Wind Swell

I always thought there is something very zen-like in paddling out on a solid day, catching just one wave, and coming in right afterwards. If I'm out...I wanna stay out as long as I possibly can. On Saturday morning things were going to be different for once. I paddled out in solid head-high surf... a typical wind-swell with shifty peaks, strong rips and lots of water moving. Side-shore winds gave texture to the water, which made paddling quite a struggle.
It was one of those days when it's good to have experience at your local break and positioning becomes a crucial part of the game. The nature of the swell forces late take-offs, especially on a medium tide that still feels too high for good surfing.
I waited for 20 minutes in the line up at CH, constantly moving to figure out where to sit; only one guy out, about 50 yards to the south. He had the same problem in deciding where to position himself.
Finally a good one came to me, I paddled hard into it, angled the board, felt the lift and dropped!
As soon as as my back foot landed on the board I felt an excruciating pain on the side, right under the ankle bone, and I knew right away it was over! I managed to close my ride with a nice exit off the back and started paddling toward the shore. It was the end of my session and I'm sure it will take time to heal properly. I experienced the zen of surfing, although against my will, and it felt good after all...I realized that just one wave can really make my day :)