Do you travel with someone who doesn't surf?
What sort of question is that?
Fair crack of the whip, what is the world coming to?
Its a brave man that takes his wife and mistress (board) on the same trip. Either way you will end up cheating on one or the other.
Ha! I know what you mean, but it's been almost 2o years of surf travel, either alone or with my bros. Times have changed, getting older.
Now I can actually manage to bring both board and girl, though in all fairness, I don't spend 6 hours in the water each day like I used to.
I took my partner to Tahiti when she was pregnant with our first boy and it wasn't quite what she had in mind. It didn't help that she couldn't eat much food - no soft cheeses or poisson cru because she was pregnant - or drink the wine for the same reason. Add to that most of the waves are a long wave offshore and there's not many beaches in the idyllic sense. Lastly, it rained just about the whole time we were at Chopes so she had to hang indoors.
At the time she handled it kind've OK though she's since made it abundantly clear that she's got no interest in coming on another surf trip, even if I were to accommodate her somehow. Laying around a pool, drinking cocktails, or 'shopping' are her idea of purgatory (God love her).
From now on it's 'you go this way, and I'll go that and we'll meet back at the airport.'
All my holidays have involved surf trips. The Mrs knows the deal with holidays, if there is no surf, I don't go. Even the Honeymoon was in Indo.
Nowdays with the kids, I do one trip with my mates and one with the family alternately. A couple of years ago we did up the W coast of Bali and last year went to Fiji. Surfed in the mornings, spent most of the day with the kids and Mrs (or she went diving or shopping) and surfed most arvo's.
This year back to Indo.
I would never be with someone that couldn't handle it or tried to dictate what I did. I've seen too many mates pussy whipped and they are miserable.
I'm the same as you fitzroy - my last holiday was with the Mrs in Rarotonga in the Cook Islands and then NZ on the way home - holiday before that was in the Maldives on a boat with the lads. Had our honeymoon in Samoa. Only surf mornings and arvo when with the Mrs and all day when with the lads. I think the trick is when on holiday with the Mrs go somewhere where there is surf but there are other things to do as well. When on a trip with the lads then you can go on a boat or feral land camp. Works out well I reckon....managed to score pretty epic raglan last trip so was a happy camper....all boils down to how cool the Mrs is with surfing I guess?
That seems to be the consensus from the surf community - making sure there are other things for her to do. I also find it easier when traveling in a group. If she can go shopping or get a spa treatment with the other women while the others surf, everybody is happy.
with the mrs is good. she can sit on the beach and tan her white pointers while she takes pics of me surfing. everyone wins...well i do and thats all that matters
For the last few years, my surf trips have been with my girlfriend instead of mostly solo like they used to be. It's required a bit of an adjustment so I wrote a blog post about it: 5 Tips for Surf Trips with a Partner Who Doesn't Surf. In the interest of transparency, I am associated with the eco-retreat where my blog is posted...just so ya know.
I've been trying to reach out to the surf community for more ideas. Do you travel with a spouse or partner? Does he or she surf? If not, how does that affect your trip?