Are You a Drifter?

Not like one who wanders, or goes from town to town in your van. When you surf, do you allow yourself to drift down the beach or paddle when the current is ripping? Both types of folks exist and there must be some reason one does one or the other.

I’m a paddler. Personal preference, as I hate to drift and move from the area I intend to surf. Kind of silly, as I live at a beach break and could drift two miles down the beach and still surf the same general wave. I will paddle nonstop and watch the boardwalk by my house to stay in the same area throughout my session. I think it’s just stubbornness, but I can’t say for sure. It’s something I’ve done for a very long time and it has become habit.

I watch people paddle out and drift right by me and disappear. Later I will see them walk down and paddle out again, only to drift right by me again. Maybe this makes the most sense, save your arms and get a nice walk in as well? Maybe it takes extra energy to end up way down the beach and then have to start from scratch from the shoreline time and again?

I like to keep position and keep my feet off of the sand. Stay in the moment and keep my session in full motion. This serves me well on surf trips with point breaks or reef breaks, where it is imperative to stay in a certain area.  I don’t think much of it, as this is how I surf, so nothing different. It must be a shocker to be a drifter and then find yourself paddling nonstop to be in the right spot.

This is a funny thing to think about, but just something I notice when I’m in the water and see how different many of us are from the next person in our approach. We all must have our reasons.