Too hot to surf

We've had a brutal heatwave for the past few days, temperatures near 100 degrees. While that strictly speaking may not be too hot to surf, it is too hot to spend any time at the beach house, which has no air conditioning, so I haven't been surfing until today.

The tradition of crappy Friday afternoon surf and mellow afternoon crowd continues. Waves were barely ankle high. I recognized a couple of faces from prior Fridays and there were a few new ones. Only a few people were out and the wait for "waves" was long. The water was freezing---how can that be? I actually got cold in 88 degree heat.

The two waves I got I stood up and rode---no problem. Though I do turn, I'm not yet controlling which way I go---gotta work on that now. Gotta figure out what to do to actually make the board go left or right. This is not something that has ever been covered in any surf lesson, surf camp, or surf book I've ever encountered. How do people learn it? Tips are welcome.

It actually occurred to me (and I'm not sure I really think this, it just occurred to me) that when the waves are this small and infrequent, surfing without the crew and the crowds, the shenanigans and sexual tension, is, maybe---well---a little bit boring.

But then I noticed how the water was changing color from minute to minute from steel gray to Caribbean turquoise depending on the tricks of the sun and the clouds. I've never seen that before. It was one of the most beautiful days of the summer. Boring? Never.