I am fascinated by surfing and how it's such a great metaphor for *life*. You never know what kind of size or wave you'll be riding, moving forward on a crest or a deep face....
Strangely enough I'm actually a surfer I live right on the water in Maryland.  Have you ever been? 
Nooooo! But I'm curious if you've surfed both coasts and your experience? Or if you do/have done artificial wave pool type surfing?
Never in a pool. I grew up in northern Florida and moved north as I got older. Bigger waves on the west coast but more constant waves on the east coast. I have surfed in 2 great lakes and a number of rivers as well.
I absolutely think ocean first -- and it's wild to think you can also do so in lakes or rivers! Where do you find waves with the former?
I've surfed in all 5 great lakes. Lake Michigan was the best. As for river's most white water rivers has spots you can surf. The New River in WV has amazing surfing.
boarding, when a surfer rides a wave on a bodyboard, either lying on their belly, drop knee, or sometimes even standing up on a body board. Other types of surfing include knee boarding, surf matting (riding inflatable mats), and using foils. Body surfing, where the wave is surfed without a board, using the surfer's own body to catch and ride the wave, is very common and is considered by some to be the purest form of surfing.
Three major subdivisions within stand-up
Surfing (disambiguation)
Surfing is a surface water sport in which the rider, referred to as a surfer, rides on the forward or deep face of a moving wave. Related activities include:
- Bodyboarding, water sport using a bodyboard
- Bodysurfing, riding a wave without the assistance of any buoyant device
- Kitesurfing, propulsion with a power kite across a surface
- Windsurfing, water sport combining surfing and sailing
Surfing may also refer to:
Activities.
- Channel surfing, quickly scanning