Learning to surf in Brazil

Even before picking up a surfboard, there were a few things causing me to feel apprehensive about learning to surf in Brazil.

Firstly, I was worried about the language barrier. I’d picked Florianopolis, a island in the state of Santa Catarina to learn and this meant that the native language was going to be Portuguese, and my knowledge of the language only went as far as ‘obrigado’.

Secondly, I was worried about Brazil’s surf reputation. Having had only one surf lesson in the past, was I going to get embarrassed by an incredible standard?

My lessons took place on a beach called ‘Matadeiro’ and it’s a tropical paradise. Sandwiched by two headlands and covered by greenery, the smooth sand gives way in parts to exposed rock which could be of note to rock climbers. The beach has a fantastic natural contrast and was, of course, full of surfers.

When I arrived, I was immediately confronted with one of my anxieties. The standard of surfing was incredible. The first surfer I saw hit a 360. I thought, “Great, this is how Brazilians do. Now I’m going to embarrass myself just trying to stand up on the board”.”

For those uninitiated in board sport language, a 360 (three sixty) is when an individual does a full spin on the board while airborne. It’s considered a pretty difficult trick and confirmed that I was entirely out of my depth.

So, there I was, holding on to my learner surfboard in a surf school rash vest, not sure if I’d paid for a lesson in Portuguese, surrounded by lifelong surfers. The heat was on in more ways than one as I remembered I’d forgotten to put sun cream on. At least I didn’t need the toilet.

As we headed out into the water, it was clear that the level of English was basic from the instructors, but things went ok. The tips the instructors gave was better than, “paddle, paddle, paddle, believe in God,” like the advice I had from another sufer.

I also learned the hard way to always look towards the waves coming at you when surfing, as after an hour and a half of getting slammed in the face by walls of water, I had enjoyed my first surf lesson in Brazil.

I spent a total of a week and a half in Florianopolis and I started to get the hang of surfing. I also spent time exploring the island, doing the spectacular Praia da Lagoinha do Leste hike, eating at the rustic Bar do Arante seafood restaurant on the beach and enjoying the local nightlife.