Might be time to call it...

Had a go yesterday at four different spots, moving from one to the other as the tide came up and then fell.
Lots of good waves, a few people out, nice weather as it was 60 on the beach and sunny out.
Swell was good, a solid 6' at 16 seconds.

I haven't been surfing too well this past week, falling, losing my board...took some long swims a few days ago, something I don't do very often.
So I was thinking it was me, I am just out of it or something.
Yesterday I racetracked an inside bowl through a rocky section, I was in the tint on the nose and saw that the wave was going to open up so I ducked and grabbed the outside rail and slid up in to a nice little tube ride in a cheater five stance.
I got blown out.
Hard.
And raked and dragged over the inside rocks.
The board spiraled between two pillars and up into a little bay, bouncing around in and on the rocks till I could get to it.
It looked ugly for the board.
I scraped my hand pretty hard across one submerged rock as I was getting tumbled, at least it wasn't my head but bad enough to cut it up pretty bad and leave a bad bruise across the palm. Its blue this morning and useless.
It could have been worse.
An hour later, I was at another spot with the high tide/swell combo working.
There were three of us out and I got to talking to Bobby, I related how shitty I had been surfing lately and he said something that put it in to perspective.
Progression as a surfer will have you falling.
And it made some sense.

I have been trying new things, throwing the longboard up backside hard into the face for a high line trim and running up for ten over when in all likely hood, the wave was going to pitch me out and the fin/rails were not going to hold.
But they will and I have been making some insane lines backside.
But this leads to me eating it occasionally.
Or often.
So it makes sense. It may not be that I am surfing poorly but that I am trying different things, different lines, more tip time, harder cutbacks and just not making them yet.
Progression.
So I put a leash on my log.
Call me a dog, call me lazy and perhaps a bit of a hypocrite...
But I am progressive.
I am not one for competition any more, been there done that.
Except maybe with my self, my age and my own version of surfing.

Oh, the board got a good ding to the nose and a shatter on the fin tip but was otherwise fine.
Lucky.
Like me.

Anyway.
My hand hurts and I know why.
Its ok.
I look forward to the next time I duck and racetrack that inside bowl.
In the tint.
Eventually I will make it.
Progression.
I guess one should surf like no one is watching.

See ya.