It's been 20 days but I got in today

After weeks of not being in the water, I put on the suit (ecch) and paddled out.
Warm water Jetty was goin off.... I didn't go there probably a good call as I was tired surfing TerraMar and it's smaller offerings.
Got a few, missed a few, botched a few, got stoked on a few.
Got out at the 2 hour mark
Nice sunny day, nice friends,
nice waves, not so nice smell in the water.

Got some stoke and gonna try to carry that into the up coming week, improved weather and waves
PLUS
the days are getting longer :)
I will start toting my board to work
Yeah that's a good new years resolution
I will start toting my board to work
Happy New Year to all
surf on

Thurs night I snuck out

I had brought the board to work with high hopes of 4-7 footers as predicted.
IT seems so long since some decent size waves were around.
Between my continuing post surgical issues, working long hours,
and the l a c k of s u n l i g h t at the end of the days now, getting super stoked sessions are much fewer and farther in between.
Anyway, after work Thursday it was in the water at 4:15PM .
The mystery fog had rolled in and completely covered any view of the ocean. As I ran down and paddled out I could see no one in the water, until about 20 yards out then I could see a few and some shoulder high stuff, mostly closeouts. Got stoked on a couple drop, turn, lip turn, drop and outs. Got out feeling' good. My friend Pat got me a CD that had a short clip of me surfing OK....that was cool.
Friday was Christmas Party at work thing.Had a lot of fun going out with Laurie and dancing it up.
Surf wise, my hope turned to Saturday and some promised good conditions.
Saturday was a bit of a let down. I got there at 730 and there were peaky waves in the cold glass, and stark winter morning light. I had the hardest time getting into any of these winter waves.Squat( Jim) says "just in the wrong place at the wrong time".... I dunno bout that.
These are the hardest waves for me. I did wiish for either of 2 other boards but...
The competition is strong for peaky pop ups, and so many surf the shoreline so much better than I.
Still its TRUE that it is always gratifying to just to get in and frankly the cold is stimulating.
Gonna keep packing my board to work and working on the beach breaks if I must,( and I must).
With Gods grace there will be another day, another chance and another big wave to have at.
Dec. 22nd the days begin to get longer
surf on

Well that was refreshing

After weeks of not getting into the ocean for many reasons, yesterday, Saturday, I was able to get it together enough to get in and actually ride some liquid energy.
The killing high tide of 7 feet at 8am was avoided by.....TA DAA
using my big brain
and going out on the downward side of 4-3 feet at about 1030 am.
Super Glass, cold water, (bummer that I had a wet suit on)
high wisps of stratus clouds giving way to beautiful bright sunlight.
Add into the mix a couple friends, many dolphins, NO CROWDS and finally...
Waves
albeit, mostly waist high, nonetheless, enough push to allow the flight to happen .

So...... after 2 weeks of ,
well
that's over now isn't it?

Again there is hope of more to come, and soon it appears.
surf on

Sundays Surf

Although I was up at 0530, I left dawn patrol to the sunrise and the clouds.
This morning I would be able to surf with my son.
Surfing with Jason has a huge significance in my life.
It is 50% of what got me out of an awful situation about 3 years ago.

I look forward to spending time in the water with Jason. I hope to spend it with his children, if I am ever so lucky.

Today we were in at 0915
Trunks and sunshine, really nice stuff.
Jason on the big board surfing well, trying out some backside pig doggin' ala Andy Irons Tips and Tricks.
He did well with it.
I caught a few and missed a few. We swapped boards and I immediately pearled with not enough of that board in front of me.Then caught some nice rights and lefts. I am really liking the thinner and shorter Cris Slick these days.

All in all today was great!
I love November in San Diego.

Below a photo of a fellow surfer I just met, Greg I believe.
He is perched smack in the middle of paradise.
Maybe he's thinking of his son, Brendon, in Hawaii.
http://brendonsrants.blogspot.com/
Maybe he has just closed his eyes and is drifting into the sun, or perhaps dreaming of riding waves.
Perfect.


Nice Day

surf on....

"Such a long long time to be gone, and a short time to be there"

I have really been feeling the temporary nature of life on this earth lately.

Had a good morning surf yesterday despite the fact the waves were small.
Sat in the very clear , glassy water with the dawn's sunshine on me and a handful of other Terramarians.
Got a couple of good rides and a couple of not so good rides.
It's the smaller ones that define skill and finesse I think.
But I'm working on it.
After 0830 I ran back up and did pull of that damn wetsuit, then got back in for some trunks.

Spent a lot of the rest of the day reflecting on life and such. Some really great footage of memorials to Andy Irons on surfline.
What style that man had.
He was like a soul surfing short boarder.
WHAT INCREDIBLE FORM AND SKILL

Today, Sunday,my son is finally not working a day so we will give it a go and get what we can. Maybe Swamis :)

surf on....

An excellent week all in all.

Surfed after work 3 of 5 days this last week, always a good thing. Wednesday, was reasonably large and powerful at Terramar, if lacking in shape somewhat.
I was hoping for a repeat of the wave from the previous week, but this wave did close out a bit early. Still, feeling the oceans power is always so exhilarating. Thursday was good and Friday a little less so.

Jason, my son,

surfed at least 3 two-a-days this week. He is getting it in before he ventures off into the business world.

After graduating last summer from SDSU he has been applying like crazy all over the place.
Well.... he got hired at a company with a view of Terramar and Igor's.
5 minutes from surfing Terramar
He got HIRED !
In the midst of all of this unemployment crap he got hired on in an excellent company close by and stable.
I am really very "full" if you know what I mean. I am very proud that he has done what I could not do.
I am very , very full and it feels good.
The last few years have been challenging to say the least.
Before = pre surgery and several life threatening events and situations
I now surf better than before.
My relationship with my wife and son is better than before.
I am witnessing my dream for my son come true.
An excellent week all in all
surf on.... better than before

Nice swell eh !

Yeah it got pretty big last night @ Terramar.
Shape wasn't what I was hoping for exactly,. I was hoping for a repeat of last Friday nights wave , but it was close. Good to feel POWER under you and get the heart thumping and all. Jason snapped his leash during his second surf with me last night. Good thing some good folks had a leash to lend him as he came back out and really caught some large stuff and rode them well.....
I caught a few and really had a couple of great drops... I always feel good when I stick a steep drop and bottom turn.
Everyone at Terramar was super stoked.... LIKE !


Below is a great recent interview with the late Andy Irons. RIP Andy
His ending statement is one of my favorites
A.I. " I surf because I'm always a better person when I come in"
Amen surf on...

I personally have never seen the waves line up like they did last night .

I have met many surfers since I started surfing Terramar who have SURFED there 40 years +

I have only been surfing 8-9 years.
All of it has been Terramar,
except maybe 20-30 sessions elsewhere.
Last night was one of the best after work surfs ever.
I personally have never seen ( or been "able" to see ) the waves line up like they did last night .

On the sets, the shoulder/head peaks would break north of Teds house, about at the vacant lot, and then this right hand shoulder would just line up and stand up in the sweetest way ever.
I got about 6-8 rides from that point, practically all the way to the Terramar beach club stairs.
( still in trunks mind ya )
I actually was so tired from paddling back to the line up, over AND OVER, ha,
that I had to get out early.
Seriously I was over worked and kind of over stoked.
It was just wild really, for me it was, just weirdly WILD.
I am surfing better than I thought I would be able to.
I have always dreamed of, you know, endless nose rides, gettin' shacked, dropping 15 footers, roundhouse turns, etc, etc. You know the "dreams".
Well now I am beginning to think that some of these dreams will be attainable for me.
Strangers were looking up at me, as I nose rode through them, like I was, well, like I was surfing really good.
After each ride and paddle back, I would just lay there' totally exhausted and out of breath' with the hugest grin ever and just laughing out loud.

So stoked
wow

surf on...

Like a kid in the Candy Store

is how I was described surfing on Saturday by a friend ...
What a delight !
Saturday I got there for the (pre)dawn patrol thing., mostly driven from the need to surf and the impending super high tide swing early in the AM.
A good surfer, Terry, always seems to be the first out at the reef, and this time I got an invite to go with him and another of his friend at dark O'clock.
In ALL my time surfing I have never paddled out to that wave with no one already there or paddling in front of me.
That in itself was a like a kid walking into a candy store with just some friends and no one else. It wasn't spectacular conditions or waves but having that place in the warm glassy solitude is a treat. Got a few nice rides and some welcomed tips for catching that particular wave. BIG GRIN BILL, in the water, atleast that's what I feel like.
Sunday I slept in til 6am and missed out on the solo paddle out, but did arrive back at the reef around 645. Once again the vibe was good, some sets showed up and I got a few reef waves.
STOKED
Pat showed up around 0830 and just plopped right into the pit on the wave-o-the-day to my inside right. I backed off and he got such a great ride.
Surfing is so good for me, us, well most of us.
It is so good to be a little kid at 54
surf on...

I'm Hopeful after tonight

I'm Hopeful after tonight
that the swell we all felt in the water ( along with the 68 degree temp) tonight and the fact that these lines, as seen below will pan out to some decent surf
in the next couple days....
If you were in tonight or this afternoon you probably felt it too.
Had a good surf with my son......nothing exceptional but we each got a few and had fun.
Talked with Greg out in the water tonight, one of my Terramar surfing heroes who evidently discovered this blog. It is always a bit, well, embarrassing, when that happens, as I know that others where I surf have seen inside of me through this diary, journal, blog.

surf on

Changing conditions

Here's to good change ! !
Last entry I spoke of a change in my surfing.
To me it is as obvious as the nose on my face,
(that keeps changing too...it gets bigger)
The change may not be so obvious to others.
Eh........., so what.
I have been waiting for a "plateau break through" for a very long time.
Now I am feeling it. It is happening.
I can loosen up the board under me,
get it ready to follow the wave and my direction.
I seem to have a better understanding in my legs as to what to do,
without thinking about it.

I am stoked.


Today, Saturday, I was in at 0620 and out at 0720
High tide became too much.
I did manage a couple nice waves alone before the morning shift came in.
I did put on a spring suit today..... my first day since, well, April without just trunks on.
I don't like that much, it is constricting at the least,
and robs me of the waters sensuousness.
Last week was so great and pivotal.
It was a good morning this morning.
Tomorrow, as in each next surfing day,
will be better as far as my ability and enjoyment go.

surf on...

Wow.... just wow

Surfing after work with my son.
A few good friends .
Pure glass.

Warm AND cool water.
Trunks, so water flowing all over me as I like it.
Shoulder to head high set peaks.
A-frame waves where right shoulders would form up and then scream along for 25 yards plus.
Incredible skies with thunder heads partially lite up.
Spacey, spatters of little puffs spread out in different patterns across the sky.
Warm air
AMAZING SUNSET.

And

I have never done on a surfboard what I was able to do this night.

Or

maybe I should say that for the first time,
I was able to do everything I WANTED TO DO on a wave, without falter !
After 8 years I felt I could finally surf !

Drop turns with nothin" but rail in the water
>to lip smack @ 11 o'clock
>to cut back
> to up to 3/4 to the top of the wave
> to hand digs into the wall to slow it down
> to water on my back
>to perfect trim line
> to cross stepping up to nose rides for 25-50 yard faces moving at a good clip......

I did this beautiful thing, on two consecutive waves.
FINALLY
Amazing

I am humbled that I might experience this.

My son and friends had great rides too.

Thank you God, family, friends, and mother ocean for the chance.

surf on....

Yeah it's thumpin' and everyone knows it!

So I won't bore you or myself with the less than spectacular results of my morning session.
Got the normal ( he's insane ) looks for being in trunks. No matter.
Funny really how it upsets the apple cart to a degree.
I do enjoy surfing in the cold. It makes me feel good.
The REEF had occasional and thunderous sets roar through.
2 FOOT OVERHEAD tubes chasing them down and catching up with many.
Saw a lot of boards flying like pick-up sticks.
I was wishing I was there, just waiting for a wave to myself.
I saw a dozen empty big waves go through (right after a few clean ups).
This will be my strategy tomorrow morning.

Enjoy the swell....I will give it my best !

Of note,
This Monday, Laurie and I are going to fly to S.F., then drive the coast
up to the Canadian border.
Just myself, Laurie, and a fast convertible.......

surf on

Today was Great ?

Yes it was !

I got 2 very long nose rides from outside into
2 feet of
Cool
Clear
Glassy water
Faces all the way in.

Said hi to some friends.

and watched some of them surf the same with equal stoke.

I Met 2 new surfers today, Gordon and Greg.
It always catches me off guard in a pleasing way when someone who reads this blog recognizes me.
I get somewhat embarrassed by this, as this is really more of a diary/journal than a public offering.
I have met more good people in this 200 yard streytch of water in 8 years than I have met in my entire 54 years of life.
Plus got this swell shirt from Jim...
where the fine print really describes the whole deal.


pretty much says it all.


THANKS SQUAT !
To quote a likely contender for 1st place in the world tour
this year, Andy Irons,
"Why do I surf?
Because I am always a better man when I get out."
Of course today was great!
Here's hoping your surf was as GREAT too !!

There were no waves......................................................... I caught at least 15 in an hour

Only 1 other long boarder out there at 1230pm this Sunday....
mystery fog and cool waters keeping the crowds away ....
I get waist high wave after wave into 2 or 3 feet of water on the big Slickenmeyer.
It was very VERY nice.... just what the Doctor ordered
Got some health issues again
this surf today sure
beats sitting around grinding on that kinda crap.

STOKED ? Uh huh.......

My son has been gettin 2-a-days this week
and I saw him surfing well last night.

Tonight it was all
BiG WaVeS
glassy,clear warmish, but still refreshing waters
warm air
under cosmic evening skies
full moon
sunsets
wisps of clouds and thunder heads off in the eastern skies

STOKED

Things CAN and WILL change or weekend update

Saturday 0700...trunks :)
it was for told a perfect glassy morning, but
Saturday was peaky and weird where I was ( houses)
Got a few... then paddled to "left overs" at the reef.

Very crowded.
I did have some leftovers( far left hand corner slightly inside) got full and split....
Saw Chuck and others doing so much better that I
at the inside houses...typical really.

So...................................
I went back at 1:30pm in broad daylight I walked to the reef.
Everyone was fixed on the Lefts from yellows and
I went south for the rights

and rights I HAD
I truly had an overhead heart-thumper right that I though might get me a stand up barrel....not quite but man o man .. a real ripper
got several more good quality sled rides and got out in under 1 1/2 hours completely satisfied and done. Nice !
SUNDAY ...0600
same thing really... no "left overs at the" reef
did have some nice talk and got a couple 3 good rides with
some buddies

When I went to take my shot of the day for this blog/diary.....
I got this surprise and realization
WHO DAT ? ! ?

DAT ...BILL ! ! !
Nice....... I will go into how great it is having some friends while surfing

Bill ............"I know what you saw tonight"

I admit...
I saw it... I felt it...
a deep swell hiding under the high tide,
HIDING into the DARK hours
It will show with the morning glass and bring the warmth with it...

weird on.....

Waiting for Summer

I may have missed a lot in life for waiting for something better to happen..
After that whole thing a few years back, I hope to not spend time waiting for any thing better.
I have learned important things from that.
Today I went out @ 730am .
There was no sun.
There was a cool, if not cold breeze blowing.
There was only gray and degrees of black and white.
The water temp dropped some 5-8 degrees
since last Monday night. ( it was 69 here that night)
It was like a March Morning with NW wind swell and chop
As usual I wore my trunks to the beach this morning.
I haven't had a wetsuit on since...???..summer..??
I am not putting on a wetsuit until it is Winter... PERIOD.
My neighbor John and I were virtually the only ones in.
Caught a few., froze my body aches away, which I do like.
I am inland about 8 miles.
Went home to blues skies and the most beautiful Summer Things I can imagine
At least I got Summer at home now.






I am not waiting for Summer at the beach.

Back from Yellowstone

Came back from Yellowstone

It was a great trip, just Laurie and I

Pinch me, I'm dreamin'

2 and 1/2 years back
I was hospitalized for 40 days.
I nearly died several times and was almost, or felt dead for 30 of those 40 days.
While conscious I saw my wife Laurie, son Jason, some family, and a couple friends come and go.
Made a best friend in there, though we knew each other from Terramar
All this as I would enter and leave consciousness.

When I was alone and not missing family, I would think, wish, or dream of being in water.

Water is what I would be denied, maybe forever.

I was not going to be close to water tight for a very long time.
Hoses coming out of my abdomen, and sides
were draining different colors of nasty vileness from the center of my body.
I COULD GO ON AND ON ABOUT ALL THE CRAP.........,

But boy, did I ever dream some nice stuff...


This morning at 0600AM, I ran into the cool, glassy ocean, with trunks and a 10 foot board.

I was alone at Ted's and the palms for an hour.
Got maybe 10 or more rides in that hour.
So quiet, sun shining on me at 615 as I sit on the board.
The water slipping all around my arms, and splashing my back and legs as I paddle.
A nice rhythmic song in my head.
Sun light and cool water splashing onto my face as I go for each wave.
Morning sun, and soft, warm water sprinkles my face, as I stand for each wave.
The only sound I hear is that from the board as it starts to pickup speed, and from the wave peaks crashing.
Big grins
Nice vibe
and very in tune...
making some turns, gliding and flying over the water...

this was today, this morning,

This is what I
could only dream of, for so long, however

this was this morning.

The second coming of Summer

started on Tues.07/13/10
Although the water cooled and clouded a bit, the air got hot.
So did the reef. On this (second) first night of Summer there were maybe 40 people on a single reef wave. I got almost a single ride without getting dropped in on. Jason had a great left.... except for a long board wagging at him from just behind, for half the ride. Got up on a party wave that really wasn't a party at all.

...Wed. night however proved much better for me.
15 people and I had a good 10 rides. Very warm in the Sun.
Very warm in the Sun.

Very good in the Sun.

...

WEiRd out there Today

Very glassy which was nice.......
A few with shoulders would come through.
Saw some score some .... Chuck, Mike
then the crowds filled in ...

I finally got a left that I thought had some shoulder on it,
but got hopped, accidentally ( I think ) by a wahine

It was good> I met a few new folks, formally, always a good thing.
Sunday I will be in at 5am (trunks, in pure defiance)
and ready to turn on one at the reef.
Hell or high water !
5am
Come ON Mr. Sun get your ass out there.
surf on

........... "It's NOT ok to be Gray.....STILL"

or

How I got my STOKE back.

I am tired of this years extended May Gray and June Gloom

Wah Wah Wah ! ! !.....Ok?
Ok
Thurs PM I get some out there.
Friday PM I get some more at the reef.... dreaming of the big South on the way
Saturday AM.....check it...it sucks' I split.
Sunday AM the 4th, Jason and I check it, looks craptacular, we split....
missing 2 surf days on a weekend is enough to really get me down if I let it.
Jason to the rescue......I am trying not to get down and he suggests going to
a Padres ( were number 1) game. I like "yeah, ok" and he starts looking for tickets. He sees a Craigs list add for some last minute ticket.... posted just 15 minutes ago. we get 10th row field level tickets in between home and first.... FOR 20 BUCKS each ! ! ! ! whoa !

Turns into a 9th inning tie
and Tony Gwyn Junior bats in a game winner... PERFECT day at the Ball Park.
Get outta San Diego at 3:30 and home without any traffic at 420...perfect
Get ready to go to the Fireworks show, we can virtually walk to a $100000.00 show
@ Brengle Terrace Park in Vista and have been each year for 23 years....except this year my wife Laurie has gone on a camping trip in Northern Cali with a close friend..... I am Missing her.
Jason, his gal Emily and myself go to the show....perfect no hassles no long waits in traffic... just a GREAT show.. we come back and have our traditional Root Beer Floats..." BIG SMILE"
My son just treated me to a great day....!!

I am stoked
Monday AM... wake up for dawn patrol @ 5 but crawl back in and go back to sleep, something I rarely ever get to do....
Dave calls me up and says come out at 630. Jason and I get there in trunks and
IT'S RAINING ? We go in he gets some great shoulder high rides, so do I.
We each get a head high drop or 2.
He gets the wave of the day where 3 other much more seasoned surfers couldn't and
I get really PROUD and all that.

I needed this, it came at a good time, thanks Jason,

thanks Dave,
thanks Terramar Surf buddies.

Got my stoke back ! !
surf on ! !