Surfing in Paradise: the story of one week in the Dominican Republic, which changed my life

The gentle rays of the setting sun slowly ran through the azure of the Caribbean. A light and warm breeze gently tugged at my hair and at about the same speed another pina colad gradually dissolved in the blood of my body, penetrating, it seemed, into the very depth of my soul. From our pleasure pontoon, anchored on a sandbar a kilometer from the coast, there was a “postcard” view of the island of Espanyol, which I had only seen on the screen of my laptop’s desktop - the present looked absolutely unrealistic and the future was bright and serene ... The thought was tightly sitting in my head: “My life will definitely not be the same, because I did it - I was able to subdue my wave, I became part of a closed fraternity, and in my iPhone there is already a memorable personal film that I’m sure I will per Exercise more than one hundred times. "

Photo: Caribbean Surf Adventure

But just a couple of weeks ago, nothing close foreshadowed this moment of my near future. On that very day, as usual, I got up early in the morning, drank coffee and went to the office in the city center by standard route. I love my job, but that day somehow everything went wrong right away. Looking back, I now clearly understand - these were just signs, but then a critical breakthrough in a significant project multiplied by a long time accumulated fatigue sounded like a bolt from the blue - it’s time for you, buddy, to take a break for a week.

At lunchtime I was flipping through Instagram and it was then that I saw this banner - a smiling guy of my age (a bit behind 30) is clearly not a supersports physique (like me, I won’t start walking into the gym again) easily and naturally slid on a large board through perfect turquoise water. Everything in his posture and, most importantly, in the expression of his face spoke of complete harmony with himself — the very harmony that I missed so much!

Photo: Caribbean Surf Adventure

Photo: Caribbean Surf Adventure

Amazingly, although I usually don’t do this, I clicked on the banner, entered my phone number, and almost immediately the call rang. The extremely friendly voice of the operator quickly and clearly answered all my questions, the main one of which was - is it true that absolutely anyone can get into the surf as quickly as the guy in the photo? Yes, we give you a 100% guarantee, and the guy from the advertisement is not an actor, but a real person who recently visited us, besides, 10000 people cannot be wrong, and that’s how many people we put on surfing in 6 years - it sounded extremely convincing . Well, besides, they found a convenient flight for me right online at an adequate price.

Photo: Caribbean Surf Adventurе

On the night before the flight, I really could not sleep, because all I knew before about surfing was the classic film “On the crest of a wave” with Keanu Reeves in the lead role. Is it possible that I, too, will be able to learn a little, besides in just a week? It seemed something completely unreal. Well, in a pinch, at least I am lying on the beach, I calmed myself. After all, everything I had heard about the Dominican Republic said that this is a country where, apart from beaches, Roma and all-inclusive hotels, there is nothing more. How was I wrong then ...

Photo: Caribbean Surf Adventure

Photo: Caribbean Surf Adventure

Several hours of the flight passed very quickly - and now I was already getting off the plane, landing in Punta Cana. Damn, how nice it is here - this is the first thing that immediately came to mind, as soon as I took a deep breath of the moist, warm ocean air. The most colorful airport building with a roof made of real palm leaves, beautiful girls dancing bachata right next to the check-in counters - all this immediately set the mood for the right “chill and tranquilo” atmosphere.

At the exit, the driver was already waiting for me with a sign with my name - this is a service, I immediately thought. Literally 20 minutes drive, fast checkin at the hotel, shower, and here it is - the long-awaited Caribbean Sea. Having come to my senses a little bit, I went to a short briefing, they gave me a program schedule and a full gift set - a branded surfing lycra, a commemorative T-shirt and a sticker. I haven’t even tried surfing yet, but I already felt like my own in the board.

Photo: Caribbean Surf Adventure

Photo: Caribbean Surf Adventure

Photo: Caribbean Surf Adventure

In general, I immediately want to note how friendly, open and positive people surrounded me. Indeed, the desire to surf works like a real face control in a trendy indoor club. Despite the fact that everyone was very different and from different parts of the world, we very quickly found a common language and just fucking spent time together, starting with the first nightly gatherings at the ocean on the very first evening!

Photo: Caribbean Surf Adventure

Photo: Caribbean Surf Adventure

Well, what started the next day is simply impossible to describe in words - it must be seen, it is necessary to participate. A super-thought-out program of an individual approach to learning to surf and trips around the island opened up this amazing and magical world of Dominican nature far from mass “seal” tourism for me. Every morning we left the hotel and set off for new portions of incredible adventures that went on and on. Lost beaches, waterfalls, mountains, quad bikes, lagoons, lobsters, yachts, starfish, uninhabited islands, turtles, caves, rocks, barbecues on the high seas and breathtaking views. And many, many, many surfing - real surfing in paradise !!!

Photo: Caribbean Surf Adventure

You definitely need to write more about the training system. I really felt like I was in a real school. On the very first day, I was assigned a personal instructor who took full care of me from all sides, carried a board, helped me cope with the surf, constantly encouraged me, sang songs, but most importantly, helped me catch the waves. It turned out that it really is not very difficult with such support!

And of course, filming - I was a real participant in some kind of show, I was surrounded by cameras on all sides, in the water, in the air, on the shore. And not one wave of mine remained caught in the lenses. It was so interesting and informative to see your progress step by step, and even in professional editing. Each new training day began with new instructions and a transition to a new level of complexity - now I understand why there are people who are ready to surf all their lives. Guys, this is really space and a real universe, a separate world, in which you want to dive headlong !!! What I did every new day.

Photo: Caribbean Surf Adventure

Photo: Caribbean Surf Adventure

And of course, nightly gatherings in chillout, trips to local bars, bachata and merengue till you drop, rum and pina colada by the river, you just don’t remember, yes, apparently you shouldn’t - let everything that happens in Punta Cana remain in Punta Cana)) The main thing is that my film about my personal surfing is always with me, and I will watch it more than once a hundred times in the long winter evenings, and also be sure to sometime return to continue my studies in this wonderful, fabulous, heavenly place! !!

Photo: Caribbean Surf Adventure

Photo: Caribbean Surf Adventure

Shaka! That’s how I’ll be welcoming everyone now, because I’m gonna be a surfer too, even at the beginning of my personal big journey.

Photo: Caribbean Surf Adventure

My trip to the Dominican Republic was organized by Caribbean Surf Adventure under the author's surfing and travel program.

Contacts Caribbean Surf Adventure:

Telegram: + 18298081234

WhatsApp: + 18293897970

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