Once upon a time, there were 3 patitos who lived on a beautiful vineyard in Galicia. They enjoyed their life amidst vineyards and their favorite place, the garden pond, to the fullest.
Their morning ritual consisted of the winemaker Angie bringing them their fresh food. After filling their bellies, the patitos made their way to the garden pond every day. “Al aqua patitos” called Angie, and the patitos flew to the pond. During the short flight, they always caught a glimpse of an infinitely large, blue glittering expanse in the distance.
At the pond, the patitos often chatted about whether the distant, beautiful blue resembled their pond. They had heard from Angie that the large water was the endless sea. They dreamed of exploring it one day.
One day, patito uno noticed that the garden gate was wide open. They had never seen the tall wooden gate open before. Patito uno nodded briefly to the others, and all three suddenly thought the same thing. They exchanged a quick glance and simultaneously took flight. And so it happened. They fluttered out of the garden gate and embarked on their adventure.
From the first surf to the duckdive
The patitos had heard from Angie about a beach with a bar that had appeared in movies. First things first, cafecito and making a party plan! Done.
There are large rocks in front of the bar, dividing the beach in two.The adventurous patios decided to explore the long part of the beach first. They waddled to the end and were somewhat impressed by the force with which the waves crashed onto the beach. Was this excursion such a good idea after all? This sea was quite big and wild, and there was no one here except them. Feeling somewhat discouraged, they made their way back. It was quite tedious to waddle through this sand. Ufff.
But something was different from the outward journey. “Look,” said patito dos, “the water is much lower than before.” Back at the bar, they first had another cafecito, a new party plan had to be made. In the distance, they saw dorsal fins emerging and curiously climbed onto the rocks to see who was frolicking in the water.
One of the dolphins spotted the patitos and swam towards the rock. “Hey, who are you guys?” he asked. “We wanted to swim somewhere other than in the pond at home, but we’re not sure about swimming here,” they replied.
“Well then, come with me!” said the dolphin and led them to the other part of the beach. The water had gone down quite a bit, and waves were forming in some places.
“Do you see where the water is darker and no waves break?” asked the dolphin. “Those are channels, you can easily come to us in deeper water through there, and then we’ll show you how to surf.”
The patitos looked at each other undecidedly. “Surfing? Us? Hmmm.”
Without a bath in the sea and an adventure, going back home was not an option for them. So they gathered all their courage and jumped into the sea at the spot the dolphin had shown them.
And indeed, there was a current that pulled them out to the open sea, and just like that, they were in the lineup with the dolphins. “Now you just have to wait for a wave, paddle a bit, and then let it take you. You can come back over the channel. Easy peasy!” explained the dolphin. And indeed, it worked splendidly! The patitos were mighty stoked after their first waves. But then there was a big set, and they drifted helplessly in the impact zone. In the meantime, Keala Kennally had paddled into the lineup and found the patitos as she caught a big wave.
“You just have to do a turtle roll if you can’t get through the whitewater!” she called to the patios, who were completely disheveled and exhausted, trying hard to get back into the lineup. For the dolphins it was easy, they just dove deep under the waves, something the patitos couldn’t do. They tried the turtle roll, feet up, but it didn’t work. The water got caught in their feet and they were thrown towards the beach. In the lull between sets, they regrouped and discussed how to deal with the big waves because they really wanted to get back into the lineup. “We just dive under the whitewater and make ourselves very slim, tuck our wings in and pierce the wave with our beak. “Sounds like a great party plan!” they agreed, and it worked. This is how the patitos invented the duckdive. Even Keala was impressed and copied the technique.
The patitos surfed until the tide was high again, and no waves were breaking. They shared the waves and stoke with Keala and the dolphins.
“If you want to explore other waves here in Galicia, call our friend Ramon, he knows his way around here!” called the dolphins as they bid farewell. “Sea you in the water soon!”
Exhausted and happy, the patios waddled back to the bar and called Ramon to make the party plan for the next day.
Saying goodbye and starting all over again
After a restful sleep and wild dreams of a great surfing career, they followed Ramon’s advice and set off early to another beach nearby. To the shock of all, there was a dead dolphin on the beach. “Come on – let’s bury it,” they said and did it.
The sun was shining, and they blinked at the sea. The waves drew even lines on the gleaming water. “There’s hardly any wind, and a good swell from the west sends us great conditions,” said patito tres “Yes, and it’s low tide,” patito dos added. “Wow. Several beach breaks – one on the left, but the current looks strong there, and there are rocks. But right next to it is a top channel.” Patito dos said, “It’s too warm for me, I’m tired of the dolphin ritual, but I would take the waves further to the left, you can surf them to the right and left – look! What a great wall. And those there! Wow, you have to take them when the wave is almost breaking.” Said and done.
While patito uno and tres surfed and perfected the duckdive, Noah Klapp came by the beach and got into a conversation with patito dos. She too was excited about duckdiving and couldn’t stop frothing.
A long day came to an end. They excitedly reported their successful experiences to Ramon. He recognized the potential of the patitos and further ignited the surfing fire in their hearts and whispered a secret tip for the next day to them.
Setting reference points and shredding
Following Ramonetta’s good advice, the patitos went to the far end of another beach, where they found the best conditions with glassy waves. Best northwest swell of 1.2m on 12 seconds was waiting for them there. At mid-tide with ebbing water, the patitos jumped into the channel next to the rocks and made sure, through clever reference point setting, not to be pulled by the current into the rocky section of the beach.
Upon arrival in the lineup, they greeted the 2 ripping locals as they should and set reference points at the peak to be properly positioned for the epic waves. After a 2-hour shredding on soft spilling waves, they took the last wave-taxi of the day back to the beach and treated themselves to a cafecito at the ‘Abierto todo el año’, the beach café that was closed the day before, and let the sun shine on their beaks.
They couldn’t get enough, they were completely hooked. Tomorrow they wanted to set out on their own and remembered Angie’s stories.
Onto new shores
So it happened that our curious patios set out to surf the waves at a beautiful and deserted long beach further North. ”In which direction do we have to fly?” asked patito uno.
“Well, to the north, of course, you heard Angie, if there are no waves around here, we should go North,” replied another.
And so, at dawn, they crossed the next ria northward, already seeing the beautiful hill overlooking the ria in sight. Hardly had they flown over a small city, they already saw the huge sandy beach framed by sanddunes, and the wide lagoon emerging in the morning mist.
“Oh,” patito uno exclaimed impressed.
“Ah,” marvelled patito dos.
And: “Damn it’s beautiful, and no one far and wide,” patito tres exclaimed.
Our patitos landed on the striking large stone to the left of the path to the beach and devised an epic party plan.
“That’s the way!” finally exclaimed patito uno solemnly.
“Al agua patos!” they shouted in unison and jumped joyfully into the turquoise-blue water and shredded it for all it was worth.
After this epic session, our happy patitos sat on the beach and considered where to go next.
After some deliberation, one of the patitos shouted, “How could we forget, come on, let’s call Ramon, he always knows where the waves are!” And so it happened.
On fire
The weather on the next day was worse than expected. The storm was supposed to have passed already, but it was still very windy. Later in the afternoon, it calmed down a bit, and the patitos found another wave at a hidden beach nearby. Without any special expectations, they eventually went into the water. To get into the lineup, it was necessary today to continue refining the duckdives to get through the meter-high waves. The reward for this were many wipeouts due to the steep waves and little surfing. However, the surfed waves felt even better because of it.
At the end of the day, the patitos called Ramon. He said, “Uff patitos, I think, this was not an easy session.”
After this great inner and outer journey, the patios returned to the vineyard full of impressions, as inventors and completely stoked. They were already missed dearly by Angie. Excitedly, they reported their experiences and the invention of the duck dive. They had no idea yet what a revolutionary impact this would have on surfing worldwide.
And if they haven’t died, they’re still duckdiving today.
Thanks for joining, and for this great story: Annette, Casper, Judith, Nora, Seba and Torge.
That’s right, this years cold water surfteam was wiggling like there was no tomorrow. Other than the last years, the team spend 14 days up at the D-Place (Northwest Ireland). That’s a lot of time for loooads of waves, rainbows and general fun.
Wonder what the team has been up to? This time we won’t bore you with words in our #triplog but will let the images in our Facebook photo album and the video speak for itself.
Passionate cold water surfer yourself?? Want to be part of our surfteam?? Next years two weeks trip #IrishIcebox is now open for bookings. First to book is the first to hang and surf with us in the D-Place in November 2025.
We surely can’t wait for it to be November again. Can you??
End of May this year we had the incredible opportunity to realize a surf coaching trip like no other. Nestled in the picturesque coastal region of West Galicia, we ran the #SurfingBrains surftrip, a unique surftrip combining expert surf coaching with neuro-centered training.
Over the course of 10 days, under the guidance of NOMB Surfcoach Angie and neuronuss trainer Chegus, we delved into the fascinating world of brain-focused techniques to enhance surfing skills. With the added delights of delicious meals prepared by camp chef Marie and the invaluable insights from local surfguide Ramon, this journey was a true immersion into the world of surf and neuroscience.
Is it safe?
Safety is of incredible importance in any sporting activity, especially one as dynamic as surfing. But for our brain, the question ´Is it safe?’ is essential. If our brain decides that something isn’t safe, it restricts our body from certain movements.
The carefully designed #SurfingBrainns program took a comprehensive approach to address this concern. Prior to hitting the waves, our participants treated their brains with specific activations and individual warm-ups. In addition they learned about reading and interpreting forecasts, connecting with the wave and identifying potential lines in the wave. NOMB Surfcoach Angie and local surfguide Ramon shared their expertise, teaching the team how to make informed decisions to ensure safety for their brains while maximizing the surfing experience.
The art of partyplanning (spot analysis)
With the guidance of our coaches, they developed a keen eye for recognizing wave formations, studying tidal patterns, and understanding the local geography to really understand why the waves were breaking the way they are. Here is the team partyplanning at an incredible surfspot up North.
Mastering spot analysis is crucial for surfers seeking the best waves. During the #SurfingBrains trip, our surfers learned the art of spot analysis, discovering how to identify the ideal wave conditions and entering the water with an already set plan. With their faithfull companion (our workbook) they partyplanned before every single surfsession, turning it into an importan routine. Here is the team partyplanning at a beautiful surfspot up North.
Exploring the brain’s influence on surfing
Neuro-centered training formed the 2nd core of #SurfingBrains, and it opened up a whole new perspective on improving surfing skills. The team delved into the science behind the brain’s role in sports performance, focusing on concepts such as input-output integration and hand-eye coordination. Through interactive sessions led by neuronuss.ch trainer Chegus, our surfers gained insights into how our brains process information and regulate our movements while surfing.
One key aspect was the individually designed warm-up routines that targeted specific neural pathways to enhance our physical preparedness. By understanding the brain’s adaptability, our surfers optimized their individual warm-up exercises and improve overall performance in the water.
Connecting with waves through vision
Surfing is an art of connecting with the waves, and our vision plays a vital role in this interaction. We dedicated a significant portion of this trip to understanding how vision impacts our surfing abilities. We explored techniques to enhance visual focus, depth perception, and spatial awareness while riding the waves.
By honing our visual skills, we became more attuned to the subtleties of wave formations, identifying basic lines, and distinguishing different zones of the wave. This newfound visual acuity allowed us to navigate the waves with more precision and grace.
Busy surftrip life
It wasn’t all serious training during our trip. Tons of giggles and fun moments marked every day. Important to mention were the UNO nights, finishing every day with even more giggles. We saw great clothing styles, air golf games and motor races.
Highlights outside the ocean were definately the relaxing trip to a beautiful spa and the visit to the workshop of local shapers Oscar and Trigo from Camiño do Rio Surfboards. Shapers isn’t actually the proper term for those to legends as their boards are made of wood. We felt very honoured that Oscar and Trigo shared their surfboard art and good vibes with the team. Gracias chicos!
An adventure into our brains
The #SurfingBrains trip in Galicia was an extraordinary adventure that merged the worlds of surfing and neurocentered training. We have all had aaahhhaa moments and got closer to understanding the complexity of our brains.
Big thanks goes out to NOMB Surfers Astrid, Marlen, Meike and Tina, trusting us to take their brains on a surfing journey. Big thanks also of course to Chegus from neuronuss.ch and Marie for spoiling us with delicious food. Check out our Facebook photo album for more pics about this incredible trip.
Stay tuned for news about a similiar trip planned in 2024. Sign up for our newsletter (below) to be the first one finding out.
Galicia just has something special about it. We are not sure if it’s the waves, the people, the climate or maybe a little bit of everything mixed together. Thinking about it, the waves do play a very important roll in our Galicia addiction 😉
In our 6th year of surftrips in Galicia, we decided to run two intensive surfcamps, a two-weeks and a one-week camp. While the first camp was gifted with waves every day at our doorstep, the second camp experienced a rare flat spell.
No problem either, that only meant that we had to move to find some waves. The reward of driving around were incredible waves of all sizes. Look at the happy facer of our surfteams, they speak for themselves.
Can’t imagine what our wavehunting looked like? Wanna see smiley faces and Schabernack? Well, see it for yourself and check our Facebook photo albums for #GarfioGallego I and #GarfioGallego II.
To be honest, our serious wave addiction only got worse after this month in Galicia. That´s why we are super stoked to announced that in 2024, once again, we will be running two surfcamps in our favourite part of mainland Spain. Check out #Geilicia 2024 for more details. Warning: surfspaces will be booked out very fast, be quick to reserve yours.
Our last surfcoaching trip, #GuadeGirlsGang, didn’t have much to do with housewife duties and buying flowers. What we got was full on ladies power, in and outside the water. Six amazing mermaids crossed the Atlantic to take part in our confidence boost surftrip on the incredibly beautiful island of Guadeloupe.
For all of those you who have never heard of Guadeloupe before, it’s a French overseas region and an island group in the South Caribbean. And yep, it really does look like a postcard.
About the surftrip
Guiding the trip were surfcoach Angie and mental coach Doro. The idea behind the #GuadeGirlsGang was to actively build up confidence in the water. And hell yeah, did it work.
A mix of beautiful, glassy and consistent waves made it possible for the girls to work on the topic of this trip: to actively search for the waves. As a surfer transitions from whitewash to unbroken waves, it is really important to realize, how much we have to focus on the right positioning in the wave. A lot of times learning surfers think their paddle technique is off, or they are not strong enough. Truth is, if you position yourself at the right part of the wave, you only need about 4 paddles to gain some speed on your board. And then let the wave does it magic.
This process includes connecting with the wave, anticipating what the wave is gonna do while at the same time controlling emotions and chains of movement. Sounds complicated, right? Well, every surfer has to pass through this section, in order to become an independent and controlled surfer.
Needless to say, that our mermaids totally nailed it. The third day saw them catching waves by themselves and loads of them. Daily partyplanning before hitting the waves (analysing the conditions) helped to know where to sit, which waves to take and generally being in control.
Breaking limits
Then it was time for the girlsgang to test their limits. Local surfcoach Fredo took the group to a wave breaking offshore over shallow reef. The paddle out there wasn’t anything short of breathtaking. Seriously, surfing in Guadeloupe feels like surfing in an aquarium. Unbelievable. But back to the waves. We deliberately pushed the girls out of their comfortzones. The waves rolling in were clean and clearly marked, but also not small in size. Using techniques they had learned before (i.e. positive selftalk, the use of mantras, inner picture.) our mermaids faced the walls of water. And siiii, every single at least one took waves. Angie,Doro and Fredo were so incredibly proud!!
After this session, and the expansion of the individual comfort zones, the waves at our local spot didn’t bear much of a challenge anymore for the girls. Hence giving them all the time and opportunities to work on their surfing skills. While inconspicuously building up more and more confidence. Coach Angie was super happy with the results, surfcoach Fredo was left speechless with the improvements of the girlsgang. So proud of you, ladies! Check out our Facebook album and get lost in the picture perfect photos.
So much more to this surftrip in Guadeloupe
Apart from workshopping and surfing, there were a lot of other things going on: sunbathing, walking through the mangroves, chilling at the homebase, discovering our little town, exploring some crazy waterfalls, looking after Morny and her puppies, meeting Pierre and getting invited into his house, seeing turtles, eating from banana leaves sitting on the floor, pingponging, and simply laughing our hearst out. We admit, here might have been the odd ‘ I can buy myself flowers’ singoff, too. Thanks so much for your trust, good vibes and love: Doro, Gina, Kiki, Naomi, Niki and Susa. To us you are absolute rockstars.
Exciting news! #GuadeGirlsGang Vol.2
What we have learned in our time in Guadeloupe is to simply let life flow. And that’s exactly what we are gonna do and why we have decided to do it all over again. Clap your hands for #GuadeGirlsGang Vol.2, already in the making. With a renewed format, including even more time in the water, we are on the quest to get more girls confident in the water.
Do you want to be one of our next 6 mermaids in Guadeloupe? Get in touch to ask questions or sign up for our newsletter to be the first one finding out about the trip dates & details. We surely can’t wait for next year and more fun and incredible waves in Guadecrazyloupe. Sea you there!
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