I had a sweet long weekend in West Cornwall for the bank holiday - my first trip for a while and a grim reminder that my surfing isn't exactly coming along leaps and bounds living as I do in London. The first paddle out at Gwithian was pretty painful and I really regretted not hitting the pool in preparation.
Sadly it wasn't happening at Gwenvor
We got decent swell on the Saturday but Gwithian was out of control so we opted for Mexican Lanes at the Hayle rivermouth, which I've never surfed before. It wasn't quite linking up properly but there were some nice waves sneaking though. Although I was struggling a bit from lack of fitness, I managed to pick a couple off and get at least one of those rides which reminds you first that you CAN still surf (just about) and secondly that there really is no better feeling than dropping into a clear turquiose wave, putting in a few turns and kicking out with the knowledge that you did ok on that one.
The sun was shining, the water was just about warm enough to be pleasant, I was with good mates - I wouldn't really have wanted to be anywhere else... Those rare days of sun and surf always make the long drive worthwhile - the rugged beauty of the coastline and countryside down there, and the feeling of being well away from it all, can make up for the fact that I can't surf as well as I could 5 years ago. And if my car su
rvives there will hopefully be plenty more trips to the Land of Saints so maybe I will restore some of my former glories...Fully loaded.
