Thursday 11/11/10

What a day I've had. Went back to the same spot I surfed yesterday. There was one guy out surfing already when I got there around 730. I decided to surf a different wave than he was, since its a big ocean and all. The spot I picked was barreling real nicely. I couldn't believe I was actually surfing big hollow waves. Well, I tried to surf big hollow waves. The first wave I caught was kind of wimpy, I got a big fast drop then the wave got weak. I spent about 30 minutes trying to find the best spot. I paddled after about 6 waves, missing half and chickening out on half. I then got caught too far in after trying real hard for a wave and had to duck dive. Fortunately, I saw it coming and paddled real hard and didn't have any problem. After seeing how nice this larger set was, I set up for the next time some that size rolled through. I'd say the sets were 6 or 7 feet Hawaiian Scale (double the # for everyone else). I went after the next wave that came for the spot I was in, didn't like the drop I was going to have to take and didn't take it. I should have taken it.

When I was surfing in Costa Rica with Wes, I repeatedly went after a big wave, got a little wide-eyed looking down the face of the waves and wouldn't go for it. I had to force myself to just go and if I fall, deal with the long time holding my breath (getting taken into shore getting tossed like a rag doll) and the long paddle back out. In Florida when the waves are this big and you have a huge drop in front of you, the wave usually closes out. That means you have a lot of paddling ahead of you without the gratification of catching a wave. Consequently, you wind up going further in than if you rode a wave. For beach breaks, you have to catch the very edge of the wave and not the very peak. I've been doing this for a real long time.

Anyway, back to Hawaii. I didn't go on the wave because I'm used to not making that kind of drop. Its easier here, believe it or not. Well, I now have a wonderful reminder to take the wave I go after. I have to be decisive and not miss. Why? Because when you duck dive a wave the size of a building you don't make it. You get tossed like a rag doll all the way in. I was ready for the surface so I gave a nice big kick to swim to the surface. Its real shallow where I was surfing. Remember the nice hollow waves I was talking about? Yeah, its hollow because of the sharp reef below those waves.

I cut my foot open with that kick. It hurts. A lot. I've cleaned it and cleaned it and bandaged it and it hurts. A lot.

And now to add insult to injury. Literally!

Just when I get home to clean myself up, I get a phone call. I was hoping it was a friend who wanted to smoke me out. That would have been a great way to deal with my experience. Instead, its the owner of the restaurant I work at. They'd like me to come in because they got an order of 12 lunches to be catered. Do I say no, I cut my foot on the reef, I should stay off it. NO! I'm a dumb ass, always willing to help, no matter if I shouldn't be on my feet. I clean and bandage my foot, I'm not home for 15 minutes and I get picked up and we go to the store to prepare the food. After we drop off the luncheons, we go to their daughter's birthday party. I don't get to go home. After the party, I get to go to their house because in an hour, they have to pick up someone from the airport whose staying with them and their house isn't clean. SO, I sit on their couch and finally get home around 5:30.

Some day off, eh?

On top of that I'll be working by myself tomorrow and Saturday because they have a Shaman who is doing a ceremony from 9pm-9am Friday and Saturday night. I can't wait!