I found some time on a Saturday. I drove to the beach and arrived before first light. The waves sounded to small to be worthwhile, and I took a nap instead of suiting up and walking down the cliff in the days first light.

When I awoke I was hungry and headed to find some food. But I caught sight of the ocean and saw waves! I put wax on the longboard, yanked on my wetsuit, and walked down to the sand. One spot had a bit of wave, and most people were down the way where the waves were much better. I opted for a bit of wave to myself, and was glad I did. Someone eventually joined me but there was plenty to go around, and pleasant conversation between waves.

After, I waited for my Craigslist meet to look at a board. It was described as "knifey," which is what my other board is not. The board I rode in the morning is an egg railed, heavy log, pig shape. The new board has rails that would slice a ripe tomato! Here is a photo of each.

Heavy Pig

"Knifey"

I bought it, but the day was finished and I needed to get home to family. That was last weekend, and I am lucky enough that the family wants to go to the beach this weekend. Sure, the low tide is in the darkness, sure the swell is micro, and of course the weather is forecast to be overcast and foggy. But I'm fine with that because I have two longboards to choose between, and I'll spend the night within walking distance of several waves. I'll also have a cork blade, a surf mat, and of course swim fins if I decide to just bodysurf. Any waves I can get to will be ridden!

I want to feel that feeling again...

I want to feel cold ocean water on bare feet.
I want to feel the stretch of my body reaching forward with both arms knee paddling.
I want to feel the slow-motion lift of my board as a roller picks me up.
I want to feel the doubt that the board will complete the bottom turn in time to make it into that first sections.
I want to feel the acceleration through a steep section.
I want to feel my feet step along the wax bumps.
I want to feel the sun in my eyes, glistening off the smooth ocean surface.

I no longer own that board.
I no longer live at the beach.
I no longer have time off in the middle of the day during the work-week.
I no longer know every beach bum by sight, and many by name.

I have a career.
I have a child, wife, family.
I have small boards that represent the pinnacle of my abilities before my life changed.
I have memories.
I have warm comfort.
I have responsibilities, and the rewards that follow living up to those responsibilities.

I will raise my child to be independent.
I will buy a board that reminds me of my youth.
I will find the time.
I will return to the ocean again.
I will feel the cold ocean water on my bare feet.

2 years

What happened? Where was I?
Well... I had some employment troubles, and then got into a job I like. But even larger than that, the last 2 years I've been a father.
It's funny to think about it. I used to feel bad for new fathers because they had to stop surfing to be there for the family. I wanted to never be a father because I didn't want to give up what little free time I had to visit the ocean. As it worked out, I stopped wanting to go to the ocean.
Sure, a big part of it was general exhaustion. I didn't want to load my car, make the drive and the search, and then drive back home, clean up, and still do the Daddy Duties. But after the first year or so, things got easier. My child required less of me so I could get some good rest, and I still didn't want to go surfing. I wanted to stay home with my family. By my choice.
I tried to convince my wife to bring the family to the beach, and we even did a few times. For those first two years that was just about the only time I went surfing. I still thought about it, but I just didn't do it.
So now I'm at the 2 year mark and feeling good. I don't surf every weekend, but I will probably surf more. There are weekend days when the family has plans that don't necessarily include me and so I can go off to do my thing without missing out on family things. I'm not free from responsibility, I still have a child to take care of much of the time. But the pull of the ocean is gaining strength.
I bought a used SUP a while back. I have used it for exercise in the harbor on days when I didn't feel free to spend half the day driving to the beach. I used it when the waves were small but the weather was great. I even used it to battle shifty head-high waves. But the other weekend I used it for the "ultimate" adventure.
There's a spot that can have good waves, but no road goes there. The closest parking is still an hour walk away. I parked at the other parking lot that was even further away and embarked on a 2-mile paddle on the SUP. I found that if I kept a relaxed pace I could paddle for a long time. People were strolling along the beach and I found paddling is faster (slightly) than walking.
So I made the paddle and even got lucky. The waves were small but had good shape. I was alone which allowed me to push myself. All things worked out and I felt like I learned some more about riding this huge board in small waves. The waves shut down after an hour and I made the long paddle back to the car.
The SUP adventure was a long drive and 3 hours on the water. I was tired, but not nearly as exhausted as I would be if I had been surfing a regular board for 3 hours. The muscles used are not as unusual as surfing muscles, so the exercise isn't as strenuous. That being said, it misses some of the things I like about surfing. It feels less connected to the ocean and to the wave. I can't see myself getting a tube on a SUP. The board is less maneuverable than the longest log I've ever ridden. But, if it gets me on the water, it's worth it. In fact it's just a bonus that I can ride waves at all on the thing. Now I've started looking around at where else I could make a long paddle to get to a remote wave. I've got a few in mind already and I'm just waiting for conditions to be right.

More thoughts on rails

Tom Curren has been exploring a type of surfboard that has similarities to GG's spoon and the cork paipo's I've played with. All three have very thin rails and flex.
https://www.theinertia.com/surf/tom-curren-and-tom-wegener-could-be-ushering-in-a-new-era-of-surfboard-design/

Meanwhile, I bought a SUP and became a father, not in that order.

Being a father means less energy to go out and have an adventure. It's also hard to leave home when a 2-year-old asks if you're going to the park with him and mommy. So I have hardly surfed in two years.

But I did last weekend! I took the SUP on a 2-mile paddle to a wave with nobody around. The wave wasn't worth the effort, but it was a nice bonus. I would have been happy with just the paddle adventure. The weather was great, the waves were small and good enough for me to improve my SUP wave skills a few degrees.

While planning the paddle I considered bringing a surfboard along, or more easily my cork bodyboard and surfmat. I opted to not bother because 1) I didn't know what I was getting myself into, and 2) there had been a recent shark "attack" (ankle bitter) at this remote spot. As it was the SUP was a good option for the waves I found.

There are places around here that have waves but difficult access. Almost all of them are within 2-miles of some decent beach access, and so are within reach of a SUP. My goal all along has been to expand the options I have for surfing, and the SUP certainly does that. It's harder to control in the waves, and I don't get much connection to the waves like I get on boards that leave me low in the water, but I'm out riding waves and getting exercise.

Next up, hydrofoil?
https://www.surfertoday.com/surfing/14093-the-beginners-guide-to-foil-surfing
(probably not)

First post of 2015!

(Was stuck in drafts and finally posted 2/26/16)
i shouldn't be making my first post of the year in September, but here I am. Since March I've been working a new job that's 9-5 with 2.5 hours of commute a day. My weekends have included 11hour sleep sessions trying to catch up, and less surf than normal. Not to say I'm unhappy about it. In fact I've found some peace in the idea that I've had a good life, I've caught some good waves, and I don't need to chase happiness anymore. Now I can relax and let some waves go by.
I'm also dealing with several unsatisfying sessions in a row. It's the worst time for surf around here, and with my limited free time, hitting the windows of goodness is harder.

Thoughts on GG

I've been doing some bodysurfing and some bodypo riding (californiasurfcraft.com) and I've been enjoying myself. I have been thinking about trying to build a flexpoon using cork for the rail shape and floatation. That got me thinking deeply about flexspoon rails. What's going on there.
The history of the flexspoon is GG trimming material from his surfboard to make a kneeboard, and from his kneeboard to make a flexspoon. The name implies that the flexibility is the most important aspect, but I'm beginning to wonder. Flex certainly feels good when it's the right amount, but it's not as large a difference as the revolutionary surfing GG was doing back in the early 70's on his boards.
I'm not sure if hard, downturned rails existed prior to GG's flexspoon. Boards at the time were longboards that evolved from finless olo and paipo. When you are finless you use the rail to hold into the wave and avoid sliding the tail out. The roundness acts like drag as water flows over it. Once the fin came into play the round rails we no longer needed, but this wasn't recognized at the time. Rails with a hard transition from a flat bottom board break free the water wrapping around the rails and thereby free up the board from the wave. The result is speed and faster responsive turns.
When GG trimmed his kneeboard deck away to nothing, he was in effect getting rid of the round rail and making a hard rail. His surfing was tighter in the pocket, faster, and with greater turning ability. I had this same experience over the years when I moved from strictly classic longboard to shortboard and on to other variety of surfcraft. (And occasionally return to classic longboard.) Although it has taken me many years to develop the skill to take advantage of these design aspects.
So, if I'm going to make a flexspoon kneeboard, do I need it to flex? I want to mold off of and existing board and I have some options. The first option is a 5'8" kneeboard. I like the size but I've been told it's too small for me. Making a flexspoon off it would remove most of the flotation and it may become unusable as a kneeboard. Furthermore, the shape is quite different from a flexspoon with a central widespot, not being spoon shaped but more hard rails to the nose, and a quad-fin setup. The other option is a 6' GeeBee from Fineline. The template is very flexspoon, and the nose is spooned, but there is also belly through much of the board and the rails are 50/50 knife. It's also wide (for standing on) which I worry would be too wide for kneeboarding. Can I accommodate for that by making it more flexible? Is flexibility the answer, or just a small side benefit of the design. Will the belly in the board being used as the mold original be a problem? Benefit?
Gonna have to make something and answer my own questions.

Good exercise

I got a message Sunday morning that the beach looked good. JZ had family things to do and was possibly wishing to live vicariously. I rallied my mojo and grabbed my 7'5" Noriega. I know that any waves that need that much board are too much for me right now. The last few times I was in bigger waves I got winded quickly and my arms weren't strong enough to catch waves or battle the current.
I got to the beach and was pleased to see it was a reasonable size at the north end (4-8'), where it was also well shaped. I paddled out and the worst I faced was the middle bar which was shallow and hitting hard. I got lucky and found a pass through and made it out without much trouble. By the time I made it out I was winded, and far from where I wanted to be. I spent the entire time paddling south against the current. The good news is that I am in good enough shape that I could comfortably paddle against the current for awhile before having to take a rest. The bad news is that I only made it to the peak a few times, and didn't get any good waves any of those times.
I found myself hesitant. I was thinking I needed to be patient and chose the best waves to save my energy. By the end of the 3 hours of surfing I realized that waves I had let pass were the best waves, nothing better ever came to me. Hindsight, but also notable that in the past I have been more aggressive by chasing down any wave that came to me, good or not so good. (I do let obvious bad waves pass by.)
I also admired the beautiful sky, full of cirrus clouds flying high between storms. So many shades of grey and stark contrast from the sunny side of a billowy cloud to the shaded side. I also enjoyed watching others get good waves and smiling at others out there. I tried to be friendly and reassuring without being condescending. I have no right to be condescending given my present state of physical fitness and after not getting any good rides from three hours of being in the ocean. All this left me in a good mood and feeling like I can get into better shape and hopefully enjoy more rides next time.