Storm Surfing

I arrive at Surf Road, one of Ocean Citys' most popular surfing beaches. Heading towards the beach, I notice that there is no tagger waiting at the entrance. This is not a normal occurrence as they are there daily. In fact, there seems to be no one near the beach at all. My surfboard is heavy under my arm as a hike up the steps and onto the beach.
The normally bright blue waters have gone completely grey. The water gets darker by the minute, matching the clouds above. The rain hasn't started yet, but the waves start to intensify as I paddle out deeper into the choppy waters. Getting out far is no easy task, as I try to navigate diving under the huge waves crashing before me on my board. Push down and dive under, push down and dive under, I begin to think I will never make it past the breaking points. Finally, I reach the point past where the waves are crashing as I sit on my board and take in my surroundings. In the distance, I watch a cloud open up and release rain over the open ocean, and I know that it is heading my way. Eager to begin, I start reading the ever-growing waves and spot a perfect one coming. Anticipation builds as I lay down on my board and begin to paddle. Faster and faster, the wave comes and crashes perfectly and I jump up onto my board and ride what may have my best run ever. The speed and force of the wave is the reason I came out during this storm, and the rushing feeling made it all worth it. Once I jump off, I realize I have to repeat my process of diving under the waves. Just then, the rain starts to hit. An absolute downpour begins. For some reason, this just gets me even more excited. A new strength is added as I paddle out and dive under the huge crashing waves before me. I manage to catch a dozen great runs before I see the first strike of lighting. This is when I decide it is in the best interest of my safety to end my session. Not only was I completely exhausted but I also had to catch one more wave in. The storm was growing more intense and I could see lightning in the distance followed by the deep rumble of thunder. The waves were getting more choppy and sporadic, which made it harder to find one good enough to carry me safely to shore. I paddle closer to the rocks where they seem to be breaking more evenly. I sit on my board and look into the distance hoping to see my wave forming. The rain is pouring into my eyes causing my vision to get blurry. All of a sudden, a large wave comes into my view right behind me. I move quicker than I ever have, laying right down on my stomach and paddling as hard as possible. At this point, my arms are so tired they just want to give up. However, I understand that I am in a real dangerous situation, and force my body to work harder than possibly ever before. I paddle and paddle until finally, my board catches as the wave begins to break. I hop up and hold my balance as best as I can as I ride the final wave back into the shore. Once I hit the sand I am happy to be back as I sprint towards the lifeguard stand holding my backpack. I sit in the sheltered stand and watch the open ocean I just navigated before me. I am exhausted and excited, proud of myself for the daunting adventure I just completed.