Making the best of it

Yes, I surfed that.

Surfing in the UK sometimes feels like an uphill struggle. When the water's warm the surf is bad, and crowded; then just as the autumn swells arrive it starts to get cold and the days get shorter and shorter and makes weekend warriors out of most of us. So when you get the chance to get in you've got to make the best of it, whatever the conditions.

Last Tuesday I made the mistake of putting my wetsuit on at home instead of at the beach, only to get there and discover Fistral was completely blown out, and the bay was nearly flat. I had two choices - get in anyway, or arrive for work two hours early in a dry wetsuit; so I went for a paddle and kooked around for an hour. The waves were barely describable as surf, but I still spent the day with a satisfied salty smile on my face.

OK Winter, you win.

Low tide PT was firing this morning. It was one those perfect winter dawnies, sunny, cold, and offshore. I'm not ashamed to admit I did a little dance for joy in the carpark when I remembered I had an old pair of boots kicking around in the depths of my boot and wouldn't have to walk all the way back up the stony beach barefoot.

Winter, you win. It's time for the 5mm rubber.

Forecast w/c 9th November

Got in before work this morning just in case it was the only chance we'll get this week. Hardly any wind and a nice misty sunrise.

It was only 4 degrees at the beach; I saw three people in boots, gloves and hoods - what do they do in February?! I'm still stringing out my summer suit and it was quite warm in the water, but my hands and feet had completely gone in the very short walk between the water and my car.