Tonight @ RedDevil, New Board, and Weekendery
Yanno…
Every time I go to Wise, I always have a good experience. It’s not the same as other surf shops; a little bigger, a little more in the “nice” category. If you have questions, even stupid ones, they answer ‘em. Sometimes they answer ‘em before you ask ‘em. For instance…how to put on a leash, and fins. Waterwookie instructed me via email on the leash business when I picked up that old board off of CL, but seeing as how the guy was so patient (and cute) helping me out buying the new board (my first new board!), I decided to just take it all in.
I called ahead yesterday to see what they still had in stock, since the sale is $100 off the cheapy brand Blue - not a bad choice for a novice, and the boards are glass, not epoxy. They had some 7’6s in stock, which was the same size as the old board, but I decided to move up to something more stable in an 8’2. Bigger is better, but I didn’t want to go too big. I picked the least girly looking board in the bunch, a black pinstripe on mostly white. It’s pretty light weight, easy to carry, and was only $350 or something nuts like that. He threw in 3 bars of wax for free, and took $10 off my leash, and the fins were included…so the whole thing cost me $400.35 - the exact amount I had budgeted was $400 (having gotten $150 for the old board and sold some stuff at the local thrift, and budgeted $200 out of this paycheck for the rest). The way I figure it, in real time money, I only spent $200 - which was what the used pintail cost me off CL too. It was a steal.
The fellah who helped me out showed me how to put the fins on, and how to move the center fin, how NOT to poke into the board getting the fins to slot in, and some tips on wiggling a bit, and tightening the screws. He took the price tag off with some solvent stuff, and asked me if I was going surfing. I had to reply no, that I was on my lunch break and had to get back to work, but that I was planning on Santa Cruz this weekend (if I can get some buds to go with me, which is looking grim). He laughed and said, “At least get your hair wet…looks good out there today.” I had to admit that the little crumbly fast waves at Ocean Beach not only looked surfable, but inviting. I had no idea that OB could even produce such smallness…but like the sirens entice sailors into the treachery of rocks, I knew better the beast that was beckoning… and went back to work instead. It really did look tame. And inviting. Despite no one being in the water…
The guy helping me further joked about sharks, saying that July and August seem to be the season when most people around here get bit.
Yikes.
Anyways…support your local surf shop, damn-it. Community and all that. I tend to spend my money where there is no attitude adjustment needed - and Wise has been the best experience I've had in that category so far. That's where I got my wetsuit...usually where I get my wax...and spare leash for the 7'6.
Speaking of support and local and community - MusicFairy’s band, Truxton, is playing tonight at the Red Devil Lounge. They go on at 9pm sharp-like, so drop in and check it out.
I’m thinking about getting back into Bikhram Yoga again, by the by. I’ve been doing good with the diet, and it’s time to incorporate some exercise that will help build strength and agility.
Tentative alternative plans for the weekend (because it looks like surfing won’t pan out, which is a bummer when you have a new board and are itching to take it out): Picnic on Saturday with drkaos and potential others; Napa on Sunday with AccidentProne (who is driving, yay), her in-town friend, and maybe lily_dove.
Psssst. themissblue’s birthday is on Monday. Her gift is in the mail. :)
Every time I go to Wise, I always have a good experience. It’s not the same as other surf shops; a little bigger, a little more in the “nice” category. If you have questions, even stupid ones, they answer ‘em. Sometimes they answer ‘em before you ask ‘em. For instance…how to put on a leash, and fins. Waterwookie instructed me via email on the leash business when I picked up that old board off of CL, but seeing as how the guy was so patient (and cute) helping me out buying the new board (my first new board!), I decided to just take it all in.
I called ahead yesterday to see what they still had in stock, since the sale is $100 off the cheapy brand Blue - not a bad choice for a novice, and the boards are glass, not epoxy. They had some 7’6s in stock, which was the same size as the old board, but I decided to move up to something more stable in an 8’2. Bigger is better, but I didn’t want to go too big. I picked the least girly looking board in the bunch, a black pinstripe on mostly white. It’s pretty light weight, easy to carry, and was only $350 or something nuts like that. He threw in 3 bars of wax for free, and took $10 off my leash, and the fins were included…so the whole thing cost me $400.35 - the exact amount I had budgeted was $400 (having gotten $150 for the old board and sold some stuff at the local thrift, and budgeted $200 out of this paycheck for the rest). The way I figure it, in real time money, I only spent $200 - which was what the used pintail cost me off CL too. It was a steal.
The fellah who helped me out showed me how to put the fins on, and how to move the center fin, how NOT to poke into the board getting the fins to slot in, and some tips on wiggling a bit, and tightening the screws. He took the price tag off with some solvent stuff, and asked me if I was going surfing. I had to reply no, that I was on my lunch break and had to get back to work, but that I was planning on Santa Cruz this weekend (if I can get some buds to go with me, which is looking grim). He laughed and said, “At least get your hair wet…looks good out there today.” I had to admit that the little crumbly fast waves at Ocean Beach not only looked surfable, but inviting. I had no idea that OB could even produce such smallness…but like the sirens entice sailors into the treachery of rocks, I knew better the beast that was beckoning… and went back to work instead. It really did look tame. And inviting. Despite no one being in the water…
The guy helping me further joked about sharks, saying that July and August seem to be the season when most people around here get bit.
Yikes.
Anyways…support your local surf shop, damn-it. Community and all that. I tend to spend my money where there is no attitude adjustment needed - and Wise has been the best experience I've had in that category so far. That's where I got my wetsuit...usually where I get my wax...and spare leash for the 7'6.
Speaking of support and local and community - MusicFairy’s band, Truxton, is playing tonight at the Red Devil Lounge. They go on at 9pm sharp-like, so drop in and check it out.
I’m thinking about getting back into Bikhram Yoga again, by the by. I’ve been doing good with the diet, and it’s time to incorporate some exercise that will help build strength and agility.
Tentative alternative plans for the weekend (because it looks like surfing won’t pan out, which is a bummer when you have a new board and are itching to take it out): Picnic on Saturday with drkaos and potential others; Napa on Sunday with AccidentProne (who is driving, yay), her in-town friend, and maybe lily_dove.
Psssst. themissblue’s birthday is on Monday. Her gift is in the mail. :)