It's Almost Too Hot to Blog

There's a bit of a breeze coming through the house now. It's still hot in here and I'm still sweating. But this is a great improvement over the oppressive heat of the last few days. (Did I mention that the air conditioner in my car doesn't work?)

Three straight days in the water. The tank, once again, is empty. I couldn't surf tomorrow if you paid me. Well, perhaps I could, however it wouldn't be pretty. In an effort to beat the crowd, I arrived at RPB in the dark. So I sat for awhile waiting for some sunlight. When there was enough light to see the waves, I was surprised to see that people had already paddled out. And I could see why. The swell picked up over night. Big stuff was rolling in. I suited up quickly and got some of the big ones before they just kind of petered out. Because I got in so early, I got to ride many waves without 10 of my new best friends. I used those opportunities to walk the board. I'm finally letting go of my hang-up about wasting a good wave to unsuccessful walking. I won't successfully walk the board if I don't practice, right? And practice I did, over and over, while going backside. I can't say I'm getting better at it. I can say I'm getting more confident and less hesitant about doing it.

The only wave I remember is my last wave. It took forever for me to catch it. As I waited for it, I realized I was surfing on fumes. I'd eaten an early dinner the night before and I really hadn't eaten much. I don't eat before I surf either. I was hurtin'. I didn't have the strength to paddle hard for waves, therefore I was missing the tweeners and making myself even more tired. Still, I was not going to paddle in. I usually wait for a bigger wave when I'm in this predicament. You paddle less to get into the bigger ones. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, a big one approached. For some reason, no one else got it. I ended up taking that thing for yards, carving up and down the face—yes, I was going right—until it delivered me to the sand. Perfect. A guy who was on shore remarked that it was a nice one. Yes, it was . . . because it finally got me out of the water.

I'll rest tomorrow. Friday, I get wet again!!! (Part-time work is a beautiful thing.)