Surf Session # 12 and # 13

Surf Session #12
Got in it early...only 4 of us out there in some really nice, clean conditions with some really fun rights. That is until I had to pull out the "Enforcer" card on 1 of the surfers...a guy that was in before me and riding a nice boat-like board that easily inserted him into every wave he paddled for, which from what I was seeing was becoming a bit too much.

Case in point: Given the type of conditions on this day and the location of the surf, most of the sets coming through were within the knee to chest high rating, with the occasional head high set. Additionally, the prime take-off spot is as close as you can get to the breaking wave face, without being too far off of it because the section will surely shut down, with your ride ending immediately. All of this means that you really need to know the spot well, and if you hit it just right, you can have yourself some serious stoke-fueled fun.

I have been surfing this spot on and off for the past decade and have been able to hone in on one of its special secrets: set times. In other words, I have a keen awareness of when big sets roll through and have a water-proof watch that helps me keep the time.

Well, being the generous type, and with only 3 other surfers in the water, I let most of the smaller stuff go while patiently waiting for the the "Big Set", which would come through every 10-15 min.

It was during one of these sets that the other surfer felt it necessary to cut me off, after I had already gain priority on the wave by my location, closest to the break. This idiot simply swam around me and dropped in the wave about 10 feet in front of me. I made the section, so he was still there riding my face and ignoring the fact that I was right behind him. I got off the wave and paddled back out to him.

Swimming up to him, I stated "So I guess we're sharing the waves now", to which he simply grimaced and said something about me taking all the good waves. To which I replied, "Dude, do you even understand the concept of a "wave set"...all you had to do is wait for the second wave in that set and you would of had a nice ride. I would expect that with only 4 of us out here, we could at least allow each other their own wave to ride"...he then tried to re-state the lame position of me taking all the good waves, to which I turned around and pointed at a set coming in and told him to take his pick...he did not say a thing after that and soon left the water.

Now, I rarely do this kind of shit, as I feel that your surfing skills should really do the talking for you. However, I cannot abide by "Wave Hogs" especially when the conditions do not merit it. I have no problems letting people know about this because when I was guilty of it, I was told by someone too. I will always allow others to share the waves with me, so long as they acknowledge the proper attitudes associated with that behavior: take your turn...and yet in more crowded conditions, this concept is sadly the exception and not the standard.

The rest of the session was fun and without enforcement. :-)

Surf Session # 13
After the previous days events, hit it very early. First in at first light, not great conditions (tide too high and a voracious rip current, that had me paddling constantly to keep my position), but had it to myself for an hour and caught some fun and got to practice my cut-backs and off the lip tricks.

Anyways, Pics below show you what "taking your turn" means when properly utilized, as the surfer with the white helmet is allowed to ride the wave without intruding drop-ins.