So … I got my hot little hands on my 60th birthday (which isn’t until April 2014) present at the end of October. ‘Well, you probably won’t use it much before your birthday’ said the Husband…..
Then, two of my boys came home for the weekend… AND the sun shone. So we headed off to the beach, paddleboard nicely strapped into the back passenger seat, looking like a rather fat passenger. (Dog was in the estate boot)
The beach they chose was the one where you basically have to walk down a cliff path! So I cannily engaged son #3 to carry paddleboard down for me. It ‘only’ weighs 13 kg but I also had rucksack of towels to carry.
We hadn’t checked tide-times before we left .. and arrived as the bottom to find waves crashing right up to the beachside café. Hmmm
I took a little rock scramble over to peek at what is usually a nice wide beach. There was a scimitar of sand, and, hanging way out past the furious breakers, a row of about six surfers. As I watched one caught a nice wave and even travelled along the green curved face of the wave before crashing out in a mess of white water. Gulp! (click on any pics to enlarge)
I reported that there was barely any sand … but Son#2 was determined — so we all scrambled (dog included) over and around the rocky divide between what is usually a small beach on the café side and the larger beach.
Well, I was there now, so I got out and pumped up the paddleboard. It really doesn’t take long! I was wearing my cossie and topped it with a tee shirt and some black leggings rolled up to my knees. Not exactly a wet suit but I felt less exposed. The sun shone, the waves crashed!
I set off into the water. The waves were coming thick and fast, it was hard to get a moment or two between them to get onto the board, but I managed to leap on, kneeling, and start to paddle before the next wave hit.
I learnt how to tackle the wave with a extra paddle push as the nose of the paddleboard met wave, and how to lean my weight forward to get over the wave. However, due to the rock formations, every now and then a wave came in sideways. I could manage this if it came after I’d been able to get a paddle or two in after the previous wave, giving me time to face it and paddle into it, but sometime it came right after a straight wave and it caught me from the side, throwing the board UP INTO THE AIR AND ME OFF INTO THE WATER.
However, the water wasn’t cold, and after a thorough dunking, I clambered back on and was paddling out again.
I turned the board round and surfed it in (still on my knees – I had tried one stand up only to be thrown off before I could get the requisite paddle stroke to move through the wave) to wash the salt water taste out of my mouth… but went back in for a second go, finding myself laughing in exhilaration then having to shut my mouth quickly as these huge waves took all my concentration to get over and I didn’t want to swallow more sea water than I needed too.
I eventually gave up, when I was thrown off and slammed onto a rock on the sea-bottom, and brought the board back in, trying to keep it as sand free as possible. I think the dog was more worried than I was 🙂
Once dried off and changed I dried and deflated the board. Again, it took such a short time! Rolled it and with help from a son stowed it back into the bag.
Was it mad? Yes, and not something I would do without others around, just in case. Yes, there was even a surfer who came down, had a go and left, telling the boys that it was too rough for him. Yes, but I was glad of a son to carry the bag back up the cliff – so if on my own I’d definitely go somewhere with easier access.
Did I have fun? YES! And now can’t wait to get the board out again … though I’ll be checking tide times and / or trying it out on the river instead.
Have you done something that felt a little ‘mad’ recently?
Do you think it is good to get out of your comfort zone every now and then?
Do share, you know I love to hear from you.