by Big H » Wed Mar 30, 2016 11:12 am
I'm pulling up an older thread rather than start a new one on the same thing.......
I don't have the problem of the OP to the same extreme plus he's a lot better than I am I'm sure.....
Grousing to myself all the way back from the beach today....waves were good, it was crowded....I blew all but one wave one way or another and I KNOW that it was entirely mental.....didn't get much sleep last night but not overly tired.....yesterday I was in a zone, so confident, felt like I could do anything....was surfing as good as I ever have yesterday and had a 45min space of time where in the zone I could catch early, late and doing manuevers without thinking, some of which surprised me as they were pure reactions in the moment.....it was awesome! I was getting hoots and shakas from all the boyz....they were stoked that I was was going so good.....I even got a sloppy shore break barrel that was not really hollow enough to call a barrel, but I rode in, got covered and then emerged standing from the wave as it closed out.....more hoots.
Today I went to a break where rather than the supportive environment of my home break surrounded by guys I surf with regularly, and going into the water I felt self-conscious going in.....later I would count 46 people in the water (ding ding....season is here!)....to get a wave I had to fight really dirty back paddlers, clueless drop ins, clever blockers and pigs that would go to the head of the queue every time and try to take every wave.....anyway, i got a little nasty and got some waves but just sucked....I moved off the main peak shattered and set up in a relatively empty section all the newcomers didn't know about (can't make this section from the main peak......ever) and caught some waves with no one close by.....sucked again.....it all felt wrong....my timing, my confidence.....I could feel myself tightening up and it made everything off and awkward....
Not the first time and I'm under no illusion that I'm alone in having bad surfs.....nothing chonic like this thread's OP, but frustrating all the same because if I lose it between the ears its hard to rally....I haven't had to really battle for waves like I did today for months....that's part of the problem....so it's time to get my game face together.....maybe if I'm prepared before cresting the hill and seeing the break loaded with sunburned newcomers with go pros all frothing for every single wave that passes, maybe if I'm prepared for that next time I'll be better able to deal with it.......
All the same, bad surf is a bad surf......annoying, frustrating and the worst part is that I can't wait to get back out there to prove to myself that it was a fluke not a trend...... :lol;