Practices: Surfing and the Right Moment to Catch the Wave (w Nuno)

Surfing is a practice that has a lot in common with ∞OS because they are both dealing with waves. Therefore, lots of ideas from surfing can be applied in ∞OS and vice versa.

In this interview Nuno from Special Surf 78 school explains something specific about surfing that we find particularly inspiring: the right moment to catch the wave: when it just started to grow and just before it breaks. This metaphor, a specific way to catch the wave, can be scaled to other contexts and fields, not only water.

For example, this same approach can be well applied when dealing with an incoming impulse (see ∞OS Redirection Procedure). The task here is to respond to the incoming impulse at the right moment: not too late (otherwise you will be overwhelmed) and not too early (otherwise you will not be able to use its momentum). When we surf, the right moment to catch the wave is when it just started to grow and when it is close enough for us to develop the right speed (in the same direction), so we kind of integrate ourselves into the wave’s flow, rather than letting it wash us out. Check out this video below to see an example of that using two bodies for visualization: