Surfing vs Stand Up Paddling, is like Crypto

Resistance to change is universal

When stand up paddleboarding or SUP as it's known, first made it's appearance as an exciting new watersport a couple of years ago, it too was shunned by all the surf community, and pretty much still is today. As far as myself, the hardcore surfer, and anyone else who owned a surfboard were concerned, the dark side had finally reached the lineup. I swore I'd never be seen dead on a SUP, it went against everything "core" about surfing, and was never going to last.

I see the same sort of response coming from the mainstream whenever I mention crypto currency, and if those words happen to fall on the ears of anyone involved in the finance / investment field, you are sure to get a mouthfull response containing words like: Pozi, scam, ripoff, bubble and risky, to rattle off a few.

And so when SUP's first came out, I shunned them, pointed fingers and called them "The Zimmer frames of the sea" only for old men who don't know how to catch waves or surf, a menace to everyone in the lineup, rule breakers and benders, that had no place in the surf community, the Devils work on water. "Soon someones going to get really hurt out there" i'd say.

Were it not for the day when a guy I know from surfing literally begged me to just get on a SUP and try it, I never would have experienced the complete joy and fulfillment this sport has brought to me an my family. It must be noted that this is someone I and the community consider a very competent, proficient surfer and all round solid water-man. Had it not been him that day I may never have broken down the barriers that held me back from experiencing this exciting water technology.

Its this resistance to change that holds us back in life, its easier to shun something you dont understand, then take the time to gather and understand all the facts. It's easier to listen to everyone else's doubt and uncertainty, so you go with the flow and try to drive that unsettling change right out of town, before it forces you to have to deal with it.

The list of changes SUP has brought to both my sport and recreation time is long. I no longer just chase waves to ride, but have been able to get into bigger surf, more diverse surf locations and aspects of the sport I never dreamed of. I now do down-winders over 10s of kilometers on the deep blue ocean, technical racing in and out of the surf, flat water endurance paddling and some of the most memorable sightseeing paddles with family and friends you could ever wish for. If you had asked me whether I'd be launching my board on the infamous "Millers run" in 40 Knot plus winds to take on the extreme conditions and ride the wild swells all the way home, I'd have said we were both dreaming. 

As Bitcoin and cryptos as a whole start to gain traction in everyday life, I see so many people who don't understand this exciting new technology. They don't grasp the financial freedom, security and independence that it has to offer. They don't see Bitcoin as a long term store of value and don't know about hardware wallets that can secure that long term strategy for you. People certainly don't do their homework, and it seems that their biggest focus is pondering whether to get into the crypto space or not. Once they have decided to part with their hard earned FIAT currency, they are ready to dump it on the first exchange or ICO their closest crypto smart-ass tells them to. People spend so much time focusing on FOMO and deciding on whether to get into crypto or not. Hardly any time is spent researching the crypto space, good practices, hints or tips on how to avoid the numerous scams and scammers out there. Inevitably they decide to get into crypto, make the wrong move, loose it all and call the block-chains and their currencies a scam.

One thing is for sure,  I wouldn't be where I am today without the ocean, its waves, my diminishing collection of favorite surfboards, my ever growing quiver of SUP's and of course my hardware secured bitcoin. Before you take the easy road and go with the mainstream fear, doubt and uncertainty, do your homework and make your own decisions. You never know what change will bring, but as long as you are open to it, you are open to growth and benefit. The info is all out there you just need to take time out to find it. As a starter go checkout what The Bitcoin Meister has to say in his feed, I dig his thinking. I recon if Adam was a surfer, he'd SUP too. Check him out at https://steemit.com/@bitcoinmeister  

When you're out there and open to what may come your way you might even get a pleasant surprise, like the sun fish that came to say hello the other day on a paddle.