Don't you hate

Everything is set. The board is in the car, your mate is ready, wetsuit is dry and your off work early. Just need some swell and the sneaky check just before knock off shows a rising swell and offshores. You can't miss.

Then your mate drops out - has to look after the baby at short notice. Bugger him I'll go myself.

Hit the carpark and don't even look. The wetsuit must have shrunk over summer because it is strangling me. Leg rope, where is my leg rope ? It was here yesterday .......... before I took it out and left it at home. Doesn't matter, didn't look that critical half an hour ago when I checked last.

Check the newly re-set fin on the mini-mal. Hang on there's another ding there and another there.

Run down the beach. Shit the waves look bigger and suckier at beach level. Perfect for the new board I haven't got yet, not for 7'6" on mini-mal. Which bank will allow me to get out and get a few corners without losing my board. None probably so I'll go out here.

Fifty metres of thick, clumpy weed hiding the reef. Great if I lose my board I will have to swim through this. Better choose waves wisely.

Duck dive - freezing cold.

Just as I suspected, the waves would have been great for a shortboard but the vertical takeoffs are just to much for a mini-mal without a legrope in cold weedy water.

Try inside but just get smashed on a duck dive.

Ride a foamy one in without standing up and go home.

Don't you hate best laid plans ?????