AM session

Today was a world's record for me: the earliest I ever got up and the earliest I ever got to the beach. I was up at 6:30 and arrived around 8:45. My reward for this effort? No waves---or rather, anklebiters, about like yesterday's. But also: a much smaller lineup than I have seen yet on a sunny summer Saturday. That's probably partly because of the waves but also because an early start on a weekend just isn't compatible with the kind of drinking/smoking/partying that goes on out here.

After I'd been out about an hour I saw W. We chatted a while and then he let me switch boards with him. His is 9 foot 4, three inches thick, shaped for him in California. He was also helping me out with free surf advice. He always says I'm too far forward on my board but whenever I try to place myself further forward my nose goes under. He says there's a way to balance yourself that far forward without pearling, but couldn't explain exactly how. It took a few tries, but I did find the right spot to balance myself on his board. I took off and got a nice ride all the way to the beach---WOW, does it feel different from my board, which he dismissed as a "potato chip". Too bad he took his board back after that. He's right, my board is way too thin.

I stayed out a long time despite the cold water because it was fun actually surfing with somebody rather than just next to them, you know what I mean?