Perfect morning, Nomads, January 2013
Eno “teaching” at 40 Thieves
I take great pleasure in introducing people to SUP. There are very few sports where you can get so much enjoyment in so little time – whilst beginner surfers can take years before they catch their first green wave, anyone with good balance and a little desire can catch good waves in their first session. So after years of cajoling I finally bully my youngest brother, Marc, into trying it. He’d windsurfed for years before converting to kitesurfing but was always more interested in fishing than surfing. It’s January – the hottest time of the year – air and water temperature equal at 30 degrees (86 Fahrenheit). An early morning wake-up call, a bleary-eyed bowl of muesli and we’re in the car on the way to
Nomads. As the sun rises over the Indian Ocean we take boards out of racks and fight over the carbon paddles. The water is mirror smooth as we paddle out, disturbed only by the dipping of paddles and Neil occasionally falling in. It’s a good chance to chat, coach the newbies and warm up the shoulders. It’s three hours before low-tide and the water in the Mlango (Swahili for ‘door’ or ‘channel’) is deep enough for a dry paddle-out.
The water is mirror smooth as we paddle out, disturbed only by the
dipping of paddles
and Neil occasionally falling in ThePaddler 119