Walking on water

Riding high on the buzz of last week’s musical experience, I looked for something physical to do to in order to use up some of this excited energy. Out of the blue came an email from a friend who owns some paddleboards, asking if I’d like to have a go. Yes, I sure would, replied I, so on Wednesday night my husband and I cruised on down to the Pt Chev boat club and met said friend and her husband, and my mum, who had agreed to come along to look after the kids.


Those of you who have the pleasure of frequently driving the length of the North-Western motorway between Te Atatu and Pt Chevalier will be familiar with the sight of this activity, but I may need to enlighten others. Quite simply, it involves standing on what looks like a wide surfboard and paddling your way through the water. I first encountered paddleboarding in Raglan, where we spied a lone vertical surfer in the rolling waves. He looked so steady and calm in comparison to the surfers; a graceful giraffe amongst darting lizards. I’ve always wanted to be a giraffe.

Apparently there was some kind of paddleboarding evening going on at the boat club, so when we saw a couple of people receiving what appeared to be a casual lesson, my friend encouraged me to go and listen in. I boldly rocked on up, and there followed a rather awkward exchange between myself and the man who turned out to be a professional tutor who was giving a private lesson – nothing at all to do with the boat club evening. He said I could listen in anyway, so I did, probably not as embarrassed as I perhaps should have been. I picked up a few good pointers and went merrily on my way.

I was taught to start out by kneeling on the board, and to stand up only when I felt good and ready. Standing up wasn’t too difficult, even in the face of the (very slightly) choppy water. Once I was up, I was away, paddling in short strokes on either side of the board. It’s a great full-body workout – your core and your legs are working hard at keeping balance, and your arms are pulling/pushing you through the water. I didn't even fall in.

It’s an incredibly peaceful activity. You glide along the surface of the sea with the water gently lapping over your toes, while the sun warms your back and glistens on the water. When you’re paddling into the wind you have to work a bit harder, but the reward comes when you’re on your way back – you can just stop paddling and let the water pull you along. I was walking on water, much like Jesus.

I have been itching to get back on the board ever since. Every time I see the water I think about what it would be like to get out there on the paddleboard in these conditions. I have even imagined paddleboarding at night, which I imagine would be even more peaceful (if slightly dangerous). I guess you could say that I have caught the bug.