might land on top of you! Don't surf too close to one another and so on. Also we learn safety signals. A distress signal and signals that the instructor gives that you have to follow. After a warm up and explanation on the beach we hit the water.
The waves were nice and glassy, perfect height and power for our beginners. Now we played in the waves for some time and figured out how to carry the board, how to turn around with our backs to the waves, how to push and lay flat on our boards. As a second step we learn how to pop up on the board. This might not work out on the first try for many. More important on your very first surf lesson is understanding how to catch the wave!
