I kept edging in closer and tried to paddle in to a few but soon realized it was going to be super late and paddling for my life or not bothering if I was going to catch anything at all. Paddling into a wave of this size with the wind blowing up the face you’ve really got to want to catch it. I was paddling with both feet in front of the deck pad at times just trying to drop in.
Needless to say I was anxious to get into one. I’d been paddling in as deep as I thought possible and as late as I dared but was still missing them, even on my 9’6 board. Only to see behind yet another missed wave a bigger steeper wave just about to break on me, this will be the one then! I guessed I would either catch it or it would break on top of me, not a lot of choice then. I started paddling as far forward on the board as possible to keep the nose down and dug in deep as if my life depended on it. The wave lifted and lifted me up the face, I was expecting the lip to break on the back of my head, but finally the howling wind blowing up the face let me drop down as my board rattled down the wave and away from the lip. It was a massive relief to get in first and make it into the channel; it was going to be an epic day.
Twenty minutes of shuffling into position and another wave later Nick Healey paddled over on his 9’10 Fanatic, looking calmly confident. A quick hello and we were off to our different spots in the line up; Nick’s a goofy footer so was looking for some lefts. I’m natural and believe me I wasn’t keen to get any waves on my back hand today.
