Lea K: Surfing Sunday at Costa da Caparica

Our last Sunday was an unforgettable day! I went surfing with my friends Marlies, Matteo, and Marton at the beautiful beach of Costa da Caparica, just outside of Lisbon. It was one of the best days in Lisbon. Our surf training lasted for about 2 hours. We started on the sand, learning and practicing the basic techniques. Our instructor showed us how to position ourselves on the board, how to paddle, and how to stand up. It looked easy when the instructor did it, but once I tried it myself, I realised how tricky it actually was. After about 30 minutes of training on land, we finally went into the water. The waves were really high that day (too big for beginners) and very powerful.

As soon as I stepped into the ocean, I felt the strength of the sea pulling and pushing me in every direction. It was intense! Most of the time, I was struggling just to stay balanced and not get wiped out by the waves. I kept getting water up my nose, which was a bit annoying. I must have swallowed half the ocean by the end, but it didn’t stop me from trying again and again. Then I finally managed to stand up on my board. It happened just once, but it was such a great moment! I stood up, kept my balance, and actually surfed all the way to the shore. Even though it lasted only a few seconds, it made all the effort totally worth it.

Surfing is much harder than it looks, especially when the waves are this big. But it’s also incredibly fun and rewarding and I can’t wait to go surfing again. Maybe next time, I’ll be able to stand up more than once.

I’m already counting down the days until the next surf session!