Surf Camp

The second weekend of March, I spent three days and two nights down in Gerroa surfing at Seven Mile beach. It was a beautiful, inspiring weekend.

The trip kicked off a bit rocky with me learning to negotiate other’s experiences and expectations while maintaining my positivity. While my patience was tested by friend’s grumbling, I am glad to have had such a moment. Also, to think back to Alex’s face when he saw the spider, priceless. And the fact that he was trying to book an Airbnb as an escape, definitely gave me a great laugh. I guess a little explaining is in order:

Basically, we left North Gong Station and headed about 40 minutes south to Surf Camp by bus. Pulling up, your typical long-haired, golden tan-skinned surfer guys escorted us to camp through the caravan park. After the brief orientation, we scrambled into our “luxury” cabins, where I quickly realized I was the only one who had spent time camping and backpacking before. The next few hours were rocky. From the freak outs over the bugs in our room to the window not opening, we had a bit of a rough night. Don’t get me wrong, I was not a fan of the bugs, but I was not nearly as bothered as everyone else.

Once everyone settled down and decided they were not escaping that night, it was time to catch some sleep. All eight of us headed to the communal bathrooms and off to bed. I was a bit nostalgic using them, reminiscing on my annual camping trips from growing up. Everyone else, on the other hand, were not as thrilled about them to say the least. All in bed and ready to sleep, we soon realized the 80-degree days we had been thriving in were now our worst nightmare.

With a bit of a cough, I was nearly suffocating in the heat box that was our room. I actually spent an hour sitting on the tables outside with Alex before going to bed. Great move for sure because I met two surf instructors while sitting there and damn were they cuteeeee.

The next morning, coated in sweat from my two-hour night’s sleep, I rolled out of bed and immediately showered, but was thrilled to start surfing. I ate a yummy breakfast, got fitted in my wet suit, and headed to the beach. Camp was wonderful –two surf sessions on Saturday, yummy meals each day, and one surf lesson on Sunday. Saturday night, after a full day of surfing, it was time to party. We played cards and started drinking. We then all head up this massive hill to the pub. To say we mobbed the pub is an understatement. Since Gerroa is such a small town, Surf camp made up the majority of the occupancy. We danced and talked and enjoyed a great night.

Although it started a little rocky, the weekend was a smash. I learned a ton of things. Number one: I learned to surf, one of my new favorite things. Number two: I learned a lot about people from all different backgrounds and comfort levels, and to practice patience.  Number three: I learned to have a lot of fun and be in the moment.

I would 100% recommend Surf Camp. The food is yummy, the accommodation is adequate, the Surf lessons are amazing, and the instructors are god-like.