Mental game is alright. Biggest thing in my mind will be my fitness level. 😁

lol... I will speak very nicely to my camera lady for sure.😁 If the waves have size there will be less chance she is the water and more likely behind the camera.

Ocean first for me... That being said I am land locked and at the mercy of weekend swell... Which hasn't been great for a while now. A pool would definitely have come in handy. Pros and cons for both. If you have access to both... use them. Every session is a learning session.

Hi Ory... Apart from the valid tips already mentioned, I think you did really well. If you had kept a straighter line to the beach, you would have stayed in the "pocket" - even though it is quite small - and would have had a longer ride... you went to far off to the shoulder as the wave started reforming slightly

It truly is a mental thing... Well done for reframing and getting out there!

Ah man... Totally feel your frustrations Graham. Realized early on that a massive part of surfing is managing expectations and disappointments. Some days easier than others of course. Surf reports and webcams are so deceiving at times as well... I think at time is will actually be better to not look at the reports and just arrive with the quiver packed in the car. 

I have also heard that dark colour are perhaps not the best because of the sun and the heat... Not sure if it was Clayton that said that though because from what I have seen... He uses colours on his boards quite a bit... Granted they not super dark colours.

I would say go more vertical with a tighter bottom turn... the board is quite far from you when you try to come back around. You loose control of it and your bodies forward momentum.  

I went down the same path and realised a cruiser is not really the ideal board - and on top of that it is waay short... Never mind though because you can change the trucks... Or get some waterborne surf skate adapters. I recommend the surf and rail fin system.

Did your hands slip off the board? Ouch!