It's Wednesday already?
I get a lot of folks with substantial surfing backgrounds that ask about surf mats.
They ask what they should know about riding them.
Is it like a paipo or a body board? (both yes and no is as close as I can give as an honest answer)
It takes awhile to get used to the differences.
Actually it takes "forever" which I view as a plus because you are always learning, which is half the fun!
Every go out has that possibility of being one of those magic moments you had when you were just starting to surf and you got a glimmer of how it works. Everything comes together (like magic) and you scream across a wall or sit deep inside a grinding tube.
Just one of those moments can keep a smile on your face for days.
After forty years of stand up surfing I was having fewer and fewer of those moments.
Since I switched over to the mats every go out has the potential to be epic!
Still going thru photos from the Paipo Stokefest I should have more posted up tomorrow.
Comments
Covered in rubber gloves, boots and hood, I was a day late on the warmer water memo. None of the rippers even had booties. Except Machado who is so thin he always covers up.
Wave #1 was a giant peak, to the north away feom the pack. I easly fell into the face with record speed (for me), drifting wildly on the Vespa RT. Sliding off the side one barely holding on, bouncing a little until the wave came to an abrupt halt like the Swamis outsiders do. The second was bigger! A semi 10' wall, another free fall behind a kid who pulled out for me. This one bowled in front of me and spit me yards and yards down the beach over a flat section that wouldn't sustain the largest SUP. I ended up on the sand, well sourh south of the tower, out of breath and done for the day after only two waves!!!
Yeah, you get those days... I'd agree, every time you go out!
:)