Funk

Ahhh fall. Fall makes it much to easy to not surf. Fall gives too many excuses. Water's too cold, tide is too high, too low, wind not right, or too much wind. Add work, responsibilities, I can go on and on. Mother nature is cruel. Since we set the clocks back, it is sunny again at 6. Check the outside temp, 55?! Lately, I have fallen victim to all the excuses. When I haven't surfed for a while, I tend to get grumpy and complain a lot. That stack of surf mags piled as high as the toilet, that I read until my legs fall asleep, aren't helping a bit. My life is pretty sweet. I have a great family, house, job, dogs, and the ability to escape and surf many days out of the week. It seems impossible for me to complain about anything, I guess I see this as a challenge, I just have to be creative. This morning I complained about my wife complaining that I complain too much, see creative. She suggested I go surfing today, instead of going to the movies with her and our daughter to see High School Musical 3. Talk about taking one for the team, IOher, big.

So after a check of the conditions, wow, look at that, morning high tide swamping it out. Imagine that. I'll try a noon sesh, while they are at the movies. Not totally sold on a fun time, I loaded up the truck with probably the wrong board, and headed to the beach. All the flags are blowing on shore..great. Pulled up to find an almost empty lot...prolly sucks out. Those that were there were changing OUT of their suits.....I arrived too late. Don't check it out, just change, don't tempt indecision, you're going to surf today. 3/2 fullsuit or 4/3 fullsuit? The north winds a couple days ago surely upwelled cold water, and as stated before, I am quite a puss when it comes to cold water, 4/3 it is....probably wrong choice, but hey, it'll match my wrong board choice. I suit up as the onshore breeze gets stronger. Wetsuit halfway up, I remember there is no key pocket in this wetsuit. Looks like it will be a put the key in the leash pocket and pray session. As I jog to the shoreline, I pass a fellow surfer in slacks, shirt, and tie checking it out and considering a noon time go out. I can tell he surfs, the Von Zipper shades give him away. I nod to him on the way out, and can feel his eyebrow raise behind my back as he looks at me with inevitably the wrong board and suit, looks at the lack of waves, and feels the onshore breeze increasing.

Stretch a bit....this old man's body is way too stiff for 38. Zip up. Leash up. Pray for the key. Walk out. Nobody out.....great, no one to line up with. Damn, this wetsuit is stiff, maybe when it gets wet, it will soften up a bit...nope. A strange thing happens with every wave caught, and with each duckdive, I realize how lucky I am, how awesome is it to be surfing alone in 75 degree weather in friggin mid November! It sounds cliche, but there is nothing like a good day of surf to put everything in perspective. On top of everything else, I reach the beach to find my key still in the leash key pocket, hell yeah! A quick, hot, parking lot showerette later, and I can't get the smile off my face.