my day of surfing

My Day of Surfing
By: David Alexander Watson

As soon as I step out of the hotel room I get a strong whiff of the saltwater air. I step onto the beach with my friends surfboard under my arm. I feel the sand under my feet and the breeze in my face. My friend walks up behind me and pats me on the shoulder asking me if I am ready. I am not sure to tell you the truth. Then he goes off to talk about something with his family and I wonder if they are laughing at me. The waves around me crashing reminding me of what I am about to do. I try not to look over to the rocks but, I can not help my self from catching my eyes taking a peep over at them. I get up the nerves and start out into the water to try to get up.
I am sitting on the surfboard waiting for the perfect wave, I hear an airplane go by overhead and it distracted my for a second but I regained my focus. My friend is yelling and telling me I can do it. The taste of saltwater already in my mouth from previous wipe outs. I see the wave, I am getting that nervous feeling again as the wave approaches. I turn towards the beach. I prepare to get up on the board, I begin to paddle. All of a sudden the wave is upon me and I get up on the board, but i fall straight off and I begin to paddle out back again to go try again. I try again but the same thing happens. This time i get awfully close to the rocks because of the current so I get out of the water and walk up the beach to get away from them. Especially since I can not really steer the board yet.
When I get back out there I have a feeling that this time might be the time. I see a wave coming towards me but it is not the one, so i let it past. Then the perfect wave came, I could feel it. When it got close enough to me I began to paddle. As soon as I am up, I am down. When I fall down I fall awkwardly on my knee, it hurts badly. As soon as I caught my breath I get up and go try again.