Work has been so slow that the bank account has been on the decline for several months. It's difficult to separate out the expenses that relate directly to new home ownership from the expenses of everyday life. Either way, the trajectory causes me to take pause. I haven't driven to the beach in awhile. I did take a ride to very small Linda Mar with JO one morning. It was worth the dip for the exercise and the friendship, but not much else. I haven't taken the kid out for a surf in awhile, and I don't see it happening anytime soon.
I took a low paying part time job to help fill up the bank account. It's not enough to make up for zero work from the main job. I hope that stops happening. If it does, I'll have to find a new job. The low pay job is reliable though, I can count on those hours every week, which is something the main job doesn't give me. The wife is going to Europe this fall with family, and I'm staying home by choice. I though it would save us enough money that I could go on a surf trip, but with the bank account slipping, I have a grand excuse to not plan anything.
The first few days of this week I didn't have work. I should have done anything of a list I keep in my head, but for the most part I stayed home and did very little. I think it's true that our animal instinct is to lay low whenever we can. To reserve energy for times when it's needed to survive. This instinct is short sighted and doesn't blend well with community living. There are things I want that I need to act to achieve, but I don't take action as often as I easily could. I would like to, but I don't. Its like a silly thing I like to say, "I'd like to know how to play the guitar, but I don't want to learn to play the guitar."
There's been a internet streaming of a contest at Teahapoo. I've been enjoying watching it live because the slow pace of waiting for waves is more familiar that the hard cuts and loud music in surf movies. I also enjoy watching the pro surfers get waves that for me would be my best ever, but they score very low on. A good score for this contest comes when they make waves that look impossible. I'd like to go there to surf some day, but I know I couldn't handle it right now. I would need to take a month or more to get into shape for it. Of course fall in California is right around the corner, I should get in shape for that!
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
The Lower Limit -- And Dale
Two part-er today.
Last Friday I headed out to Quatro with JZ mid-day. The south swell that hit Wednesday was all but gone, and the one coming Sunday was not quite showing itself. The tide was mid and rising and the crowd was mellow. I took out the 5GF and luckily I was wearing the usual trimmed UDeeTs, because the waves were small and weak. I caught several 1ft waves that hardly broke, and a few 2-3ft waves of somewhat better quality. It was interesting to feel just how small a wave could be ridden on the mat, and how soft was too soft. I wished for the Neumattic, which is still awaiting repair.
And about that repair, I emailed Dale more than a month ago and have gotten no response. I started asking around about him and nobody has heard from him in a few years at least. I did a deeper internet search and created my own story from the bits. In my head his sudden leap from obscurity to mat maker fame caught him off guard. Around 2006 he was in bad health recovering from a heart attack. Combine these two stressors and he didn't fill every order which he collected pre-payment for. There has been some rumblings out there from polite complaints to calling of names. I figure he stepped out of the limelight and (I like to believe) he is only making mats for a close group of mat aficionados.
Also did a quickie at a new spot on Monday. I'm not going to name it since it's somewhere not many people have on their radar. I'll say as a not to self that it's one of the closer spots to the inlaws, and where JZ had his after wedding party. The small south and clean winds threw a few nice waves over the well formed sandbar before the rising tide drowned it. I was told by Brent that normally by this time of year the sand builds a bar over there more, but it didn't this year. It was fun, and it's always fun to hike to surf. I wish I caught more waves though.
Last Friday I headed out to Quatro with JZ mid-day. The south swell that hit Wednesday was all but gone, and the one coming Sunday was not quite showing itself. The tide was mid and rising and the crowd was mellow. I took out the 5GF and luckily I was wearing the usual trimmed UDeeTs, because the waves were small and weak. I caught several 1ft waves that hardly broke, and a few 2-3ft waves of somewhat better quality. It was interesting to feel just how small a wave could be ridden on the mat, and how soft was too soft. I wished for the Neumattic, which is still awaiting repair.
And about that repair, I emailed Dale more than a month ago and have gotten no response. I started asking around about him and nobody has heard from him in a few years at least. I did a deeper internet search and created my own story from the bits. In my head his sudden leap from obscurity to mat maker fame caught him off guard. Around 2006 he was in bad health recovering from a heart attack. Combine these two stressors and he didn't fill every order which he collected pre-payment for. There has been some rumblings out there from polite complaints to calling of names. I figure he stepped out of the limelight and (I like to believe) he is only making mats for a close group of mat aficionados.
Also did a quickie at a new spot on Monday. I'm not going to name it since it's somewhere not many people have on their radar. I'll say as a not to self that it's one of the closer spots to the inlaws, and where JZ had his after wedding party. The small south and clean winds threw a few nice waves over the well formed sandbar before the rising tide drowned it. I was told by Brent that normally by this time of year the sand builds a bar over there more, but it didn't this year. It was fun, and it's always fun to hike to surf. I wish I caught more waves though.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Forget all that
Funny how moods change. I was feeling down and kinda blue, didn't know what I was goin' ta do. But then I made plans to surf down SC way and threatened a double session to make up for the gas spent. My carpool buddy JB took my threat to heart and after our pre-dawn hit to Quatros (which was fun but incomplete thanks to not enough set waves) we went again up the coast.
We started the day meeting at his place at 4am. Drive a strait shot to our planned surf spot and park in the darkness with nobody around. We grabbed our gear and walked down slowly in the darkness. By the time we had our suits on the light was just starting in the East and it was too dark to line up right. The light filled in and so did the people, but the crowd didn't get thick and stayed mellow enough. I moved over to 1st point and caught a few and got crushed on a few. Eventually we got bored and saw a handful more people on the beach getting ready to double the crowd size. Time for donuts!
After donuts we headed back up coast checking a few spots. We ended up at Ttocs's beach break watching two guys chase peaks but never get a good one. We talked and watched and watched and talked but didn't make a move. I finally decided f-it, let's go burn some more energy. I picked a peak that JB didn't agree with, but followed me to it anyway. It was gnarly closeouts with the occasional larger peak on the outside that was ride-able before the inside closeout. I rode the 5GF surfmat with limited control and success. JB got one good one and a few okays. Mine were full lay over trying to catch a rail but mostly sliding beach-ward, ending in thundering dump of 4 feet of water onto shallow sand. After each wave it took me awhile to get my bearings and find which way was up!
After an hour JB gave up and I gave him my mat to take back to the car while I bodysurfed a few more. That was fun playing in the pounding waves. (I need to wear a cup in larger waves.)
Then two days later I took out the 9 year old to the Jetty. He was jumping into waves on his bodyboard and I was doing the same on the 5GF. He got cold after 30 min or so and I borrowed his 5'8" foam surfboard to try for waves at the peak. The sideways backwash was hitting the waves right where I needed to bottom turn so most of my waves were a sketchy little drop and an awkward fall as the backwash hit me. Still, got one lined up and the foam board held a line for a bit. Not bad for $60. I wonder how long it will last.
So, the point of this is that I had a good time surfing. I got some stoke back.
We started the day meeting at his place at 4am. Drive a strait shot to our planned surf spot and park in the darkness with nobody around. We grabbed our gear and walked down slowly in the darkness. By the time we had our suits on the light was just starting in the East and it was too dark to line up right. The light filled in and so did the people, but the crowd didn't get thick and stayed mellow enough. I moved over to 1st point and caught a few and got crushed on a few. Eventually we got bored and saw a handful more people on the beach getting ready to double the crowd size. Time for donuts!
After donuts we headed back up coast checking a few spots. We ended up at Ttocs's beach break watching two guys chase peaks but never get a good one. We talked and watched and watched and talked but didn't make a move. I finally decided f-it, let's go burn some more energy. I picked a peak that JB didn't agree with, but followed me to it anyway. It was gnarly closeouts with the occasional larger peak on the outside that was ride-able before the inside closeout. I rode the 5GF surfmat with limited control and success. JB got one good one and a few okays. Mine were full lay over trying to catch a rail but mostly sliding beach-ward, ending in thundering dump of 4 feet of water onto shallow sand. After each wave it took me awhile to get my bearings and find which way was up!
After an hour JB gave up and I gave him my mat to take back to the car while I bodysurfed a few more. That was fun playing in the pounding waves. (I need to wear a cup in larger waves.)
Then two days later I took out the 9 year old to the Jetty. He was jumping into waves on his bodyboard and I was doing the same on the 5GF. He got cold after 30 min or so and I borrowed his 5'8" foam surfboard to try for waves at the peak. The sideways backwash was hitting the waves right where I needed to bottom turn so most of my waves were a sketchy little drop and an awkward fall as the backwash hit me. Still, got one lined up and the foam board held a line for a bit. Not bad for $60. I wonder how long it will last.
So, the point of this is that I had a good time surfing. I got some stoke back.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Which type of wave?
A year ago this time thinking about waves meant thinking about meaty thundering beasts. I wanted to feel the power of the ocean and slip through the fingers of the beast. Now my mind-surfs are fewer, and have changed tone. I think about the feeling of down the line speed on a round bottomed board. I think about Liddell waves with no wetsuit needed and only friends out surfing. It's a dream, I don't even know where to find that, but that's what I'm dreaming of when I dream.
Downsize?
Is it time to thin out the quiver?
I've been surfing less, thinking about surfing less, and when I do surf I aim for the easy waves, which only half my boards would be suited for.
This leads me to reflect on why I have a "quiver" of surfboards in the first place.
I have a flexspoon kneeboard that is in a stasis of mid-repair. The board is shorter, but has a large glassed on single fin making it awkward in transport and storage. I bought it because I wanted to feel the twist of the board in hollow waves. I have surfed it only a few times in many years, and overglassed it. The "repair" is more of a refinement as I want to thin it to be more flexable, but not as flexable as when I first bought it. Now that I have outdoor space, I can do that work, but I never think to do it. Keeper if I get back into the repair/ride cycle. Sell-off if it spends another month collecting dust.
I have a 6' GeeBee mini-hull that has served me well of late as the "teaching kid to surf" board. I also have some fun waves on it not too long ago. Small, weak waves with good shape that the extra foam of the hull made smooth. It works as the board to grab when I know it's too small for the Pacheco to be any fun, but don't want the longboard. Keeper
I have a 6'2" Quintara. It's a quad but the most like a typical shortboard in template. It's the first Hess I owned and right away I could tell it was much smaller than anything else I owned. Having paid quite a bit for it, I stuck with it and got comfortable riding it. It works well in juicy waves without too much paddle needed. So, not OB, but yes for Ona and Wadle Reefs. In fact this board is the board I'll take if I am headed to Ona because all the others have too much width and don't handle the steep tight Ona waves. But lately I've been to out of shape to ride it anywhere. Sell-off ?
I have a 6' Pacheco that is my most versatile board. It works from 2' to 8' OB and bigger if I get back into shape. This will be the last board I sell and represents my ability to ride a shortboard. Keeper
I have a 6'8" Moraga. It's a more float version of the Pacheco and I've had good sessions on it from 4'-8' OB and it could handle larger out there. I wished for it a few weeks ago when I was getting tossed on the takeoff riding my Pacheco. It was my most ridden board last winter whenever I saw a swell. Keeper
I have a 7'4" Noriega. It's the closest thing I have to a big wave board. I've ridden it up to 12' out at OB during my one winter of "charging." That was the same winter I took a beating for my efforts and got sidelined with injuries. Memories were made that winter, but I'm not sure I have it in me to do it all again. Sell-off ?
I have a 10' true log longboard. It was born of miscommunication and best intentions as a graduation gift from my dad. I never rode it much, but with the new home having space and the new truck being able to haul it, I've brought it out a few times. It's very different than the rest of the boards being heavy and stiff. It would be the board I'd ride if I went back to Cowells, or 38th, or even up around here when it's super flat and I need to get out. If I had my druthers I might opt for a more performance longboard, but this is what I have, and it has symbolic significance to me, so it's my longboard. Keeper
And then there's the two surf mats. The better one, or the one I like better at least, is kinda broken. Kinda because I could still use it, but I should fix it first. The other one I should give another chance and try to get a feel for it. I went through a period where all I wanted to do was ride the surf mats. When that stopped I couldn't find the stoke in surfing and that leaves me where I am today, considering selling off surfboards. I don't need the money, I don't need the space, I don't think they are loosing value at any significant rate. So why am I thinking this way? Not thinking of rotating, not thinking of expanding, I'm thinking of (gasp) shrinking the quiver. What's wrong with me?
I've been surfing less, thinking about surfing less, and when I do surf I aim for the easy waves, which only half my boards would be suited for.
This leads me to reflect on why I have a "quiver" of surfboards in the first place.
I have a flexspoon kneeboard that is in a stasis of mid-repair. The board is shorter, but has a large glassed on single fin making it awkward in transport and storage. I bought it because I wanted to feel the twist of the board in hollow waves. I have surfed it only a few times in many years, and overglassed it. The "repair" is more of a refinement as I want to thin it to be more flexable, but not as flexable as when I first bought it. Now that I have outdoor space, I can do that work, but I never think to do it. Keeper if I get back into the repair/ride cycle. Sell-off if it spends another month collecting dust.
I have a 6' GeeBee mini-hull that has served me well of late as the "teaching kid to surf" board. I also have some fun waves on it not too long ago. Small, weak waves with good shape that the extra foam of the hull made smooth. It works as the board to grab when I know it's too small for the Pacheco to be any fun, but don't want the longboard. Keeper
I have a 6'2" Quintara. It's a quad but the most like a typical shortboard in template. It's the first Hess I owned and right away I could tell it was much smaller than anything else I owned. Having paid quite a bit for it, I stuck with it and got comfortable riding it. It works well in juicy waves without too much paddle needed. So, not OB, but yes for Ona and Wadle Reefs. In fact this board is the board I'll take if I am headed to Ona because all the others have too much width and don't handle the steep tight Ona waves. But lately I've been to out of shape to ride it anywhere. Sell-off ?
I have a 6' Pacheco that is my most versatile board. It works from 2' to 8' OB and bigger if I get back into shape. This will be the last board I sell and represents my ability to ride a shortboard. Keeper
I have a 6'8" Moraga. It's a more float version of the Pacheco and I've had good sessions on it from 4'-8' OB and it could handle larger out there. I wished for it a few weeks ago when I was getting tossed on the takeoff riding my Pacheco. It was my most ridden board last winter whenever I saw a swell. Keeper
I have a 7'4" Noriega. It's the closest thing I have to a big wave board. I've ridden it up to 12' out at OB during my one winter of "charging." That was the same winter I took a beating for my efforts and got sidelined with injuries. Memories were made that winter, but I'm not sure I have it in me to do it all again. Sell-off ?
I have a 10' true log longboard. It was born of miscommunication and best intentions as a graduation gift from my dad. I never rode it much, but with the new home having space and the new truck being able to haul it, I've brought it out a few times. It's very different than the rest of the boards being heavy and stiff. It would be the board I'd ride if I went back to Cowells, or 38th, or even up around here when it's super flat and I need to get out. If I had my druthers I might opt for a more performance longboard, but this is what I have, and it has symbolic significance to me, so it's my longboard. Keeper
And then there's the two surf mats. The better one, or the one I like better at least, is kinda broken. Kinda because I could still use it, but I should fix it first. The other one I should give another chance and try to get a feel for it. I went through a period where all I wanted to do was ride the surf mats. When that stopped I couldn't find the stoke in surfing and that leaves me where I am today, considering selling off surfboards. I don't need the money, I don't need the space, I don't think they are loosing value at any significant rate. So why am I thinking this way? Not thinking of rotating, not thinking of expanding, I'm thinking of (gasp) shrinking the quiver. What's wrong with me?
Monday, July 8, 2013
Back from nowhere
The first surf after the previous blog post should have been worth posting on. It was a good sized south swell and a pre-dawn negative low tide. I coordinated with two friends to meet at Mitchel's and arrived myself before dawn. In the dark I could see waves, but wasn't getting stoked. As the pre-dawn light showed more detail I could see the waves were good, but wasn't getting stoked. I paddled out among the first few and got a decent wave but wasn't getting stoked. The pattern continued throughout the day. The weather stayed nice with minimal wind but I didn't surf again, even when a third friend came into town to surf. "Where's it good?" he asked as he was on his way down. "Everywhere," I told him, but still I shuffled around the cliffs not taking advantage.
I carried that same mood with me for a few more surf sessions. Some of which have been crappy, no doubt, but a few have been good enough that I should have a better attitude. I haven't been feeling depressed, just flat.
The most stoked I've felt since that day was when I stripped wax and shined up a few of my boards. It felt good, even though I found repairs that need to be made. I went out and bought supplies but haven't done the repairs.
Lately I've been thinking about a board something like a mini-simmons, although I'm not sure how it would be different than the GeeBee I already have. But the thoughts of riding it are ruined when I think of the cold, difficult conditions I have available. I actually dream of the warm, small, crappy surf of Long Island where I could swim in trunks and crash on the sand if any waves happened to get bigger than 1' tall.
Even with this mood I've been keeping in decent shape. I haven't been taking care of upper body as much as I should but I haven't been lazy either. Some bike riding, some hiking, some yard work has kept the blood flowing. I need to get push-ups and other arm stuff back into the mix before Fall comes. I also need to visit some place with warm ocean good-times.
I carried that same mood with me for a few more surf sessions. Some of which have been crappy, no doubt, but a few have been good enough that I should have a better attitude. I haven't been feeling depressed, just flat.
The most stoked I've felt since that day was when I stripped wax and shined up a few of my boards. It felt good, even though I found repairs that need to be made. I went out and bought supplies but haven't done the repairs.
Lately I've been thinking about a board something like a mini-simmons, although I'm not sure how it would be different than the GeeBee I already have. But the thoughts of riding it are ruined when I think of the cold, difficult conditions I have available. I actually dream of the warm, small, crappy surf of Long Island where I could swim in trunks and crash on the sand if any waves happened to get bigger than 1' tall.
Even with this mood I've been keeping in decent shape. I haven't been taking care of upper body as much as I should but I haven't been lazy either. Some bike riding, some hiking, some yard work has kept the blood flowing. I need to get push-ups and other arm stuff back into the mix before Fall comes. I also need to visit some place with warm ocean good-times.
Monday, May 6, 2013
Vacation in a day
Last week was the perfect confluence of good weather, good swell, and time off work. The swell was 3' @ 17sec from 195-200, an odd angle with more west than usual. Thursday I woke at 3am to arrive at dawn at the Wadl Reefs, south end, and although it wasn't lined up right, there were still plenty of 4-6' bowls to be had for the small group that arrived around dawn. I tried to stick to the unused peak and got a few fun waves on the QQ. As the tide dropped things didn't get better and I was wondering what other spots looked like, so I went in before I got exhausted.
On the drive into town the two "Miles" were crowded with cars making it look like a Saturday. I kept driving without even looking and after a coffee+donut stop I checked the west side. I went to the end of Fair and from the backside I didn't like what I saw at Mitchel's, and the Fair section of the reef was just a closeout. Similar up at John, but there were bowls mixed in with the walls and since nobody was out and the day was sunny and warm I went for it on the mat. By the time I made it out there were a few others out, but there were plenty of waves to keep us busy and satisfied. I was mostly getting short rides that closed out after one section, and it was bigger than I had tried it on a mat at this spot at 4' with a few larger sets. I think part of it was the swell angle, but the mat wasn't the right choice for that time. It did let me use my legs more than my tired-from-the-morning-surf arms, so I'm glad for that.
I grabbed lunch with JA and returned to see how John looked with a bit higher tide. Still had only a few people and looked surfable but I needed to sleep instead. By 2pm I was awoke with a call from JA wanting to go for a surf. John had gotten worse with the higher tide so we crossed town to check Rockview. There were too many people for the quality of wave coming through, and the other nearby spots had similar things that kept us out of the water. JA went back to work and I went to my parents house. I watched a tv movie and the Warriors game and then slept on the floor.
I awoke the next morning at 5am with the intention to surf by no plans on where. I thought I might try Wadl again but when I got to 4 mile and saw only one car I stopped. The waves were okay, 4-6' but breaking oddly on the high tide. It was hitting the point and wedging up, then either flattening out of standing up a wobbly wall that closed out. The normal inside reef wasn't doing much more than breaking with no wall, just a short shoulder. My tired arms, the odd breaking waves, and my general mellowed satisfaction from the previous day of surfing lead me to take several trips over the falls. I could have gotten some good rides but I was just as happy taking the hits.
The tide dropped and as the wave got better the crowd got agro, so I left. I took the coast route home and enjoyed the sunny morning.
I am skipping a family vacation to Europe this fall and so I get a surf vacation to keep things fair. I was thinking back to my previous surf vacations and the best of them compared to the Thursday I just had. Surfing decent (but not great) waves, sunny and warm, with nothing to do except surf, eat, and sleep. The worst of the trips were as bad as any other day of bad surfing, except I spent a decent amount of money for the experience. So I figured I just had myself a surf vacation without all the airfare! (But travel to a foreign country always effects me in non-surfing ways. If nothing else it's a reminder of how easy life is in the USA, especially once you learn to tune out all the advertising.)
On the drive into town the two "Miles" were crowded with cars making it look like a Saturday. I kept driving without even looking and after a coffee+donut stop I checked the west side. I went to the end of Fair and from the backside I didn't like what I saw at Mitchel's, and the Fair section of the reef was just a closeout. Similar up at John, but there were bowls mixed in with the walls and since nobody was out and the day was sunny and warm I went for it on the mat. By the time I made it out there were a few others out, but there were plenty of waves to keep us busy and satisfied. I was mostly getting short rides that closed out after one section, and it was bigger than I had tried it on a mat at this spot at 4' with a few larger sets. I think part of it was the swell angle, but the mat wasn't the right choice for that time. It did let me use my legs more than my tired-from-the-morning-surf arms, so I'm glad for that.
I grabbed lunch with JA and returned to see how John looked with a bit higher tide. Still had only a few people and looked surfable but I needed to sleep instead. By 2pm I was awoke with a call from JA wanting to go for a surf. John had gotten worse with the higher tide so we crossed town to check Rockview. There were too many people for the quality of wave coming through, and the other nearby spots had similar things that kept us out of the water. JA went back to work and I went to my parents house. I watched a tv movie and the Warriors game and then slept on the floor.
I awoke the next morning at 5am with the intention to surf by no plans on where. I thought I might try Wadl again but when I got to 4 mile and saw only one car I stopped. The waves were okay, 4-6' but breaking oddly on the high tide. It was hitting the point and wedging up, then either flattening out of standing up a wobbly wall that closed out. The normal inside reef wasn't doing much more than breaking with no wall, just a short shoulder. My tired arms, the odd breaking waves, and my general mellowed satisfaction from the previous day of surfing lead me to take several trips over the falls. I could have gotten some good rides but I was just as happy taking the hits.
The tide dropped and as the wave got better the crowd got agro, so I left. I took the coast route home and enjoyed the sunny morning.
I am skipping a family vacation to Europe this fall and so I get a surf vacation to keep things fair. I was thinking back to my previous surf vacations and the best of them compared to the Thursday I just had. Surfing decent (but not great) waves, sunny and warm, with nothing to do except surf, eat, and sleep. The worst of the trips were as bad as any other day of bad surfing, except I spent a decent amount of money for the experience. So I figured I just had myself a surf vacation without all the airfare! (But travel to a foreign country always effects me in non-surfing ways. If nothing else it's a reminder of how easy life is in the USA, especially once you learn to tune out all the advertising.)
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