Went surfing Sunday morning. My friend Pete had called late Saturday evening, so I didn’t call him back. Rather, I just gambled that he’d be at the beach when I showed up early in the morning. He wasn’t, but he pulled in a few minutes later.
We watched the waves for a while. The clean-up sets were pretty big, but had really nice shape. Problem was the super-strong offshore wind. Not many people were getting rides because the wind was blowing spray and sand into their faces when they tried to drop in.
I’d hauled along a couple of books and a laptop to do some writing, in the event I didn’t/couldn’t paddle out. Which is what it looked like to me. But as usual, Pete’s enthusiasm shamed me into wiggling into my wetsuit in the front seat of my car and paddling out with him. It’d been about three weeks since Pete had been out, but it had been at least three months for me. On top of that, I haven’t been working out, other than the occasional game of raquetball in the morning. So I had no paddling muscles and no cardio endurance. But I did have years of experience telling me that I was in no shape to take multiple spin cycles on the paddle out. So I let Pete paddle outside and catch the bigger stuff. I stayed on the inside and caught the reform anklebiters. Even so, my shoulders are super-tired today. The result is that I tell myself that I gotta start working out again. But the truth is, I just need to surf more. Nothing builds surfing muscles like surfing. Plus, it’s good for my soul.
Three months huh. Well, it’s probably been three years for me. I miss surfing alot. I miss the whole experience. The driving from break to break, the tumble cycles, catching that rare wave, and the conversation.
I am going to the gym, so I guess that is good, but if definately lacks the soul that surfing provides.
Sounds like cross country skiing for me. Too bad that I have to wait 6 months each year for the season to begin.