After a few weekends of jetsetting around the northeast, it was nice to stay local and soak up the Florida sun again. And what better way to do it than out on the water. After stand up paddle surfing for the first time a couple years ago in Hawaii, I’ve always wanted to go again. I drove up to Deerfield Beach Saturday morning, where I rented a board and paddle and took to the ocean. I nearly ended my adventure before it even started as I dropped the paddle on my left foot, making it near impossible to walk due to the incredible pain. Even the lifeguard commented on my hobbling, but I wasn’t going to let it stop me from hitting the surf.

The waves were a bit rough getting through off the shore before I finally hopped up on the board and went for a nice hour-long surf ride. I met a couple other surfers, with one of them hipping me to the hot spot – where the sharks hang out! Luckily, I didn’t see any but did come across a stingray and jellyfish. A good friend and her family then met me on the beach, and I showed her how to paddle surf. It took her a little bit to get it, but once she found her balance, she was like a pro. We then took a walk on the fishing pier and got some ice cream before calling it a day. I’m now looking forward to the next time I can go paddle surfing again.