Malibu . . . Again, Yet, and Still

Alrighty then!!! So. I ventured back to Malibu today. And guess what? It was great! This is the Malibu that the locals must know and love. Since it wasn't overly crowded, the vibe was wonderfully mellow. Talk about "aloha spirit"! It was out there today. I paddled out with no expectations. None. I told myself I would just go out and go with the flow. On a relatively uncrowded day, the flow is quite orderly. You simply wait your turn. The locals will take the first one or two set waves. Then other set waves will come through and you can jump on those with impunity. There was only one instance of yelling today. (Some guy who yelled at me and others to "get out" or "get off". That was a bit weird, but his yelling worked in his favor so you've got to give him some credit.) I am not one to paddle into the group of locals as soon as I get in the water. I'll usually hang out on the perimeter and then slowly make my way into the hot spot where the locals sit. Again, that's fine on a day like today since that spot ends up empty by the time a set has rolled through. So, anyway, early in the session I'm kind of making my way into the hot spot. I wasn't quite on the perimeter and I wasn't quite in the thick of things. All of a sudden a wave rises up and starts heading toward me. To my surprise, one of the locals told me to take it. Huh? Me? "It's comin' right at you." I think I sat there for a second or two in disbelief. Then I started paddling, telling myself, "Don't pearl! Don't pearl!" I didn't pearl . . . and I had the wave to myself. How's that for civility in the water? It was a fun session. I got a couple of long rides and quite a few nondescript waves. I was blown away by the people. Everyone was in a good mood. There was a guy out there on a 10'4" Aipa epoxy board who was catching everything. He was killing me. Every time he started paddling he would yell for everyone else to paddle too. He wanted to share his waves. I got the impression that he was the epitome of "the more, the merrier". There was also a guy out there who was downright gorgeous. For some reason, this guy kept smiling at me, staring at me, and talking to me. It was kind of unnerving, but his presence did make the session a better one. Yes, Gracefullee, he was my type. She knows what I mean. (Note: as my mother and I always say, "I'm married, not blind." I know an attractive man when I see one. And I'm the consummate window shopper: I look, but I don't touch.) The only negative to today's session was . . . the f!@&ing cold ass water and that breeze that made it all the worse. By the end of the session, my teeth were chattering. I was in a long-sleeved spring suit and I was cold to the bone. However, I refuse to wear a full suit in June. That's just wrong. Or so it seems until you realize the water is getting colder and not warmer! Hey, peace and blessings to the Malibu crew! I'll be back (but not when it's crowded).