WeekEnd update. Back in the saddle again

Saturday was... well OK. I hadn't been in the water for 2 weeks.
Which is way too long.
Got a few waves but nothing particularly memorable.
Sunday panned out way better.
Glassy and some waves as I stood on the cliff @ 7am DP
What was amazing is that Saturday saw 25 people in the water by the time I exited 10am.
SUNDAY, I WAS ALL ALONE as far as the eye could see. Because of that fact I paddled south to Igor's reef, all ALONE. Immediately caught about 4 waves breaking outside in the SUN and Glass, beautiful. All I could figure is Saturday was such a disappointment that every one just stayed out. As I surfed I was amazed at the utter solitude, except for seals and dolphins. After an hour, I saw 1 person in at Terra Mar. That person was doing the hundred yard paddle towards Igor's and myself. Oh well, I continued to get waves. When the surfer reached me, I recognized him to be my #1 surf buddy. COOL
We surfed for another hour all alone for as far as we could see. Loooooong rights and lefts. Beautiful Glassy, sunny, aloneness in head high peaks with long bowling chest high shoulders....... AWESOME..... nice way to break a 2 week surf fast.

surf on

Saturday Fun @ Tamarack South Jetty

DP today was good. As I drove by T a Rack I saw some nice stuff breaking and only 2 guys there. Continued south to Terra mar and met up with my buddy Dave. I suggested going back up north to T a Rack
( doing what I said I would do, and surfing different spots.)
Man, when we pulled up, some sweet sets were coming thru.
Got 2 or 3 real head high takeoffs with some real PUSH to them, and some long shoulder, so did Dave.
I did my one obligatory FUBAR- kook- out, on a way late takeoff , but thankfully turned right around a grabbed a couple more keepers.
This spot has been a major psych out for me, as 3 years ago I got caught where
I had NO business to be. I had none of that hanging over me today. I'm over it, finally !
The rising tide finally began to swallow the PUSH and them the shorties came out to play.
Spent 1 1/2 hours there then David had to bail. I made a good call on that one :)
Sooooo I headed back south to home break and paddled out for some more. The waves just weren't there though. Still managed a couple insiders and had great fun with some friends in the bright sun and glass..
A nice 4 hour session in total. Got home and paid the price for taking 3 days off without my wife, then disappearing for 4 hours this morning. I have some balancing to do......
p.s. I have seen pictures of myself surfing with my mouth open as if I'm saying ooooo and David commented on it today LoL.
1)I will attempt to shut the piehole,
2)stand to the rear of the board more, when appropriate, and
3)continue to surf at varied breaks......

surf on....

Friday Dawn patrol

Got out @ 7am. Very cold air, very cold. Hung out in the truck with the heater on reluctant to put on the wet cold suit. As I sat I saw that Warm Waters Jetty was breaking with some peely right shoulders, although small. It actually looked pretty fun and only 3 were out.
Very glassy where it was breaking and the tide on the rise from 3 ft. up to 5ft.@10am.
Put that wet cold sucker on and headed out.
My first ride was pretty good. I have only surfed that wave 3 times. I felt good about going to a different spot ( classic short board spot ), none of the usual munchkins were there.
Got a few more fun rides in the 2 hours out there. The tide was rising fast and killing my spot equally as fast.
Stoked to get glass, clear skies, and a few rides.
I have realized that when I surf my best still depends largely on where I'm surfing and on which board I'm on. I know my confidence is way higher @ Terra Mar home break.
I am deliberately going to force myself into more spots to broaden my surfing abilities.
I see now that it is important to becoming the surfer I want to be.
Im also going to try hanging back more to the rear of the board instead of taking my Tahitian war dance stance in the middle of the board all the time.
So much to learn. So much to try. I'm glad for that. Longboarding is a very intricate thing, I'm stoked on that as well !

surf on...

Wed Sunshine and Glassyness

Went out @ 12noon looking at offshore conditions and pure swimming pool glass.
Immediately decided to make the 100 yard paddle to Igor's reef as it was the only thing breaking really.
Water was reasonably clear considering the weather last week and it was cool. Sun was warm.
I really wanted to get some good waves but there just wasn't much power or form , which led me right down the kook road. I managed a few OK rides but many more kook outs. That Igor's wave at the yellow houses can be a real challenge, especially when its smaller.

Going out on a DP in the morning.... we'll see.

surf on...

Sunday was C O O L

Got out early on the DP and was treated to off shores , glass and bright blue skies. It was a littletidey so the beach break 'tween Warmies and Terra Mar was my call. Got a couple, then the spot" got a little crowded very fast.
Soo I paddled south to T Mar and got maybe 6more, 3 of those were really nice, glassy walls allowing me to make some speed filled turns.

Got my fill all alone......ahhhhhhhh.

Got out and up to the cliff and after 2 min in the truck towards home I was amazed to see the foothills totally dusted out in snow..... beautiful.

Surfing and snow ........ awesome, I love it ! ! !

surf on....

2nd day of 1st winter biggy Almost Magaine Cover

Day 2 of swell.... "Almost Magazine" picks me for the Cover shoot.
It was BIGGER, maybe twice the size of day one. I figure it was a 4 tier soup bowl. The waves were outside that and coming in sets of 5-10 waves with a clean-up of 2 in each set.
Well I guess I didn't pass this test. Suited up @ 350pm. Saw my friend Pat, he was trying to get out. Against my better judgement of paddle out spots, (small rip down @ palms) I chose going out close to a buddy( the buddy thing was a good choice).
I paddled for what seemed like 30 min. and got to within one wave of outside. I simply ran out of breath and strength at the worst time. I just couldn't hang, and turned. Pat made it outside. 5min. later there was a lull. I didn't make it long enough to catch that lull. I was so close.
I took this really hard.
Gonna fix some personal habits.
Gonna cross train for cardiopulmonary.

Hell I'm stoked I went at least, better than not for sure.
There's only one choice for me,
surf on...

1st day of 1st winter biggy

Well.... with what seemed to be
the whole world joined in a conspiracy to keep me outta the water,
I made it.
Cried like a little girl to get out of work @ 3:15.
Jason and I got in the water @ 3:50
Wave sets rollin' in.
Some nice steep drops, big fat swell under the feet, great weather, niiiiiiiiice.
Had to get out 45 min later to go to a show with wifey.
It was the best 45 min I've had in awhile, oh the show was good too !
My son got a killer right, and steeeeep drops.
I think I rode 5 waves in those 45 min. but the heart was pumpin and smile was out.
Good 1st day.
tomorrow.......
surf on...

Im ready

12/21/2005 TerraMar

I've been going out 200+ sessions each year for 2 years since Big Wed. 12/21/2005 for a reason.
That reason is because during that swell, I couldn't even get outside on the paddle out.
I am 51 years old. I have been surfing for 6 years now. The first 3 years of that I don't even count as "surfing", as I only went out maybe 20 times a year.
I'm never going to be like I was @ 25-35 years old. I will never have that level of strength and endurance again.
BUT I have significantly improved my paddle power and surfing intelligence since 12/21/05, and I'm really hoping I can get a chance to try myself out in the face of what was once way above my limit.

I hope
We will see.
Surf on......
P.S. as I am typing this the news reports a seasoned kayaker spotted a 25 foot shark in La Jolla cove today, probably just a ploy top scare everybody out of the upcoming swell... GULP

We've all read the forecasts

Hopefully the weather and swell line up together.


I have not been out now for 7 days. This is not ideal in my mind. I would like to have had a couple in before this WNW swell arrives, but work and weather have not made it easy.
Work still conspires against me for this upcoming week.

Plan A:
Monday PM warm up.
Tuesday PM in
Wednesday PM in
Thursday AM DP

I hope....
we all get some
I hope....
I can meet my expectations
surf on....