The least common denominator

Been through a fair amount of rough sessions and situations so far on the water. One thing I've definitely learned is to subscribe to a mindset of caution for the least common denominator. Basically, assess the worst-case scenario within reason and guide your choices by that possibility.

Case in point - yesterday I'm in Ventura area at a solid PB/cobblestone reef. It's 2-3' OH on many sets (8'10!!! LOLZ). Forget what the stats were, but it was big and clean. Big and clean still has plenty of whitewater after the break though and on the inside. So I realize when I get to the break that the 30L pintail I brought has FCS2 boxes and I forgot that when packing my wax and fins. MF'in boxes only have one grub screw in them too so I have to trow in FCS1 fins with barely one screw each and can't even bury it too deep since my fin key was Futures.

Paddle out board upside down past the cobblestones (haven't done that since Trestle's low tide at the AM free surf prior to '14 Hurley Pro) and then flip it right side up once I'm clear. Well, though I was clear then realized there were still rocks underneath. Anywayz, I proceed to donate my center fin to the Pacific Ocean and realize once out back I'm sportin a twinnie. That's ok, until I realize that I paddled out sans leash.

So I'm duck diving through up to 10' sets with no leash and one fin short of a full deck. Could be pissed at life but consider that I haven't paddled out in several days (work and the move out west remains hectic) and it's my own damn fault I'm not prepared. I'm stoked to be out there for sure and salivating at the peelers I'm seeing go for 200yds, but do the math in my head and it's not looking the most promising.

I'm nearly out back in the lineup and ready to charge 8'+ and then it occurs to me that I won't be fancying a swim in without a board. Also, I considered that my precious pintail would be on a zip line on the cobblestone reef going from near mint condition to complete trash all in that one ride I would potentially lose control of the board. I think better of it and head to the inside to catch a few. I was on a major timeline yesterday anyway and this expired my 30 minutes of water time.

Living to fight another day, I hit the same break today for 3-5' and clean once again. Wasn't the OH bombs I was paddling between the previous day, but then again I was arguably out of shape to be in those if anything went wrong. Naturally, I left the house again without a leash but realized that in time to stop at the rip curl joint for a cord.

Today, I again didn't have much more than 30 mins to hit it but damn, I got 6 rides in that time and it was great. I was finding lefts at a predominantly right-hand break. Got 5 pumps down the line on a fast 50yd left on my 5-10 diamond tail and it felt like freedom. Oh yeah, that board got severed in half at the Honeyton Pier days before Christmas 2014 and my good buddy in Mass last summer repaired it primo and now it's riding even better than before.

Yeah, abstract Spicoli tread as usual but the moral of the story is have foresight and better judgment when possible and you'll avoid hairy situations. I didn't make such prudent choices in the past when I could've been smarter and I ended up seeing my life flash before my eyes. Another thought it that it's hard to be as thankful as you should be when you live just steps from waves because there will be a day when you no longer do. However, I'm all good with living 45 minutes from dope waves on the daily instead of 5 minutes from crap ass Johnny come lately waves. God Bless the Pacific.