Gap Year Experiences

Happy Valentines Day!

Thursday 14 February 2008

Happy Valentines day to everyone out there! Hope you're all having a good one!

The week in review so far:
Monday was a free day for everyone to take some time out after a busy weekend of surfing and beaching. Tuesday, the wind was perfect for a good kiting session. Everyone really seems to be getting into this amazing sport. Its such a great sport to learn as you can pick up the basics fairly quickly and once you've got those, the opportunity to take it around the world is endless. Never again will you complain about too much wind ruining your beach holiday. At the end of our kitesurfing programme, the group will all receive an IKO (International Kiteboarding Organisation) certification allowing them to rent equipment or take more advanced lessons anywhere in the world. If everything goes according to plan in terms of conditions, we have managed to organise a full day of kitesurfing to end off the Cape Town Boardriding programme, at a lagoon just outside of Cape Town. This will give everyone the chance to get up and riding on boards in the water. It should be an awesome day out.
Wednesday, Maddy had a really good windsuring lesson and according to the reports that are coming back, she is a complete natural at the sport. In the afternoon, we took a drive around some of the local surf shops to see if we could find surfboards for some of the group who are keen to buy their own. The day was ended off on the beach with some of us going for a surf while Enzo tried to persuade everyone that he was a bat and ball master. His skills weren't very persuasive!
I finally got to go out for a surf for the first time in a few weeks. With all the activity happening around the Cape Town leg of the trip, I haven't had the chance to get into the water myself. As I said, yesterday was the first time in a while I've been able to paddle out and it was incredible. There's something about paddling out past the break and sitting out back, just behind the waves that is incredibly relaxing. Every worry and stress you have genuinely fades away and you feel refreshed and ready to take on anything. I'm starting to get a bit carried away here, but believe me, it really is the most amazing feeling in the world.
Yesterday evening, we all hit Caprice in Camps Bay for a friend of ours birthday. Caprice has become a serious favourite spot amongst everyone and they have really become locals there, not even having to stand in the famous Sunday night que that sometimes has people waiting for 2 hours to get inside.

This morning we had an early start, getting to the beach at 9 for a surf. The weather was a bit overcast and the water pretty cold, but the waves were good and we had a solid 2 hour session in the water before calling it a day and heading back for some breakfast.

This weekend we will be finishing off the Boardriding programme and leaving on Monday morning for our 5 day wakeboard camp followed by the 2 week Pepper Road-Trip. We have so many good times ahead of us!

Cheers for now...
Vince