The wisdom of las ondas

Beach
Originally uploaded by Timbo_.

Me: "I see surfers stand and watch waves for a long time before getting in the water. Do you count the sets and the individual waves in each set? Do you count which number in each set is the best?"
Pause.
Surfer Guy: "No. It's more of a feeling."

While in Sayulita I tried to surf and learned that the ocean is much bigger than I am. Much, much bigger.

In typical fashion, I tried to analyze it in a whole Henry Ford, assembly line kind of way. Just doesn't work like that.

Now, the best surfers no doubt completely scope out the sets and all that stuff. But what my French expatriate surfing guru was trying to tell me, I think, was that the best way to get good waves is to get a feel for what's happening, then drop in at just the right moment.

I could spin this into a Zen-like parable about life, the whole "go with the flow" thing, but I think that's pretty self-evident.

The lesson for me is this: Better to make the most of what particular wave you're riding than to search endlessly for the best wave of all. Choose wisely, but when you're in, there's nothing to do except keep your eyes open and go like hell.