Thanksgiving swell

Thanksgiving and the day before brought bigger waves than we've seen in a long long time. Both days some, not all, waves were head high. But I was OK, at least in the sense of being able to get out and not being scared. Although both days I got worked quite a bit. I had to turtle and because I hate doing it and try to avoid it, doing it successfully under a five foot wave did wonders for my confidence. I even got compliments on the way I charged out.

But, as always, when the waves are over two feet, my confidence and competence ends. The first day the waves had better shape to them and I finally managed to catch some. I even think I got up on one or two but not for long. Doing popups is out of the question on bigger waves. It's all I can do to get up on one knee and then stand. I guess that's for a number of reasons: the waves are so much faster and more powerful, I'm more afraid of pearling and more likely to do so, and there is less leeway for any mistakes in timing or weighting. The only ride I got was on a whitewater wave. And that gave me an idea of just how fast and powerful the waves were and how completely unused to that I am. Another time I caught a wave perfectly, but then saw someone else on the same wave and as always when that happens, didn't even attempt to stand up because I didn't think I could maintain enough control to avoid hitting or getting hit if I stood up. (I can do that on smaller waves.) Still it wasn't a bad session, if only because I was proud that I could handle the bigger waves and get out smiling.

Thanksgiving Day I got out too late and the wind was on it. The waves were steep and doubling up. By the time I got out it was pretty much a washing machine.

I can't blame the waves, though, dammit.

A while ago I said I couldn't think of another thing I hate about surfing. Well, I have. Here it is: Having a crap session and then watching somebody else out at the same time and in the same conditions as you getting great rides and hearing them later bragging about how great a session it was. Is there anything more depressing than that? Granted, the guy who did it on Thanksgiving is one of the better surfers here. There's no way I ought to be comparing myself to him. But if he (or anybody else) had a great time on the same waves I was on, that proves that once again it wasn't the waves, it was me. I even let myself get out early on Thanksgiving because I wasn't having fun, just getting beat up, and I really thought it was the waves. I gave myself a get out of surfing early card, which I never do.

However I will say in my defense that another good surfer, who got in at the same time as me, got out even earlier. Apparently he made a judgment call that it wasn't worth it.

I got no rides that day and just caught a couple waves. On the bigger ones, I didn't try to take off at all because I wasn't sure I could make them. Later, I thought maybe I could have. But they were so steep. In those cases I always err on the side of caution. I wish I knew how to modify my technique for steeper, faster waves. I'm sure a few pointers would really help, but there's no one to give them. Always, the people who look down on you for not being able to surf are the least likely to offer you any help.

I also always think that on bigger steeper waves being too early is better than being too late. So a couple of times that I tried for waves, I was too early. I got up only to stall because the wave passed under me.

Another time that I caught the wave right, I didn't get up right away. That's because I need to be sure on those more critical waves that my nose isn't going to go under! It often does because, I think, there's not enough weight on the back of the board. But when I got the weighting right, I hesitated too long to be sure I had got it. It was like: Paddle, take off, look at the nose, it's not going under, Oh! Now I can try to stand up, be so surprised that my nose didn't go under that I could barely think how to stand up, put my knee on the board and wait another good long time (maybe a half a second) before trying to stand. At which point the wave is so spent I don't even have time to try to balance.

If there are more five foot waves on the horizon, the challenge is to get my weight on the back of the board on takeoff so I don't immediately pearl, and then stand up immediately. At least, that's what I think. But I don't know if I'm right or not. How can I, with no one who knows to tell me?