October 4th: Participation in gear manufacturers' exhibition and test ride event

On this day, at the teacher's suggestion, we skipped the usual lesson,
and decided to participate in the test ride event held at Enoshima.
I heard that the latest gear would be lined up along the beach,
and my heart raced at the thought, 'Maybe I can go windsurfing for the first time in a while!'

The teacher had told me to 'bring a harness for windsurfing,' but
I couldn't find it even after searching around the house,
and there were no good ones available when I looked for used ones.
In the end, I decided to take on the challenge without a harness.
The wind forecast was 4-5m/s.
I thought, 'This much wind should be fine without a harness, lucky me!'
—or so I thought.

When I finally arrived at the location,
the wind was extremely weak, and it was also offshore.
It was an unexpected condition.
If I went offshore with this wind direction, there was a high risk of not being able to return.
If I had to be rescued,
I probably wouldn't be able to ride at Enoshima again.
That realistic thought crossed my mind, and I cleanly gave up on windsurfing.

Instead, I decided to try out the latest high-end SUP at the test ride event.
It was completely different from the 180L stable board I usually ride.
It was surprisingly light and delicate.
The first one I tried was a small SUP, only about 120L.
It was so unstable that I thought, 'Is it really this different when it's small?'
I had to concentrate all my nerves in all directions, front, back, left, and right, or it felt like it would sink immediately.
The teacher accompanied me,
and I cautiously went around the offshore area once. I didn't sink, but
I was so desperate to maintain balance that, honestly, I had no room to relax.

Returning to the shallows at the water's edge, the moment I drew my back foot back slightly to try and catch a wave—
I immediately lost my balance and sank.
I had tried so hard not to sink until now, I couldn't help but laugh.

Midway through, the teacher offered, 'Would you like to try this carbon paddle?'
Honestly, I had thought all paddles were pretty much the same,
and for the passive reason that I would feel bad not responding to the teacher's suggestion,
I reluctantly took it, but was truly amazed after one stroke.
The water release was light, and the sensation of the blade cutting through the water was completely different.
Despite it being the same 'paddling' action,
it felt like I had a tool from another dimension in my hand.
I involuntarily muttered, 'This is nice...'
I was even more surprised when I heard the price. 50,000 to 100,000 yen.
Even though I don't own a SUP board, I suddenly wanted just the paddle.

Next, I tried a thin and long type of SUP.
Although I had to be careful with lateral balance,
it was much easier to ride than the smaller one and felt more stable.
I got a little carried away and paddled hard, sinking once, but
I honestly thought, 'I could enjoy this one.'

After finishing the gear test ride, I parted ways with the teacher,
and returned to my usual school SUP for self-practice.
As expected, this board was stable,
and most of all, it felt like 'a place where I could settle down.'
Still, I couldn't forget the feeling of the carbon paddle I had used earlier.
Once you know something good, you can't go back to what it was before.

After that, I rode several waves,
and just as I finished a satisfying session,
the sky suddenly darkened.
Dark clouds approached, and cold rain began to fall.
A shadow like a thundercloud covered the surface of the sea,
and I quietly returned the board to the shore, knowing that was it for today.

Although there was no wind,
I got to touch new equipment and glimpse a world I hadn't known.
What you learn at sea isn't always just 'technique'.
The time spent waiting for the wind,
I realized, is also an important lesson in understanding the sea.

By the next gear fair, I'll be able to ride these freely!