Sloppy Joes…03/10/2013

Sloppy Joes…03/10/2013 All night I could hear the waves pounding from the office, the easterlies hammering the beach. I couldn’t wait but struggling to stay awake between 3 and 5 in the morning I had to get my head down for an hour once I got home at half eight. A quick call to Si to check he was still on for a session and one to Nick to update him on the likelihood of me being out picking up a friend’s Yakboard when he arrived and I got my head down, managing twenty minutes which was too short but enough to get me moving again at least. Easy clothes on, dressed like a tramp as I had a gate to climb over and I went down to make some pancakes for my breakfast. It was just before half nine. Texts from Gary telling me the sea was huge and then one saying he was a minute away…umm, an hour early! He was far too apologetic though as I was already up and about so he hadn’t woken me and it’d give us an earlier start. I made him a tea and forced him to eat one of my chocolate chilli muffins while I squeezed the last drops out of some previously used lemon halves. Si called, couldn’t make it so we went out to see if we’d be able to fetch the yakboard on his roof; no need, Nick had arrived so with Gary getting into his wetsuit we went down the road and I did my cat burglar impression, nicking a yak and paddle but not finding any thigh straps. We’d need them, fortunately I had some upstairs that with a lot of fiddling we managed to fit and then it was down to the beach. No way would Nick’s Trident get out and we’d flood it if we tried so it became our beach locker instead. The sea was really pumping but very messy. Fairly big but peaky and not much width to them, short too with many being absorbed by the one in front or behind, but rideable at least. The sun was shining, despite the forecast of rain, and the sea was surprisingly warm and under orders to go first and show them how it was done I waded out, got to the end of the groyne and held station, paddling against the wind constantly to stay where I needed to be. The first two attempts I was too slow and missed the waves. Third time lucky! I caught a lovely one and screamed in… Great stuff! The next one I caught, once I’d battled my way back out, was even bigger and |I sat there on the lip with a good five foot drop below the nose for quite a distance before I dropped down, pulled into a turn and scooted along the face before bongoing in for the rest of the ride to the beach. Okay, here they came! Nick on the Yakboard and Gary on his bodyboard. I left them both the wrong side of the middle breakers and carried on playing. They swapped over, Nick knackered from the battering he was getting and with a lot of shouted encouragement to keep going Gary made it out; He was beaming, the satisfaction of getting over a wave you just know is going to smash you up and flip you over is immense and he’d had a lot of those. Not bad for his second time paddling; he’s yet to see flat water. Fast tracking him I am! A couple were coming and I told him to go, he caught it before dropping back and picking up the next one and running all the way in. Meanwhile another came up behind, too good to resist and I went for it… Another great ride, along and then all the way in. better than the previous one that size that had flipped me as did a few on the way back out. …here came a great big huge bitch of a gnarly dumper and I was in the wrong place, too close to the groyne. I had to go and I caught it wrong. My arse lifted, my nose dropped and buried itself in the face. I did a perfect vertical flip, upright on the nose and straight and went head over heels into the water, being pushed along upside down and submerged. I dropped my knees out of the straps and resurfaced, grabbing he kayak, flipping it upright and battling out again. Great wipeout this. Nick and Gary took it in turns with the Yakboard and with Gary out back once more I let him take the next one that came in. It went great until about halfway in and then he went over. As for me, I had no choice and had to take the one behind as it was already rearing up. I saw him overturned in my path and tried to scoot along past inside him; too risky, I turned in instead and went straight to cut around the back…I just saw this little head poking up with a fearful grin as I cut around ten feet away and turned back up and over. I started getting fancy then, still wanting to do a 360 flat spin. I managed some 180’s that I kept upright until turning back, an achievement in itself, but just couldn’t swing it right around and keep going; I need better waves for that. faster and cleaner. One day. It just meant I kept swimming. I tried the bodyboard but couldn’t do a thing with it and then went out for one last go before the waves disappeared completely; there were fewer now. I had a hell of a time getting out, being wiped out repeatedly before I made it. Sadly Gary didn’t make it to join me, not a surprise as it was so tricky getting through that middle zone and I constantly had to find gaps, But I made it as the waves stopped. I must have been out ten minutes before a small but okay wave appeared and I came in on it. Back home then for pancakes and a drink. Thirsty work this, especially with a well-brined throat and nose. There are many things to do in life and many with a kayak but I have to say that this is by far my favourite and the most exciting. So good to share a sunny day with friends too.