Rockaway: Surfing Headlong into a New Life
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- Create Date：2021-06-04 08:51:18
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Diane Cardwell
- ISBN：0358561965
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Summary
The inspirational story of one woman learning to surf and creating a new life in gritty， eccentric Rockaway Beach
Unmoored by a failed marriage and disconnected from her high-octane life in the city， Diane Cardwell finds herself staring at a small group of surfers coasting through mellow waves toward shore—and senses something shift。 Rockaway is the riveting， joyful story of one woman’s reinvention—beginning with Cardwell taking the A Train to Rockaway， a neglected spit of land dangling off New York City into the Atlantic Ocean。 She finds a teacher， buys a tiny bungalow， and throws her not-overly-athletic self headlong into learning the inner workings and rhythms of waves and the muscle development and coordination needed to ride them。
As Cardwell begins to find her balance in the water and out， superstorm Sandy hits， sending her into the maelstrom in search of safer ground。 In the aftermath， the community comes together and rebuilds， rekindling its bacchanalian spirit as a historic surfing community， one with its own quirky codes and surf culture。 And Cardwell’s surfing takes off as she finds a true home among her fellow passionate longboarders at the Rockaway Beach Surf Club， living out “the most joyful path through life。”
Rockaway is a stirring story of inner salvation sought through a challenging physical pursuit—and of learning to accept the idea of a complete reset， no matter when in life it comes。
Unmoored by a failed marriage and disconnected from her high-octane life in the city， Diane Cardwell finds herself staring at a small group of surfers coasting through mellow waves toward shore—and senses something shift。 Rockaway is the riveting， joyful story of one woman’s reinvention—beginning with Cardwell taking the A Train to Rockaway， a neglected spit of land dangling off New York City into the Atlantic Ocean。 She finds a teacher， buys a tiny bungalow， and throws her not-overly-athletic self headlong into learning the inner workings and rhythms of waves and the muscle development and coordination needed to ride them。
As Cardwell begins to find her balance in the water and out， superstorm Sandy hits， sending her into the maelstrom in search of safer ground。 In the aftermath， the community comes together and rebuilds， rekindling its bacchanalian spirit as a historic surfing community， one with its own quirky codes and surf culture。 And Cardwell’s surfing takes off as she finds a true home among her fellow passionate longboarders at the Rockaway Beach Surf Club， living out “the most joyful path through life。”
Rockaway is a stirring story of inner salvation sought through a challenging physical pursuit—and of learning to accept the idea of a complete reset， no matter when in life it comes。
Reviews
Robin
，
Fabulous book！ Confession: I was born & raised in Rockaway and knew most every place she mentioned， which made it all the more special to me！ In addition to an （then） outsider's view of my hometown， I enjoyed the story of her personal growth during a transitional time in her life。I loved every page of this book。 It ramped u[p my on & off urge to buy a place there！ Bravo Diane Cardwell！ Fabulous book！ Confession: I was born & raised in Rockaway and knew most every place she mentioned， which made it all the more special to me！ In addition to an （then） outsider's view of my hometown， I enjoyed the story of her personal growth during a transitional time in her life。I loved every page of this book。 It ramped u[p my on & off urge to buy a place there！ Bravo Diane Cardwell！ 。。。more
Robyn Martin
，
Audible
Barbara
，
3。5 Cardwell’s memoir chronicles her desire for a new life after her divorce and how the focus and discipline needed to learn how to surf brought her into a life filled with new friends， new adventures and personal happiness。
Arthur Serratelli
，
When life knocks you down， you get up again。 This memoir is in part a story of personal growth （through introspection and a new avocation -- surfing）; part travelogue， describing beach life in the Rockaways， in NYC; and part journal about learning to surf in the most urban setting imaginable。 The author moved， post-divorce， from her "dream house" in Brooklyn （where she THOUGHT she was living her "dream life"） to the beach and the beach lifestyle available in the Rockaways。 Talk about starting an When life knocks you down， you get up again。 This memoir is in part a story of personal growth （through introspection and a new avocation -- surfing）; part travelogue， describing beach life in the Rockaways， in NYC; and part journal about learning to surf in the most urban setting imaginable。 The author moved， post-divorce， from her "dream house" in Brooklyn （where she THOUGHT she was living her "dream life"） to the beach and the beach lifestyle available in the Rockaways。 Talk about starting anew。A change of scenery， a new house， and a new circle of friends with similar interests -- surfing and the beach lifestyle -- is the change from which life is given the chance to spring eternal。 If you focus on the horizon， on the waves that are right here and right now， you find yourself living in the moment， grateful， that tomorrow will dawn and the future will come; that yesterday is the past; and that you can only， truly， exist in the present。The book is fun， bittersweet， life affirming， truthful， and ultimately hopeful。 。。。more
Chris
，
The best parts of this book， for me， were in the last few chapters where Diane clearly articulated that her chase for achievement/recognition had stood in the way of finding happiness and a fulfilled life。 That spoke to me - as well as the concept of accountability to a third party that helped her with focus and improving her abilities。 The writing itself at times I found a tad heavy on the 'mechanics' of waves and surfing but again， that is what the book is about。 I also found her descriptions The best parts of this book， for me， were in the last few chapters where Diane clearly articulated that her chase for achievement/recognition had stood in the way of finding happiness and a fulfilled life。 That spoke to me - as well as the concept of accountability to a third party that helped her with focus and improving her abilities。 The writing itself at times I found a tad heavy on the 'mechanics' of waves and surfing but again， that is what the book is about。 I also found her descriptions of interactions with others interestingly 'removed' and almost third person - as well as her constant comparison with others a reflection， sadly， of how she seemed to envision herself。 Hopefully， as reflected in the last few chapters， that corner has been turned。At the same time， I found that she articulated many of my own feelings about myself - never good enough， should have， could have， would have。。。so she has motivated me to seek to find my happiness in my own water。 。。。more
Lauren Ginsberg
，
I would give this 3。5 stars if possible。 The story was fun （and sad， reliving the hurricane sandy part） for me as a surfer from Long Island （spent some time in that Montauk summer surf lesson hustle as well） who now resides on the west coast， but I wanted more of a peek into her inner world。 I commend her efforts sticking with surfing， it's not for people who like to be good at things right away！ I would recommend the book and I do think it's a good story。 I would give this 3。5 stars if possible。 The story was fun （and sad， reliving the hurricane sandy part） for me as a surfer from Long Island （spent some time in that Montauk summer surf lesson hustle as well） who now resides on the west coast， but I wanted more of a peek into her inner world。 I commend her efforts sticking with surfing， it's not for people who like to be good at things right away！ I would recommend the book and I do think it's a good story。 。。。more
Eddie
，
Woman avoids learning to surf by buying her way around the sport。 Endless surf lessons， surf vacations and a house by the break， without ever going out on her own。 There are so many midlife beginners who would have a more engaging story to tell than this。
N
，
There’s too much info about things I am not that interested in - the simplest elements are described in many worded lush terms while my brain translates it into “a city tree， you saw a city tree”; also at times it reads a bit like a surfing manual - and things that I would think of as important don’t get more than a few sentences （3 cycles or IVF solo post divorce got a single sentence at the end of the book and came as a complete surprise to me）。 The dialogue included is also super anti-climati There’s too much info about things I am not that interested in - the simplest elements are described in many worded lush terms while my brain translates it into “a city tree， you saw a city tree”; also at times it reads a bit like a surfing manual - and things that I would think of as important don’t get more than a few sentences （3 cycles or IVF solo post divorce got a single sentence at the end of the book and came as a complete surprise to me）。 The dialogue included is also super anti-climatic and often made me wonder what the point of including it was （neighbors literally just saying hello）。All in all though， I liked the way the author can create a sense of place and it was an interesting journey even if it was much quieter and less transparent / emotional than I expected。 。。。more
Rachel
，
As someone a generation younger than the author who has wondered what it would be like to be a surfer （and has considered moving to Rockaway a few times）， I was really looking forward to reading this book。 Overall， it was a fairly quick read and I enjoyed the story， but it focused so much on the technicalities of surfing rather than the emotional journey of what it takes to uproot your life and commit to something new， and I found myself getting more bored as I read the latter sections。 Having e As someone a generation younger than the author who has wondered what it would be like to be a surfer （and has considered moving to Rockaway a few times）， I was really looking forward to reading this book。 Overall， it was a fairly quick read and I enjoyed the story， but it focused so much on the technicalities of surfing rather than the emotional journey of what it takes to uproot your life and commit to something new， and I found myself getting more bored as I read the latter sections。 Having experienced Sandy myself， I was amazed at how difficult that section was to read （especially the notes about the authors lack or preparation for the storm， knowing what was to come and having helped friends in Rockaway deal with the damage too）。 It was really enjoyable to read about so many places and people I knew （I’ve taken many surf lessons from Frank too！）。 。。。more
Marcella Curry
，
Cardwell is a thoughtful writer。 I was intrigued by her self reflections as she navigates life post divorce， especially when she becomes enthralled with surfing。 It was fun to travel with her by train and bus to Rockaway， out to Montauk & Costa Rica。 Hurricane Sandy barrels into her life along with many insights she generously shares with us。
Lynnette
，
This is a memoir directed at a target audience。 If you love surfing， you’ll love this book。 Heavy on detail and technicality， duuude， how to paddle in the water， how to stand on the board， where to place your feet。 If you’re looking for advice on how to get over divorce or cultivate passion， this book skims the surface。 Having said that， even though the writing kept me at arm’s distance， kudos to Diane Cardwell for her tenacity and persistence in pursuing her dream。
Helen Marquis
，
After Diane Cardwell's marriage falls apart and life in NYC loses its lustre， she find a renewed sense of life and purpose taking up surfing in the chilly waters off Long Island。 Rockaway is a testament to perseverance， determination and ultimately success as Cardwell develops a quasi obsession with the sport which takes her to the beaches of Costa Rica and California， and ultimately sees her invest the proceeds from the sale of her marital home into a bijou property in Rockaway， so she can dedi After Diane Cardwell's marriage falls apart and life in NYC loses its lustre， she find a renewed sense of life and purpose taking up surfing in the chilly waters off Long Island。 Rockaway is a testament to perseverance， determination and ultimately success as Cardwell develops a quasi obsession with the sport which takes her to the beaches of Costa Rica and California， and ultimately sees her invest the proceeds from the sale of her marital home into a bijou property in Rockaway， so she can dedicate the necessary amount of time and energy to the waves。There's an interesting "subplot" as she decides to shelter in place when Hurricane Sandy hits， and she finds her relationship with the ocean taking on a deeper meaning， as she truly integrates herself into the local community in the days and weeks following the storm's brutal treatment of her new home town。It's a fascinating look at how someone's life can change dramatically for the better， and how what feels like a solid path in life may crumble away to reveal something even more fulfilling， even if it doesn't feel that way in the first tentative steps down the new path。Cardwell is an engaging narrator， and doesn't fall into the "poor me" traps of other life pivot accounts that I've read previously。 I love her drive， her dedication， her lack of sugar coating （learning to surf is HARD） and that happy endings， while often hard-earned， are a great pay off at the end。 。。。more
Theresa
，
Rockaway is where my husband Mike grew up（actually， more accurately， in the near by town of Broad Channel） and where he was a lifeguard， and where we opened our first Chiropractic practice， bought our first home， and where all our kids were born。 I spent many a day walking with a stroller on the boardwalk， going to the most gorgeous beaches， and boating and swimming the waters of the ocean and Jamaica Bay。 My husband's entire family still lives there。 A small spit of land right in the heart of N Rockaway is where my husband Mike grew up（actually， more accurately， in the near by town of Broad Channel） and where he was a lifeguard， and where we opened our first Chiropractic practice， bought our first home， and where all our kids were born。 I spent many a day walking with a stroller on the boardwalk， going to the most gorgeous beaches， and boating and swimming the waters of the ocean and Jamaica Bay。 My husband's entire family still lives there。 A small spit of land right in the heart of NYC with the most eclectic community feel you can ever get in the Big Apple。 So。。。。this book speaks of a special place to me。We moved in 1996， long before the author's adventure。 Still， when she writes I am transported to a place I knew very well， my husband even better。 This is a fun and well researched little story of one woman's journey in finding herself after a divorce via surfing; a long time Rockaway pastime。 She is tenacious and brave on many levels。 My kids are well grown and their "baby Rockaway days" are long gone。 Inspired me to reach for some of my own aspirations and find my own gig as I journey through menopause and beyond。 。。。more
Caitlin
，
Very easy read which was great for me。 I am a very slow reader who can only spend about 30 minutes reading before I lose interest and will only read outside on a sunny day。 I thoroughly enjoyed this book and Diane's writing style just worked for me。 I found this book through an excerpt written for Vogue sent in an email。 I read the piece， loved it， then bought the book。 I purchased right before I started taking surfing lessons so I finished this book very quickly by my standards （some books I ha Very easy read which was great for me。 I am a very slow reader who can only spend about 30 minutes reading before I lose interest and will only read outside on a sunny day。 I thoroughly enjoyed this book and Diane's writing style just worked for me。 I found this book through an excerpt written for Vogue sent in an email。 I read the piece， loved it， then bought the book。 I purchased right before I started taking surfing lessons so I finished this book very quickly by my standards （some books I have been "reading" for 10 years。 This book is inspirational。 Highly recommend！ 🏄🏽♀️ 。。。more
Jessica
，
After her divorce Diane Cardwell feels like she's floundering in her own life。 On paper everything looked great， but she wasn't really happy。 And now that she's divorced and in her forties she feels like she's starting over in middle age。 Writing a story for The New York Times in Montauk， she sees surfers in the water and is transfixed。 On a whim she decides to rent a house and take surfing lessons later in the summer。 This one small decision changes Cardwell's life。 She eventually ends up movin After her divorce Diane Cardwell feels like she's floundering in her own life。 On paper everything looked great， but she wasn't really happy。 And now that she's divorced and in her forties she feels like she's starting over in middle age。 Writing a story for The New York Times in Montauk， she sees surfers in the water and is transfixed。 On a whim she decides to rent a house and take surfing lessons later in the summer。 This one small decision changes Cardwell's life。 She eventually ends up moving out to Rockaway full time and is just steps from the beach so she can surf as often as she can。 She'd been in her Rockaway house for less than a year when Hurricane Sandy hits。 Thankfully her house only has minimal damage and she is able to ride out the storm with friends， but the area is devastated。 That is the moment when Rockaway really becomes home for Cardwell。 She stays， despite having no electricity， to be close to her friends and keep working on the area and cleaning up the damage to her house。 Surfing and living at the beach become part of her identity and she creates a new community of fellow surfers and beach dwellers in Rockaway。 A very well-written reinvention memoir about how surfing led Diane Cardwell to a more fulfilling life。A quote I liked:"As we clattered through Queens， I felt a soreness settling into my body that I could tell wasn't from any kind of damage。 Instead it was the hard-won， righteous soreness from going all-out chasing after something that I'd decided， entirely on my own， I wanted to do。 I was proud of myself for not chickening out， for not， as usual， letting the fear of failure stop me。" （p。 39） 。。。more
Robin Mishik-Jett
，
A nice coming of age story whereby a recent divorcee learns how to surf and start again as a single New Yorker。 Enjoyed the history of surfing and the Rockaways。
Linda
，
3。5 stars
Jill
，
A solidly-written memoir， but I wanted more emotional revelations and less reportage。
Summer
，
Straight-forward， conversational narrative makes this a quick and easy read。 Cardwell is honest in her struggles but doesn't dwell on much， simply acknowledges and moves on。 while this doesn't offer the depth or lyrical prose as Barbarian Days， it should satisfy readers looking for an engaging tale of personal and physical growth。 Straight-forward， conversational narrative makes this a quick and easy read。 Cardwell is honest in her struggles but doesn't dwell on much， simply acknowledges and moves on。 while this doesn't offer the depth or lyrical prose as Barbarian Days， it should satisfy readers looking for an engaging tale of personal and physical growth。 。。。more
Michelle
，
Diane Cardwell and I have a few things in common。 We both survived Superstorm Sandy， with vivid memories both painful and beautiful， from that time。 We both have a bicoastal love - California and New York， with one as our home and another our sometimes-home。 And we both discovered surfing in our forties， as single women looking to find meaning and joy in life， and an escape from the metro-boulot-dodo life。 Although the author’s voice comes off as a bit pedantic - providing definitions for absolu Diane Cardwell and I have a few things in common。 We both survived Superstorm Sandy， with vivid memories both painful and beautiful， from that time。 We both have a bicoastal love - California and New York， with one as our home and another our sometimes-home。 And we both discovered surfing in our forties， as single women looking to find meaning and joy in life， and an escape from the metro-boulot-dodo life。 Although the author’s voice comes off as a bit pedantic - providing definitions for absolutely every term related to the ocean or surfing - there is a cozy hygge both to her journey as a surfer and to her nesting in Rockaway。 She builds a home and a life full of and focused on simple， meaningful pleasures， and that is lovely to relate to。 This book isn’t great literature but it is a sweet reminder of the truly meaningful pursuits of life。 。。。more
Donna
，
A good read about the transition from being a NYC writer to a Rockaway surfer， and I liked the historical and present info about Rockaway， a place I'd never heard of。 I was a keen body surfer growing up on a fantastic beach in Australia， but I didn't envy the surfboarders， as I saw many wipeouts， close encounters with sharks， smashed boards on rocks （this was before the leash or tether）， and knew I didn't have the upper body strength so necessary for this sport。 Along comes Diane， divorced and i A good read about the transition from being a NYC writer to a Rockaway surfer， and I liked the historical and present info about Rockaway， a place I'd never heard of。 I was a keen body surfer growing up on a fantastic beach in Australia， but I didn't envy the surfboarders， as I saw many wipeouts， close encounters with sharks， smashed boards on rocks （this was before the leash or tether）， and knew I didn't have the upper body strength so necessary for this sport。 Along comes Diane， divorced and in her 40's， and decides her new passion is surfing 。。。in the freezing Atlantic！。 This was something you'd learn as a teen， but she does it， and I so admired her tenacity for making every venture an adventure， whether she failed or succeeded。 Just wished there was more about Diane， as I never really connected to her， and expected a memoir to give me options of like or dislike， but am just ambivalent。 。。。more
Alice
，
I enjoyed this book so much more than I expected I might。 Diane maintains a good balance with sharing her personal experience with becoming a surfer with current events and historical information about Rockaway， New York。 I was a little concerned at one moment that this would be too much of a "I'm a divorced woman who doesn't know what to do next" story， but happily， she did not dwell too much on that aspect of her life。 Although it is clear that she had quite the personal struggle adapting to a I enjoyed this book so much more than I expected I might。 Diane maintains a good balance with sharing her personal experience with becoming a surfer with current events and historical information about Rockaway， New York。 I was a little concerned at one moment that this would be too much of a "I'm a divorced woman who doesn't know what to do next" story， but happily， she did not dwell too much on that aspect of her life。 Although it is clear that she had quite the personal struggle adapting to a single life that had never been her goal/vision， that is not what this book is ultimately about。 It's about learning to surf， learning the culture， the waves， the history behind the sport in the area she lives in。 It's about being a woman， and how gender does make a difference in individual sports where men and women both use the same space。 It's about finding commitment to do something you really want to do - and that really hit home for me。 I am not a surfer and I'm not particularly interested in the sport， but that commitment part should be relevant to anyone。Really， really enjoyed it。 。。。more
Barbara Burstall
，
I enjoyed reading this memoir， but often thought it didn’t through on themes such as family， her divorce and wanting children 。loved learning about Rockaway and the beach community but often felt like she was writing as a reporter not as a writer of a memoir。 At first found her journey to master surfing inspiring and fascinating， but in the it seemed clinical and boring。 Hence the three stars
Michelle
，
“I was learning how sometimes， in a pursuit， an attitude adjustment - looking for what you can do rather than getting stuck in what you can’t - is the first step to changing the outcome。”Freshly divorced， feeling a little trapped in NYC and unsure of the next path she wants to follow， Diane takes a leap of faith。 She learns to surf in her late 40s， moves to a coastal surf town， meets a new group of friends and finds a whole new way of life。 Her memoir is open， honest， full of a sense of discover “I was learning how sometimes， in a pursuit， an attitude adjustment - looking for what you can do rather than getting stuck in what you can’t - is the first step to changing the outcome。”Freshly divorced， feeling a little trapped in NYC and unsure of the next path she wants to follow， Diane takes a leap of faith。 She learns to surf in her late 40s， moves to a coastal surf town， meets a new group of friends and finds a whole new way of life。 Her memoir is open， honest， full of a sense of discovery and anticipation。 I enjoyed it。 “I wanted to try letting things unfold simply， as they would。 I was learning how to stop looking beyond the horizon， to stay aware of what was around me， focus on what I could make of it， tap into the energy of the moment， hang on， and relish the ride。” 。。。more
Jan P
，
Divorced 40ish NYT writer inspired to take up surfing and shake up her senses。 Well-written， honest and interesting story。
Jerome
，
Beautiful memoir by a woman who discovers the power of surfing at a difficult part in her adult life。
David
，
Because I am a former New Yorker and subway fan-I have always been fascinated by Rockaway-reachable by subway， yet right on the Atlantic Ocean。 I have taken that subway ride numerous times， and have even walked around Rockaway and went to the beach several times-so this book immediately drew me in by the title。That said， it isn't really written for a straight guy-it is one of the long list of "middle age female writer， after a devastating divorce。。。finds herself by （fill in the blank）" type of b Because I am a former New Yorker and subway fan-I have always been fascinated by Rockaway-reachable by subway， yet right on the Atlantic Ocean。 I have taken that subway ride numerous times， and have even walked around Rockaway and went to the beach several times-so this book immediately drew me in by the title。That said， it isn't really written for a straight guy-it is one of the long list of "middle age female writer， after a devastating divorce。。。finds herself by （fill in the blank）" type of books， which might be ok-if the author spoke about her emotions， and what moving to a Rockaway bungalow was really like。 （positive and negative）。 Instead， the whole story reads like Diane Lane in Under the Tuscan Sun （the movie-not the book）。 The author's Rockaway is an east coast version of Venice Beach-great people， always willing to party， and great weather all the time。 The book even ends with her finding a partner。 Even Hurricane Sandy seems somewhat like a party。The author doesn't speak about crime （Rockaway is sort of known for it）， the long commute by subway， living in a beach community （and surfing， if so）， in a frigid New York winter， and of course Hurricane Sandy。 On the plus side， I did learn a lot about surfing。 。。。more
Ann
，
Thought I was reading this book but I was actually reading a different Rockaway
Bryan
，
A story about a lady who gets divorced and is lost in life。 She stumbles upon surfing in her 40s and catches the surfing fever。 She struggles for years to learn to surf， but in the process， she finally gains some self confidence。 She also lives through some really bad decisions during Hurricane Sandy。
Dlmrose
，