Had a really good day at longy this arvo, much of it to do with a nodding acquaintance. Is it just me or does surfing by its very nature seems to attract a lot of “nodding acquaintances”?

“Cultivate solitude and quiet and a few sincere friends, rather than mob merriment, noise and thousands of nodding acquaintances”.

Not sure I believe the above quote from the late actor William Horatio Powell, I don’t see a lot wrong with “nodding acquaintances”.

One of the things I like about surfing is the fact that you don’t necessarily need to be with a friend when you do it, you don’t need to rely on someone else to make up the numbers, you would look silly playing tennis on your own but we all can go for a surf on our own.

Today I pulled up at the longy car park around 2.30ish and started the ritualistic walk to the shark tower to survey the breaks. I wasn’t hopeful, the morning glass had gone, the wind was onshore and the swell had dropped. I guess if I had made it to the tower, I probably would have thought it simply wasn’t worth the effort and just went back home.

But on the way this guy that I often see around my home breaks, and I sometimes have a word with like “nice wave”, was having a shower after a sesh of his own. He simply said to me “don’t bother looking, just go back, grad your board and go in”. I said “what? the bommy?” he said, “yes, just get the board and go in”.

So I did what he said and I had one of the best longy surfs I have ever had, I was the only mal and the 3 or 4 shorties that were out were struggling to get anything. The only thing that made me get out of the water was shear exhaustion; I was just unable to stand up.

I even spent a few quiet moment floating on the waters edge face down with my chest across the board looking at the sand moving and thinking to myself that I should not feel this good because for the first time in almost 40 years, I don’t have a proper job and no certainty for the future, yet I’ve never felt better.

The nodding acquaintance was still in the car park, kicking back, reading the paper and listening to a bit of music, he seems to live a kind of idealistic existence in an old Toyota van that can sustain him for long periods with all the basic necessities. He’s middle aged and obviously knows what he wants from life and what he wants is to surf.

He’s not bad either, I would not call him a stylist in the classic sense, he likes to rip and he rips well.

I made sure I thanked him for the tip and he nodded approvingly, I guess because I am to him what he is to me, a nodding acquaintance.

I think it's good to have nodding acquaintances.

I got nothing after that one

What a great story obct, i really enjoyed that, thanks.

Classic obct
I know exactly how you felt out in the water.

XXL hazza

I started a couple years back,being the shy type.I would nod to the regular crew in the water and only recently started to make ideal chat in the water and around the car parks. I was amazed at how many more waves you get once you break the ice.
Even made the effect to meet asea,Billboard and Rune, reminder I am shy.

I think it was asea who asked me if I knew him and do you know him you must they surf where you have surfed for years. Hmm no I just keep to myself, maybe because I have never really rated myself to be in the same league as some of the good surfers at my local breaks and didn't want to make a bigger fool of myself.

The nodding acquaintance can lead to chat,if you want!

mac being the shy type bulls... maybe in a broth.. ha ha ha

Yeah asea, I was also having a bit of trouble believing that one

But still, you can't pick'em, I remember a guy from Brizy on one of my old buggy forums. He had the biggest post count you would ever see.

he was in the thousands while everyone else only had a few dozen or a few hundred at the most.

When I finally got to meet him at a Stockton event one easter, he was as quiet as a church mouse, wouldn't say boo to a goose.

The rest of the Brizy mob who knew him really well were even taking the piss out of him because he only knew how to talk when he was doing posts.

Can't say I'm shy, but I do reckon I'm nervous when I talk to people, especially when there's a group or there's a lot of background noise because I'm always worried that I will not understand what's being said because I my very poor hearing.

That's probably why I like nodding acquaintances, not a lot of talking or listening goes on.

Mind you, things may be changing and least in the work environment, I finally found an audiologist that knows his arse from his elbow and he's really done wonders to fix my hearing aids that have been sitting doing nothing for 4 years.

Pity I can't wear them to the beach, it's not that I can't use them outside of work, it's just that if I forget they're there and go in the water with them in, I'm up for another $3000.

I did once did get into a shower with them still in but luckily I remembered just in time.