I'm A Surf Addict

I'm A Surf Addict

surfer, sun rays, Nathan Adams, Optical Tranquility, short board

Photo by Nathan Adams, courtesy of Optical Tranquility.

You feel almost like a speck encompassed by nature. I was surfing with my friends, there was no one around but us and the waves were just about perfect - barrels, after barrels, after barrels-

Nathan Adams , U.S.A.

Date Posted: 02/09/07

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Florida-native Nathan Adams, 33, is a self-described surf addict who has found a way to both live his passion and make a buck. Nathan is the proprietor behind Optical Tranquility, which showcases his photography of a range of subjects including surfing, waves, sunsets, panoramas, travel and weddings. He's been surfing since he was just a little "grommet" and has plans to swallow water till he dies. He said sharks and near-drowning are just part and parcel of pursuing the best sensation on earth. For Nathan, keeping the stoke alive is all that matters, whether it be surfing, spending time with friends, enjoying a sunrise or being one with nature. It's a charmed life.

It's a beautiful day in Florida today - sunny and 75 F. I picked up a camera about two years ago after completing my business degree in computer networking and business management. My love for surfing motivated me to pursue a career in surf photography. I also photograph weddings, special events-well just about anything that will draw a paycheque. But surfing is what drives me because I've lived on a beach all my life and it is an environment that inspires. For me, it's a personal connection with nature and the ever changing condition of the oceans. Whether you're in the water or lying on the beach, it's a feeling you can't get with anything else. Or maybe it's just the bikini.

Surfing and the lifestyle associated with it is not a constant in a sense; the waves are always different, the conditions are always changing and the creativity of the youth helps push the boundaries set by the previous generation. So, what draws me to surfing - to simply be stoked!

I'm far from mastering it. I think only a couple people have mastered it - surfers like Kelly Slater and Lisa Anderson, who are prodigies in themselves. But I started to surf when I was a little grommet at about 8-years-old. My mom got me a spongy foam board shaped like a surfboard (but safer), and that's what I started learning on. I don't even really remember the process of learning how to surf; I've been doing it for over 25 years, so I've sort of filed those days away in the memory banks.

I don't really have a particular favorite place to surf, but I'd say anywhere that's warm and tropical for sure.