WED PM was one to remember...

After Tuesdays stoke and
the realization of why work seems soooo hard to me now ( my lack of after work surfing), I decided for a repeat bliss out.
( Oh yeah, Daylight Savings Time starts Sunday, March 14th.. sunset is 7 pm )
There is my cure for what ails me !
anyways...
Got there but there was a coastal mystery fog, no sunny clear skies like the day before.
Was to meet Dave and his truck was there... but no Dave.
I saw the reef was going considerably better so I made the paddle south on the newly modified
Clear board.
Dave was there with 20 others however he was south at the "right". The right is OK, but the left usually is much better....usually.
Glass, clear water, shoulder to higher PEELING RIGHT waves that ran 20-50 yards with shoulder and clear glass faces. I had the right board and made every one effortlessly it seemed. These weren't the heart thumping waves of the last months that are a challenge just to drop into and get out of, that I have been doing because of timing issues ( and trying to go big)
Nope.
These were easy sweet rides.
After maybe 5 and long ( big grin ) paddle backs... Dave, I, and the others saw a few dolphins real close doing some great air tricks, landing on their backs etc....
anyways I take off on a beautiful shoulder high, glass face and there, 1 foot under me the whole way( 30 yards ), is a 9 foot dolphin looking right up at me and cris crossing under my board for the entire ride ! ! I have seen that sort of thing before, but not this long and clearly.
In fact as I rode by some folks on the shoulder of this cruiser wave, I was pointing down at the dolphin and just laughing.
My paddle back was interrupted by several people who asked "did you see that?" and holy moly kinda of comments. Wow....just wow !

It was nothing short of spectacular ! !

Will the pure amazement of this thing ever cease ? I think not.
I have been out probably 1500 times in the relatively short amount of time I have been surfing
( 8 years) I suspect my stoke to last
until I leave this earth maybe(hopefully, at least ) 30 years or so from now.
surf on....

Tuesday PM was ..... well it's what I needed.

Now I remember what gets me through "certain Days".
It is being able to get into the water after "certain activities" at the end of the day.
Thank God it's staying lighter longer now. Brought the board to work. Was due to hit it at 4 and sure as the sun rises, I got caught into staying later, as per usual.....but
I did get to the waters edge at 450 and paddled out into a great scenario.
Glass, shoulder high and +, rising tide from a low and a tidal push, sunset, dolphins few people,
and
FINALLY SOME SHAPE ! ! !
I took the side bites of my long board from Mondays thing and just had the single cutaway on it.
My board and I were dancing for a change. Up and down the lines
It was perfection !
Many many waves, all to myself !
So much fun I forgot myself.
So much ...
thanks

surf on...

Mondays blues

continued.......
After that paddle Dave and I sat outside and laughed for awhile. It was good to overcome the situation, to fight for it. I am speaking of the fact we almost weren't able to make it out.

THE morning was so beautiful , Clear skies with the sunrising on us in the pure deep green glassy water and BIG ,long interval swells.
After a few minutes to catch my breath I said, "OK all dressed up and nowhere to go"
Almost every wave was a jack up, close out mostly due to the tide and huge amount of water in front of them. I stood up on 3-4 waves in an hours time and could not drop down the face for the off shores holding me back.
Some of those closeouts would release a 20 foot high shower of water on us of the top and to the back side of the peak and as they closed out. It was like some pointing a fire hose up into the air and getting showered with it after the waves went by.
I have been in that before but not to that extreme.

Dave tried for one ,and I think he couldn't drop. He got caught inside as a clean up set came through. He was done and waited for the right ride straight in.
After he got back up the cliff to his truck ,and changed, he waited, for me. I was almost alone in the water where I was. I was trying to find a shoulder to grab. Nope. A good hour went by and I knew the tide would soon be a t a 6 foot apex and the situation was becoming increasingly dangerous. I was tired form the paddle out and all the paddling to maneuver and then get over clean up sets without getting caught . I was looking for a way in. I tried going in a bit closer to get some smaller waves but would miss those due to the high tide jack and warble thing then have to scratch back outside and over the sets.
Did this a couple times the the inevitable clean up mother, thankfully broke way the hell out there and I got an E ticket ride in on a 4-5 foot wall of white that rocketed me, on my belly, full blast all the way up onto the stones.
Thanks for waiting Dave.
Thanks for the opportunity, survival skills, all that beauty, and pure exhilaration, God !
surf on....

Mondays Paddle Out

Mondays paddle out was amazing. The tide was at about 3 feet and coming up fast mixed in with some big boy waves. The amount of water in front of strong deep swell causes the waves to jack up a lot here at Terramar. Add in the strong off shores and you got some big walls, standing high and closing out.
Dave and I attempted to paddle out into a "flattened area".... hahaha that was funny.
"Let's wait for the lull" hahaha that was funnier.
We got sucked 100 yards south( thankfully) into a channel area we know of, but could not get to on foot this AM, past "5 Palms". We had wanted to go there but there was no access 'cuz of the large waves and high tide... just cobblestones, boulders and ankle breaker reef exposures under the surface.
We then advanced out only to get beat up more form a series of sets.
I wanted to get out so bad.
After floating in the soup midway out in the impact zone of the common waves I was ready to turn back.
Dave just said "One More Time"
The waves came and beat on us and then there it was.....
our chance....

(to be continued)

Sunday was for Lovers

Laurie and I spent the day our way.
We ended up on top the cliffs in Torrey Pines.
True love is not surfing on an afternoon like this to spend it with your sweetheart.
We ended up watching what we thought was a rescue and turned out to be a retrieval of some poor 20 year old girls lifeless body who had fallen off the cliff.
I was a somber moment to say the least.
We have a different view of life and death now after my ordeal.
Life is so fleeting sometimes. Snap the fingers and gone.
I am so thankful for all the beauty and love that surrounds me.
Love is beautiful

surf on...

SAT ur Day was A O K

Saw the beautiful morning glass on the cameras but held off and out for a dropping 10-11am tide,
and Voila, wind is on it.

Oh well ,paddled out with Dave and met Pat and Kyle out there too. Not too many others were out.
Brought my tighty whitey 9'6" with a tri fin cutaway set up.
Paddling seemed soooo slooooow compared to the huge glide machine I'm so used to now.( 10'3").
Despite the wind and the odd bump and difficult nature of these waves, I feel I surfed them well.
Last time out in the bigness I was a little disappointed in myself for playing too safe and not getting to the bottom of any of the waves, even though most every opportunity was a closeout.
This time I told myself, do the full drop and bottom turn to the sweet spot and try to haul ass.
I was pleased with the results.

As I write this (Sunday, Valentines Day, 6:42 AM, glassy on cameras)
I have again, with great anxiousness, backed out of dawn patrol due to the tide situation...... might be a bad call. I have made many and will again, we'll see.

Surf on...

Snap Crackle Pop ....... big waves

SATURDAY's dawn patrol proved interesting.
0615.
Didn't really linger on the visual check scene, purposefully. Suited up and made my way down with a guy I've seen a lot but we've spoken twice. Big dude, good surfer,and he's in
TRUNKS !?!. I'm one upped again
Ok. anyways. its glassy I know it's big and there is an immediate lull and off we go, with out incident, a dry hair paddle out on a big day. Cool.
The sets start coming. Good size shoulder to head. Lotsa walled up thumpers.
I do get 3 nice big waves with shoulders. In that time frame the tide has gone from 4 to 6 feet.
0730 Time to get out.
Hmmmmm... how to get out? Waited very patiently until the shore break wave looked right picked me up and "put" me onto the hamburger patty sized cobble stone beach. The hurty when you walk on em or get sucked back over em kind of stones. It was short but sweet.
SUNDAY Psych out
dawn patrol didn't happen with a 7 foot tide and 8-10 foot faces. A friend, Squaticus Maximus, paddled out 2 min. before my arrival. I would have gone out with him by my side but instead as I was headed down to take off I noticed he was the only one out there, and all the other locals( so many, so much better than I ) were not gonna go.
Took me 5 minutes to psych out ( hate it )
Said I'll come back at lower tide.
Came back at 1230 4' tide and dropping and p
addled into a big wall o water wonderland. Dave and a friend from my work, Eileen made it out easily enough for the conditions. Then the big sets started in.
Eileen got several 8-10 footers. I was very happy to see that. Dave got a great left.
I got a few big ins and outs but nothing long enough to really get super stoked about.
Did count 4 broken and lost boards and subsequent "swim backs" and 2 broken boards in the short time I was out.
I LOVE BIG SURF....I never quite feel so alive as when I'm in it.
I LOVE BIG WAVES....

surf on

Saturday / Sunday proved too much

Too much sewage.
Too many back to backs for this old dude to make it out.
Too much for all the locals to accompany me.


Sunday I gave it a go just me and the surf
no one else, except my love Laurie who is always with me in my heart.
Got half way out and gave up not because of weakness, but I just didn't feel right without SOMEBODY else in the water under those conditions....
It has something to do with almost dying 3 or 4 times in the hospital and not wanting to leave my wife and son. There ! I mean at least with a friend or two there would be some hope of surviving a tragedy out there,
Ah well.... I gave it a go and tested the water and myself.

surf on....

I dreamed of it last night

I dreamed that I was looking out the window of a second story burger place on Oahu but it overlooked Terramar. I was trying to get a cup of coffee from a hyperactive little dude behind the counter who wouldn't count my loose change and get my coffee. Sooo I counted it for him as I was sneaking peeks of the huge blue green surf behind me out the window.
All I could think was get my coffee I gotta get out there. Then I woke up,0530.

Made coffee and I am looking at Swamis on surflines HD cam thinking all I wanna do
was get my coffee, I gotta get out there. But I am sitting here.
0638 It's getting lighter now.
get my coffee, I gotta get out there.
0641 I see some dude in the water at Swamis, he gets up on a fairly organized head high wave. Couple of up n downs and then it flops on him, shooting god knows what straight into his sinuses.
0643 It's getting lighter now.
get my coffee, I gotta get out there.
Being restricted from surfing everyday SUCKS, that's what I hate about Winter. I can't get out from work in time to get into the water afterwards.
I want to go N O W ! ! !

I know, I know exactly what you ( anyone who reads this, if anyone ) are thinking.
0648 It's getting lighter now.
get my coffee, I gotta get out there.
0649
0650

Sunday was my day

After Friday and Saturday's inconsistency in wave delivery and my own abilities for those days, I get a good one on Sunday.
THE swell is coming on quite a bit bigger, with better shape and frequency.
Not too many people were out @ 645. My surf buddy Dave decided he wasn't in.
So as I am walking down, another friend, Squat, joins me and suggests we paddle out in a channel he knows of down the way a bit.
Jim is an experienced surfer and literally has surfed Terramar, for what I believe is every day for the last, well, MANY years.
So..... I take him up on his offer and wisdom. It was a great help, as I can get a bit squirreled
during paddle outs on big days. Made it out without events or issues in a rather relaxed way.
Paddled to just south of Ted's house and Jim just kept going North toward warm waters. We stayed about 150 yards apart and watched each other a bit.
Large waves would come through in 5 wave sets.
Few people were where I was.
I don't like sharing drops much when things get big, so this was good.
OK, so I get a couple great rights and a few lefts. The speed was pretty amazing on these waves.THE SIZE was great too....head high faces.
I chose high lines and middle of the board positioning for speed.
I did choose my 10'3" even though the inside part of these waves Sunday were nasty closeouts. I made this decision based on the thought that I would be able to get into the waves on the outside and much earlier than with other boards, or for that matter people. It gave me an undeniable edge making it easier for me to hand pick better shaped waves.
This worked perfectly on this day
I did surf well and I felt great about the whole thing.
I am working my way towards my goal again.
The photo below is the first photo of me surfing. My son took it.
It has special meaning to me as well.
It is me

I put it here as I am beginning to feel like "me" again.
I am leaving behind the surgical tragedy of almost 2 years ago and
once again improving my surfing abilities.

surf on...

Friday PM / Sat AM 01/08-09/2010

Friday had to race all day at work and then had to race to the ocean. In the water at 345pm. It was cleansing and some bigness was rolling beneath my friends and I.
Gone are the days where this was an everyday occurrence after work. My boss has moved me inland and to a place where afterwork sessions in winter are almost impossible .
Much has changed since 02/08/08.

Saturday proved to be pretty good as well. Got out a bit late for DP but had a few good rides.

Happy New Year......c'ya 09

Old business

12/20/09-Sunday Surfing with my son. He is off from school and work.I see him get some good ones.
It's been so long since we've spent much time together, in the water or out.
I tell myself this is the natural order of things,but I don't like it.
It is good to be surfing with my son again.

12/25/07-Friday-Christmas- Jesus Christ' birthday
and an observed Holiday from Surfing for myself.

12/26/09-Saturday Hyped WNW swell not in yet, at least not for our dawn patrol.
Jason, his friend Todd,and I are virtually skunked in 38 degree air and 53 degree water. Everywhere we go, waves are not.

12/27/09-Sunday The Hyped WNW swell is on, but the walls are nasty closeouts,
Jason,Dave and I, and many others watch from the cliffs

and psych out !

I get a bad feeling from this. I hate psych outs, although I do rely heavily on intuition. This one pissed me a little. Ah well that's the way she goes.

12/28/09-Monday psych out redemption. After work I hustle to get out and into the line up by 4pm.
I want some big stuff, and big stuff there was that night. A lot of in and outs for myself. Nice big close outs but it's good to feel power underneath you. Stay up high, go for a little ride, then out over the back before the wall comes down.
Took some crap from a good surfer, but he's such a loud little shit though.
He can't shut up and can't help it really.
Oh well, I backed him off as much as I should have, I suppose. I mean I am 53 and he's all of 15 or something. He's gonna be a great surfer one day.
Oh yeah.... !
That evening Dave and I were waiting for some waves with shoulders when 10 yards further out, a single 10foot rogue wave plows through. Dave is about 5 yards better than I and he somehow punches through the top 3/4 of this thing...
I, on the other hand, do NOT.
I am smacked hard off the board as I try to get over it.
I am driven down as my board is being picked up and taken over the falls.
I cannot tell up from down and the the board yanks me towards the beach maybe 7-10 yards.
I figure it out ,and come up for air.
WOW, that was a doozie.
I have taken some good ones, but this one really had some juice on it ! !
It's funny, but that is exactly what I needed.
You know what I mean?
Dave and I finally got a wave with some shoulder to it and rode it in.
It was a good night for us both.
That was the finish of 09

Mid Decemmmmburrrrr, Christmas and going into the 2010 do over.

Got to get out with Jason on a few days before Christmas as school is giving him a break. No more trunks now for awhile I suppose. A week ago Ted was beckoned from his 2nd story deck by my son and a friend an he bolted out in trunks. I of course was stuck at work. When I heard that one I got bent. One of those recent Santa Ana days mid morning small waves but trunkin it.....ahhhh.
Jason,his buddy Todd and I tried on Saturday, in the cold but really could'nt snag anything. THere was a pre-swell 20 minutes apart wave that would show up but that was it.
Later that day, more came thru but I was Christmasing with the family, a good thing.
Sunday am we go out too cold too closed out, alida,pat went I grossed about it all day.
so Monday was gonna be an early out of work or should I say get outta work on time for a change day. Paddled out with Dave @ 345 and witnessed some true power under and "over" me. SMart ass kid and a great couple 6 foot in and outs a 10 foot thumper that sent me under and backwards about 10 yards wondering which way was up. Finally a nice head and shoulder ride in with Dave. We laughed about it and finished well

Merry Christmas to All

Very Cool Wednesday PM session

This has been an interesting
few weeks for me. I have been struggling with work in setting up a new specimen collection office for a large San Diego Medical Laboratory. I designed it from the ground up.
First time for that.
All eyes on me.
Finally we opened and it is going great on day 4.
However, LOTSA STRESS leading up to this, and not much surf time, which is a tough combo.
The weekends have been ok with a few really good sessions sparsely mixed in. Notably, witnessing my son Jason getting some great stuff and riding well. Myself getting more waves per session than usual .
Tonight was a hoot.

Very stressed and ready to go, I raced out at 4;30 pm and paddled into some very large sets.
Stoked, I waited for the right set and picked an overhead right that got my heart a pumping.Ride an ever increasing shoulder for a bit, turned as it was about to close out , and rode in into 1 foot of water and hopped of at 5;20 pm. PERFECTION.
Just what we ordered........ ah big waves of winter.
Gonna be a fun week if the weather holds.

surf on

nice redemption sessions

After Sunday's ..... well after Sunday I was treated to an after work/evening surf with my son.

Wed.
I snuck outta work at 3 and got out and in the water by 330
There was some surf and the weather was perfecto.
We each got some glassy rides and saw our friend Don...groovy dude and good surfer.
Sat.
Waited until 10 am to go out cuz the tide was @ 6 feet. That was a mistake as I was told by a few. Paddled out to mostly peaks without shoulder, but managed to get a couple decent right shoulders out of it. Weather was great and I was satisfied.

so far so good
we'll see what Sunday brings

Welcome Winter Waves ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Saturday's dawn patrol began in the water @ 6am
with a wetsuit(first time since march)
Dave and I got a few although they were kinda tough to get into.
Had some nice winter rights on the smaller board and was moving around pretty well.
Sunday's dawn patrol began in the water @ 6 am,

Today it would be very very different for me ! !
I got "worked" on my paddle out,
more "worked" than I care to be "worked". I got "worked" for 10 min.
I was exhausted when finally got outside.
The sets that came through early on were beautiful. Big sets.
Big, glassy, deep green 2-3 wave sets way outside.
Big and glassy with spray blowing back from the peaks.
Some had great long shoulders. Some were close out BOMBS.

BEAUTIFUL

The first set a guy handed to me,
but I was still recovering from the paddle out.
The second set I would back out of,
still too tired.
The third set I relinquished to an another,
who rode it fine, fast, and furious to the right for a good 50 yards.
The fourth set he and I both paddled for. He was to my left.
I backed out thinking he was going right again,
but
he did go left, as a courtesy, I am sure.
Missed another.
Miscommunication.
On the big stuff especially, I am uncomfortable with 2 or 3 of us dropping close, in one wave.
I don't like to worry about the other folk should I mess up on a bad close out.
I don't like to worry about the other folk should they mess up a bad close out.
To make it worse, I got SUPPED twice from 1 SUP.
From 15 yards further out than Frikin OAHU. Supper's gack !!
We should segregate ourselves a bit in my humble O
To make my VERY Long story a bit shorter,
today I surfed
like a puss.

Luckily there will be more semi epic days, and opportunities, God willing!

surf on

Trick or treat.......

T R E A T
It is funny how we all perceive the same "thing" differently.

As I was walking towards the beach today, Sunday, with Laurie and Jason I saw a couple of friends. One was just signaling in the distance to get out of the water as if it wasn't good.
My other friend said as long as your hear to just paddle around it will be OK.
What I saw was...
1)My wife Laurie had joined me, a rarity and always pleasant experience, despite the fact that it takes "longer" to get ready and go.It is so good to have her share this thing.
2) I was getting a rare chance ( nowadays ) to surf with my son Jason.
3) Air temp about 75. Sun bright and very warm on the skin.
Very clear blue green water. I see the eel grass swaying in the swell below me, lots of fish, exposed winter reef and sand bars.
4) Trunks still, yeah the water is cool, but with no wind and bright sun, it rocks.
5) Small little waves rolled in. Jason and I both caught a good amount and rode faces into 3 feet of water.
Jason had a couple really nice waves.
I had a couple more, but I am in better practice right now.

It was a wonderful day. My son was proud of me. My wife was proud of me.
WE were together in midst of a beautiful day.
I felt like royalty, standing up in knee high waves the color of.... well, you know.

surf on...

Beautiful, tropic Monday PM and I get......

SCHOOLED

Kinda flat looking. I decide to go in anyways even though my "buds" bailed on me before I got there.
Got to know a long time T Mar local and got a wave or 2. After Paul SR. split, there came 2 GREAT surfers whom I love to watch.
Along with them, came some swell as the tide changed.
These two would catch every bump or roller that came through, and rode em well and were very stoked on the weather, conditions and vibe. I was super stoked on the conditions and the dolphin pods around us. I got a couple, and then I started a real fun thing.
I started to F* up everything I did.
It was funny actually.
I got owned, and I am the one who ownethed myself.
Then Chuck came out and I proceeded to miss virtually every wave I went for.
As I was getting out I thought "aaahhhhh it's lunch recess at last."

No worries.
I get that sorta thing, it is actually what keeps me so stoked, in a way.
Sheesh, just yesterday I was.........

surf on ...

Sunday AM....... I GET MY 1st SHACK !

The Photo is of Chuck. Chuck has Terramar wired.


Chuck and I start the paddle out together and as we are timing the waves to get out

We are floatingbetween Paul and the beach, as he is getting tubed, beautifully tubed.
Paul is in the photo below.. NOT"the tube" but Paul, none the less.

As Chuck and I watch him come out of the green room he raises his hands in a victory "touchdown" kinda thing.
I was stoked just watching him in that pipe so close up, from the inside.
As I paddled by him I was kidding and said, "Oh I thought you were on your SUP"
He just smiled and said ,"Nah, this day is all about the Tube Fest"
Well.... he was right
and the time was finally right for little old me !

I caught a few nice outside to inside speeders and watched others gettin' covered and then coming out. There was some great surfing goin on this morning.
** THEN I got an outside right, stayed with it to the inside, started speeding up then squatted down and dug my hand into the face...
next thing I know, all I can see is white water, and I am in and covered up, but still flyin down the face. After a few seconds I came out, could see the shoulder again, stood and flipped over the back side of the wave. S T O K E D ! !
Chuck saw it, AND a woman happened to be taking pictures
of the only guy out there in TRUNKS (yours truly of course), so I may get a shot of that.
Anyways, it's etched in my head and heart forever.
1st good cover up ! !
hell yeah

surf on...