So the surfing theme has continued unabated. Yesterday was good, the waves cleaned up towards the end of the session and I had a few good rides. I was in two minds whether to head out today as the forecast was 30mph onshore winds.
After a brief um and err I thought I would chance it and headed out to Anglesey, and went straight to Cable Bay and was rewarded. The surf was the biggest I have been out in, but at least it was peeling and a friend had given me the knowledge of using the riptide to get out the back. So I suited up and join the two other surfers in the water. I don’t think I would have gotten in if they weren’t there.
I followed one of their heels as he made his way out back and it was all rather exciting as the waves were pretty big for a green horn. I sat out there and watch the two guys rip across the waves and had to commit. Like something out of a cartoon I paddled furiously and felt the wave start to take me. Popping to my feet the nose of the board digs in and I was fully expecting the usual face plant down the wave, but dug my back heel in and somehow made the bottom turn and then ripped along the wave all the way back into the rip.
I would like to say all the waves were like that but there was some face planting and some getting nailed whilst paddling out as a big sets of waves came in. A few good waves in the hour or so I was out was enough for me.
I know this isn’t climbing, but hopefully some of my readers will find it interesting. As whilst I still rock climb my motivation for doing the same routes time and again was diminishing. Having spent the best part of a year focus on books both the North Wales climbs and Hanging by a Thread, I essentially needed a fresh challenge. Something to see me through the long winter months when work is few and far between.
So took up Surfing, something I avoided for a long time because I feared that this would happen and I would become obsessed. What I find good about being at the beginning of the learning curve is every wave no matter how big, small, clean or messy is a learning experience and progress can come reasonably quickly.
To prove I am still a climber, I went to the all in the evening and somehow I came 4th in the first month of the Beacon Aggregate after two people came joint 2nd, not bad for a 38 year old! Mind you Caff and Pete haven’t entered, giving the rest of us mortals a fighting chance!