This is the first photo I ever took with a 35mm camera:

The guy paddling out with the red wetsuit on traded me his camera for a telescope I had.  He gave the camera to me this day at the beach, with a roll of film already loaded in it.  He quickly showed me how to take a light reading, set the controls on the camera, focus and trigger the shutter, then he grabbed his board and paddled out.  I fiddled with the camera for a couple more minutes, saw this set coming in, snapped this picture, then put the camera away and went surfing.  Come to think of it, that pretty much sums up my entire surf-photography career.  It was sheer torture to sit on the beach taking pictures when the surf was really good and all my buddies were out there having a good time.  So, generally speaking, I would linger behind and snap a few quick pictures, then say "To hell with it!" and go surfing!