No matter what stress you are under, surfing always makes life fun and enjoyable. Surfing makes everything better.
At 14 years old, I would check the surf before sunrise, then bang on each of my friend’s windows waking them up, one at a time.
Then all five of us would walk to the surf together, saying ”surfing terms” only we understood. One of us became a world champion, another got sponsored and another died.
I surf because I’m a better person when I come in
Andy Irons (World Champion Surfer)
The best way to prove to you how fun surfing is for you to think about every surfer you know. They all have a few things in common:
- Surfers are so chill and calm
- Surfers are fun to be around
- Surfers don’t seem stressed at all
Surfing is fun, this changes you. It’s not that surfing attracts relaxed and fun people, surfing transforms people into fun people. Surfing will change you too.
This isn’t because surfers are lazy people who spend all day at the beach, many surfers in fact have highly stressful jobs, with copious amounts of responsibility. In fact, many high-net individuals are taking up surfing.
Surfing will take all of your focus, while you are out in the waves. There are no distractions from emails, your mobile phone, or your boss, absolutely nothing from the real world will be there to distract you.
Other than your thoughts. But don’t worry about overthinking anything, the waves will totally consume all of your attention in an almost meditative way. Surfing puts your mind into a form of ”flow state”, this is meditative and so much fun.
We human beings are supposed to be one with nature, I’m not getting all ”woo woo” with you, this is how humans have lived for thousands of years.
This is why hiking in a remote country area feels good, surfing is even more immersive than that. You are literally immersed in nature while being in the surf, sitting out there in the waves, alone, relaxed and in nature.
Why Are Surfers Happy?
Here’s four reasons why surfers are happy people:
- Cardio exercise immersed in cold water releases endorphins that makes surfers feel happy
- Surfers are immersed in nature and receive lots of sun (Vitamin D), which makes people feel happy
- Surfing a wave takes your full attention, which feels like meditation to most surfers. Some call this ”flow state”.
- Surfers have no distractions while they are in the sea. This allows them to find inner peace and waiting for a good wave to catch teaches patience. Which makes sufers feel happy.
Surfers are happy because they do long hours of cardio workouts in cold water. Both of these alone have been proven to reduce stress, however surfers get the double dose of both at the same time.
Cardio exercise is a proven to reduce stress by pumping up endorphins, which is the brains neurotransmitters. As Mayo clinic discusses here
Surfing in cold water improves the bodies ability to deal with stress. According to this ”psychology today” article, our ability to cope with day to day stresses, helps with mental health.
Surfing requires cold water immersion, which could fast track our ability to deal with stress and therefore make us feel more relaxed (chill) and happy. Plus lots of sunlight, that makes us feel happy through vitamine D.
Is Surfing Addictive?
Surfing can be extremely addictive, but in a good and healthy way. The thing about surfing is, while waiting out the back in the ocean, sitting on your surfboard… waiting…
You don’t know when the next wave will come, it’s unexpected, almost like playing video games or gambling.
According to psychiatrists (here’s the article) we receive a dopamine hit when playing video games and gambling.
These forms of gamified artificial games are mostly bad for our health or bank balance, however surfing seems to be more of a natural form of game that triggers the same feeling of addiction.
The good thing about being addicted to surfing is it’s healthy for you. Therefore, surfing addiction can only be seen as a good thing.
Surfing causes an adrenalin rush when we finally get that perfect wave come through. The danger of surfing large waves triggers this same feeling.
No two waves are the same, nor are two surfing sessions. A surfer can never get bored with a sport that is so dynamic, this keeps the surfer always wondering what is next, which is what keeps a surfer coming back.
Why Are Surfers So Happy And Cool?
Surfers are minimalists at heart, all they need is a bed to sleep in, a surfboard and a westsuit. Surfing is so fun, that this is all they need to be happy.
Most people get used to being on the 9 to 5 treadmill, ”keeping up with the jones’s” etc. There is a jealousey caused by mainstream media and social media, that makes people unhappy with what they have. Surfing does the opposite.
Surfers don’t need many material things to be happy, which means they don’t need to work as hard as other people. This leads to a life spent having fun in the waves, instead of stressing over mediocre things.
What Surfing Feels Like?
Surfing feels like reaching enlightenment through meditation. Seriously
When the power of a wave pushes you down the face, everything slows down, your senses are heightened, all of your reflexes are on full alert. Some would say it’s like feeling the ”fight or flight” response, but most surfers would call it ”flow”.
When you are at the edge of your ability, when you have nothing else going on in your mind except the task at hand and you seem to be handling it.
This is called ”flow state”, people who are masters of meditation, say they feel a sensation between their eyes, while meditating. I believe this is the same thing.
As a surfer whos caught massive waves, been only a few metres from a great white shark and felt all of the sensations over many years that this brings.
I never knew while surfing, what was happening to my mind, until I tried meditation for the first time. In a short time, I managed to feel the full effects of meditation. This wasn’t because I was a quick learner or I had some special talent, definitely not.
It was surfing in a flow state for years.
My meditation teacher was shocked when I was able to feel the same sensation in such a short period of time, that took him years to achieve.
Being in a flow state from years of surfing is the only explanation why I managed to feel ”enlightenment” which is what they call it, in meditation circles.