I cheated, is cheating ok?

[IB_Surfer]

So today I surfed OB and it was shoulder to head high but very mushy. No big deal, I used my 6'1 disc, like the pod but to my specs, made for days like today.

The conditions today reminded me of last week but then I showed up with my shortboard, wrong board. In an hour I only caught 4 waves but had tried for more and got frustrated. I went in, grabbed my big wave gun out of my car (took it by mistake too), sat way outside, and caught about 10 waves in an hour, easily.

After, though, I felt like I cheated: instead of adjusting to the conditions I used a bigger board. In the past i f I packed the wrong board I would just adjust, dropping in more vertical or even on the reform, but didn't this time.. Should I have kept using the shortie? Does it matter? I feel like a cheated. Worse, I feel like I'm getting too old for my shortboard...

[jaffa1949]

Isn't changing boards adjusting to the conditions. In golf do you use the same club on the greens as on the tees?

Become a smorgasboarder, ride the craft that floats your boat!

If you think you are cheating you've swallowed somebody else shoulding on you!

[drowningbitbybit]

instead of adjusting to the conditions I used a bigger board.

...or to put it another way...

adjusting to the conditions, I used a bigger board.

[surf patrol]

The right board for the right conditions, sounds like the right thing to me.
Would you have had a better time if you hadn't swapped, and only caught another 4?

[IB_Surfer]

Yeah, but a gun on a 4ft day? If I was a longboarder it would have been like being out there on an 11ft board, overkill...then again maybe I'm just being weird

[jaffa1949]

Yeah, but a gun on a 4ft day? If I was a longboarder it would have been like being out there on an 11ft board, overkill...then again maybe I'm just being weird

Did it work, did you enjoy yourself.......? END OF STORY.
You could always send yourself in!!!!!!

[Seyrnahd]

Its not a matter of cheating. You took a much bigger board out, which = more paddle. So thus you paddled into waves much easier. The real question is (and only you know the answer) did you perform better? It is one thing to catch a ton of waves and just trim and quite another to lock in some decent turns and actually perform on a wave. Sometimes just taking off deeper or making more critical drops makes up for a lot of paddling deficiencies. Just remember though we all have those off days when the waves just are not cooperating with us. Just don't base too much on those days its only when it becomes a consistent issue that requires you to take serious note.

[IB_Surfer]

Its not a matter of cheating. You took a much bigger board out, which = more paddle. So thus you paddled into waves much easier. The real question is (and only you know the answer) did you perform better? It is one thing to catch a ton of waves and just trim and quite another to lock in some decent turns and actually perform on a wave. Sometimes just taking off deeper or making more critical drops makes up for a lot of paddling deficiencies. Just remember though we all have those off days when the waves just are not cooperating with us. Just don't base too much on those days its only when it becomes a consistent issue that requires you to take serious note.

You're right, I didn't perform better, I just caught more waves, maybe that is why it felt weird afterward. Thanks for putting it in prespective. It was on off day, I guess we all have them...