[edit]Noun
waterman (plural watermen)
- A man who lives or works mainly in or near water.
- A boatman or an oarsman who has attained a high level of knowledge or skill.
- (surfing) A man skilled in multiple aquatic sports disciplines, such as surfing, bodysurfing, undersea diving, canoe paddling, fishing, etc.
[edit]Usage notes
- Describing someone as a waterman is the highest honour in the surfing community, reserved for those with long-standing and indisputably significant all-round achievements.
- http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/waterman
Wikipedia has a better one...
Webster defines waterman as "a man who makes his living from the water (as by fishing)".
The term has evolved to mean one who takes part in activities which involve water, including wave riding, wind or motor assisted sports, diving and fishing. A waterman is also skilled in interpreting weather and tide information to decide the best water activity for the conditions. They also work to improve water resources, reduce water pollution and protect water species from overexploitation.
Fishing includes both common above water pole fishing and underwater spearfishing, both with a simple spear or a spear gun. Freediving skills are aften used when fishing underwater.
I will be the first to admit that a lot of work must be done before I can call myself a waterman! Roughly 71% of the earths surface is covered by water. That being said, I have never been more than 3 miles offshore. I know very little about the ocean beyond the lineup when it really comes down to it! However I have spent the last 20 years building a wealth of knowledge and experience in the surf zone.
I am ashamed to admit that from the years 2007 through early 2009 because of a terrible job I rarely surfed! I worked crazy hours and was on call for weeks on end which meant no surfing. I gained 35 lbs of flabby fat! PlayStation 3 was getting more of my attention than my surfboards. Pathetic...I know! One year ago tomorrow I took the last drag of a cigarette I'll ever take! I stopped drinking coffee, (although I have had some cups recently), started eating better and began to run. I lost the 35 lbs., started surfing much more! I never could have done it without the help of a great; then friend;now girlfriend! Thanks Hun!
Being away from surfing and the ocean for those awful years made me love it so much more when I returned! I remember one of the 1st good days of surf that we had after I lost the weight and was feeling fit again. I could still surf!! I did turns and got tubed a lot! Life was not over...it was just beginning again! I do not mind saying that I had tears in my eyes after what was the best wave I had in years! I was back! Then I hurt my chest and shoulder and had to take a break form surfing...NO NOT AGAIN!!!
Going spearfishing thankfully did not hurt...I spent a lot of days hunting the jetty. After being away from the ocean and finding it again I was happy that even if I couldn't surf I could still enjoy the ocean. At first I was very uncomfortable in the ocean without my trusty 5'11" round tail. I became more comfortable underwater and knew that I wanted to become a freediver. I wanted to explore the oceans beneath the waves now! I wanted to become a true waterman!
I had always considered myself a waterman...but I was just a surfer. For most of my life I just wanted to be known as a surfer, possibly even a good surfer. Being able to surf well was the only characteristic of a waterman in my mind. I was wrong! I realize now that my life has been an Evolution of a Waterman...
Thanks for Reading!
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