Over spring break, I drove up from South Carolina to spend a few days in the Outer Banks with my buddy, Charlie. Plans were tentative and dependent on the quality of the waves, but we were hopeful for decent surf. We stayed in Hatteras at a local skate park that needed some renovations. In exchange for helping paint the park, we slept upstairs for free. From the onset, the trip was shaping into an awesome patchwork of possibilities and time well spent. I threw my board, wetsuit and some food in the car and hit the road.
I had already had an idea of how cold the water might be. The Outer Banks are often very windy, and an incoming cold front would magnify the chill. The day after we arrived, we went to see an old fishing boat captain, whom Charlie had met last summer. Somewhere mid-conversation he mentioned the change in water temperature from the week before and how all the surfers were throwing on their thicker wetsuits. I had thought my 3/2 wetsuit with booties and gloves would work fine, but I began to feel unprepared. The suit was so-named because it had three-millimeter thickness around the torso and two millimeters around the extremities, but I really needed a 4/3 suit and a hood.
Our first entrance into the freezing water later that day confirmed my fears. What was I going to do? I was a bit frustrated — I came here to surf all day, not to take a half-hour dip — but I maintained positive vibes, counting on the waves to pick up in a couple days.
When we weren’t in or around the water, we were skating the park, exploring the land, eating food and enjoying our time together. The routine ease of pressure-less mornings ensured I felt well-rested for each day. The promise of a sunset across the sound prolonged the peace. All of this was made even better by the company of a good friend.
One morning post-breakfast, we decided to test out the water again. The waves were firing, and we hopped in without question. The same cold water seeped into my suit and trickled down my spine. It was crowded, and the waves were big, but I wanted to stick it out. My first wave was nothing to be proud of, so it naturally needed a follow-up. The next wave emerged — I took it and dropped in, and the whitewater threw me to the bottom, where the intensity of chill left me subsequently paddling for the beach. Once again I was snaked by my own unpreparedness. The remainder of the session, I sat on the beach and watched.
Although the trip wasn’t quite what I had planned, the moments I didn’t expect made the trip a wonderful one. We found ample free time to check out the area. Sure, I had to sit on the beach and watch while a whole crew of guys caught great waves, but was sitting on a beach in the sun watching a sweet show really so bad? By the last day, my knees were bruised black and blue from falling on the concrete skate park, but they simply showed evidence of an awesome time.
We might not always be prepared for life. Often it will throw things our way that we can’t see coming. Yet whether you may have needed a thicker wetsuit, or you encounter something more serious, preparing yourself the best you can, thinking positively and living each day will make us all happiest in the end. Our ability to adapt and change our outlook means seeing light in the dark, and appreciating both rain and shine. The water may be cold, and if it doesn’t warm up, sitting on the beach is pretty nice too.
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