Sundays South Swell (part four 7.26.09 )

Same sorta cloud hanging over me again this morning.
This time my friend Dave would meet me at my house and we would ride in one vehicle ..
This is different.
Arrived at 7 and trunked it on out.
Waist high and inconsistent at the beach/houses spot.
5 Palms was p a c k e d with the fine Sunday staff, the reef was still a zoo.
It was so packed we stayed in the same spot and just caught few.
30 minuets later the Reef was starting up and getting some.
Another 15 minuets and the reef and 5 palms were getting head high + peaks and lines.
Tippy toed over there to talk with Aleta, sneaky guy.
Soon, the shift of swell had become apparent with the tide change, and things did get pretty good sized, though inconsistent.
I got what I needed ++. Really one of the nicest waves in several years (when you consider the surgical bullshit and recovery time) a long steep left. Up, down, all around,
toes close to the nose, finished with some good surfer girls giving this old bird some shakas, etc,etc.
That was nice.
Caught a few more very good sized, long rides, in epic conditions as far as water and weather go.


My good friend Dave got a lot of it too.
That did me good to see
as he---------------------------------------------------->
has been dry for a week or so.
Took a beautiful STEEP(go to drop, get pitched out and over pearl, wonder when my head is gonna go through my board , oh missed the board, good, when am I gonna hit the bottom cuz I am being driven down so far) one, but came out good.
I needed that too.
Met a surfer ( one I have watched and admired a few times before ) named Kenny.
He has been reading this blog. This is the first time I have met someone who met me FIRST through this "diary" I write. I was a bit taken back by this, as I never really expect to meet
anyone who reads this that way. I write some personal stuff in here and it was embarrassing at first, until we talked a while and I realized that we all experience the same stuff. the same pure passion, the STOKE.
All in all, I truly got just what I needed Sunday, on a lot of levels.....

surf on....

South Swell ( part three 07/25/09-7am )

I am Still awake on Friday night at 12am, that is extremely WEIRD
I get up at 630am, dress, hit it and I am .... sorta depressed??
I am missing my son and surfing with him.....
In the water @ 7am GLASS - low tide 3-5 footers, very inconsistent.
40 people in the water at houses
Look South to the reef
for that big South Wall o white.........4-6 footers, some thumping
60 people spread through the reef area.
Shoulda brought the big GER board.
Missed a few, others grabbed those and RODE em.... got thanked for missing one.
Got one and rode it in........ almost ZERO stoke, no reef, kinda bummed.

maybe tomorrow, or tonight,
this is very odd for me....

surf on...

South Swell ( part two 07/24/09 )

Friday,a tough day at work,a tough week at work.
I get home at 530pm, strip, hit it and I am in the water @ 550pm. .......4-6 footers, inconsistent.
Look South to the reef for that big South Wall o white.......................6-9 footers thumping'
45 min.later
Look South to the reef for that big South Wall o white ......................8-10 foot outsides with some serious "clean-up" and "clear-out" action going on.
Again I caught 3, 2 way outside, shoulder/head high fatties, that were nice long rides, and 1 ticket home.
The reef continued to build and pound.
gonna try to snag a reef wave tomorrow
to be continued.....

South Swell ( part one 07/23/09 )

3pm my son Jason is out with his bud's while I work, he reports 2 -3 footers nuthin special.
I get home at 530pm, strip, hit it and I am in the water @ 550pm. .......2 -3 footers nuthin special.
Look South to the reef for that big South Wall o white.......................2 -3 footers nuthin special.
45 min.later
Look South to the reef for that big South Wall o white and THERE IT IS.
Caught 3, way outside, shoulder/head high fatties, that were nice long rides, through all the bowling pins lined up on the inside.
The reef continued to build and pound.
Caught one in and was satisfied
to be continued.....

surf on

Tropical air, clear cool water, ahhhhhhhhhh

Mellow were the waves and crowd, with clear, refreshing water.
Waist to shoulder peaks. Reef grass swaying with the swell and visible when riding.
Got some both on Saturday and Sunday.
@ 1pm Sunday, I drove right to the reef at Igor's.
It was nice not to do dawn patrol as ALWAYS.
I dawn patrol for 2 reasons.
Morning glass.
Get home to spend time with Laurie.
Sunday was Glass all day and I had a good time at a different break. Enjoyed the mid day sun in the cool water, and checking out different surfers.

an important observation:
My son Jason has moved south to be very close to campus and his gal.
For Laurie, myself, and the regular surfers at Terramar,
he was conspicuously missing this weekend.
Another page is turning.
surf on

It's what we like

and.... it's headed to a Southern window in your neighborhood.

S W E L L~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ S T O K E

No Swell... oh well

Had a nice run of Souths and fun. The water is so warm and clear. Glassy knee high stuff to paddle for ,stand up, relax, move around a bit, and ride.

I love the feel of moving thru the clear blue-green, warm, glassy water, and being in the bright sun with a blue sky.

It just ALWAYS feels GOOD

surf on...

Like Children

Went out @ 5 pm not expecting much.
Headed straight to the reef after saying hi to Ted and Pat at houses.
They weren't getting any and of course, the reef was getting some.
GLASS, CLEAR,WARM WATER,
TRUNKS, zero wind.. beautiful ! ! !
Paddled right into the thick of things and caught 5 or 6 waist to chest highs right off the bat.
Then caught a shoulder peak, fought off two others and cruised that face to the beach and paddled right back.
Saw my friend Dave all alone midway inside getting a lot of 25 yard rides. A lot of em.
I left the pack and joined him for 2 more hours of wave after wave after wave.
We were super stoked and laughing like children for hours! ! !
I think I stood and rode 20 waves and so did Dave.
It was UN REAL !
It was PERFECTION !
Here is where I was just a short while back
http://surfing-terra-mar.blogspot.com/2008/09/my-1st-paddle-out-in-7-months-ahhhhh.html
Today I stood 20-30 times and paddled like a pro..... thanks all ! !
THANKS

surf on....

Reef (er) Madness

The South Swell ( as I predicted ) will be a dominate feature this summer season.
This means that for me and my friends the spot to be will be the reef.
This means that there will be serious competition for waves, at times.

This means I will rise to this challenge, and maintain my cool.

Big, outside, crystal clear,
warm, green-blue, glassy waves, reef (ers).

Got only a few rides yesterday during a high tide but was stoked.
Jason had a difficult time " tough day at the reef" yesterday.
He hasn't had a lot of surf time this season, and I was feelin' for him.
Today he called me at work to say he was headed back out ( get back on the horse) to the reef.
He reported many long rides fitting the conditions described above. I like it ! ! !
Didn't get out tonight, work prevented that.
Will get out tomorrow and paddle into the thick of things and get my fair share.
Enjoy the swell ! !
surf on...

Big Daddy's Day

My son knows what I like to do.

Surfing with him will always be my favorite thing to do.
Day started out cold and gray. So some Jason/Mom waffles brightened things up.Awhile later things ended up bright blue, warm, trunks, and a bit of a swell.
Surfed for hours. Afterwards Dave came home with us and we relaxed a bit. Then Jason,Laurie, and I all watched a nice blue ray together on my sons killer high def set up. Topped off the night with a root beer float and I'm one PROUD and HAPPY dad ! !

Happy fathers day to y'all, its a great thing being a dad and surfing with your son (children).

surf on....

A BIG South on Tuesday Night

A BIG South on Tuesday Night....perfect.
Got home after a San Digey meeting for work and the $2.00 Del Mar day traffic cost me about , well, 1 hour in traffic delays.
Looked at the Tam Cam and saw the big south lines. Hmmmm ..... hit it.
In @ 6pm and proceded to get shoulder high rides . To the south the reef was booming again, it really hasn't stopped for week ++.
I got mine and some fine rides there were.
My body is still healing, it has been 1 1/2 years now ! !
Have a ways to go.
Got complimented from strangers on some rides...WOW !
I am getting closer to good as far as recovery goes.
Stoked...YEAH IM STOKED
Who woulda thought......I didnt really , thank God for family and friends.
surf on....

More Reef man, More Reef

Went out today with a newly repaired spring suit that a bud...Birke Buddy.. told me how to fix.
This time I walked with Dan to the reef, after returning his shorty loaner from yesterday.
Surfer/Wave ratio was messed up.
Went to it but didn't compete with the Main peakers and thus didn't get the quality I wanted.
But I did get to chase Alita down the face of one.
She hopped me, kinda, I might not have made the section, I dunno,
but the view was good LoL.
Got about 5 right close-outs and 1 left.
Ah the reef...... many there get surly when the wave action slows. I just wasn't in the mood today, wish my son or Dave had been there, I get strength from them to handle that scene.

I love my wife.
I love my life, my son, and my family and friends.
I love to surf.
I love the water.
I love the sun.
I love being a surfer.
God, I Thank you ! ! ! ! ! !

Reefer Madness

The reef was in full swing this morning. Got out @ 630 and things were drained at the houses and the beach, but the reef just pounds on during the whole of last week and this morn.
Last night I never made it into the water....defective shorty zipper failed, and I wasn't in the mood to trunk.
Fixed the zipper( thought I did ).
Went out today, put on the shorty suit, and" voila" the whole zipper fell of broken.
A buddy, Dan, loaned me his shorty as he wanted to go full suit, repaying some wet suit help I offered him from a weekend prior.
I walked down with him and Chuck, but as they turned to paddle out I just kept walking to the reef.
I NEVER DO THAT !
Paddled out and immediately turned on one in the middle of 20 reefers. It was G O O D.
Good wave, but more so, Good for the HEAD and SPIRIT. I will admit I never got a MAIN peak but took off whenever I knew I could get one to myself, especially if I felt others wouldn't beat their section.
This paid off well. I got 6-8 really nice ones today, coulda done better and been more aggro, coulda done a lot worse and not have had any.

Might go back out tonight, waiting on a call,
well see

South Swell + Cosmic Weather x myself + a few friends = perma-grin

Wednesday 6/2/09
As promised a ( purple blobs from far away) south....was just beginning to show up.
No one out at the reef after work because tides were a bit high. The weather was perfectly cosmic. High, broken up clouds stretched across the sky. Warm sun beaming through the breaks in the ceiling. No wind on the water. Big thunderheads looking east, with that odd, warm, and yet contrasting lighting. Clear, warm water. Got some nice rights at the reef. Sometimes the big Slick stick is, well it's like cheating out there. It catches what many boards cannot. An advantage is good, and I will take that once in awhile.
I've earned it.
Saturday 6/6/09
High hopes.
After some bum weather Friday eve. which kept me at home , I was hoping the newly filled in South would be in full, GLASSY production early Saturday morning.
VERY EARLY, as we all have been somewhat starved for decent surf for weeks.
In @ 5:45am and the reef had 25 surfers on it.
I chose 5 palms and tween the reef, to the far south of the houses entry point.
It was the only place for solitude....and I know a secret about that spot that many forget.
Cosmic tropical looking weather again.
This time I was in a spot where I could hear no one else chattering.
I could hear many birds from the gardens on the shore.
The lighting and canopy were beautiful.
I could hear the reef tubing .
I was gifted nice glassy lefts AND rights. Got a full five O V E R!
I have never done that before. It was one of my very best performance days.
Ever !
I would not have expected to ever say that after 2/8/08.
Lots of surfers confirmed I wasn't dreaming.
N i c e !
Sunday 06/07/09
Hope was high but I knew the reality would be different.
6:45am and 50-60 people were where yesterday there were only 30.
Smaller all around. The reef was still banging, as were many boards.
It was 4-5 people take offs on each set wave, boards, asses and elbows flying until 1 would be left upright, then that person would get hopped. Repeat. Repeat.
I chose the same spot I enjoyed yesterday but.... everyone else did too.
Got 3 waves that were good. 3 were solo shots, amazingly.
@7:45 rode one in, poured some hot water on myself and got home.
An hour well spent.
I am being handed a big bonus in life. Thank you !

I see purple blobs, swirling around far away, so very far away.

It's Sunday 5:43 AM, raining and there is no surf to be spotted on any local cam, chart or anything that I can read about, at least none I can travel to.
I have the feeling that the reef will have a very weak knee high peak ,and I'm gonna go check it.

After last session
( a good one considering the last two weeks of swell ( or lack thereof )),
I am left craving surf.
I see purple blobs, swirling around far away, so very far away.
Bye

ANNOTATION: 8:00 am There were no waves and I went to swim laps at the gym, while pretending I was paddling into big surf

surf on...

It's been awhile..

Sunday.
Upon arriving@ 7AM, it was gray,cool with a breeze, minimal surf.
It was not what my friend Dave would describe to me as "inviting".
Lot's of regulars were suiting up, with big smiles and
story telling, coffee , and laughter. The typical weekend scene, but more crowded due to Memorial day.
I was hoping that my son and I would surf and (at least temporarily )forget some not so hot news concerning college we got just before going out that morning.
That, and Sundays dawn patrol never happened.
This news has dragged down our family's spirits collectively.
We parked, looked at the scene, then each other,
then left.
Bummer.
.......
Got a call from Dave at about 12 noon as he was headed up the coast.
He did say that the water now looked "inviting".
Jason and I headed out towards the ocean again.
This time it was warm, sunny, very little breeze, and actually a swell breaking at the beach and the Reef.
Trunks would be the attire, regardless of the temp.
As it turned out, it was perfect water temp.
I scored on this one.
I did lead us to the reef wave
I watched the reefers get wave after wave shoulder high south combos, said screw it and paddled over to and then directly into a pack of VERY GOOD SURFERS, as usual.
I was feeling good and confident after some great rides at the usual beach spot, and I wanted the big reef wave too, for us, regardless of the "vibe".
Got into a great peak and dropped, along with another.
I was in the perfect spot and he wasn't, though he tried to call me off. He then appeared to try to come around me but I cut towards him, he bailed and I continued on.
THERE ! ! I did it.
From that point on I could go for what I wanted,
for what was m i n e.
Got many more out there that day. Made my son proud. Dave had some good ones.
The water was clear enough to see the reef grass waving 10 feet under us, as we got long, fun shoulders after big drops. For me it was damn near perfection
I did a good thing. Hell, Laurie was even out for a walk to watch us for a change and she actually saw me on some waves of size.
We all walked back together, proud, tall, and stoked.
I was SUPER STOKED.
It's been awhile.

Anything better ????

IN the water @ 6 AM.
Super glass and warm water.
Tide moving up so maybe a push.
Shorty on.
Got a couple. Maybe 10?
Very quiet, mellow, and stomach-chest high peaks with some shoulder to em.
A little South, so the reefers were happy.
I chose to stay solo and it worked great !
I am really noticing physical improvements often now, and my surfing improves with that...
Out @ 7:15AM and directly to the gym
Went and swam laps, then right after a nice jacuzzi and shower.
Today was the first day I have been able to stretch like that in ......well... since the thing.
Home @ 8AM. Kiss my love "good morning"

Anything better????
Not really !
surf on..

Waist to~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Knees nice, long lefts, rights, and nose rides Please

This was most unexpected this morning, as it was inconsistent and fairly crowded.

I was to meet Dave, early. He parked way down the line and I took the numero uno spot, which was open.
Dave never paddled out.
I Paddled out into a group of 20 , although none of them my closest friends. I looked around, then quickly proceeded South at the dead end of that group, and WHAM... one came right to me. It's always kinda weird to have that happen in a lineup but..... I secretly love exactly that. Nice long glassy left past the whole line up. I called off a friend, "Squat", with a "Howdy neighbor"
I wouldn't be alone again this morning.This was fine considering everything. Paddled back out to compliments from many
( that's a rarity in this group ). Took a rest and deliberately passed on a couple. Saw an outsider and went for it, grabbed a right , a long one. Sweet. Did the long paddle back, got some looks and rested.
The next left was a shoulder peak with a pit and I positioned perfectly, moved forward on the big board and went flying, my best position on a wave in a long time. Called off a hopper and he said "where did you come from?", I replied "way the hell back there bro!"and continued on down the wave.
Many comments again about the speed I had, and some " I could have had that'(s)"
My final was a right and alone, Squat had gone left. This was a chest high shoulder, and I was positioned in the top 3/4 of the wave the whole ride. Just kinda dancing the nose of the board up past the lip and then down, repeat,repeat,repeat, floater, then rode it in to 1 foot of water. Stepped off and went home.
Perfection comes very rarely for me, and is always when I least expect it !

Got Some.... 2 WEEKDAYS in a row !! !!!!!!!! This is a good thing for me.

WED pm THURS pm
Took a shorter board to work each day, so no excuses. Got into some peaky steeper drops.
Very warm water, trunks totally and ZERO chill. glass, sweetness.
I felt normal for the first time in 1.2 years.
Came to a great realization.... something I have always known.
I want to, maybe, truly need to, surf a lot !

More later.....

surf on

Your brain calls but the body stalls.

Weird Waves this Sunday.
Probably, best described as inconsistent.
I would say the same about myself.
I got some. My best wave, and a nice one by others standards was cut too short while dodging insiders.
I enjoyed the time in the water. Things did play with my brain though, detracting from the experience.
Once again I am plagued by various pains related to events of over a year ago. These alter the way the body works for sure, especially in a "high performance" situation. Your brain calls but the body stalls.
No doubt I am in the position( once again) of having to drop 20 lbs. That 20lbs pushes out on the abdominal
scarring and incision sites,prior drain hole areas., etc,etc.
I worry and struggle to not plateau at
at a performance level that is less than before surgery(s). I HOPE that I will keep getting better at surfing, as well as at life.
There is a lot of work to do, I guess there always has been, and always will be..god willing.

surf on