I'm reading a couple articles in an old Surf Guide magazine from April 1964, and find some really great quotes.... here's one.

 " I can remember camping under the pier for two or three days, completely engrossed in the miseries of learning to surf."

After learning to surf and advancing your abilities you tend to forget what it took to get where you are.  That line really says a lot about what we forget. Like being so excited to be able to carry a surfboard into the ocean, fumbling around on the darn thing attempting to paddle with some kind of control. Being knocked around by the surf. And then trying your hardest to catch a wave... just one wave.

Then you finally get one and try to get to your feet only to fall. Eventually you get a couple more and actually get to your feet for a couple seconds... After that you are completely hooked, and determined that 'you can get this'. 

At the end of the day you're really tired but really pumped. "Tomorrow I'm going to do it again". And you do. Pretty soon you can catch a wave and angle down the line. On you go until you forget.... "the miseries of learning to surf".

D.R.