Always wear the right wetsuit size

After losing my passport, I had to enjoy at least part of my weekend. Plus, it was my birthday. How could I make my 22nd birthday unforgettable? Our answer: SURF.

Okay deal, we’re going to learn how to surf. Cool. The water is freaking cold, I’m probably going to die of hypothermia, but whatever. Oh, and sharks. Are there sharks in there? I’m not soooo comfortable surfing with sharks. (I asked the instructor and he laughed at me because the water is way too cold for sharks). So at least I couldn’t die of a shark attack. Hypothermia it is then.

Upon arrival, we had to choose a wetsuit size. Wetsuits are supposed to stick to your body, just like a glove. Since they were already wet, it was super hard to put on, so I opted for a bigger size. HA mistake #1.

As I get in the ocean, I can feel the freezing water getting between the suit and my skin (which is relatively normal, the water has to go somewhere). The surfing experience itself was amazing, but a lot harder than expected. As the time passed, I found it a lot harder just to get back to the deeper areas. It was as if I were taking the entire ocean with me, plus an anchor. I thought I was just tired, you know, whatever. I kept going mistake #2. When the lesson was over, we came out of the water and my wetsuit was SOOOO heavy. I looked down at my legs and they were filled with water. I swear my legs probably tripled in size. The instructor was laughing hysterically with my friend. He told me: “That why you were getting so slow!!”. I decided to release the water stuck in my wetsuit. I could have filled 5 oceans and create a new one in the Sahara. We were all laughing so much. I really thought that getting a bigger wetsuit would be easier, but definitely not. haha. I learned my lesson: ALWAYS TAKE THE RIGHT WETSUIT SIZE. Seriously.

Guincho beach, Portugal, August 2015

Tags: adventure, beach, exploration, review, stories, surf, travel, wanderlust, writing