Everybody's been surfing ... Surfin' USA

It was time. Slick-looking board, eh?

The particular board we got is 6' 4", with a "soft top" covered with that yellow vinyl. The soft top is because it is safer - when you lose it, and it comes crashing down on you, the soft top might save you.

Like I said, it's slick. Too slick, actually, to stay on. You might need to view our You Tube video to see just how slick (unless I can post it here). The vinyl atop that soft top is the thing that is super slick (a downside - definitely).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-bR390i5lQ

Anyway, like I said, we learned some things. Board wax, for one.

Yes - Parafin, and you apply it to the **top** of your board to keep you from slipping into the deep. Here, Zach is working hard to get his board sticky.

Well, to make a long story short, trial #2, Sunday August 29th with this board was a bust, too. But, for a different reason. Because, see, we're smarter now (more on that below). We realized the board is too short (6' 4") for stability.

Now, how did we get so smart? Because our wife / mother read *every* review on surfing lesson places around Honolulu and presented us (Z and I) with a gift of a lesson this past Tuesday with the: "Hawaii Fire Surf".

I know, it sounds like it is part of a Luau or something. But, it's not.

It is a group of Honolulu firefighters, who, on their off days, run this surfing lesson enterprise. You have to see these men and women - you just cannot feel safer, I must say. They are big, and trained. They supply the boards, they drive you to the place, and give you a 45min on the beach and on the board lesson (both in safety and how-to), and then and hour and a half in the water, with them right there helping. (That is the feel safe part).

They pretty much guarantee you'll get up on the board ... and we did!

Here's a couple of the old guy:

And, ... look at him grabbing this board like a snow boarder:

Not to be outdone, look at Zach's form:

So, at the end of our lesson, the photographer goes over to Zachary and says, "You know, kid, you know how when your playing basketball with your dad and you just beat him, but you're not sure whether he LET you beat him or it was legit? You know that feeling? Well, let me tell you something ... today, you ain't gotta have that worry. You killed! Outdid him at every turn. I know, and I got the proof in pixels".

We had a total blast.

A SHOUT OUT to Liz for that experience!

So, we know our own board is tough (right now). It is too short - those boards we were ridin' last Tuesday were 10 footers; no measly 6'4" popsicle sticks. Our plan -- well, Liz' idea, go down to Waikiki, and rent long boards for a few turns. See if we really can do it. Then we buy the big(ger) ones.

Meanwhile, I have been pricing car roof board carriers (we cannot fit more than this 6-footer in out Prius' hatch). But, two big boards we can carry on top with the right carrier!