Surfy weekend

Before I get into the surfy stuff, I just have to have a little rant. I headed into town on Friday to buy a couple of CDs: specifically, I was after the Mozart and Faure Requiems. Now I fully acknowledge that classical music tends to play second fiddle (so to speak) to pop. But we're talking about two Classical FM favourites here: it wasn't as if I was looking for something obscure. I schlepped all the way down Princes Street to Virgin to find their entire top floor closed and, when I finally tracked it down to not where the signs said it was at all, the classical music section had become a jumbled rack at the back of the basement. There was no Faure at all, and the Mozart was all mixed up so that despite three different little tabs announcing the Requiem none was to be found. Other composers had been mixed in seemingly at random and there was a depressing amount of 'Classical Chill Out' and 'The 50 Best Opera Anthems Ever' type stuff.

I huffed off to Fopp, which was, as ever, a delight. Its classical section was no bigger but was beautifully arrayed, easy to find and well ordered so that I found both CDs in seconds. They deserve my money and ongoing custom. Incidentally, who is running Fopp now? Was it bought over by someone? I do hope it survives.

And so to surf. Went out on Saturday with Conrad, a friend of Al's who has the surf bug but no car - I remember how frustrating that can be. We were heading for Coldingham but stopped off at Pease for a look and were tempted in. It's not often you see that 'corduroy' effect outside a surf magazine so to watch the waves lining up to infinity at one of my local breaks was pretty special. Unfortunately, once you're up to your neck in them they look less inviting. I guess they were about 6 foot, which isn't massive, but felt more than big enough. There were no real sets, either, just wave after wave, with no time for a breather.

I made it out the back once at the north west end of the beach and as soon as I was out there (having spent 15 minutes battling through the white water) my only concern was getting back in again in one piece! There was also an angler at that end and I didn't want to get tangled up in his line and shouted at as the rip was pulling me his way. So I headed back out with the river, which proved a much easier way to get out. I caught a few on the inside here, though the high tide meant you had to be careful not to end up on the stones of the riverbed. More than once I had to bail to save the bottom of my board from a scraping.

Conrad was charging it. He hasn't been surfing long and doesn't really stand much but was right out there going for the big waves! He has a bright yellow board and at one point I saw it do a spectacular spin up into the air as he nosedived. I was very impressed at his fearlessness. After a couple of hours we'd both had enough and I was sporting a lovely blue bruise on my thigh having been whacked with my own fins, so we retired tired but happy.

Yesterday I did make it to Coldingham, with Rob as my surf buddy. It was worth the drive, with that corrugated look but more regular sets and mellower waves. The surf school and body boarders were crowding the beach but there were only about six of us out back. I caught three gorgeous waves: 4-5 footers, taking the drop and cruising. One was even a backhander, though mostly because I had to steer around a beginner. The sun was out, there were cormorants diving all around us, it was great. Off in the distance you could see a ferry chugging along the skyline and flocks of birds forming long, wiggly vees in preparation for winter journeys.

So that was a brilliant day. Not even the fact that when I came in I discovered a massive ding on my board could dampen my mood. Seriously though, I don't know how I did it but there's two cubic inches of foam missing from my tail. Mind you, there's also a superior raspberry bruise behind my left knee and I don't know how I got that either. Maybe I had some sort of near death surf experience and wiped it from my memory.

Maybe it was a shark!

Or, more likely, the crack that I didn't repair let water in which made the foam swell and weakened the already thin and crappy glass. I swear that board dings when you breath on it. But! I am happy because I paid the deposit for my new baby yesterday. I can borrow Al's board while my old one is fixed and then take my new darling out in the winter swells. Maybe my old board knows that I don't love it any more and that's why it broke. Except I do love it - the main thing I don't like about it is that it dings so easily! And that it doesn't duck dive. Well, I can't sell it now - it can't be worth more than £20. I'll just keep it to play about on.