Sports

First surf lesson ever in Dubai! How it went (Spoiler: Lots of falls!)

For my first surf lesson ever, I headed to Surf House Dubai, one of the best places to learn the sport in the city.

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Fatima Benhaddou

Producer

A creative from the Netherlands with 9+ years of experience in digital content from Expo 2020 Dubai & COP28 to the United Nations in New York. She has produced for i.a. UNESCO, Red Cross, ASICS, Lululemon, and the Embassy of the Netherlands in UAE and Canada. Her work has been featured on CNN Travel, Dutch National TV, and Dubai Culture. Her portfolio includes photography of high-profile delegates like Sheikh Mohammed and Hamdan Al Maktoum, as well as the Monarchy of the Netherlands. She holds a Master’s degree in Media & Business.

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The class started with some sand practice: learning how to paddle, get into the cobra pose (basically, push-ups to get into position!), and finding my balance on the board. I learned quickly that surfing is much harder than it looks—there’s a lot of technique involved, from where you position your body on the board to how you pop up into a standing position.

Despite a lot of falls, I finally caught my first wave. The feeling was absolutely amazing! The rush of standing up on the board and gliding along the water made every fall worth it.

The next day, every muscle in my body was sore. Surfing takes strength, balance, and flexibility, it’s no wonder surfers are known for their toned physiques!

Big thanks to Surf House Dubai and surf instructor Sanne for the awesome coaching and for helping me get my feet wet (literally) in the world of surfing. Can’t wait for round two!

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