Surfing is like sugar. It comes in many forms and, at least for me, has a predictable affect on the brain. When sugar hits my tongue I get an immediate reward shortly followed by a strong craving for more.
I can’t remember a single surf session where I’ve caught a good wave at the beginning of the session and then thought to myself, “Okay that was great. I’m gonna go in.”
Does anyone eat just one M&M?
On the other hand, sometimes when I haven’t surfed for a few days, I don’t feel that big of an urge to surf; Especially when I know the conditions are bad or I’m somewhere with no waves.
But as soon as I know there’s an opportunity for surf I start craving it. And once I catch one wave, I want more.
While sugar can make me sick, giving me some sort of sugar hangover – and also often a moral one – surfing never has that effect. What pulls me out of the water is having to be somewhere else, the sun setting, a tide or wind change that ruins the conditions, or… my favorite… simply being too tired to catch more waves.