: There are more car commercials with kayaks on top than anything
: else. Smart people skip the car dealer and get the 'yak.

When I used to windsurf more I had an old, battered and very rusty VW Polo. The old kind with the square rear. The kind of car people in fancy rides do not park beside because their vehicles my devalue by association. It was my windsurfing car.

One time I went up to a popular venue in Dingle for the company and arriving on the beach pulled in beside a brand new high end BMW. The BMW stood in a line of other fairly nice cars, most of which had up to date gear on top of them.

While looking at the water trying to assess which of my battered boards and what sail to use the BMW owner came over to shoot the breeze.

Some talk about wind, and then... looking somewhat condescendingly at my car and much used gear, "where you from?"
"oh, about an hour down the road, mostly I sail from home but I felt like a bit of company today."
"looks like you could use a couple of new sails"
"yeah, these ones have had a lot of use."
"I've never managed to use up a sail, the new range is out before the current ones are used much."
"Mmm, I get out a lot and don't really update gear until it breaks. Then I pick up year old second hand stuff for peanuts. I've probably got some of your old stuff in my bag, ha, ha."
"you must get out a lot, how far are you from the sea?"
"My favourite spot is about fifteen minutes from home."
"How often do you get out?"
"Whenever the wind is blowing."

By this time he, a Londoner on holiday in Kerry to windsurf, who normally has to travel through traffic for hours to get to the sea, can only get away on weekends, and usually arrives to less than optimal wind conditions, is looking at my wreck of a traveling circus with new respect. His city home, fancy car, new gear every year, meals out, etc, it would seem, have cost him his lifestyle. The very lifestyle he was trying to buy with the well paying job that got him trapped.

The guy has been compensating for his lousy life by buying stuff, but the novelty seems to wear off so quickly on all that shiny stuff. Doesn't it?

I follow the rule of boating. "A boat gets used in inverse proportion to it's size". That is to say that people with big yachts rarely get to actually use them.

Et