In Pichelemu, Chile, my favorite activity was surfing! Here there are waves all year around, so tons of people come to surf. We went surfing two times with stupendous waves!
The first time we went, we had a quick warm-up and then the instructor taught us how to stand up on a board.
Step 1: We wait until the instructor pushes us to catch a wave.
Step 2: Once we are on the wave, we put one leg forward and one leg back, then twist our body so we are facing forward.
Step 3: After about ten seconds of riding, we slowly drop into the water and return.
The water is cold in Pichilemu, so we had to wear wetsuits. We used big boards because they're easier to stand up on. However, they are a little harder to turn but very stable. When you catch a wave and stand up, it feels like you're flying and falling at the same time!
The first time we went to a sandbar quite a ways out from shore. There was a riptide that kept pushing us to the side. The instructors worked hard to keep us all together. The weather was cold and cloudy, but we still had a good time.
The second time we surfed, we went with a different surf school at a different beach. We surfed fairly close to shore and there were a lot more people. It was sunny and warm. This time the instructor taught us how to catch a wave by ourselves. All the steps were the same, except that you look at the wave and when it hits you, you paddle hard three times before getting up. One of the things that was better on the second day was that it was easier to stand up. Some of the times we had a good run, we ended up crashing into the shore.
Overall the experience was truly amazing and I loved it as much as paragliding.(which is saying a lot) *~*