Christening the stick

So I ventured out into the surf yesterday on my new board.

Simply put....It was a magical experience for me.

I entered sea and paddled out near 1st break in Santa Cruz. The water was warm and the sun was beaming in a cloudless sky. I quickly realized that my tricepts, lats and rear deltoid muscles need more work if I am to increase my confidence level and stamina.

I managed some relatively good wave reading skills and was able to manuvre myself in and out of the surfzone as well trying to avoid getting buried by cresting waves. It only happend once, and I was thrashed about beneath the powerful wave that sucked me down about 10 ft moving at about 20-25 mph wave velocity. It was an adrenaline filled moment to look up at the wave moving overhead as I was sucked down into the blackness of the sea. There is no other feeling that can compare to being pulled under the water by a crashing wave while you are tethered to your board.

I did not catch any waves and was content to just make it out and back to the beach without and drama. A successful first reconnaisance mission if you will. By mid summer I should be ripping it up on Ocean Beach.

The best part of the day was when I walked by a Santa Cruz local dood carrying my spanking new unwaxed board in hand. As I passed him he yelled out,

"You know you got to put wax on that thing!"

The comment was priceless. As I must have looked the part of a true newphyte to his eyes. Little did he know I had a cake of wax hidden behind my hand.

Priceless!