A pop-up free future to look forward to and..............

........"How the hell are those Darkfin gloves of yours going?"
I know, I know it's been awhile. Yes, I am still inhabiting this planet but I have been back teaching again and the first week or so is always mayhem so my head and thoughts have been elsewhere. I have still managed a few sessions in the meantime of course, two of which have been on hard boards. Unfortunately, I have to report that it is just not a pleasurable experience anymore as I just don't get out on them often enough and at my age that just does not work as I cannot slip back in to it like I use to. As I have mentioned before, after 18 months now of riding mats, boards just feel hard and inflexible to lie on and frustratingly awkward to manoeuvre around. As I am rarely out on one, it is also a struggle to pop up as I used to and it seems such a pointless thing to do anyway as the board is going just fine lying down on it. As the muscles required to achieve the pop up are not toned up, I also really feel it in my lower back after a session. So, before I do any actual damage, I have made a decision to rid myself of my remaining boards apart from keeping a SUP in the quiver for those days when it is too small for a mat. Having finally made the decision, I feel relieved really as I won't have them hanging around anymore and feeling like I ought to take them out and ride them.

On another topic, my Darkfin gloves are looking a little tatty after 7 months of use. You'll notice that the left one is particularly wrecked with some of the wrist missing, the thumb split and the index finger completely topped. This is surprising as it is the right glove that I use to hang on to the mat most of the time. You may also note that the fingers of the right glove are sticking together. My fault for leaving the gloves out to dry in the sun and having the rubber perish to some degree. Every time I go for a surf now I have to peel the fingers and the webbing apart. So yes, you are correct I will not be putting the next pair I get out in the sun to dry. "Another pair!" I hear you cry out in disbelief. Yep, they are terrific providing heaps more paddle power for getting around in to position as a wave approaches and more so for their protection of my delicate instrument playing finger tips. Love 'em!