Does surfing relax you?

Yes. Very relaxing.

Not so much in the moment, while I'm actually surfing or paddling back out, but afterwards i'm in the best state of mind.

I often refer to surfing as medicine. "It's not great out there, but I'll still get my medicine"

 

weed does!

 

Nice pic lol

 

When I was young it didn't, as I got older it did relax me until I thought I was improving, then I got all hyped up. Finally I realized I had gotten old and no one gave a crap if I was good or not. Now after all that wasted time I surf to get relaxed and the moment Im not feeling it I leave. Much better this way.

 

POTY. Wow. This.

 

Yes... it's what keeps bringing me back.

I was having this conversation with my wife the other night... Actually, I was talking, she was watching TV. Which is typical.

Anyway... I was saying that surfing is the only thing I do in my life where I feel completely calm... mentally. I can be physically stressed... even emotionally stressed... but mentally I'm completely calm and relaxed. Weird, I know. I can be physically beat, and even slightly panicked emotionally... in some situations. But in my mind... mentally... all is calm and peaceful.

It's a very strange feeling...

 

Similar feeling to golf. Sometimes it's frustrating sometimes it's relaxing. Always feel better later on though, and I get consistently more cranky each day I go without it.

 

This. Sometimes, when the surf is big (for me, anyway), I get butterflies beforehand. Then, if I catch a good wave, I am zen for the rest of the session even if I don't catch any more. If I do catch more, even better. But often it is frustrating. There are days when I don't catch anything at all, at least nothing I would grade as a quality ride. But never do I leave the beach without being relaxed for the rest of the day and then the next.

 

Very relaxing, very r-e-l-a-x-i-n-g, until lately with constant 20 mph onshores, not so much. Still better than doing this.

 

I find it relaxing. Except when a hot girl paddles out in a thong, and she rips harder than my.....sorry ass

 

I enjoy being on and in the water. Always have. I like the activity and the exercise. Relaxation isn't what I'm going for when I paddle out. That comes afterwards.

 

Agreed completely.

Although I do feel relaxed when out there as well, only more so when it's in the warmer months. Sometimes just being out there in the cold weather and harsh winds isn't the most relaxing. Not saying that I don't enjoy being out there during those conditions, just that it isn't as relaxing as being out there in the warmer months. Although it definitely is a lot more fun sometimes, at any rate.

 

Dudes it does the opposite for me. Barely any relaxation whatsoever. Part of that is me taking what surfing days I can get due to the day job and not being selective, which I'm getting better at. I used to be big into mountaineering, which is hard work and painful and it's objective driven. Surfing is that scaled back for me. Putting on a thick suite, paddling into chaos, paddling to not have some winter current sweep me to seae or into some rockes... the only part I enjoy on those days is the wave itself. On calmer and warmer days it's relaxing. And the biggest rush is seeing waves come in for me. It's not like skiing where the trail is the same every time. It's a slot mavcine of opportunity. But relaxing-- nah. Wave snakes and québécois and summer rentals and frost bite. Only on those 2-5 perfect days per year do I feel genuinely zen. The rest of the time I'm a panic attack verge of a stroke or violence mess like I am most of the time.

 

Relaxing?? Depends on how many morons are in the water with me. If there are a lot, then it is very relaxing, as it gives me lots of targets to run over, and that makes me feel warm and fuzzy. If I am by myself, well, nobody to run over, so my stress level rises.
Bottom line....the more massholes in the water, the better!!

 

O barry

 

Relaxing when I get out, completely tuned in and not giving a fock about anything else while it's happening. Sometimes ecstatic while it's happening, when I have a clean exit or pull off something special, flow state type sh!t.

 

It's the afterglow that's relaxing. Getting out of thick rubber in a warm shower after freezing your arse off, or lying on the beach with a cold beer after a summer session.

 

Completely disconnect from everything when I'm in the water and for several hours afterwards. It's the best therapy out there...for me at least.

 

yes and no. it's the best and worst thing that ever happened to my health/life. lol.