Hampton Style - August 3, 2007

I had big ambitions to become a surfer chick this summer. It's something I've always wanted to be, but have never lived near the ocean long enough to learn. It seems like a fun way to get a great workout and meet cute guys. The only downside is potential injury. I once watched a surfer emerge from the ocean with a bloody face after his board hit him in the nose--it was broken in a few places and there was a nasty gash over his eye. It occurred to me that he could have been blinded. It's been a hard image to forget.

Over the years, I've taken lessons in locales as far-flung as Australia and as local as Montauk, but I've never made much progress past standing up for a few seconds. The hassle of tracking the right weather conditions and renting a board and a wetsuit just seemed overwhelming. I already had snow skiing in my life: who needs more than that? But when I moved to Water Mill, I couldn't help but feel like I was missing a great party out in the ocean that a lot of my close friends were attending, particularly in Ditch Plains. They had their own language, social codes, and surfer garb. I guess that's how latecomers to skiing feel, too.

A friend suggested I try taking a lesson with Shane Dyckman, the 34-year-old owner of Flying Point Surf & Sport shop on Main Street in Southampton. He also runs Flying Point Surf School ($475 a week) for kids and grown-ups alike. They set up camp, literally, near the Southampton Bathing Corporation, where a sandbar has created a gentle break close to the beach. They're hard to miss, as they stake a claim on the sand with surfboards, wetsuits, and an entourage of teachers and students painted with white-zinc sunscreen. Shane's the blond, blue-eyed head counselor.

It's hard to feel nervous during a private surf lesson with Shane, because he acts like an all-in-one lifeguard, coach, and concierge. He swam alongside me while I paddled out in the ocean, told me when to catch a wave, and pushed me into it for extra momentum. Then he would yell out when to stand up--and stand up I did! I wouldn't say I ripped it up, but I rode some minor waves in to the shore. After I fell or jumped off my board, he would tell me when to get out and walk down the beach if the current dragged me, and would sometimes get out and carry my board himself. If another surfer were angling at my head, Shane would warn me with ample time to get out of the way. It was very "Gidget Goes to the Four Seasons."

Besides Shane, there were a few other teachers in the water with their students. Sometimes they would swap disciples, depending where everyone was situated. I felt constantly supervised and encouraged, even entertained. I was finally part of the party! My arms were sore the next day, but I had renewed my resolve to become a surfer chick. Soon. Very soon.

Flying Point Surf School
Southampton, NY.
Lesson price: $100,
including wetsuit and board;
516-885-6607. The big thrill Surf instructor Shane Dyckman treads the board.