Thursday, November 18, 2004

Session 226: Danger?

Today was one of the days that the condition and crowds were such that I kind of felt endangered and endangering at the same time. Please, all of this is what my internal mind is working and spilling it out, so if you are reading it, don't take it to such a personal level.

Being Endangered Bit:

This is the time that I thought people who kind of know how to surf can be dangerous. I was paddling out to make it to the line, and I was a bit late to get in to the line. Admittedly, I should really go further to the right to really paddle out of the way. But in one time, a woman long boarder starts to take of. If she cuts a left, it would have clearly been in a collision line to me. I don't think that she really cared if I was there or not. A good wave, so what the heck, just take off. Fortunately, she was not good enough to make the take off, so I was saved and relieved.

Then another situation occurred. I was paddling way and way around this surfer's line and out but suddenly he decides paddle to his left and as he did it, a break started to happen so he starts to catch it. If he did a left, again, it would have come darn close to my position. Again, I don't think he was aware of the immediate area. Needless to say I was frustrated.

Endangering possibly too:

Well, may be I was too harsh to feel that way because two of the take offs, as I took off, I just had to spray surfers off because they were paddling out to my direction. I actually did not see them. Because the sun was so bright and shining on the water and I did not even see they were coming my way. Of course, if you ask me, I would have paddled around so that I won't get clobbered by an inexperienced surfer like myself. Should I have seen them paddling out, as it would be normally, I would not even have taken off.

Otherwise though, it was a lot of fun as the waves have gotten a bit bigger than yesterday to about shoulder level at the threshold of closing out. At this kind of waves, a successful take-off means a lot of power.

No comments: