2 down one more to go

Okay, so my last update said I was offing 2 of my boards. Update: The bonzer is gone to a stoked guy who looked like he weighed less than me and was in better shape. He's probably gonna really enjoy that board. I am also selling the Daisy Junod, and I've had some interest but nobody has seen it yet.

The third board is the small Schrodel twinzer. I took it out on a head high day when the waves had juice, but not too much. I got a wide open face about head high and the board wiggled and squirmed but didn't go forward very well. It was the third and final time I will ride the board. It has been returned to my dad, who it belongs to, and he's gonna return it to the guy who tries to get his kid to ride it. It's a terrible board to learn on but that's okay cause I don't think this kid wants to surf anyway.

I'm still trying to sell the Daisy. I took it out that same day for a second try at the waves that proved the Schrodel wasn't for me. Got a few waves but one bottomed out when it hit the sandbar. The board flipped under me and I landed on the fins. Luckily it was the top of my foot that took the hit and nothing is broken. The worst of it is that 4 days later and it's still a bit swollen and sore. I still got some surf since then so it's not a problem, but maybe another hint that I should let that board go.

And since then, the next day actually, while I was surfing I took another hit. I was trying to power myself and my board through the wave face under the lip of a closeout. I was kneeboarding and since I'm lower to the water, the board is closer to my face. As I powered the turn the board made it around and up the face and into my face. Wham! My thoughts as I'm thrashing around in the white water bumping on the reef are as follows, "Lower lip owwww. Feel for hole, no hole, Check Teeth! all there." Then I came up and did the spit test as I was paddling back out. Very little blood in the spit. Great, let's surf. As I continued to surf my lip started to throb a little and tingle. By the time I got back to my car and said hello to my wife my lip was double in size. She screeached, I shrugged. That night I saw myself in the mirror. The inside of my lip is a nasty shade of purple. One more day off before work, I hope clears up enough that I don't have to tell the story to anyone.

As for the plan of replacing the Haut Quad, my general kookyness lately has me wondering if that's the right direction to go. It's quite a bit of money for me to spend right now and there's no telling if I'll still be just as big a kook on the board. If I'm gonna be a kook I should get myself a soft top with a rubber fin. (Probably be cheaper and last longer.)

Here's my guilty admission for the day. A quality swell should be lighting up the reefs about 1 1/2 hours south of here. The weather is good, the waves are good, I'm at work. I don't really want to make the drive to go surf. I feel tired, hurt, and not up to hassling with the crowds.

Jeez, I AM a kook.

Quiver Minus 2

It all started when...

Last weekend had the waves and weather I dream about. Warm and sunny with offshore winds all weekend. Record breaking warmth in November. The wave were cooperating too being overhead Saturday and headhigh Sunday. I watched so many barrels ridden it was ridiculous. I surfed two sessions on Saturday and one on Sunday with a total time in the water of upwards of 8 hours. But I'm not smiling.

I took the bonzer out all weekend and couldn't beat the current on the small board. I'd be paddling to a spot and have to rest and drift away before a set came. I'd paddle for a wave only to find one of the many many people out surfing had already caught it and was coming my way fast. I ended up without a single wave that I rode that sticks in my memory, and so many I watched that do. That's it, I'm done with the bonzer.

And while I'm at it I'm trying to sell the Daisy too. Already got a few interested people. $450 for the bonzer, $300 for the Daisy and if I sell both I'm ordering another Haut Quad to replace the one I retired. I'll have it glassed a bit heavier, maybe stronger foam and wider stringer too. Why mess around with other boards when I had so much fun on that board.

Well, since I brought it up, I already know the answer. The answer is that I get board no matter what. If I have the perfect board in perfect waves after a few days I'll be wondering what else there is. Before I had ridden the Haut in Santa Cruz a few times a week for a year. When I moved up to Oakland I got great waves at OB with it too. Then it started to breakdown and I was looking for a replacement board. I ended up with the Three Bears situation where one was to big, one was too small. Then I stopped before I had one that was just right. Now I'm selling off Papa Bears surfboard and Mama Bears surfboard and gonna buy me a Baby Bear board. But I still have several oddball surfboards in my closet to ride when I've gotten my fill of good waves on a good board.