So..... I'm learning more and more each time I go out fo
r a surf. So, that part is good. But, I'm sort of disappoin
ted that there are almost never any bodyboarders at the spo
ts here in Northern Cali that I've been going to. This tell
s me a couple of things. Either.... there are not a lot of
bodyboarders in Northern Cali.... and/or.... I'm at the wro
ng spots!

Last weekend I drove down the coast looking at the spot
s I know. They all seemed foamy and closed out with hardly
any surfers in the water. Yeah.. it was SuperBowl Sunday...
but even I have learned that nobody in the water is usuall
y a bad sign. (well... except for that place in La Jolla...
. MAN, what a sweet wave! Would I love to be able to surf t
here every day!)

I finally just gave in and decided to try a place in Sa
nta Cruz that was recommended. It took FOREVER to get there
because there was a car wreck on PCH1 and I had to turn ar
ound and criss cross all through the mountains to get back
around to the beach. But, the weather was nice and the wave
s looked promising! Woo-Hoo!

Now.... I am always hesitant about trying a new spot al
one. I don't know if I understand enough about the "rules"
yet. So I always worry that I'm gonna be in the wrong spot.
... or accidentally ruin someone's turn. It's a little inti
midating in some places, and Santa Cruz is one of those spo
ts that people had warned me about. So, I leaned against th
e rail and just watched the various breaks for a while. Cle
arly.. this was a place where standups ruled. There must ha
ve been 200 surfers within my view. And then I saw him....
one lone bodyboarder. So, I figured.... I guess I can go in
too!

I've noticed...... disturbingly....that the more knowle
dge I seem to gain... the more hesitant I seem to become ab
out just.... "going for it". I'm not sure why this is occur
ring. Perhaps before... I was too stupid to know what dange
rs were possible... or how one faux pas to the wrong surfer
dude could land you in some sort of surfer vs bodyboarder
pissin' match. It has sort of made me less enthusaistic abo
ut "the bodyboarder culture" if such a thing exists. And...
.. as I've interacted online with some of the other message
boards (not here) ... there's certainly some degree of.. "
who's the best at this"... "who's the best at that" sort of
weird vibe that detracts from the pure joy and beauty of b
eing on a piece of foam out in the ocean and sliding down a
wave.... just because it's fun!

Anyways.... my afternoon session in Santa Cruz turned
out to be delightful with no problematic run-ins or shoutin
g matches. And, I even managed to ride a few nice waves. I
never did see the other bodyboarder in the water. Maybe he
left when I was getting my wetsuit on or something. But....
I'm getting used to riding alone and just talking to the su
rfers. They've actually been pretty nice to me. So... no ac
tual animosity in the water.... but a whole lot of inferred
animosity out on other parts of the web. I don't get it...
I thought surfer people (standups and bodyboarders) were s
upposed to be laid back and mellow.