2015 East Coast Paddlefest Part Two

The sturdy "Good Roo," serving as a gear and clothes line.

Excerpt with edits from my note to "Coach."

Today we surfed with Dale for 3 hours. Same beach as before. He sent me out first into big 3-5 foot green swells. He said to ride them green until just before they broke and then circulate left. I caught a ride and nailed my low brace turn just before it started to break.

A bit later he was beside me looking back he said ' big one, wait wait, go!' I took off, and he did too. James caught the same line from further down. James turned right and Dale and I turned left. I copied his low brace turn and we turned like a dance step. He said 'nice control, Randi' sublime feeling.

James and I really enjoyed the big green waves. But the other 3 students, Anya, Luke, and Stephanie, were tired and they wanted to play in the shore break. I knew I was going to swim, darn. My mind set me up! I flipped twice . First time I turned away from the swell too late and got broached and dropped on. Off side, I didn't even manage a sand roll. I tried to go under and come up on the right but the sand was too close. Popped. The boat ran to shore and waited for me there, like a halfway-cooperative horse.

The second time was at the end of the session. I had just assisted a reentry for James. I followed a swell in, not surfing, in control. But a huge swell picked James up and as I tried to drop off the back he javelined at me. I threw my strokes down, digging hard. One glance behind, I saw his hull above me in a sea of spray on the left. I literally saw him crushing me (that whole life-flashing-before-your-eyes-thing) and I have never accelerated like that. I surfed away to the right and rode it all the way in. Then another big one broke over me as I was trying to get out. Window shade and I let the boat go.

I did not get any pictures on the beach this day.

James says he can't wait to return to the big green rollers in Southport.

Dale said I have learned to back off well but was a shade too cautious. He said I dropped off a few I could have ridden. I felt cautious. Indeed, it is confidence I lack the most.

He gave James positioning advice. James enjoyed Dale much more than our day before with Waveology. James blamed the wide mixture of student experience. Shrug.

We went out to dinner at Your Pie. I couldn't remember the name of the pizza place you and I have hit before. It's 8:20 now and James is already snoozing. Getting up at 5 am is hard!

Tomorrow Waveology again, and then we stalk Nigel Foster. :-D