TO COMPLETE A QUIVER…, THU 6FEB2014

Loc: El Porto

Time: 1500-1700

Conditions: 1-3 FT, raining, onshore, choppy, scattered wind swell peaks

     I’m surprised that I’m even thinking about paddling out. Dark clouds hover over PV. There’s spotty rain all over the South Bay, but right now it’s not. It’s overcast though. Three guys are out in front of 45^th, and the surf is small, choppy, and onshore. On top of that, all three surfers are on shortboards. Wrong equipment. They can only go straight on the sectiony waves, and they aren’t selling the surf.

     Regardless, it’s the end of my school week, and what better way to end the week than a paddle out? I have zero expectations. I just want to get wet. Also, I came prepared.

Throw Back:

     I’m paddling out on Bri’s NSP. It’s 7’10, thick and wide. Finding the sweet spot to lie on this board is a little challenging at first. The nose dips under the water. I scoot back a little.

     The inside waves push the board up against my body, putting pressure against my stomach. Wow, I need to give Bri more credit for riding this awkward thing.

     I sit north of the other surfers, only two guys now. Even though the surf is crap, I’m glad to be out here. It’s a “whatever session,” and I know that I’m guaranteed to catch a wave on this board, but will I do it well?

     On the first two lefts that I get, I walk the nose, turn around, and try to ride backwards, purling both times. Yup, it’s a lot harder than it looks on TV.

     I still manage to make it back out to the lineup without having to turtle dive the board.

     My next waves are late takeoffs, but there is so much board that balancing is easy. I try to bottom turn, struggling to draw a higher line. I stick my hand in the face of the wave to stall, and I get the positioning I need. Even though the wave is sectiony, the board just drives through the whitewash, getting me to the open face. I try to walk the nose to make it past the next section but purl.

     There’s so much more to longboarding that I had failed to appreciate. Bri looks much better surfing on this thing than I do. She has style, and I look like I’m forcing the board into turns instead of flowing with the board’s energy.

     But my wipeouts and goofy rides are so fun. More surfers are out, most of them on shortboards. They’re not going down the line. Meanwhile, I have waves to spare, eating shit, resurfacing with a smile each time.

     Into the second hour I finally get into some kind of longboarding groove. I draw an ugly frontside turn, redirecting the long boat of a nose towards the shore and down the line again. Not a cutback, but the closest thing I’ve ever come to a turn on a longboard. I can see why they say “bend the knee” when you’re turning on one of these things. Of course, I wasn’t directly over the tail. I sure as shit didn’t bend my knee. So how did I look? Fuck, I was stiff legged, leaning so far forward like I was bending over to get fucked in the ass.

     I had the most fun just making all the sections, even the reforms on the inside. I got to play with the length of the board, stepping forward to gain momentum, shifting back to the rear to check turn and slow myself down. It’s buoyancy has standing taller than usual, giving me a different perspective of the wave, seeing soft, moundy shoulders instead of sections I can’t make.

     Towards the end of the session it starts to rain. When I’m back on shore, three shortboarders pass me on the sand to paddle out. They take a look at the NSP and scoff under their breaths. It’s funny to think how I used to be one of those guys on the wrong equipment, on a 6’0 potato chip when the surf is crap. And Rick used to lecture me all the time about riding the right equipment, his choice being a fish. And I’d discount his advice, thinking I knew better.

     Well, I’m stoked now. Even more stoked than the last session I surfed at PV when I cut my foot, and the waves were much better that day too. I have a newfound respect for longboarders, so long as they aren’t too greedy with the waves.

     So I’m checking Craigslist now, looking for a big fat fish that I can ride in small, onshore slop. I’m beyond sold on having a small wave board. Surfing the NSP made me realize that with the right equipment, you can just about surf everyday if you want to.