Fish Quest, Part I

I've decided to add a fish to my current 3-board quiver (5'8" Xanadu Rocky, 7'2" Becker Supermodel, 8'0" Cobalt Fusion). Summer's almost here and with it smaller waves, but after committing myself to the shortboard I hate to go back to lugging around the longboard - especially since it's too big to bring through the secure doors of my work building when I'm surfing on weekdays. But mainly I really need to increase my wave count; I'm so stoke depleted I almost can't remember what it feels like.

Plus Al Merrick says I should have 4 boards.

So today I visited 3 surf shops in the City, with patient S in tow (a margarita at lunch helped with his patience). Being unsure just what fish to get, I told the friendly salesguy at Wise my surfing background. Oh, and that I want an epoxy board. That kinda stopped him, since he said they don't carry many anymore, as they're falling out of favor. Perhaps I'm just not enough of a board snob, but I prefer them over fiberglass. At any rate, he grabbed a catalog and suggested I look elsewhere for an M10 Hogfish or a Randy French Soulfish, maybe around 6'0".

I dunno, getting a longer board seems like going backwards, especially as the web advice I've seen says a fish should be shorter than your shortboard, even 8" shorter (5'0"), or about your height (5'3"). M says that only applies to people who rip, which I obviously don't. And N said if I go that short I might as well just get a boogie board! No matter, no one seems to sell fish that short, but I think I'd like to go maybe at least a couple inches shorter than the Xanadu.

Mollusk didn't have anything that looked promising, a lot of boards with glassed-on fins, no thanks. And the salesguys didn't even bother to come out from behind the counter much less talk to me or the other (potential) customer, so that was a quick stop. Aqua was having a swap meet and there was a used Xanadu Rocket Fish that might have worked, but it was all white, too boring. I didn't see what I'm vaguely looking for inside the store, but the nice salesguy gave me a bar of Sticky Bumps free (maybe because he thought I was cute or maybe because he was busy entertaining a toddler, I don't know).

The search continues next weekend in Santa Cruz.

Linda Mar, 13 May 2008

I don't want to talk about it. At least I got wet.

No surf for you!

It's been sooo long, tooo long, since I've surfed. We're in a pattern of high NW winds creating junky surf in San Mateo County, with near flatness in sheltered Santa Cruz, and it's going to continue into next week. [cry]

What the Fcuk is Wrong with These People?!

Somebody's murdering sea lions. For "fun."

Tide Watches, Part I

After seeing this ad, it's unlikely I'll ever buy a Freestyle watch. "Simplest tide watch in the universe... built with the female in mind." What, women are too stupid to read other tide watches? Puh-leez!

Update: Didn't someone say it's a woman's prerogative to change her mind? Check out Part II.

Family Comes First

I woke up just before dawn today, early for a weekend, because I was excited to head to Santa Cruz for an early morning session ahead of most of the throng and the midday high tide. But it was not to be. Chrissie, the youngest of our three cats, was spending an inordinate amount of time in the litter box, a clear sign she has a bladder infection. Having suffered that affliction myself, I knew making her wait for medical attention until we got back from the beach would be cruel. So instead we headed to a long wait at the vet's office. Sometimes family just has to come first.

This is going to be a crazy-busy week at work, and at the moment I can't see a way to fit in a workday session. But I'm stressed and badly in need of the re-balancing surfing provides, so I'll try to figure out a way to do it, somehow.