The famous saying "only a surfer knows the feeling" sounds very enigmatic but perfectly sums up the indescribable emotion of walking on water.
Surfing is not only a sport but also a lifestyle. It starts as a hobby or something you simply wanted to experiment with but quickly becomes something more.
There seems to be a secret appeal to surfing that brings in more and more people around the world into the adventures of wave riding.
As a sport, surfing has innumerable advantages.
It exposes you to the beneficial environment of the beach, works your muscles, boosts your immune system, and helps you relax, all at once.
But are those benefits enough to justify the apparently addictive nature of surfing?
Surfing seems to run deep in those who experience it, as something that, more than transforming you on the outside, deeply touches you inside.
Surfers seem happier in the water as if they know something we don't - a kind of secret contempt shared with the ocean.
You can see it by the way they look at each other while surfing, communicating with one another without sharing a word.
Walking On Water
One of the most famous biblical episodes narrates how Jesus walked over the Sea of Galilee. In today's world, surfing is the closest we can get to that miracle.
Standing on a surfboard and victoriously riding a wave for the first time is a truly unforgettable moment.
You could describe it as a mixture of pure freedom, joy, conquer, insignificance, wonder, and so many other contradictory feelings at once.
It is different for everyone but has a universal effect: surfing is highly empowering.
That seems to be the greatest appeal of surfing. Despite the obvious benefits for the body and the mind, surfing empowers your soul.
When you ride a surfboard, your worries, your fears, whatever drags you down stays behind you, and at that moment, you feel capable and connected. You feel strong.
In everyday life, you may struggle, but inside the water, you marvel at how instinctively your body responds to what's happening around you; your senses are alert, focused on the next opportunity to take flight - your mind is fully in the now.
It all happens so fast; you have to grab the opportunity before it flees. And you do. And it feels amazing.
An Indescribable Feeling
You discover that your limitations are an illusion. A sense of strength you didn't even know you had starts to blossom.
Surfing can be life-changing because it promotes the most challenging transformation of all: the one of the soul.
It teaches you that you can and will go further, showing you that you always had it in you. You just didn't know it yet. It also creates the perfect environment for self-discovery and wonder.
If you need to feel empowered, strong, rooted, and capable, grab a surfboard and give it a go. It will take time. You will be tested.
But if you persist and take it as an opportunity to feel that indescribable feeling, the one that only those who experience get to feel, we promise you it will be the experience of a lifetime.
Words by Ana de Brito Costa