Surfing by Feeling: teaching blind and nearly blind people how to surf!

© Jurgen Netto / Surfen op Gevoel

Surfing the cold waters of the North Sea started in the small beach town of Zandvoort for me. In 2011 two guys I surfed with started First Wave Surfschool there and they have been growing ever since. A few weeks back I got a text message from Erik, one of the owners. The message was very brief: "Would you like to teach blind people to surf" it said. I texted back, briefly enough: "Sure, why not?".

Surf Project: A day of teaching a bunch of cool kids!

© Jurjen van den Broek / Surf Project

Every season, Surfana, one of the surf schools I work for, is host for the Dutch version of the Wave Project: Surf Project. I have to admit I was enrolled as a teacher quite by accident, but after the first initial training I decided it was totally worth joining.

Recipe: Amazing after surf smoothie

On request, the recipe for my amazing after surf smoothie. This one leaves you satisfied and picks you up for session number two (or three)!

Shopping tip: Krissea shop

© Barnacle Socks & KrisSea shop

Everybody knows I absolutely hate shopping. I don't need a lot of stuff and I'm always looking into ways to get rid of clutter and things I don't need. Before Marie Kondo even wrote her book I was already asking myself if I took a like to a specific product: "Is it a WANT, or a NEED"?. Usually the thing I was looking at fell in the last category and so I managed to keep my load of 'stuff' on the low side.

Travel tip: Organic and natural cosmetics for traveling

I hardly use any cosmetic product, but I have a few favorites that are must haves when traveling. They are all organic, vegan and cruelty free. Some of them are even raw! Read more here...

Recipe: Pre surf brekky - Raw chocolate buckwheat granola

The most important meal of the day is breakfast, everybody knows that! Before I go surfing I like to have a proper brekky full of healthy carbs that will keep me going for a while when I'm in the water. Today was still pretty cold (7 degrees) but the waves were supposed to be good and friend J. invited me to go surfing in Wijk aan Zee, one of the best spots around here. The spot is only accessible by car, something I don't have, so I was happy to go with J.

Cold water surf neccesities

As you all know I love surfing and that love does not disappear when temperatures drop. In general, the waves are pretty small in the North Sea during the summer. It is in wintertime when we get proper swell, height and shape in our sea. Unfortunately this is also the time of year when things get a little fresh, to say the least. Especially February and March are very, very cold.

I've put together a little cold water surf necessity list, and throw some tips in the mix too!

You can't stop the waves but you can learn how to surf

Once upon a time, I was invited by my good friend J., to join him for a little surf trip to one of the most beautiful spots in the Netherlands: Domburg. We took L. and S. and were warmly welcomed by the locals. This is a little photo impression.