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News from Mr Grady

Hello Everyone,

As I was looking at my diary and planner for the coming weeks, it was clear to me that as we approach another shift of focus and look forward to the half term up to Easter and beyond, that there is plenty to do, and plenty of challenges to face, and it reminded me, as these can do, of my experiences a few years ago of learning to surf.  Bear with me while I get the metaphor in order here – but I think it’ll work.

When you’re a complete novice to surfing, as I was (and am), the first practice you do is on dry land, not even with a surfboard.  It is simply practicing the technique of going from lying face down, head up to standing in that sort of half-crouch you see surfers using.  You practice carefully where to put your hands for the best leverage, and then repeat the process time and again until you can do it quickly, your feet finding the right position first time, with no shuffling.  You do it so many times, you start to think “am I ever going to go into the water?” and just when you think that’s it, you do it a bit more, but on the surfboard itself, whilst still on the beach.  What you forget of course, is that however well you may be able to do this on the beach, the next time you do it, you are in the sea on a board that is bobbing about just in front of a fast-approaching wave.  You better be REALLY sure you’re happy with your technique before that happens, as a wave is an unforgiving thing.

Before that of course, is the paddle out, beyond the breakers to the calm bit where you will hopefully, sit astride your board, get your breath, and catch a wave, riding it in glory all the way back to the shore.

Paddling out was one of the hardest and scariest bits of the whole process.  You are lying on your front, head looking up, arms rotating wildly in a version of the front-crawl, as you paddle the board out to sea, away from the shore.  You are essentially in line with the surface of the water, and your view is water level.  Ahead of you, as you paddle, you will see the impending upward curve of an oncoming wave, and your aim is to paddle quickly towards it before it breaks and you get caught in the bubbling surf.  Even a wave three feet high (a small wave I am told) looks like an impending wall of doom as it swells towards you, and all you can do is trust the guidance of your instructor and paddle, paddle like crazy to pop over the top of the wave and down the other side.

Sometimes, if you are not quite in time to paddle over the wave, you can grab the tip of the board and punch it downwards into the water, and dive through the wave, before it gets you, although you better be sure you can do this, or you’ll soon be washed up on the beach spitting out sand and shells, feeling like you’d just been in a spin cycle in the washing machine.

What I remember most about my surfing lessons was paddling out and seeing waves in the distance, their slow power building as they moved towards you, and the steepness of the wave slowly curving up and over as you tried to get your timing and technique right to pop over the top.  It was the impending challenge in front of you.  It wasn’t going away, and the only way was to move forwards.  Sometimes, with concentration and skill you’d pop over wave after wave until you were in the calm waters beyond, and sometimes, if you lost concentration, or your timing was slightly out, you’d feel the tip of the board under your chest rising as the wave hit, and slowly and inevitably the board would be pushed over and backwards, and the wave would roll you over and over until, at times you could genuinely think: “I’m not entirely sure I know which way the surface is.”  Of course, you’re attached by a cord to your surf board and that floats a whole lot better than you do, so you are pretty much safe all the time, even if you don’t always feel that safety, and if you want the calm elation of the water beyond the surf, and the chance to plan your exhilarating ride back on the crest of a wave, well then, head down, face out to sea, and start paddling again.

And that’s how I feel now. I know we’ve all got to go through a next set of waves and challenges to get through to slightly calmer waters. They are swelling towards us, and we can only paddle onwards. We might get the odd wave in the face, be washed back a bit, and have to start paddling again, but we know that the patch of calm water, where we can get our breath and plan our route back to the shore is just over the next couple of waves.  And it will all be worth it, because the ride back in, when everything is in your favour and you’ve done the work, really is the most exhilarating thing.

Stay well and safe everyone,

With very best wishes,
Mr Grady