Surfing in the Wind

With Ben being around for a short while, I'm currently surfing in conditions I wouldn't normally surf. On Sunday (18 July 2004) we went out to Derdesteen. The waves were admittedly pretty big, but there was quite a stiff cross-off shore wind blowing.
 
Now off-shore winds are not always a bad thing - they tend to hold up the wave nicely and often make for a better break. They also tend to keep the waves more "honest" - they break more consistently at a predictable place, you don't get cheeky waves trying to break too quickly.
 
However (and it's a big however) if it's even a little cross-shore, then it's another story. When you're on a boogie board (as I was on Sunday), surfing into the wind is a complete nightmare. The spray effectively renders you blind. It may be quite exhilarating, but ultimately its impossible to ride the wave properly if you can't see what it's doing. So you have to pick waves that are breaking with the wind.
 
Fortunately, at Derdesteen, with its A-framing breaks, that isn't too hard. Obviously you're somewhat limited in your choices, but at least you can still surf.
 
Although I've gotten rather used to my glassy Derdesteen surfs, I have to admit that on Sunday, with it's big waves and rough conditions, there was a certain elemental thrill to the whole experience.