Caroline Sarran

Trip 13

DAY 1

It’s about 10:30am when I arrive on board. I’m so tired because I have had to make a very long trip (about twenty hours from France). I met Jodie Smith at the airport, she’s a very nice Aussie. She stays at my house when on holiday. When I arrived on the boat Danielle Beck, Quiksilver USA, introduced herself and the other girls.

There is Veronica, Lisa, Sofia, Jodie, Christiana, Danielle, Sue, Claudia, the captain John, Zane the cook and crew; Jim, Chris and Sue. I know Veronica and Sophia. I’ve had to take some photos with Veronica. She’s really nice and funny. Sofia is a very nice girl. I met her during the Billabong Pro, I really like her because she speaks English and a little French so she can explain to me what I don’t understand. I don’t really know the other girls. There is also Jeff Hornbaker and Don King, They are the photographers. All the countryside is very beautiful, very blue with a lot of islands with green palms like the postcards.

DAY 2

I have my first surf here, it’s a right but not that good. However, I had fun. The take off was really good and after the wave stopped. During this session I caught a very good wave. I was at the take off and Lisa said to me, “Go, Go” and I am sure it was the best wave of my session, “Thank you, Lisa”. After this good surf we had a lunch, which was very good, and John, the captain, told me “we will go to check for another wave”, a left. The search was long, about eight hours.

During this day we also did a “reef check”. It was so cool. I have seen a lot of beautiful fish; blue, yellow, black and I have also seen a shark. So beautiful, it was not really big. During the trip to another island I saw dolphins in front of the boat. I really like dolphins, they are my favourite animals and I have never seen one before. After that I felt so sick. I went to sleep very early, maybe at 3pm, without eating.

DAY 3

It was a very good day. We arrived at an island. There is a left, beautiful, but very small. I went surfing with Sophia and Jodie. It was very good, but diving one wave I touched the reef because it was very shallow, but I was ok. Jodie broke her board at the nose which she was unhappy about because it was her favourite board. After this good surf the Captain, Veronica and I went diving. I didn’t dive very deep because of my left ear, however, the fish were very beautiful but the reef was dead. When we finished the dive we did a little surfing which was not that good, then the whole group went to a lagoon. First, we walked for a while on the rocks, which was difficult, before we arrived at a blue lagoon, like a swimming pool. It was very funny because we fought with black things. When we came back on board with Danielle, Lisa, Veronica and Jeff we went fishing. It was good.

DAY 4

I can’t say a lot of things about this day because we have done nothing but sleep and watch TV because we were travelling. I have seen Austin Powers but I can’t say if it’s a good or a bad film because I don’t understand the language.

DAY 5

All morning we traveled to our next destination, a famous tourist destination in French Polynesia. When we arrived all the girls were tired because of the long trip, but we went surfing anyway because we were too excited about the beautiful right, not perfect but very good. It was very crowded with people but I had some good waves. All the girls had good waves and Sophia had a great wipeout. I hurt my foot and Sophia cut herself. I did a small barrel but I can’t surf very well with my foot. All the girls had a long surf. Tonight the cook had prepared a very good dinner with ice cream with chocolate for dessert……because it was Halloween.

DAY 6

Today was so good, we had two surfs and we went to buy chocolate.

At about 6:30am the entire group went surfing. There were some good waves. It was smaller than yesterday but too crowded. At every wave there was someone already on it so it was very difficult to catch a wave. I don’t know why but the group ate at 10am after surfing. I ate mashed potatoes, they were so good. After this “strange dinner” we went surfing again. During this session, I took a lot of waves, more than other girls, some waves were good and others bad, but it was cool. After this second surf we went to the same place as last night, really beautiful. A man on a jetski followed us. Veronica, Jodie, Sophia, Danielle, Jeff and I went to a supermarket to buy some sweets, chocolate and wine.

I’m so happy to be on this trip. I like everyone that is onboard. Particularly Danielle. She’s so nice and funny especially when she dances. It’s so cool!

DAY 7

I love this day because in the morning I had one of my best surfs so far. It was a right, about one meter with a good take off. I have caught a lot of waves and my surf was good. The Captain said to me that I had a good surf, Sofia and Danielle said I was “ripping”. The waves are on fire.

I was so happy when they said that to me because I had caught some beautiful waves, I was a little proud of myself for a while. In the afternoon we went to buy some food and tour the island. At night Danielle, Jodie, Sofia and I watched two videos. “The Moment”, which was very good, and my favourite video “No Destination”. Now I will go to sleep because I am so tired and excited for tomorrow, same surf at the right. Good!!!

DAY 8

The waves were not good today. It was smaller than yesterday and really shallow. I caught some good waves so never mind. I have done a “reef check’ but was not hurt. I have surfed three times today but one time was very short. I have played skipper with Veronica and Jodie. Today and yesterday we surfed with a Tahitian, Christopher, a nice boy. He got some good barrels. Tonight we watched “Armageddon”, a film with Bruce Willis, really good and sad. Jodie cried which made me laugh.

I’m so happy because I learn more and more English everyday. I don’t want to go back to France, I want to stay here with the other girls.

DAY 9 I had fun today. I surfed twice, it was good. The first time was not good, I didn’t enjoy myself but the second time was really good and funny. It was with Lisa, Sofia, Veronica and Danielle. My first wave was a big one, one of the set. I didn’t do a lot on it but it was good and big. I had a good wipeout too. I was on the lip of the wave with Veronica and I said to her “Go Veronica”. I don’t know what happened but I was falling at the same time as the wave, it was so funny, I loved this session. I had a good time with Veronica, I guess because we have the same taste. Today, Jodie hit her face (mouth) with her board during a duck dive but I think she’s ok.

DAY 10

I’m sad, because this trip will finish soon and I want to stay here with the girls. I had some good sessions today and I think I surfed more today than any other day. I had three sessions, a tow-in in this morning and one in the afternoon. All my sessions today were good. It was on a left, a good left, the same as yesterday and I had a lot of fun, sooo gooooood!!!!!!! We have also taken some photos with Jeff (the photographer). It was so funny; all the tall girls with the small girls on their shoulders, all the girls were laughing. During the day I was so tired but the waves were so good that I surfed with my new board. My “6.0”, a good board. I like surfing with it.

DAY 11

I didn’t like today because we didn’t have a surf, just photos and videos. We took some photos, which was funny under the rain. I was so cold and so wet. Amy bought a lot of clothes from America. It’s good because all Danielle’s clothes were so dirty and stinky now. Tonight, Zane cooked us mashed potatoes with chicken. It was so good. Now I will go to sleep because I’m so tired.

DAY 12

Yes, just two days left on this boat. I just want to stay here. Today we had a surf that seemed strange. I had to take my 5”7’ and there were sets more than 2 metres. I didn’t catch a lot of waves because my board was really too small, at the take off it was pumping and moving. If I had known the waves were like this I would have taken my 6.0 or my 6.6. During this session Veronica caught some good waves (she had a bigger board). After, with the girls we went to take photos with Jeff, it was so funny, we had a good time. And later again, just with Veronica and Christiana we went to take more photos. It was funny. I think Veronica is one of the best people I have ever met. She’s like my big sister and me her little sister, she’s so coooooool!!!!

DAY 14

Today we leave. I don’t want to go back to France. Today we packed our stuff and in the afternoon did a little surfing. There was Hira Touinatofa. He rips, and he’s too handsome. Now I’m at the hotel but I am a little scared being alone in this hotel and then at the airport. We will have a dinner and after that I will be alone. Then I will finish this trip with a lot of great memories.

THANK YOU FOR THIS MAGIC TRIP.