Sennen was as good I've seen it for months today. Fairly heavy, super-clean, bright sunshine, decent banks and head high swell (much bigger at Gwenver). I paddled out with Harry, somewhat tentatively because all this surfing (I've been in the water six out of the past seven days) is regrettably rather alien to me, what my catalogue of medical woe. My upper back and neck are rebelling against this unusual bout of exercise, not in a way that makes me fear that cervical myelopathy is back in business, but more because muscles that haven't been used for ages are getting a serious work out. In short, everything is bunched up, tight and painful.
This, along with having a metal cage in my neck, makes me a very conservative surfer these days. I am not the bloke hassling for waves, paddling on the inside, snaking and dropping in. As such, it's really, really, REALLY annoying when someone drops in on me - as done by a certain surfer today.
This individual gets his fair share of waves. He'd had plenty already by the time I paddled out. I hadn't had any, taking it easy and waiting for the right one, and then bang, along it came. It was a lovely, glistening right hander of about shoulder height. I was in prime position. I had priority. I paddled and knew I had the wave. But so did this bloke, about two yards to my right. Did he drop in? Yes, dear readers, he did. He was so close to me that there was no point in going for the wave: there wouldn't have been room even to trail in his wake.
I think this little act was out of order. When matey paddled back out, past me to the peak (yes), I refrained from saying anything. I am, after all, a mellow chap these days. But my mood and my surf was ruined. I mean, it's not as if I'm some kind of line-up terrorist, paddling frantically from peak to peak, ruthlessly dropping in on all and sundry. I take it really easy in the water. I wait for waves that won't, I earnestly hope and pray, destroy my neck, and I keep out of other surfers' way. It's obvious that I'm not an aggro guy when out there. It's probably obvious, too, that I struggle with a dodgy neck (I can't raise it very far from the board when paddling). So why drop in on me? Why f*** up the one decent wave that comes my way?
If you drive a black retro vehicle, ride a longboard and surf regularly at Sennen, can you please drop in on someone else next time?