Matador makes its Debut

So, I had been hankerin' to get out to the beach and get my new surfboard in the water. We left a bit after 3:40 and we didn't get to Ships Bottom, NJ until close to 6:15 cause I missed my exit off the NJ Turnpike, and we were driving around in the woods of New Jersey for two times too long. Guess I should breakdown and get a GPS thing for the car.

But back to the surf. Keep in mind, that I gave up surfing when Noel was about 2 and a half months old because it wasn't fair for me to take off after I got home from work every night, leaving Diana with a new baby. Noel is 14 next Saturday, so it's been a long time.

But here's the thing, I had this G&S board, three stringers, wood block tail, tri-fin. We lived about three miles from the beach when we were in San Francisco, albeit that surfing Ocean Beach is like a head kick. I paddle out today thinking it is all going to come back to me.

Let's think about this. Of course, exercise one for a guy who hasn't been working out is getting on my wetsuit. My wet suit is also about 16 years old. It is one in a long line of suits. Prior to Christmas my sophomore year, we used to use 'farmer john' dive suits or anything we could borrow. My folks bought my first wet suit for Christmas my sophomore year. I was pretty stoked. That was an $80 gift, a high ticket item. It zipped across the shoulders instead of down the spine. I later bought a cool O'Neill, which was important to me, since I had seen Jack O'Neill drive around Santa Cruz, and wanted to support the local business. The last suits I had before this one were mostly 3/2 and I'd usually stay in the water until the onset of hypothermia... black middle finger, white pinky & ring finger, heavy shivers. So the last time I was in the market for a wet suit, I decided on a 4/3 for some warmth. That makes sense, and hey it paid off since the water here on the East Coast is even colder than Northern Cal (at least in the winter and spring.) But here's the thing. Just like economics, there are trade-offs.

Paddling out was no problem... but paddling for the waves? That 4/3 suit is pretty restrictive, so, Since I haven't been paddling in ages, man, I got a workout. Anyway, I was glad to get in the water, and vow to get into shape. It just seems that over the last 11 years I have been so busy. Sure it is a drag to have to take two hours to drive 95 miles to the beach. But that is still better that 4 hours one way, as was my situation when we lived in Las Vegas. I am looking forward to getting the whole family into surfing, because the Shepley kids surf, and I can't wait til a future date when I am wealthy enough for vacations, and we can go on surf and dive safaris in Costa Rica and Hawaii and other exciting locales.

I really appreciated the family supporting me by making the trip just so I could be happy in the ocean. I know the kids were really hoping to see me get up. Hopefully we will get back on a day when there are waves, and I am in shape to paddle fast enough.