sometimes you just get it right

i arrived late in the afternoon on a very high tide, (3.8 metres) as the tide was dropping back. it wasnt working when i got there but i knew it was gonna go off at any moment. the morning session was similar but ended almost as if someone had flicked a light switch off.

i called rick and told him ‘get here quick, it is gonna happen’. with all the water in the bay, the session would last for less than an hour – you just had to be there.

rick arrived while i was still getting into my wetsuit and mooning to the rest of the carpark. we hit the water less than two minutes later.

it was one of those days, the waves were picking up on the first sand bank and dropping again over the channel before lifting again on the second bank. on a big board, i could catch the first rise and have enough speed to ride over the soft spot until they reformed again, and this i did for the best part of three quarters of an hour.

the rides were long and solid but this meant i had to paddle a hell of a long way out to do it all again. i even found myself laughing as i paddled out, laughing at the guys on the short boards as they tried in vain to catch a wave from the second bank. even if they did catch it, i would call them off as i ploughed through the swell from much further out on the first bank. the rules of surfing and priority are simple

1. furthest out (that’ll be me on my longboard)
2. nearest the curl
3. first to their feet
4. call for it good and loud

sometimes it’s good to ride a longboard – english gentlemen ride longboards – short boards are for pussys!!

after getting a bit too cocky for my own good and dropping down faces that were too big, i took a couple of knocks and decided enough was enough, i had just had a most excellent session.

as i got to the beach i looked back, as predicted , the waves had stopped, just like turning a light off

amazing