For waves, this is right on song

PROVING GROUND: Hanalei Bay, on the north shore of Kauai is one of the Pacific's perfect anchorages.

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Even the words of Waltzing Matilda sound exotic coming from a retired Californian lifeguard standing waist-deep in the warm waters off Hawaii.

I'm lying prone in the water, on a foam longboard that's twice my size, listening to him to sing our anthem slang. Somewhere between the jolly swagman and jumbuck, he breaks off. "Ready to catch your own wave?" he asks suddenly, eyes keen to the approaching swell.

I nod. He gives me a push. Then he yells after me: "Paddle, baby, paddle. Up. Woo-woo!"

Surfing is not as easy as it looks. But in the calm, clear waters of Hanalei Bay, on the north shore of Kauai, the Hawaiian archipelago's northern-most island, the so-called "surf play" perfected by Polynesian islanders hundreds of years ago almost seems a cinch.

The bay is one of the Pacific's perfect anchorages - it's crescent-shaped with 3.2 kilometres of palm-fringed beach that sweeps out to a flat, sandy bottom. Preferred by world-class super yachts and local fisherman, it's also favoured by learn-to-surfers. Two reefs protect the bay - Queen to the left and King to the right. In winter the reefs send forth a mighty swell that is famous among the big kahunas. But today, in mid-summer, sweetly rolling three-footers meet our longboards.

Our small group ranges in age from eight to 48. None of us has been board-riding before, although, as the token Australian, I feel some pressure from our instructor, Ron Dix.

"You got great surf spots in Australia," he says. "What are you doing here? Your guys drive our guys crazy because they come here and win all the competitions."

It might seem strange to learn to surf in Hawaii, but when it comes to the real thing, you can't get any better. European history attributes the early art of longboarding to the Hawaiian islanders. The first written account dates to 1779 - the same year that Captain James Cook was speared to death on the island of Hawaii.

Following Cook's death, James King was made first lieutenant and given charge over the late captain's journals. King gave over two pages to surfing, describing the men as "almost amphibious" and recounting how they would "lay themselves flat upon an oval piece of plan, about their size and breadth".

"They keep their legs close on top of it, & their Arms are us'd to guide the plank," King wrote. "They wait the time of the greatest Swell that sets on Shore, & altogether push forward with their Arms to keep on its top. It sends them in with a most astonishing Velocity, & the great art is to guide the plan so as always to keep it in a proper direction on the top of the Swell."

It was a gentle swell that King described. Today, not surprisingly, learn-to-surf schools jostle for prime real estate along Kauai's Highway 560.

The best teacher on the island is Dix. An old-school surfer, he travels sans-website and is best found by visiting the northern end of Hanalei Bay shortly before 7am on any day.

Dix came to Hawaii from San Francisco almost 40 years ago and takes pleasure in knowing a little about each student's culture, as well as sharing something of his own. "They kicked me out of San Francisco when they learned I was straight," he quips.

When it comes to teaching surfing, Dix is as straight-up as they come. We spend five minutes getting the basics on the beach. Don't turn your back to the waves and stay out of each other's way, he tells us. Then we are in the water.

Paul, from California, sets the standard. He's up and standing on the first wave. His eight-year-old daughter, Lindsay, quickly outdoes him, crouching, arms out, Gidget-style, all the way to the sand. His wife tries surfing at the same time as adjusting her swimmers and barely makes it over the peak. I'm next. I only make it from lying to crouching before I'm in the drink. On my second wave, I'm lying-crouching-standing, knees bent, goofy footed, hands flailing to find my balance. A few seconds later I'm wiping out and hitting the sand, bellyflopping without grace. But there's a perm-a-grin on my face.

"Good to see you smiling, Australia," Dix says as I paddle back to him. "You're looking good out there."

For years, Dix taught with Kauai's Learn to Surf school. He recently went solo but still remembers what it's like to learn. When he came to Hawaii he could only body surf. But not for long. "Everybody had boards so I had to learn in self-defence," he laughs. "I much prefer body surfing though. I still love doing that."

It's the best thing I've heard all day. The lying-crouching-standing regime might be exhilarating but nothing beats gliding through the centre of the waves. After the lesson, I unleash myself and dive into the water. It's as good as any billabong.

TRIP NOTES

Kauai: surfing lessons with Ron Dix, Hanalei Bay, Kauai. Classes priced from $US45 ($NZ63) for 90 minutes.

Learn to Surf, Kapaa, Kauai. From $US40 for 90 minutes.

Oahu: Learn to Surf Hawaii, Honolulu, Waikiki, Diamond Head and Sunset beaches. Classes from $US99 for two hours.

Big Island, Hawaii: Kona Surf Adventures. Classes from $US99 for two hours.

- © Fairfax NZ News