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)
