It is like a magic potion that helps solve the problems of the day.
The sport is a passion for Ryder (55) and he likes to indulge himself at the end of a busy working day.
"The first wave is always such a tonic for me. When I take off on the wave it wipes away the day's worries," he said while waiting at St Clair beach to compete in the Masters Games.
"It is hard to describe, but it is amazing what it can do for you."
Ryder grew up in Timaru and was introduced to surfing when he was a boarder at St Kevins College in Oamaru.
"A friend took me on a holiday to Karitane in 1969 and that was where I rode my first wave," he said.
"It got me hooked. It was such a tonic."
Ryder can still vividly recall that wave 40 years ago.
It was ecstasy to him and he wanted to keep coming back for more.
Ryder had more time to develop his surfing when he was a student at the University of Otago.
He purchased a house near the beach at St Clair when he returned to Dunedin from an overseas stint.
Ryder is a recreational surfer and seldom enters competitions.
The Masters Games is different because it does not have the same intensity.
"It is mostly just for fun," he said. "It is largely a social time."
It is his third New Zealand Masters Games.
He won a gold medal in tennis two years ago and is entering that competition again in the 55 to 59 grade.
Ryder has passed on his love of surfing to his oldest daughter, Rebecca, who is not competitive but enjoys the casual rides on the St Clair waves.
