A few weeks ago there was some hurricane swell on Long Island! Hurricane swell means wonderful waves for surfing. So I packed up my wetsuit, surf wax, and some gear and did a weekend trip.
One of my buddies, Corey, invited me to his house for the weekend. He knows how fun great waves can be, so he let me spend the blissful weekend.
Fun Wave Weekend
Then, he said that I could use one of his boards, instead of hauling one out from the city. It’s stressful driving from Manhattan to the beach with boards on the roof of a car.
There are weird noises from the wind on the boards and the straps. Sometimes I have to stop on the side of the road to tighten the straps – it’s a long drive. Plus I get bad energy efficiency with my car from the poor aerodynamics. And because the boards are in the sun for a while, some of the surf wax melts off. At the back of my mind, I’m always worried about the boards flying off the roof and causing a real mess.
So to avoid this stress, I borrowed one of his nice longboards – a Dewey Weber – that he keeps at his house. I surfed this board before during summers and great weekend getaways. We really fit well together.
Getting Prepared with Surf Wax
When it comes to getting ready to surf, it’s important to wax down your surfboard. The wax gives you some grip on the board while you’re in the water. There are different kinds of surf waxes for different water temperatures. It’s complicated!
After a long drive on Friday night from Manhattan to Montauk, I arrived. It was dark and quiet. The only sounds were the waves crashing on the beach. The next morning was beautiful. Nice waves, warm water and a beautiful sunrise. I got into the water and soon discovered that I forgot to wax my board.
The surfboard was as slippery as a snake!
I had to pay extra attention to my foot placement, grip, and strategy to maneuver the board. It was tricky but it was a wonderful surf session.
The Lesson
So what do surfing and wax have to do with financial planning?
It’s best to be prepared. Although I thought that I took the proper measures, like waxing my surfboard, I did not. My calculations were a bit off but I made the best of it, had fun, and learned a lesson. Don’t forget to wax your board. Where are you missing “the wax” in your financial plan?
We can chat about surfing, wax, or anything else on your mind.