Sometimes I try to get logical about things as illogical as chasing a stoke. Could I paddle out, catch one wave and come back in stoked? I think it’s possible. I’ve seen guys do it. Two days ago an old dude, at least 60 years old, paddled out at dusk. I was thinking to myself, “I can’t see sets coming anymore. I need to catch one in before I hurt myself. How is this guy just getting to the lineup?”
Well, here’s a short note about quality and quantity of waves during a session.
Once of out the water a surf session is only as good as my memory of it.
I’ve found that a good first wave and a good last wave have a much bigger impact on my memory of the session than everything else in between.
If a session starts off slowly or with a bad wave it can be hard for me to overcome. Even with a few good waves after a rocky start, if I don’t cap it with a nice one, my memory of the entire session is at stake.
On the other hand, if I get a really good first wave that stoke can live on through the session, which makes it much more bearable to sit around, waiting for waves, or even take a couple on the head. After a great first wave the pressure is off; the rest of the session is like surfing in the bonus and I tend to surf better – more relaxed and more confident.
If I get a really good one to cap a session, the stoke will stick with me for the rest of the day. There’s nothing better than having my last wave line up just right, from the outside all the way in. I can play that wave back in my mind long after the session is over, getting a small hit of dopamine each time.
To have a mid-session wave generate lasting stoke, it has to be a real banger. I’m talking, like, the wave of the day – the lucky outside set, making a barrel against all odds, or sometimes just a nice clean top turn will do the trick.
Logically it probably make sense to quit while I’m ahead. If my session starts off slow and I get an unusually nice one, I should probably just go in. But I never do. I’m never coaxed in from a session by stoke. Rather, I’m forced by deteriorating conditions, a prior obligation, or fatigue.