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Zoltar, do I need
another board? |
Last week, I wrote that I needed signs; some little something to help me make the right decision. And, I do. This week, I decided to research boards. I know I don't really need a new board. I already own four of them, although I'm ready to sell at least one of them. However, I've decided to focus on my 9' board. I mentioned before that one of the Chica Brava instructors recommended that I pick one size board and stick with it. I opted for my first board, which is the 9' Softop. After my surf session last week, the surf dude told me that I had outgrown my board with my skill level. Was this a sign that I needed a new board? He felt like the Softop was holding me back. I'm not sure that's really true. I don't feel like I've outgrown it. I still have so much to learn. I thought I turned it rather easily last week. But, nevertheless, I went window shopping for a 9' epoxy/fiberglass board. I found a couple of them at the Soundwaves on Bay Area. They were ranging in price from $700 to $800. However, they did have a nice McTavish that was 9'1" and cost only $499, which is definitely not a bad price. I wish it was only 9'. I even made a trip into Houston to the Montrose Soundwaves to check out their boards. I was impressed with their inventory. They had several 9' Robert August boards that looked fantastic, but again, they were all over $800. I thought I could possibly find one online cheaper, and earlier in the week, did some research on craigslist, but couldn't find exactly what I was looking for there either. Today, after surfing, I even went to Surf Specialties and found out that the owner had a used 9'1" Senator board for sale for $575. It sure was a nice board. But again, I really think I just want a 9'. Hmmm...for now, though, I'll probably just keep looking. Unless, I get a "sign" suggesting that I found the right board.
Waves were too messy on Friday for me to go down and surf. It looked like a mess on the webcam. Strong winds created choppy waves and a strong current. I had heard that surfers and swimmers were being swept down the beach with the current. While early forecasts predicted that the wind would lighten up by Sunday, it didn't. Today was just as windy as Friday. However, it had shifted slightly and the winds were more out of the south. And, although someone told me that would make the waves a little better, I didn't really see it. When I made my way into the water, I immediately realized that this day surfing wouldn't be easy. The only way to make it to the outside was taking the rip because of the current. And even that took some heavy duty paddling. I managed to make it out several times. However, I also managed to either get pushed back in by the current or to get pummeled by waves and washed back in several times. On occasion, though, I caught a wave. They required fast pop ups. In fact, I missed one all together simply because I was too slow getting up. Because the waves were so strong, it pushed me in before I even had time to realize I had missed it. I had three or four good rides, but one in particular made the whole day worthwhile. I seemed to be flying. I wished I had practiced my turns/movements more, but I really can't complain. I turned it a little, and I was moving fast. Some of the others out in the water were really good with the choppy waves. But even they missed a few. I even had the pleasure of watching and taking photos of a young couple who was taking their second lesson from surf Dude B. They were refreshing to watch, and seemed like genuinely good and kind 20-somethings, which is always nice to see. Hope they come back. Surfing is a blast!
