Humbled !

I've got over 25 years experience riding boards of all types. I've got a quiver that goes from 6 to 10' in fibreglass and includes handboards and a SUP. And I've surfed Bunbury for around 15 years. So after two flat water paddles around the boat harbour surely catching a few waves on the SUP shouldn't be that hard.

Fraggles was the chosen spot. The waves roll in from the deep and its sheltered from the sea breeze so once I'm past the shore break it should be a piece of cake. I'll wear a leg rope but only so when I kick out the board want hit the rocks.

It has been a while since I last surfed Fraggles, probably near to four years. In that time I forgot just how much the water moved around, bouncing off the groyne and the sea wall and surging back from the steep beach. The board that floated perfectly in the flat now wanted to sink and pitch and I was quickly in the water. Try again, same deal. And again and again. Eventually I got up long enough for a couple of strokes but fell in again.

Back to the beach and regroup. I adjusted a couple of things in my stance and actually made it a little way out and a little way in but was soon on the beach for a re-think.

Answer - paddle the thing prone and catch a couple of waves just to feel it out as a surfboard. It paddles prone like the wide long monster it is but I did get one wave. There won't be any off the lips on this board.

The fisherman on the beach was getting a bit annoyed with me going near his line (he wasn't catching any fish) and I'd had enough so that was it for session three. Lots of lessons to be learned and a few things to think about.

Fraggles is still very deep and sharky !