This is killing me...

I haven't been surfing since the rescue debacle. STILL waiting for the b***dy wetsuit, allegedly here next week (or maybe the week after :-(). At least it's not windy this weekend, even though the SW got pounded earlier in the week.

Maybe the thing that's killing me is the gym! Joined the local gym, Fitness First, which includes three personal trainer sessions. It's hard work, but I've been to gyms before and this is pretty good. A corporate deal through work helps! So tomorrow I'm going to meet Steve, who is also the trainer for my mate Mick, with whom I've been cycling for years. I've been down a couple of times already, lots of gear, not too crowded. Good. Ouch.

And today I drove to London and picked up the futon. Finally something works out. Looks great. Installed it in the van, and it is COMFORTABLE!! Makes it look lived in and cosy too.

Oh, yes, and just in case there's no wind and no chance of it, I've booked a week in Dahab... 21-28 Nov - how bad of me is that? After all that blather about it (boring, blah blah)! But now it's different, I have perspective and need some practice on smaller boards in flat water with good wind. Cribby is doing two weeks worth of courses there at the same time, like he did when I was there last year. Pity I didn't think of it earlier, he's an excellent teacher. Might have some sessions with Rob Horne though,the local guy.

But this insurftivity is KILLING ME!!!

Maybe weekends are useful after all

Spent this weekend doing some van fixing, in lieu of surfing. Good stuff. Added some shelves under the bed, with three large stanchions that provide more support. Also fitted the coolbox that was a birthday gift from my son and family in a nifty spot - the provided cigarette lighter cable actually stretches all the way to the front! Things look very tidy now, and there's loads more space.

Also ordered the futon (1mx2m) from the Futon Centre in London. They appear to be the only sensible people who sell them separate from the silly wooden frame things. Seems like lots of money - £125, but I priced up a 1mx2mx10cm chunk of foam - £133!! And it doesn't come with any cover, I'd have to make one. Boring. And I'd have to cut it to fit the fold-up bed part. So the 6-layer one it is, in Forest Green 'cos it won't look too crap after a few years in a van! Interestingly, the bird who answers the 'phone and calls you up when you order online has a Japanese accent, so maybe that's why they're such sensible futon people.

Even fitted some wood over the bulkhead window to hold coat hooks and a curtain or blind of some sort when I get it organised. This is good, I'm always really pissed off when there's nowhere to hang stuff!

AND... I think I want a sort of wooden box, like a blanket box, behind the bulkhead, to sit on, put stuff in, and stand on to get into bed. Looked around, B&Q do one for £15, Ikea (where are they?!) do something for £8... Tempting to make one myself out of chunky 2x2 and some plywood. It would also be the size I wanted it - the ones I've seen have all been too skinny, low and, well, too small basically.

Talking of beds, I also added another bit of hold-up rope on the other side of the fold-up bit, so it's not so creaky - works great. Can't believe how effective that simple thing is. Simple things eh?

But this is all noise, ancillary stuff, distractions, from the MAIN EVENT!!

Let's go WAVESAILING!!!

Lots to say - JP, waves, rescued!!

Blimey, a long time since I wrote anything.

The Tush 4.7 finally arrived, just before last weekend (not the one just gone, the one before). Went down to Worthing with the club, and arrived to find high tide, crunchy shorebreak about 12. So, like you do, sat around the beach hut of a member's parents drinking tea and discussing boards and things. Bad plan. I've been considering getting a smaller board for a bit, ever since trying my 125l job in F5 and chop, when it all gets a bit squirrely*. The "boys" seemed to think 90l would be about right, and I had time on my hands...

Off to Surfladle in Shoreham, after a preliminary phone call. Yay! The 2003 model JP Freeride Carve 91l, with £250 off the asking looks gorgeous... so I bought it. Loony. Desperate to try it, back to the beach. Rig the nice new 4.7 on the nice new 400... oh no! Stupid mast extension doesn't fit up the damn mast!! End up rigging on the 430 with adjustable head. But I did get out, and the board is great. I can actually sail it, which was a bit of a surprise. Needs lots of TLC on the feet positioning and movement, which is good for me. Fell off lots, and came in as it got dark.

The next day I went out again, but the wind died and I retired home relatively early, but still happy I'd been out.

So, looking forward to this weekend at Pagham... Arrived on Sunday about 11, since busy on Saturday. Wind blowing F5 at least, shorebreak ok, certainly lots of chop and waves. Rigged JP + 4.7 - cool! Donned summer suit. Made it through the break with a bit of bashing around - keep the board pointing into the wave, not sideways, and MOVE FAST!! Got started, but tough to head down wind, too concentrated on staying on in tough conditions. Hard to get into footstraps... Inevitably - SPLASH! Then after a few more attempts to get going, started to have trouble waterstarting - sail wouldn't come out, or if it did, then I got knocked off or the sail taken down by wind or a breaking wave. I wasn't in top condition, late night previous etc., so could be contributory, but I WAS cold. Damn suit!!

Eventually, after a long time (an hour?), and some assistance from Juan, Lee Rolfe from the local LAR Watersports store came to my rescue. He took my sail, and I paddled/surfed the board back into the beach. Genevieve swam out to help, and I made it back to land. Completely frozen, never been so cold before. Feet completely solid. SCAREY!! Body started doing things it never has before - deep shivering.

But... after 2 cups of tea, lots of food, warm clothes, a long sit and chat in J&G's van, I felt much better and made it home eventually. A lesson learned...

• Wear the stupid neoprene hood I've got
• Get a helmet - warmest possible thing
• Get the bloody winter wet suit!!!
• Don't over-estimate skill (but don't under-estimate either!!)

And then of course Bray call yesterday (Mon) to say the suit's on order, it'll be 2 weeks, and can they have a deposit? Ah well. Might postpone further activity until that arrives, which would be handy but a bit sad since the wind is really good at the moment. Life eh?

But I'm not discouraged, not at all. I WANNA SAIL WAVES, just like it was on Sunday!!!

*Thanks to Kevin Schwantz for that (500cc GP champ 1993)