I am no surfer. I fear the deep. I fear drowning. You see, fear limits oneself from accomplishing things. But what if, fear is taken out of the picture? What do you get? Adventure!

Here are the lessons that I learned from surfing:

1. Take out your prejudices. Take out your fear. Go and face the waves.

2. Be observant. At the start of the demo, take note of how things are being done. Watch other surfers do it.

Thanks to Kara Santos for this photo

3. Focus. Listen to what your instructor tells you.

4. Believe in yourself that you can do it and you will.

5. Persistence is key. When you fall off the board, try again. Practice makes perfect. Cliche it may sound but this is true especially if you’re just starting out.

6. Don’t forget to smile despite everything.

7. Never let failure stop you from going on. And you’ll be surprised that after the nth try, you have succeeded. You have conquered the waves!

Photos are taken in Bagasbas Beach, Camarines Norte.

You may want to read a related story that I wrote for Rappler.com: Bagasbas: A beginner’s surf spot.