Slowly- we raised our knees , pushed our heels up,pushed to standing and immediately began paddling. He instructed us to not look at the water but the horizon instead. The horizon is a steady point in the distance that helps you maintain a sense of balance.
Scotty looked at me and must have noticed my shaky legs."Don't worry-you will get your sea legs in a few minutes." He was right-soon I found the correct footing and was standing steady on the board. I learned how to do a turn- by putting the paddle all the way in front of the board and pulling the paddle backwards through the water.
I paddled away from my Dad and Scotty. The sun hit the water and sparkled like a million tiny diamonds.I listed to the gentle lapping of the water and fell into the rhthym of paddling.It was just me and the water. I forgot about everything on my mind as the sun warmed my face and the breeze tickled my skin.
I heard my dad splash in the water behind me. After he instructed him how to get back onto the board ,Scotty explained that women often do better than men because of their strong lower bodies.
After almost an hour on the water my legs began to get tired. Scotty told me to tap my left feet on the board if they began to cramp or kneel on the board if my legs became tired.
We paddled back to the dock and took some pictures on our boards. My dad did some pushups on the board but I decided I didn't want to risk falling into the chilly water now after not falling in the entire time.
We climbed off the board and onto the dock.My legs felt like jelly.As I walked off the dock I stopped and looked back at the boards and then out at the water, promising myself I'd come back again soon.
