More Matting

Took Friday afternoon to go into town. There was a small swell and some wind so I opted for Its Beach. The side wave was working and I waited for the three friends to finish before I got in. I got a few crazy waves trying to hold a line in the bumpy, ledgy mess. I got one solid tube run that ended with me landing hip first in 0 feet of water. I knew nothing was broken but the pain was enough to cause me to just sit there for awhile, not sure whether I should mope on the beach or go back and try it again. I went back out and got a few more, but when a wipeout cause the fin to pull my leg and twist my knee more than I was comfortable with I decided that was enough. Next time I'll bring smaller fins. I wonder how that tube would have looked in slo-mo?
I hung around the beach as the day ended, grabbed two slices and a pint from Upper Crust, and when the sun was low enough to make the air cold I crossed town to my parents place. Nobody was home and I was pretty tired. I gathered the energy to hang my suit near the heater, but not to take a shower. I tried to watch TV but TV sucks so I turned it off and fell asleep in the chair. At some point I turned in the chair and hit my hip and was startled awake by the shock of pain. I moved myself to the bed and slept through till morning.
I got up before dawn having done the math on when to leave so I hit the beach at first light. I stopped for coffee and donuts and parked by the side of the road in the darkness. My bag was packed with a half dry wetsuit and I headed down the trail with a flashlight in hand. I only needed it once (to get through the fence) but after that I enjoyed a slow walk in the darkness down to the beach. I wasn't the first one there, I saw fresh footprints on the beach, but I couldn't see the form of the waves. I suited up in the dark and watch other people arrive. By the time I got into the water I could see the waves were good enough but not great. I opted to not put on the GoPro, which turned out to be a mistake. The outside was small and jumbled but the second peak was breaking well. The larger overhead waves would just roll the edge of the reef, but there were enough small ones swinging to the inside that it was worth waiting for. I got a few good waves to get the feel of the mat. As I gained confidence in myself and that the other surfers weren't going to drop in on me /every/ time I moved to the best spot to run at the hollow inside section. I got plenty of waves in two hours with a few narrels and a few close-out barrels. I'm sure the morning light would have made the barrels look good, even though there was a thin overcast all morning.
The crowd changed from hesitant adults to aggro youths and I called it a day. I was having so much fun I thought I'd stay out longer, but I'm glad I ended when I did because today my body hurts from all the exercise.
So, on my list is:
Overnight trips to SC more often,
Get "medium" fins between the huge heavy fins and tiny fins I have. I've put in my request, so now I wait.
Put the freakin' camera on!
Research how to hold a line in the barrel on a mat.