Luna Learns How to SUP

So now that Luna is getting used to the skateboard, I thought I’d progress her to the SUP board.  I’ve been very careful about not traumatizing her because inevitably she’ll be attending surf camp this summer as well as mom’s daily surf lessons — she is destined to be a great surfing dog.  Yet, she’s only 5 months old and just getting used to swimming in the ocean.  She’s been nippin’ at the ankle biters on the shore and slurping up mouthfuls of ocean water and sand – so this whole beach lifestyle thing is a novel concept to Luna.

Last week, after too many hours in front of the computer screen, I decided to call it quits & take Luna for a sunset surf session.  I loaded my SUP & Luna, who was adorned in an old hot pink MSG rashguard ten sizes too big.  After tying a knot to tighten it to her, she proceeded to chase the long tailed knot in circles like it’s her own tail. I wish I had a video of that, but instead I called good ol’ Captain Wilmes down to film Luna’s first rides on my SUP.

I parked at the Cove Park in Kihei, a normally really calm cove, was pretty windy with shoulder high waves.  The sun was setting and I figured it would glass off.  Before I knew it I was paddling Luna off into the sunset.  And before I knew it, we were catching her first wave…a wave that seemed to grow bigger and steeper with each stroke into it.  I’m thinking…great Dustin, go traumatize your puppy in big surf on a big stand up.  Meanwhile, Luna is standing on all fours near the nose acting pretty calm for the impending doom I’m starting to feel in my gut.  I leaned back and barely prevented a nose dive and soon enough the whitewater caught up to us.  I think I wiped out before Luna did trying to save us.  Luna took it like a champ though!  She swam through the whitewater back to the board where I fetched her back on for a mellow paddle back in.