Ever since I was a small child I’ve wanted to learn how to surf. Not sure where this feeling originated but it’s always been down in my subconscious. Ever since I moved to Nova Scotia, I have been hearing more and more about Canadian surf culture and wouldn’t you know it, I moved to within a couple hours of one of the most popular surf areas in Canada.
Lawrencetown beach and East coast surf school
Lawrencetown Beach is a provincial park located just outside of Cole Harbor NS, about 40 min driving from Halifax. There is a company operating there called The Lawrencetown Surf CO, and I secured my rental and hour lesson with their other company called The East Coast Surf School. All of the booking and waiver signing is online, and then I was able to pay when I got there. Everyone was extremely helpful and courteous, I felt like I was being welcomed into a little club while I was there.
During the lesson I leaned a few things that I didn’t know, like how rip tides actually form, how to spot a “surfable” wave, and of course the basic technique. The dry land part of the lesson was about 20 min and a very comprehensive explanation of how the beach, tide and surf all worked at the beach. Safety and emergency protocols, and how wetsuits actually work (another new thing for me to learn). We also went over surfing etiquette and general technique for getting up on the board. The instructors were very clear and concise, and communicated very well so I cannot recommend taking a lesson with them enough. I had NEVER done anything like surfing before (some snowboarding experience did not really help) and even I was amazed at how much and how quickly I was learning.
What I was not prepared for was the full body workout that is surfing. The waves were coming in around 6ft on average and that was enough to knock me back a few times as I walked out. I stayed out for almost 3 hours but by the end I was gassed. So, before I go again, I would improve my cardio level ad overall strength level in order to be more successful. No, I did not manage to stand up on the board all the way and ride a wave into shore. But after a few initials tries I was extremely close, so I’m excited to go back next year.
One thing to note, the beach is very rocky with quite large rounded rocks, bring shoes, a chair and an insulated blanket with some sort of weather resistant or waterproof layer, as it can be very cold and quite wet sitting on the beach watching someone surf, as my wife and dog found out the hard way.
Playlist
I booked my time in about a month in advance, so I’ve had “Surfing USA” by the beach boys stuck in my head for at least a month, often trying to change the lyrics in my head to a variation of Surfing Nova Scotia, usually without success. While I was in the water the songs that came to mind were “Away We Go” by Joshua Radin and “Californication” by the Red-Hot Chile Peppers. I think that happened because away we go is melodic and rhythmic, for when the waves slowed down and the sun came out, and Californication speeds up with the force of the waves pushing you in.
Wrap-up
Contemplating the day on the ride home, I’ve gained a new appreciation for surf culture. I understand the observe feeling of wanting to be out there on the wave more, because now I feel it too. I see the need for brightly colored bags to act as landmarks on the beach because the ocean will push you away from it depending on tide, current and wind conditions. I also feel extremely lucky that this place exists in Nova Scotia, surfing always felt like something that happened in some far-off location like Oahu, or Chile, but after a short drive, you too can experience a taste of surfing, right in your own backyard.
The Maritime Adventure 
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