Friday, January 13, 2012

Would you rather...

The problem with not being rich is that I have to choose between a surf tour of Oaxaca and a new surfboard. Too bad I've convinced myself that I need a new board for the waves I dream of getting on this surf tour.
We've had an extended run of better than usual surf up at OB. Combined with my extra day off work and between surf exercise, I've been getting some pretty good waves lately. It's too the point that I'm starting to feel satisfied, which is good because there is change in the air. There is a storm forecast for next Thursday so I may not get surf. Looking at the extra long forecast, it kinda looks like after a few storms things will go back to sunny and offshore.
JZ is slipping. He was a hardcore addict of his Stoneman fish shape, having surfed through several of them in the past 5+ years. On the last one he ordered he ventured away from the proven shape and tried something a bit different, and was disappointed. Meanwhile I was going through my Pacheco purchase and trying to convince him that if he got the Stoneman fish shape done by Hess (i.e. Kunkle fish) then he would still be surfing the same board. His argument is one of short term finances, which is understandable, but my argument of long term savings still holds true as well. He's had a few sessions on boards Danny loaned me (barreled), on my Pacheco which he enjoyed, and just this weekend Danny let him borrow a 5'11" Pacheco of his own that he's ready to sell. We've got a nibble, I hope we can set the hook and get JZ to buy this board from Danny.
Yesterday JZ and I had a nice morning session. Things started more exciting and actually softened as the tide dropped. Waves got more inconsistent, but I persistently held position waiting for a particular bowl. It paid off with a smooth narrel. I was too deep so I paddled across to the peak as it came in. Nobody was around and I held back the drop and took a high line a bit behind the peak. I semi-side-slipped smoothly down the face as the lip came over, my hand dragging vertically downward as the wave grew upward. In an instant it was over with only a brief glimpse of lip over my head, but not between me and the beach. It felt great, but each time I replay it I think I could have held the line from deeper and think I should have not paddled so far across it. I'll try again!

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