Does Size Matter?

Midsummer flats! During the middle of our Texas summers, the waves disappear. However, if there is enough wind, which is also something that erupts often in Texas, small and manageable waves will peak through on the inside near the jetty and the shore. Although it's not an ideal situation for surfing, I'm usually so desperate for anything that I will go down to 43rd if a ripple even exists. And, sometimes, these waves prove to be very beneficial to me for practice. Today was a perfect example. Much to the chagrin of Brian, I took my new 8'1" McTavish with me even though Brian said the waves were really small. Brian urged me to bring a longer board, but I need all the practice I can get with the shorter board. (Note: my board is not a SHORT board; it is a mini-longboard.) So, "Sunshine" and I went to the beach. Because I was a little hesitant about my ability on the shorter board, I also took "Goldie," my 9' Softop. (I keep changing the name of my Softop! It's going to have an identity crisis if I keep it up.) I realize that it will take a long time for me to get really good on the shorter board, or a longer board for that matter, but I'm sure having fun trying.

I found this article online about surfing small surf. I thought it was very interesting, and loved the first paragraph, which basically pointed out that surfing small surf was what most people had to do. Although, I doubt anyone's surf is as small as mine was today, I like reading about advanced surfers being forced to surf 2-ft. waves.

http://surf.transworld.net/1000002624/features/how-to-rip-in-small-surf/

From the article:

"When paddling for bigger waves, the wave does most of the work. In small waves, you do the work. One thing you should do if you want to rip small waves is cardio-vascular training. Either run, bike, swim, or whatever you do to get your heart rate going."

Well, I'm glad to see that my running and biking help with the surfing too. I definitely feel like I get a workout on the smaller waves, but I'm able to stay out for three or four hours without burning myself out probably because of my other sports. I realized today that size doesn't have to matter!