First Surfboard

At my age (55) you'd think I had better things to do than learn to surf. Well not exactly surf but actually paddleboard. Paddleboarding involves a large surfboard (also called a boat) and a paddle. The goal is to stand on the board and row to where the waves are, ride them back to shore, and do it again. And again. And again, etc.

My first paddleboard was a cheap affair from Costco. $500 worth of styrofoam and plastic with a non-slip top. Getting it to the water was like carrying a whale, riding it was like trying to stay on a belly-up whale. The wind kept catching the board on the beach and spinning me around like a bad slapstick comedy. I hope the sunbathers enjoyed the show.

The non-slip top proved to be a misnomer. I launched myself onto the board only to slide completely over the top and off the other side. I KNOW the sunbathers enjoyed that one, I heard them laughing. I returned the board the next day.

The second board proved to be a comedy of errors even before I got it to the water. I placed my order for a pink board at a 'special event' at Costco and it cost twice as much as the first board. I figured pink would show up better against the blue water in case I got blown out to sea and needed to be rescued. I picked up the board a week later. Since I was working so much I didn't open the board bag until a week later. To my surprise, the board was blue - the very color I DIDN'T want. The girl in the store had carried out the wrong bag and I didn't check it. The manufacturer was on Kauai so I had to ship the incorrect board back to them. Another week. They shipped a pink board back to me (and made me pay for the shipping, the turkeys). Another week. SO. A month and $1000 got me a poorly made board with - literally - dirt in the finish, cracks on the bottom, no leash although there should have been one in the bag, bubbles in the epoxy and it weighed in at nearly 35 pounds; somewhat higher than the 17 pounds as advertised. Sometimes you DON'T get what you pay for. Return board #2 to Costco.

I considered giving up on paddleboard ownership, but the call of the waves wouldn't let me go.

Board #3. On a whim, I went to the Surfboard Factory Outlet near my place of employment. Lo and behold! They had ONE PINK BOARD LEFT! I bought it on the spot. Another $1000 including paddle, leash and stickers. Life insurance was extra.

So yesterday, I took my lovely new pink board and hit the waves. The waves hit back. My first spill had me considering how easy it is to drown. The next one wasn't quite as bad but I still hadn't stood up on the board. The wind had been blowing fiercely for weeks and the water was extremely choppy. I struggled back to the beach and did the slapstick 'board in the wind' bit until I got smart. I planted the board on the beach and retrieved my towel, bag and sandals from the other end of the beach - I had been blown that far. The wind was blowing so hard, I was in danger of uncontrolled flight trying to carry the board to my belongings instead of the other way around.

When the wind dies down, I'll try again. When the waves are more than 3' high, I'll sunbathe.