Surfing has rewarded me with many incredible memories and a few really great friends. While talking with one of these friends the other day, on a small, inconsistent day I was reminded of how we met and our first conversation in the water…..

It was mid-afternoon on an overcast, winters day in Waikiki. I paddled out to Canoe’s and sat among the crowd. The waves were small, inconsistent and the weather was windy, cloudy and cold. I sat on my board wearing board shorts and a rash guard hunched over, holding my arms close to my chest trying to keep warm.

Minding my own business, focusing on keeping my vital organs warm, a guy in a thick, long sleeved, spring suit paddles up to me. We exchange glances and pleasantries. The next thing he says to me is

“You must be freezing in that. I’m wearing a really thick wetsuit and am still cold! I can’t imagine how cold you must be.”

Jerk, I thought to myself as I watched him paddle away, hoping I would not see him again.

10 minutes later we end up waiting for waves in the same area. Having no intention to talk to him I made a conscious effort not to look in his direction.

Then it happened. He started to talking to me. I was polite, but cold. And seeing him reminded me again that I was cold, very very cold.

After a few minutes of conversation he redeemed himself and eventually we discovered that we got along quite well.

Fast forward 10 years.

He and his wife return home for a visit before heading out to travel. While home their plan was to surf as much as possible.Their first day back we decide to surf at Diamond Head early in the morning. We arrive at Diamond Head on a cold, overcast, winters morning. As we are getting ready he realizes all he has is a thin rash guard. While I have my 1mm  and my 2mm long sleeve rash guards. As we’re getting ready he comments on the cold. Being the friend that I am and underestimating thickness of my skin, I offered him my 2mm long sleeve.

He graciously accepted.

We walked down to the beach and the moment my toe hit the water I realized I had made a mistake in giving him that 2mm.

As we sat in the water, waiting for waves, I was reminded of just how very cold I was everytime I looked at him.

Jerk.