Conditions: 4-6+ ft. – waist to head high and fair conditions. Rough paddling out there today. Short swell period. Good waves, just a few too many too fast for me.
Gear: 9’0″ Sunset Soft Top. Finally tested out my surf hoodie. It’s toasty warm but fills up with water. I’ll keep using it. Abandoned my gloves again. They just get too heavy!
My friend and surf crew member, Athena, is off to India to great adventures. In honor of her going away, we hit the beach.
And then the beach hit us. Ow.
Pretty strong winds and a short swell period made for sets that took way more paddling to get outside than we’d hoped for. I didn’t make it even halfway to the lineup before a wave knocked me off my board and I rolled end over end over end over end underwater. The weirdest thing about getting tossed around and held under waves is that I spend that time thinking of ways to improve my lung capacity, or how cool it would be if I could open my eyes in salt water and see what this crazy wave looks like. After I’m all safe and sound, that’s when I get around to thinking “uh, that was kinda scary…”
I wound up paddling back to shore, emptying the gallons or water from my hood, emptying gallons or water from my lungs and stomach and then setting off again for the line up.
I made it, I fought some waves, didn’t get any clean runs in. Joyce and Athena also fought the angry wave roller coaster to make it to the lineup. Joyce made it about halfway to Hawaii before Athena and I could even get out. She wins the fierce paddling award.
After a few hours of getting tossed around, wiping out, and being beat up, we opted for pizza and brownies. Overall fun day, lots of laughing and being silly in between being under water.
Bye Athena! Have fun in India!
