Before we got into the water we stretched and practiced how to get up on the board. Nitzan did a really exceptional job at explaining how to stand, how to jump, what muscles to use and how to correct my balance. By the time we reached the water, surfing felt like it was almost familiar to me- like a combination of yoga, thai chi and skiing. It felt as if my body already knew how, and just had to draw on the skills I had, and then re-purpose them for surfing. I had to upcycle my muscle memory.
I didn’t get up on the board on the first lesson, not even on the second lesson but Nitzan kept encouraging me. He gave me exercises to do at home and recommended that I come to surf everyday, even if only for a short time so that I can practice. Because my kids were in the camp, it was easy to come daily because I had to be there anyway. Slowly I got stronger and felt more comfortable on the board.
Learning to surf was daunting. You need to combine strength, timing, skill and balance. To be honest, I am not sure that I would have actually learned to surf without Nitzan. He really took me seriously and pushed me to be better, to expect more from myself than lazy paddling and hanging out on the board.
Nitzan is passionate about surfing. It’s not just a sport for him, it’s deeper than that. He has been surfing since the age of 15 and has travelled all over the world surfing- including France, the Canary Islands, Mexico, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Australia and Indonesia (Bali). He has competed in surf competitions and his only regret seems to be that he didn’t start surfing younger.
Nitzan is a very disciplined person, he is punctual, and reliable. Part of this could be from his training as a Navy Seal in the Israeli army. He is currently a combat soldier on reserve duty. Last year he wasn’t teaching surfing because he was fighting in Gaza.
Nitzan teaches the kids at Galim as well as being a private instructor. The kids love him. When I asked my sons to help me describe him for the article they said (In Hebrew) “Hoo Gever”, which means “He's the Man”. He picks up jellyfish without fear, rides waves like a rock star and is fun to be around. The kids really look up to him and he is a great role model.
As for me, I enjoyed hanging out with him too. A lot of the time in the water is spent waiting for waves and chatting. I am sure that being able to chill out between waves is part of what kept me motivated when I wasn’t making progress. We talked about everything from surfing to politics, sports, travel and kids.