Timing is everything

Me and Old Man Pants went out to Piha today, squeezed in a lunchtime surf. An hour and a half driving for an hours surf. thats love ahy. Was real small. the word was said, it was flat. but you know, it's always bigger when you get out there.

I toyed around in the small waves at first, the fear of last weeks 'near drowning' lingering in my pit. But it was real gentle. I could gone out further, but we were catching them. Us 'mid-liners'. Thats my term for the people on boogie boards, girls, and old men in hats, who are MORE than happy not to paddle out to back line but to skunk around in the shoulder deep water catching these feisty little cubs, thanks very much. I shouldn't stereotype, but the world keeps doing it for me.

I stood up today, straight up, look at me mum i'm standing! and rode along for probably a few seconds, that felt like, a few seconds. But a GOOD few seconds. Smiles all round. Look at me i'm surfing. Happy days. Now don't look at me anymore I'm falling, my legs tangled in the rope, yes thats my foot, stop looking this is silly.

But the lesson of the day was: Wait.

There I am, paddle paddle, mmm big green sea sparkling mmm cliffs hello.. surfers smiley happy mmmm then HELLO a surfable wave, turn, paddle, catchit. It's not fabulous (AHA when did you last hear a surfer call a wave fabulous!?!?! AHAHAHAHA He bro how's the surf? OH IT WAS FABULOUS DARLING, absolutely TO DIE FOR buahahaha).
It's not fabulous, it's average, but good enough. Turn to paddle out and four or five consecutive GREAT waves break over me as i'm on my way out. Increasingly better in their size, shape and power.
Like Russian wooden dolls coming out of each others middles. Kinda.

I did this about eight times. Caught the first average mofo wave that came along, when three or four really spectacular ones were right behind it.
I had to go to work later, and OldManPants very kindly paddle in to check our time. We really had to go. I just wanted one last wave in.

I sat. And waited. We all sat. And waited. Gazing at the horizon, gazing around, at the flatness, at each other, waiting. And more waiting. I even started paddling in, but then was like, awwww naaaahhh, just one more, and paddled back out.

Then sure enough, here she comes, a perfectly nice little rideable wave. I think I waited one or two out, but then itching for a ride in I turn paddle catchit, and body surf the bastard in with my board trailing behind me. that'll have to do. pick up my board, turn, and see the best set of the hour roll in wave after beautiful wave.

Don't take the first averagely okay thing that comes along. Hang out for the set. Theres a beaut right behind that old dinger. Lesson? Wait.

ka kite ano
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same bat time...