Winter surf in Swansea, started back today with a swell board no leash session out at Crab Island with Gower legend, 'Grandad'

Wow, 3 weeks ago I had just jumped off a plane after working on the Algarve feeling fit and fresh raring to go.  With the winter swells due, I was feeling good.  Well, as I have kept stating, the surf situation here for the last 3 weeks has been best described as PANTS (sorry if I have been to negative).  I have been cycling, walking and swimming but found out today when I went back out Crab in much colder water than my last dip, I was not ready for the cold shock!

Grandad, the Crab Island enforcer, nearly laughed his way out of his 5 mil wetsuit at the sight of me wiping out on my first wave and being bounced through and over the rocks, resulting in a 'religious' wetsuit and a nice long swim to the beach for the 9ft foam board. (N.B. I only surf without a leash when by myself and when using a foam board)

Anyway, after the swim in to recover my board I paddled straight back out and caught some lumps, the first for 3 weeks. I have been an absolute nightmare to be around the last few weeks due to the lack of a drug called 'adrenalin' and I must say sorry to Amy and my close friends for this.

Also a mention to top surfboard repair man and friend Paul 'toots' Preedy who fell off a roof a while ago and did a great deal of damage to his body, he is on the long road to recovery we wish him well. Also, I have to mention that yesterday Mr Crab Island (aka Paul Henry) popped around my house with his mad stories and pictures of his local surf break in Europe (sorry it is a secret). Paul Henry has been featured in Surfer and Surfing magazines and showed a very young grom called Carwyn Williams around the Canary Islands way back.

After spending time talking to Toots, Paul and Grandad and getting a reality check out at the ampitheatre of surfing here in Swansea I must say, I am starting to feel much more positive about surfing again, amazing what a surf does isn't it?

p.s. well done to Ben and the Holbrooks coffee shop team in Swansea for being rated by the Evening post as the number one in Swansea, the hot chocolate and cheesecake are probably one of the reasons that I got bounced over the Island.