Surf shots are usually taken in bright sunny weather yet there are times that surfing (and surf photography) can even be more fun like before a storm when you're too busy having a blast to seriously notice what was heading your way. Just across the way of Tampa Bay is your east coast surf scene... Cocoa Beach... and in the heart of it all is Ron Jon Surf School. Craig Carroll, owner and surf instructor for over fifteen years and his crew, gave me the hang ten experience of a lifetime with many smiles, much excitement, and loads of safety lessons. Riding those waves just isn't for sunny weather and upcoming storms aren't always to be feared.
Lessons that day were held inside as the school is right across the beach and not too far from the well-loved Ron Jon Surf Shop. The instructor had traveled and hit the waves all over the globe and demonstrated what to do and had the class practice on the boad in the room. Everything any surfer of any level could possibly need is provided by Ron Jon Surf Shop.
After the instructor knew that the members of the class were ready, he lead us outdoors. A couple of other staff members came along just in case we needed extra assistance and just to hang out with us. The rain was sprinkling us a bit. As we practiced on our boards (on the sand in front of the Atlantic Ocean this time), the sun peeked through the puffy dark clouds. Paddle, paddle, paddle then pop up! Straighten out your feet, look ahead, don't leam forward or backward too much, stomach in, chest out, head up, shoulders down, stay balanced...
It was time to hit the water. The rain drummed down a bit harder yet on both sides of us, the sun was shining so it was possible to run away from the rain. Just run to the left or the right on the beach until you're away from the black clouds. Oh what a life to be able to outrun the rain! The wind wasn't interested in joining the beat of the rain so it remained milder than the liquid falling from the sky. But it was strong enough to cause some inconsistent waves, which made it a fun challenge. My years of yoga was put to the test as I balanced on my board and tried not to topple over and under.
All the while, I would look up and notice the sky changing and snapped shots. The clouds separated and it was such an amazing site. Half of the sky was pitch black as big clouds loomed over us and the other half was a clear bright blue. It was simply incredible! The rain died to a tinkle and we kept catching the waves. Catch a wave, snap a picture, catch a wave, listen to surf instructions, miss a wave, shoot a photo...
The sun shot out as strong as ever, as we all expected it to do in sunny Florida but as soon as it did, the rain came blasting down on us as if the clouds had exploded. The salty taste of water in my mouth, the drops pounded my face, the wind picking up speed, and my heart tha-thump-thumped inside my chest at the sheer joy of being able to ride a wave all the way to shore in this weather made for such an awesome surf trip!
I asked my instructor if he was bored. He said that he was never bored when training a class. I knew he had surfed anywhere and everywhere and asked him to demonstrate some of his skills. And that he did!! He definitely knows his stuff. He was quite humble, not making a big deal of anything while my mouth dropped to the sand in complete amazement. "Okay, it's going to get bad out here soon so time to wrap it all up. You guys can come back tomorrow for more lessons if you wish, " he said with a smile and rain and ocean water dripping down his face.
That evening in my hotel room, I watched on the news about a tornado that had touched down a few hours after we had left and it was not too far from where we were surfing. So that was the reason for that amazing dark and bright sky and the clouds splitting the sky in half. That was the reason for the most awesome surfing experience. Instead of fearing that I was a) surfing in the Atlantic during colder season and b) was surfing on a not-so sunny day, I had the most incredible water adventure due to both A and B!
Visit Ron Jon Surf School, Cocoa Beach, and surf the Atlantic Ocean with Ron Jon Surf School while you are across Alligator Alley visiting or enjoying Tampa Bay.
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