perfaith

Smaller sesh at Tolcarne last night, mostly closeouts, but one nice left drop which Rob said looked good.

Today I have the biggest headache, got whacked so hard by the board this morning I though my teeth were going to fall out. Got one peach though, and a cute local was paddling over the sholder watching with his gob open. Ha! Perfect for me, 3ft I'd say with the odd 'oh no, not another kicking' set. Awesome. Bit windy tho. Was a little scaredy-Kat until I forced myself to take off on 2 closeouts in a row to prove it wouldn't hurt. It doesn't - getting caught inside by closeout macca sets it way worse. I made one of them anyway. David was there too, saw him get a couple of lovely ones, if could surf like that would be happy.

dark

Surfed the Bay until it was dark, actually knew a couple of people out there which is nice. Only a couple of feet max, but clean. Didn't catch much but lifted my mood anyway.

1000 words

5-6ft, barrelling, heavy, wonderful to watch. Porthtowan, Saturday.

classic

Watched Porthtowan on Saturday, huge and barrelling, the boogers were having the time of their lives, pitted so deep though they didn't come out of many of them. We watched for hours. I couldn't have surfed it had I been fit and well. Sunday I couldn't stand it, 3ft and clean at Fistral had to be done. Was nearly sick due to the vodka and neck pretty stiff but caught a couple of beaut lefts and Em had a great session too. Worth getting stiffer for.

neck

Went to yoga after that last session. Then stiffened up madly, woke up and reached for the alarm clock, heading for the early. Have been flat on my back since, torn muscles in neck and back. Sick and tired of my bad luck! And the best swell is heading our way. There's nothing for it but to get very drunk, and I don't even wanna do that. I just want to surf.

bail

2ft clean and actually peeling at Great Western, nice little waves. Fell off every single one for the first half of the session, no idea what I was doing. There wasn't even anyone cute out there to distract me ;-) But I got a few in the second hour (yeah, looong lunch hour) so cool. Wish had gone somewhere bigger, I need the practice.

drink

Stupidly too hungover on Saturday to paddle out, but Sunday was great. Searched and found eventually, three feet, some bigger, quite hollow. Had one 'flying' left and a right which I loved, walled up and let me do loads on it, felt like I was surfing well. Quite a few big-drop closeouts too. Water definitely cooling down but managed two hours. Swell sticking around as well, stoked. Hungover again but I'll be fine by 5.30!

lefts

Caught the BEST left of my life, no questions. I couldn't believe the way it set up and peeled, just reeling down the line, no sections, no steps, just happily following the sandbank. I didn't need to do much to stay with it, but the gently up and down rail to rail flowed perfectly, as easy as if I was on my forehand. There's something feels more graceful to me about the backhand anyway. The best. I opened my arms and shoulders to follow the wave and turn as you're supposed to do, textbook positioning (probabaly looked like a total kook but it felt exactly right) and it was then I felt like I was flying, the board in the right position and like it almost wasn't there at all, or like it was part of me, knew where to go with just the lightest touch, the smallest move.
Caught some bomby ones too, made the drop then got the closeout, but it's great to paddle into a fast one, realise you're cuaght, take the drop, really steep, on the back foot arms out like a gull, can't believe my balance, looking for which way to turn but both ways are boooompa! whitewater, so just carve round and leap off over the back, or just punt the board forward and drop off into the melee, let myself get souped about a bit. After that 6ft set on my head that doesn't worry me so much any more.
Got one great right, another one which flowed. There are more of them each session, generally, as long as I have space to get some waves at all, and this was good. I only got out because Penhale is so deserted that to be the only person in the water when it's dark and having to walk those dunes - well.
The colours in the water, the colour of cold. And I opened my eyes for the first time underwater. It was the green of shipwrecks and depth, and everything was blurred like I was half-blind again. The kernow water may not be as clean as cymru, but it's clear and crystal, warmer, and if it sends me one wave like my left every session I'll be a very lucky surfer.