Winter flatness

I haven't been surfing in two weeks! I went in mid-November on a Friday afternoon and got pushed around with some rough and mushy waves, but, since then, no waves can be found. Forecasts predict waves for this weekend, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Friday. I've been staying busy though. I've decided to run a half-marathon in February despite the fact that I haven't run more than four miles in ten years. This will require some training on my part. So, I bought new tennis shoes last week and started running. I might have overdone it a little the first week. I ran Monday, Wednesday and Friday for approximately three miles. My legs and hips were hurting, but after cycling on Saturday, I was feeling back to normal. A friend from spin class has agreed to help me train, which is incredibly kind of him. This past Monday, he took me on a 5+ mile run. I didn't break any records with a 9.5 minute mile, but I am proud of the distance. Tomorrow we are supposed to do interval training, which is not something I'm really looking forward to but something that I probably need to do to increase my speed. I hope the day-after pain in my legs stops soon. My hip-opener exercises are helping. And, I think surfing will also help. Here's to hoping for waves!!!

A couple of days of waves

After several more days of flatness, the waves returned briefly on Wednesday. Fortunately, I was able to make it down on Thursday before dark for about 30 minutes and again on Friday for an afternoon of fun. Although it was a little rough and cool (wore my 3-2 because of the air temp), I still had fun. Thursday night was interesting 'cause, although there were other surfers out when I first arrived, by the time I unloaded and made it into the water, they were leaving. The only one left behind was a fisherman on the jetty, but I felt comfortable nonetheless. I started on the east side of the jetty. However, after about 15 minutes, I quickly realized that the waves might be better formed on the west side. So I moved and had several good rides. Pshewww...it made the night of surfing all worthwhile.

By Friday, the best waves were on the east side. It had warmed and I was able to just wear my springsuit. A strong current pulled east and, before I knew it, I was pulled almost to the 41st street pier. But, all in all, it was a decent day of surfing. I was a little tired from the night before, so I didn't go to the outside every time. Sometimes I just stayed near the end of the pier and caught waves from there. At the end of the afternoon, that was about all I was doing. It was great to have waves though! Tons of surfers found their way out that afternoon. At least 10 other surfers were at 43rd when I packed up to leave.

(The waves didn't last. On Saturday, it was flat. Sunday, they looked like they were going to make a comeback, but not enough for surfing. Oh well, there's always next weekend.)

At least a little bit of surf

I took advantage of a few small waves on Friday (Oct. 29), which seemed to be the last of the waves for the weekend. By Saturday, it was pretty small and, on Sunday, it was flat. I got a couple of decent rides, but had a little trouble judging the "fall" waves. I wore a springsuit, but found myself getting chilly as the afternoon progressed. It wasn't the water making me cold, it was me wet, outside in the air that caused me to be cool. I know that I'm only a few weeks (possibly only one) week away from the thicker 3-2 full wetsuit. I don't necessarily dread the wetsuit, but I do dread the cold I'll feel when I get out of the water and shed the suit to drive home.

I was planning to go surfing one night this week since it is the last week that I'll be able to do it after work. (Daylight Savings Time ends this weekend.) By next week, it will be way too dark to surf after work. I just won't have enough time for it. However, those plans were dashed because of strong north winds, which has made the beach seem like a lake. I've been monitoring the swellinfo ap that I have on my phone and, according to swellinfo, Galveston and Freeport is forecasting flat. The Ohana Surf Classic has been rescheduled for this Saturday, but it doesn't even look like they will be able to hold that event either. This will be the fourth or fifth time it has been rescheduled because of flatness. I'm keeping my fingers that swellinfo is wrong! I want to surf this weekend.

Rough winds and seas

Finally, the waves return with a vengeance only the wind is blowing so hard that they are a mess! Even taking the rip out was tough. Because of the horrendous road construction taking place on Seawall Blvd., I decided to surf at 36th street. A handful of other surfers had found their way to 36th also. I had some great rides though; enough for me to think the trip was very worthwhile on Friday (10/22). Friday afternoons are the times I really look forward to for surfing. I can often get to the beach before many people are off of work and get in a couple of good hours of surfing. I took my 9'6", which was good for me in the rough stuff, but not so good for hauling the surfboard in and out of the water. When the wind is blowing so strong, I'm forced to carry my board parallel to the ground, which really stretches out my arm and eventually makes it seem much heavier. If I carry it perpendicular to the ground, which is much more manageable to control, the wind will catch it and blow me around on the seawall. It's almost like having a sail except that I can't use the wind to propel me forward. All in all, Friday was a good surf day -- good rides and, finally, some waves.

By Sunday, the winds had calmed a little and the waves were big enough for me to use my 7'2". However, although the winds had calmed, it was still rough and what was left of the prevailing winds sent us east. This meant that I had to surf on the east side of the 37th street pier, my new surfing hangout since the road resurfacing project is still taking place near 43rd. (I hate parking near 43rd when the lines have been eliminated. I feel vulnerable parking without the lines.) I only had a couple of rides on Sunday, but I got a lot of practice paddling thourgh strong currents on my shorter board, which is a good thing. I still need a lot of practice though!

Whirlwind, but no wind really

What a whirlwind the last three weeks have been. Things have just been crazy! I tried to blame it on a full moon a few weeks ago, but I can't do that really. Sometimes, life is like the waves I try to surf...just so unpredictable. I know that often the waves look perfect from shore, but once I paddle out, I just can't seem to find them. I mean I'll sit on my board, look back, think I know when it's coming only to get into position and, somehow, miss the wave. And, such is life. All the planning in the world can't prepare a person for what's just beyond the next corner.

I started surfing at 37th street pier a couple of weeks ago for a change. Of course, I should say that I've only surfed there once because during the past couple of weeks, the waves have disappeared. I enjoyed surfing there though, and met some of the surfers who routinely surf at that pier. Not sure why the waves are so bad this fall. Last year, I surfed just about every weekend. When looking back at posts, I noticed that I also started to wear a springsuit by this time. When I surfed at the 37th street pier, I wore my 2m short-sleeved rash guard with just a bathing suit. I was fine in the water, but was quite chilly sitting outside of the water. I noticed on g-townsurf.com that the water temperature is in the 70s, which means fall is definitely upon us.

I'm bummed that I didn't have any waves to surf this weekend, but I think that, maybe, the lack of waves offers me an opportunity to re-assess life and to realize that I don't really know what's happening next even if I do plan.

Evening surf and why it's so great!

I almost named this The Way It Makes Me Feel (part 2). During this past summer, I would drive occasionally to Galveston after work to surf in the evening. Well, now that it's September, I thought I should do it a few more times before it gets dark too early. The waves had been pretty good during the past week, even a little rough early in the week, but they were calming a little; possibly calming a little too fast. I kept studying my swellinfo app on the phone, and the forecasters were suggesting completely flat water (zero surf) for the weekend. Thursday was going to be my last hope. Since I was going to be attending an Egret magazine photo shoot in Pearland, there was a good chance that I would be on the road by 5 p.m. or shortly thereafter. I would actually make it there faster than if I was going from work. It was a straight shot. So I loaded my Softop, did the work and headed to Galveston. It was a gorgeous evening to be on the island. I made it by 6 p.m. and noticed several surfers already out at the 43rd street pier. Now, here's the downside to all of this: Brian, my surfing guru/dude, called me earlier in the day to tell me that, yes, surfable waves did exist, but that the sea lice were awful. I had experienced them a little a few weeks earlier, but Brian said that Thursday was the worst he had seen them in a long while. One of his instructors, Travis, had also told him that they were bad for him on Thursday. So, here I was on a Thursday night ready to surf, actually needing to surf, and almost a little hesitant to get in the water because of the sea lice. The thing about the sea lice is that they wash off easily, but they can leave little rash-like bites. I decided to throw caution to the wind because, after all, we had waves.

The waves were much smaller by the time I had made it, but I still had some great rides. Two other females were out surfing, which is something I don't see often. They were good and fun to watch. One of the guys surfing chose to stay close to the gals, and he, too, was magic to watch. Amazing! I aspire to surf like they did. Catching the waves and popping up looked effortless to them, while I had trouble catching waves and even pearled a couple of times when I did. But, I just need to keep practicing. I had several great rides that gave me that fabulous feeling that is indescribable. I need to work on looking out instead of down, and to start paddling a little sooner. Practice makes perfect. Now, all I need are some good consistent waves!

(Friday, Saturday and Sunday look as though they will be FLAT.)

The Way it Makes Me Feel

So, I'm not surfing this weekend. I'm going to relax in Tuscon. And, I'm going to visit old friends. My friend, Robin, has a dear friend named Dick and we both have a good friend named Simone who live in Tuscon. I've been to Tucson before about two years ago. I hope to do some hiking while I'm there. However, I know that I will miss some outstanding surf this weekend. A light cold front has moved through, which usually causes some great waves. Although I will miss them, I can imagine how much fun it would have been to be there.

Here's one description of what it's like to catch a wave.

I'm sitting on my board, looking for a wave. I see one coming so I get down into position. I start to paddle when it gets to be a couple of boards away, increasing my stroke as the wave gets closer. I paddle hard and the wave gets closer. Just as it lifts the back of the board, I pop up -- right foot forward. It's that second that is magic. It's as if I'm floating on air. That moment is almost impossible to describe, and is one of the greatest feelings ever experienced. I don't think that magic airborne feeling is something that can't be replicated in any other sport. It's nice to ride the wave for a few seconds after that, but the initial feeling of catching the wave remains the most incredible adventure ever. I recommend it to everyone!

Small AND difficult waves

Just because the waves are small doesn't mean they're easier to catch; at least, not for me. The waves were small on Thursday and Friday, but they were also unpredictable and closed out quickly. Thursday evening was fun, and rather exciting. Brian suggested that we paddle to the east side of the jetty to see if waves were any better. While sitting on the board waiting for the waves, I notice some of the fish swimming around (the water was a little clearer than usual because of a front). Of course, it wasn't long before I noticed a rather large fish, which I'm quite certain was a shark. I didn't panic. I knew that the water was a little too rough for me to lift my feet or I would have definitely fallen into the water, so I just sat still. While sharks have good eyesight (they can see in color), because of the placement of the eyes an object has to be directly in front of them. I believe if I turn the nose of the board toward them, they won't see me at all. I also know better than to wear bright toenail polish or rings on my toes. Definitely a "no-no" since the sun reflecting off the the polish or other shiny objects causes the shark to notice a person. That night, I had neither the polish or the ring, so I just turned the nose and watched him swim away. (I've heard that on Sunday -- although this is dated for Saturday I'm only just now finishing my write-up Tuesday, 8/31 -- a shark was caught at the end of the 43rd Street Pier.)

Friday (8/28) waves weren't much better; however, I was glad there was something to play around in. I hit the beach and fount myself eventually moving to the 39th Street Pier because of crowds that got much bigger as the afternoon progressed. But, even at 39th, I dealt with several younger, better and more aggressive surfers. I still had fun. I'm still not sure how to describe what it feels like to catch a wave and ride it in. It's euphoric in a way I could never have imagined. It's like a small miracle. I especially love the way it feels when I first catch a wave and the board seems to be floating on air.

By Sunday, the waves were small, but better formed. It was incredible. I made it to the beach by 7 a.m. and surfed with Brian for the first hour-and-a-half. As the morning progressed, the waves got a little bigger. I caught waves until close to noon, with just a few breaks. I took photos of a surfer named Sven who was taking an advanced lesson. I still need work on catching the action at just the right moment, but I did manage to improve my photography just a bit. With the bicycle ride on Saturday, all in all it was a fantastic weekend, and one that I look forward to repeating.

Socrates once said that "Happiness is unrepentant pleasure." If that is true, then I can honestly say that I experience happiness quite often!

Waves are back

Finally, after a couple of weeks of doldrums the waves are back. I had a few small rideable waves last Sunday. They were fun. I sure was glad to see them since it had been flat. It flattened out again during the week, but, today, they were back again. Because of a southwest wind today, though, not only were there waves, but there was quite a bit of "muck." Seaweed, dirt and sand was everywhere. While the water had been almost glassy during the flat spells, today it was the opposite. Visibility under the water was extremely limited, and I felt like I was covered in dirt when I got out of the water. Add salt on top of that dirt to understand how completely grimy I felt.

I usually save Saturdays for cycling, but my surf guru/dude, Brian, asked me a while ago if I could help him out tomorrow. He has a large group (I think 12) who want to take lessons. He needed a helper or two. So, my surf buddy Robin and I plan to help him out. He will have two of his instructors to each take four students. Robin will take photos, and I'm sure I'll shoot a few myself.

I had a special treat today when an old friend came down to watch us surf. Heidi has been surfing for more than 30 years. She couldn't get in the water today, but she stood/sat on the pier and took photos of me and watched. I'm hoping she'll get to come out tomorrow and, possibly, join us in the water. I'd love to see her surf. I'm certain she'll be good at it!

No surfing, but lots of cycling!

No waves! The west/southwest winds have really flattened my favorite surfing spots. It's been almost two weeks since I had a decent surf night, and it doesn't look like it will be that much better anytime soon. Although, a developing storm system in the eastern Gulf might bring in some waves during the next couple of days. Until then though, I'll enjoy my other sport: Cycling. I started cycling seriously about 18 years ago. I say seriously, not because I was training to race, but because that was the first time I went out with a serious cycling group and rode approximately 40 miles. The distance seemed long back then, but now, on most Saturdays, I ride at least 60 miles. (It sounds like a much longer distance than it actually is when you consider that it can be ridden in under four hours.) Cycling is a big part of my life. I'd ride everywhere if I could do it safely and in a timely manner. That's not always the case; at least, not on the roads around here. Our roads have alot of traffic, and the drivers of the cars are often in a hurry. I have ridden my bike on a couple of occasions to work. I enjoyed the ride, but I didn't feel entirely safe. I know people, though, who ride to work every day or, at least, almost every day. They take the same route I would, so I guess I shouldn't use safety as an excuse. I probably should just resolve to ride to work more often. I have showers waiting for me there, so I can't even use my "sweat" as an excuse.

Lately, I've been participating in the Tuesday night paperclip rides. I hadn't ridden that ride for awhile, and it wasn't until I started riding it again recently that I realized how much I missed them. I need to keep it up. Not only does it keep me in shape, but it also strengthens my spirit!

Tides, waves, wind and more

I'm trying to learn about waves. Just when I think I have it figured out though, I look at swellinfo.com and I'm completely wrong. Or, worse yet, I go to the g-townsurf webcam and I see the exact opposite of what I think I will see. Sometimes, I listen to the weather forecast and based on the wind direction and speeds they give, I predict what the waves will be. Occasionally I'm right, but many times I'm wrong. Of course, I shouldn't feel too bad since most weathermen/weatherwomen can't always predict the weather and they've gone to school for years. My surf buddy/guru Brian has the best record for waves so far. Sometimes, when I look at swellinfo or g-townsurf, Brian will call and say to come down even though I don't think things look good. He's often right. Of course, that's when he is standing and looking at the beach. So, I guess that doesn't take much prediction. However, there are times when he'll say something like, "I think the high pressure is going to move west Saturday, and that'll make the waves nice Sunday." He says this after the others predict lousy waves. I trust him though, and he's right 90 percent of the time. After all, he's been surfing Galveston for a very long time.

I've started watching the weather forecasts differently. For instance, I know that southwest winds are messy for the waves usually depending on how hard they are blowing. If they're over 15 mph, it will definitely be a mess. A north wind (like one that most times comes in the winter) that comes in gently can bring some of the most beautiful waves. If they're too strong, it'll flatten the waves. The same with a straight south wind. Southeast winds can bring waves that aren't completely consistent, but are at least surfable. But, like I said, all of this can be wrong on any given day for no reason. Go figure.

I think I'll just wait until I get a call from Brian, or any of my other surfing friends, who happen to be looking at the waves.

riding my funboard

Lately I've been trying to get more time out on my funboard. It's strange that whatever board I choose for the day seems like the right one. With the storms in the Gulf, every other week or so, the waves are just big enough for me to take the shorter board out. Usually, I need my 9'6" or my 9' just to get any ride. I've had a ball. It's a lot more work, but when I manage to get up, I have a great ride. A couple of times, the waves have been really rough, but I still manage to paddle out. This is a real accomplishment for me since it requires a lot of upper body strength and a good deal of balance. I'm still struggling with the pop-up on the shorter board though. I'm not sure how to get from the prone position to my feet without using my knees. Last week, I stopped to talk to a shortboarder and ask him. He said that he somehow put his feet on a pad at the back of his board. He pointed out a lip on the pad that he says he uses to propel him forward into position. I don't have a pad on my board, but I'm not sure I would even know how to use it if I did. I'm itching to get back out on it and give it a try.

In addition to getting up, I'm also still looking down at my board instead of out where I want to go. I had a good day on my longer board practicing that over the weekend, but I really have to concentrate to make myself look outward instead of down. It's true, though, that like cycling, where you look is the direction you go. In other words, when I'm riding my bike and I see a crack or bump in the road, if I look at it, I'm sure to hit it. When I'm surfing, if I look down, I'll just surf straight to shore, but if I look to the direction of the wave, I can get the board to change direction a bit.

I'm excited that a gal I knew from high school came to town and took a lesson from Brian. She wants to learn to surf, and I definitely think she should continue to practice when she comes back near the coast.

106.9 the Point

A couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege of helping my surfing guru Brian while he gave lessons to guests from the 106.9 the Point radio program. I met Pam Kelly, afternoon deejay, as well as the marketing director and the rest of the important 106.9 creative crew. Brian asked Robin and me if we would just be nearby in case he needed help running errands or had a lot of walk-up lesson traffic. We could then help him with pushing those taking lessons into the waves. What fun!!! The radio group was fantastic, and gave Brian a chance to share his surfing skills, as well as get publicity for his C-Sick Surfing and Way Cool Surf School. I took a few photos during the event as did Robin as did the 106.9 marketing manager. At one point, the radio photographer asked if I would take the 106.9 the Point sign and surf in holding it. I would have to do it in the white water because he didn't have a telephoto lens. So, I stuck the small sign in my mouth and paddled out. I started out a little past the beginning of the white water, caught the wave, popped up and held up the sign. I was proud. He said that he wasn't sure he got it, and Robin, who had also decided to take a photo, knew she didn't get it. So, they asked me to do it again. I did. The photo is on the 106.9 the Point website. How fun! However, looking at the photo is difficult 'cause I look so spastic...more spastic than I feel. I always think I look smooth, but the photos show all (www.106.9thepoint.com). I'll just have to keep practicing. It's fun, though, that I am now on THREE websites as a surfer. Who would have ever thought?

Am I the best you've ever seen?

My surfing guru/friend Brian double-booked himself this weekend for lessons. He was bringing in a couple of the instructors from his on-call staff, but he contacted me to see if I could help him. While I'm not quite ready to give a lesson, I can step in after the first hour of instruction and help people get into waves. He had a family of four and a nine-year-old boy scheduled for 9 a.m. He is allowed by the the beach powers-that-be to have one instructor per four people, which is why he had called in his staff instructors. However, because he is meticulous about the way he gives lessons, he wants to keep a close eye on everyone. So, he sent me an e-mail to explain that he needed me to help with the surf "portion," of the lesson with the nine-year-old so that I could help him get a true "surfing" experience. I was actually excited about doing it.

On Saturday, I went down early. Saturdays are usually my cycling days, so this was different for me. I arrived at the beach around 7:45 a.m. to find small, but consistent waves. I spent about an hour-and-a-half having a ton of fun. I caught wave after wave and continued my practice of trying to turn the board. My problem, though, is that it takes me too long to make the turn; so I'm always too close to shore when I finally make it. That, of course, makes me look like the amateur that I really am.

At around 9:30 or 9:45, Brian waved me in. I walked over and introduced myself to Hadyn. His parents and sister were there also. (I asked his sister, who looked like she was 12ish, why she didn't want to surf, and she said that she originally thought it would be boring, but now she wished she had signed up for a lesson.) Hadyn was apprehensive, but I took him out and told him I would help him catch a wave. The day was perfect for this. Brian walked out with us and explained to Hadyn how surfers paddle out. Hadyn did everything as instructed and was fabulous. He was standing by the fourth or fifth try, and seemed to have a blast. Of course, so did I, and I cheered every time he stood, which made everyone around us notice how much fun we were having. At one point, Hadyn asked, "Am I the best nine-year-old you've ever seen?" The question made me smile. Little boys can be so competitive, as can I, but I've never thought to ask anyone if I was the best 47-year-old surfer they'd ever seen...possibly 'cause I knew I wasn't. But, Hadyn wanted to be the best, and he was pretty darn good. I told him "yes"; partially 'cause that's what he needed to hear, but also because he definitely had potential. Although he had been so tentative at the beginning, by the end of the lesson he told me that he was ready to save his money and buy a board. I suggested that he pool his money with his sister and go in halves for a surfboard. He frowned. "I don't want to share with her," he said. Again, I smiled. His parents seemed thrilled to find something Hadyn was interested in. Everyone seemed happy. I know I was.

Eeewwwww...SEAWEED

Yuck!!! The seaweed is taking over Galveston beaches. It seems like twice a year, the seaweed becomes a real problem. It's everywhere. When I take the rip out by the 43rd street pier, the seaweed gets in the way. When I finally make it to the end, the seaweed gets tangled in my leash. As a matter of fact, just making sure that the seaweed doesn't pull me off the board becomes a full-time job. Surfer king Brian told me to put the leash up underneath me, but that is much easier said than done. He also told me to make sure that my leash is cleaned off once I get ready to catch a wave. But, again, that is easier said than done. While I have done a fairly decent job of keeping off the leash, every once in awhile, I feel the tug of the seaweed. It fact, it has pulled me off the board on more than one occasion. One might ask, "How can seaweed pull you off the board." But, my answer would be that it is really much easier than you think. Any little thing tugging on the leash can cause me to fall. The attached photo gives some indication how much seaweed is around. I went surfing on Friday and Saturday this week, rather than Sunday. Because I had already planned to cycle in an organized ride -- the Tour de Braz -- on Sunday, I knew that my only time to surf other than Friday would be Saturday. So, after a 40-mile bike ride on Saturday, I loaded up the longboard and went down to Galveston. Like Friday, the waves were very rough. However, it was much better than nothing. I got quite a workout and several long rides. I'm still working on turning the board so that I don't ride all the way to shore. But, that's going to take a lot of practice. I need to turn it and then plop back down to ride back to the outside. ummmm...Who would have ever thought that would be so difficult? But, it is for me. I'm finally turning a bit, but not quick enough. Brian told me to pop up, count to three and then turn. We'll see. I hope I can do that. I'll just have to keep practicing until it does.

P.S. The ride was okay on Sunday. I rode well despite the horrendous winds. I was hydrated well, but still felt drained by the time it was done. Although we had a little bit of a tailwind coming home, the wind didn't seem to be nearly as strong as when we were riding the first half of the ride.

Exciting weekend!

Surf's up...well kind of. That's the report I received on Friday. It was music to my ears since Memorial Day weekend had been a bust. Rob and I, as well as several of our friends including my surfing buddy Robin, stayed at the Tremont House, which put us much closer to the beach. I shouldn't say it was all bad. We had some surf early on Sunday, and a little on Monday early, but the waves were very small. So, when I heard things were better on Friday, I couldn't wait to head down. I finished work and stopped by the house for Petal. It was definitely the right conditions for Petal, rather than Lil' Sis. Since I can't leave Petal in the car all morning because of the heat, I had to leave her at home. I loaded her up as I usually do, packed my things and headed down. I took my usual course, which means I drove down FM1266 to 517 to Hwy 3 before turning on 2004 to make my way to I45. Just after I turned on to 2004 and built my speed back up to about 50 mph, I heard a loud bump. Just as I was thinking, "Wow, I wonder what that was," I noticed my surf board in the rearview mirror bouncing down the road. This was my custom-made Senator board. I pulled over. A truck was behind me, but it was a little ways back and didn't seem to notice the board, which, thankfully, was lying in the other lane. I u-turned and made my way back to the board. I parked on the shoulder and ran to my board. I pulled it over to the shoulder before running to the lane I had been driving in to retrieve the strap. I felt the board through the bag, but decided I WOULD NOT look at it until I got to the beach. I put down the seats of my car, stuck the board inside, and I drove with a heavy heart the rest of the way.

However, imagine my surprise when I pulled the board out of the bag and I didn't see a scratch! The fin had been razored from dragging on the road, but even that is fixable. Psheww! That was a relief. I just knew it had broken in to three big fiberglass pieces. Brian thinks the board bag saved it. At the time, I almost didn't buy the bag, but I sure am glad that I did.

I had a great day surfing, especially once I realized the board was okay. The waves weren't big, but they were enough to play around on and to practice. And, gosh, do I need practice! Brian, Robin and I eventually moved to 25th/Flagship, but the waves were dying as the day progressed. I didn't make it down on Saturday, but I did on Sunday. I made it down early and got in a couple of good hours surfing before I stopped to help Brian with a lesson. Yep, that's right. Brian asked me to help. I mostly just listened and pushed one of the two men taking the lesson into waves, but I still had fun. I need to study up, though, 'cause there's still a lot more to learn. Brian said he would type up some notes for me. That would be good. I know I'm a long way from being able to give a lesson on my own, but acting as an assistant might just be possible. HOW ABOUT THAT??? A part-time surfing instructor assistant? Who would have ever thought?

Another great weekend surfing

Yippee! I got to surf twice this weekend (5/21 and 5/23). Although Friday started out rough down on the beach, by the time I got there in mid-afternoon, the waves were small but quite nice. Since my funboard was still in the shop, I got out the ol' Softop for some 9' fun. I didn't take my 9'6" Petal 'cause I still needed to strip my winter wax off and put on some good, warm water wax. It's definitely almost summer. The water is quite warm now. At any rate, before I surfed, I met with my surf guru Brian and representatives from a Houston radio station who will be broadcasting live from the 43rd Street Pier one day in June. It sounds like a wonderful opportunity for Brian and C-Sick Surfin' He wants me to help, and I definitely will. After the meeting, I went right across the street (we were meeting at the 41st street Underground Surf Depot) to the 43rd street pier. I had already heard how rough the waves had been that morning, but they were looking pretty good by that time. So I unloaded the board, walked it down to the beach and paddled out. I didn't go very far on the outside since they were breaking closer in, but was able to catch some nice little waves that allowed me to practice turning back in. I was able to walk a little on the board also by cross-stepping. All in all, it was a great afternoon.

Sunday turned out to be a more difficult day. I had to be in Santa Fe early for a family lunch, so I had to start surfing early. I was down at the beach before 7:30 a.m. and in the water by 8. It was quite rough, but I had the urge to surf! I was eventually able to catch a few waves, but they were not as easy to catch as Friday. The waves would closeout and cross, making it difficult for a beginner like me to stay up. I got some rides though and was definitely glad I made it out. My friend, Robin, joined me, and, later, our new surfing acquaintance Angie joined us. I got in a solid two hours of surfing before I had to leave to come home, but I'm sure glad I went out. Robin stayed later and got some good rides herself. She was also able to go surfing during the week since she is between semesters. Brian says she is surfing really good these days! I think we are both just having a really good time.

Surfing South Beach

Since my nephew left for Miami to play baseball for University of Miami two years ago, I've been saying that I wanted to go watch him play baseball. Of course, it seems that every weekend comes and goes without getting out there. So, finally, in late April/early May we headed out for a quick weekend trip to Miami. It was great to see Taylor play and to see him. He is a sweet, smart hardworking young man. And, he's a good set-up pitcher. He explained that he usually only pitches the eighth inning and sets up for the closer. After meeting and speaking with him, I realized that he's going to succeed no matter if he plays baseball or not. He's well-liked and has his head on straight.

While I was there, I decided I had to try and surf South Beach. I contacted a local surf shop and planned the lesson ahead of time. Although Maui, the super surfer, was late for our appointment, I still had a blast. He gave me a board to use and sent me out into the waves, which were quite similar to the waves we have in Galveston. It's always a thrill to surf somewhere new. And this was certainly true in South Beach. I had a blast and got in two solid hours of surfing! All this and I had an outstanding visit with my nephew too. It just doesn't get much better.

Weekend surfing and more

Instead of cycling on Saturday, I decided to go surfing. Actually, Saturday was very windy and was threatening to rain, so I loaded my boards (I took my long board and my new funboard) and headed to the island. Once I got to the beach, I realized I probably would be just using my longboard. The waves were mushy, but rideable. I took the board and headed out. I had a fairly decent day, and was glad I had chosen surfing over cycling. It would have been a miserable, windy ride. (On a side note, even Rob decided not to ride; he opted for spin class.)

The next day, I headed to the island again for surfing. This time, I only took my new "used" funboard. I had it waxed and ready to go. I had a blast! I didn't ride waves for very long, but I was able to get up, which is more than I thought I would be able to do. I successfully paddled out (I mistakenly say "swim out" often and get chastised by Brian, who insists I say "paddle out.") Anyway, I paddled out, sat on the board, turned the board and caught a wave. I was awkward and only stood for a few seconds, but it was phenomenal. I caught two or three, but eventually got so worn out from trying (and falling) that I had to give up after a couple of hours. I sure had fun though.

Brian told me that he bought new boards for his school and named them after his wife (Karen), me(the other Karen), Andrea and Robin. How fun!

Another board?

After my trip to Nicaragua, I decided that I wanted a shorter board. While visiting there, I had the amazing opportunity to go watch and "hang out" with real, experienced surfers at beaches with consistent, incredible surf. They made surfing the shortboards look easy and appealing. The shortboarders seemed to dance on the waves, moving back and forth so quickly. I knew then that I wanted to be able to do that one of these days. Ashley, ChicaBrava owner and surfer extraordinaire, said that she actually started her surfing experience on a shortboard. She mentioned that it took her almost a year to stand up for the first time. She was patient though and has certainly conquered the sport. Don't get me wrong, I still love surfing my 9' Softop and my marvelous 9'6" Senator board and I have in no way conquered surfing those boards yet. I'm still such a beginner! However, the shorter board just looks like so much fun.

When I decided to buy a shorter board, I wasn't sure what to look for in a shortboard, or in my case, a funboard. (Funboards are between 7-9 ft., while shortboards are anything under 7 feet.) I noticed on one store's website that they had a 7'2" board on sale for $199. The board was pretty too, not that it should matter what it looks like. But, pretty is definitely an advantage in my book. It was really thin though and considerably underpriced compared to the other ones. So, what's the big deal you might ask? Well, I couldn't get the you salesman to explain why it was so cheap. In fact, I couldn't get the young salesman to answer any questions about the boards. Since I was making a pretty big leap by trimming two feet off the length of the boards I already had, I wanted to know what the advantages were in all the different smaller boards. I came to a couple of conclusions on my own, despite the salesman's vain attempt to just sell a board. First of all, I thought for sure that if the board was too thin, I'd definitely have trouble with it. I also realized that if the nose was too pointed, the board would probably "move" too fast for me. (Not sure if I can adequately explain what I mean, but even the "mute" saleskid seem to agree with me about that.) I opted not to buy the board, which I think was a "Surf Betty" (aka NSP) make. It sure was pretty. What was odd about it, was that the board was $200 cheaper than most of the other 7'2" boards in the store. The salesman couldn't explain why other than to say that only that one board was going for the cheaper price and that it would probably sell fast. (As of this writing, it's been over a week and the board has not sold yet.) I left the store that day trying to decide what I really wanted in a board.

Almost a week later, I went by the store again to look at the boards. (I was only going to that store because it is the only one on the mainland near me that sells surfboards.) I had pretty much decided that I would probably not buy one from them because of their poor customer service. However, I just wanted to look at the different boards again. The same inept sales kid was working there and his demeanor indicated that he didn't want to help "some old broad" with her surfboard questions. He and one of the other young salespeople made some sort of inside joke that caused some laughter, but I wasn't deterred. I just needed a question answered about the boards again. Once I got a half answer, I was gone. I decided to call my surfing friend, Robin, to discuss my adventures in surfboard shopping. She reminded me of a board her niece had and might want to sell. She wasn't sure of the size so the two of us went by to look at it. I was sold. It was a 7'2", which was just like the one I was considering at the store. I wrote a check and so began my funboard experience. I hope the board helps propel me to the next level. We'll see.

UPDATE: On Sunday, I took Petal (my 9'6" Senator board) and my new board, "Lil' Sis" to the beach. Of course, on Saturday, I had to strip the wax off, as well as some stickers. I found a few dings, including one that took the epoxy off all the way to the styrofoam. I added extra wax to protect it and off we went. My first discovery with the new board was that getting out in the surf would be different. My board was under the water so that when I swam out, the arch in my back had to be more pronounced. After one short ride in, though, I was sold. I popped up right away, but it wasn't pretty. I definitely need a lot of practice. I changed my profile photo to include "Lil' Sis." What fun!

The line-up

I didn't get to surf last weekend. Friday was flat, Saturday was busy and Sunday I left for Austin. I went to a two-and-a-half day CASE (Council for Advancement and Support of Education) Conference. While there, I was excited to pick up a bronze award for my former co-worker Summer's story in the fall 2009 Egret magazine. But, alas, there are no waves in Austin so I didn't get to surf. I was ready for this weekend though. Although Friday was a little overcast, the south winds were causing waves to form. I took my softop board because I hadn't taken it out in a while (What a blast!). Because of it being a holiday weekend, the beach was packed. A ton of surfers were out. I went out on my own, but shortly after my first wave ride, Brian showed up and wanted me to go way on the outside with him. I had no problem with the swim out, but I felt uncomfortable in the waves, which were coming from multiple unsteady directions, so I stayed mostly on the inside, with only an occasional appearance on the outside. Brian stayed further out and had his portion of the waves to himself. The rest of us were on the outside, but not nearly as far out as Brian, who said his waves were created by a sand reef.

I'm excited that my new pop-up seems to be working for me. I am also thrilled to say that I don't get nearly as tired as I used to when paddling out. I can successfully take the rip current without getting pushed off my board or even having to fight very hard. I still have to work on timing! Although my pop-up is a good one, I'm not popping up fast enough. On Saturday, I decided to go surf instead of cycle. I knew I probably wouldn't get to surf on Sunday, so I thought, perhaps, I should surf when I could. Although Brian thought the waves were a little better on Saturday, I enjoyed Friday's waves better. The 43rd street pier saw more surfers though than I've ever seen while surfing there. At least 15-20 of us decided to surf. They were down early too. I made it down by 7:30 a.m. and the place was packed with surfers. I swam out, but immediately got intimidated by the others. I watched and listened. Several of the guys got into some altercations, with one of them yelling accusations to the other, while many just sat silently and waited their turn. One young woman surfed a couple of good waves on her short board as did a couple of the guys. However, I soon realized that I might have as much right out there as they have. They weren't that much better than me. At least their board-handling skills didn't impress me. One of the scariest things was finding out that many of them do not know the protocol on catching the waves. It definitely wasn't the same line-up I saw in Nicaragua, where everyone seemed to know the "rules" of the waves. I'm actually a little less intimidated now thinking about it than I was when I was out. I don't think I'll be as "concerned" next time in the line-up as I have been.

Another interesting thing I noticed about the people surfing this past weekend was that most of them were on short boards. I immediately lusted after their boards. I love my two boards and took them both out -- my 9' Softop and my 9'6" Senator board. (Someone actually complimented me on my Senator board; he, too, was the owner of one and had enjoyed many rides on it.) However, I would really love to give a short board a try. Of course, now I found one on sale from a local store and would love to have it. Can I justify it? I'm not consistent on the two boards I have, why would having a shorter board be any better? Oh well, we'll see.

Chica Brava 2010

I'm having a blast in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua! For the second year, I treated myself to the Chica Brava Surf Camp, and it is fantastic. Not only do we have warm weather and sunny skies, but we have great surfers sharing their expertise with us. This year, our instructors are Anna from Holland and Candace from California. Both can surf long boards or short boards, and each offer a little something that the other may not.

Although I have stood many times on the board while here, I still haven't conquered the complete surfing experience, which includes catching a wave on the outside and riding it down the line. Some may have the ability to catch them on the outside within the first year of surfing, but I haven't been able to do so yet. Maybe I should feel worse about it, but I don't. I know that when it all starts to click for me, I'll be successful. I won't give up. I'm getting really close. I just need to master the pop-up. I'm not getting up quickly enough. I watched many of the more experienced surfers today, and came away with some great techniques. One of the women in our group is from Hawaii and is very quick, fluid and smooth with her pop-up. It's what I aspire to as I surf. Oh well...only practice will help.

Today we went out on the boat, which requires us to swim into shore, then surf and, then, a couple of hours later, requires us to swim back out to the boat. We didn't have as far to go to get back to the boat as last year. And, I was able to do it rather easily. Most of the girls got tired out and opted out of the next beach, but I decided that I needed as much practice in the waves as possible and jumped back in when we got to our new destination. The waves weren't as good there, and after I wiped out a couple of times, our two instructors and our wonderful surfer from Hawaii decided that the waves were closing out. So, we just swam back out to the boat.

Pictured above are my fabulous surf instructors Anna and Candace.

Sea urchin spines and the podiatrist

My foot started swelling about two weeks ago...one month after I stepped on the sea urchin down in Mexico. It doesn't hurt badly, but it hurts just enough for me to wonder how it will do once I start surfing in Nicaragua. I finally decided I needed to see a doctor, which resulted in a visit to my primary care physician, an x-ray at the Memorial Hermann Imaging Center and a visit to a podiatrist. My doctor recommended Dr. G as my podiatrist. Amazingly, after I made the appointment, I got a text message from a friend of mine who insisted I visit her boyfriend podiatrist. As it turns out, Dr. G was her boyfriend. So I packed up my x-rays and headed to Dr. G's office. He explained that the sea urchin spine has little thorns on them. Sure enough, once we looked closely at the x-rays we could see where it had come off. He explained that it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack if he were to go in looking for it. So, the best we can do is treat it with super-strong antibiotics. I asked if he thought I'd be able to make it on my trip to Nicaragua and he said that as long as I don't feel pain in my groin muscle and that my foot was not swollen to the size of a grapefruit, I should be okay. Of course, immediately I thought my foot was bigger and the pains started shooting up to my groin muscle. :-) I started the medicine immediately, and after four days, the swelling has gone down considerably. I am, however, still having some pain. I sure hope it goes away soon. I'm on my final countdown to the big "Surf Nicaragua" dream trip. Four, three...

Winter Surfing Sucks

Wetsuits keep you warm when the water is cold, but they sure are cumbersome, not to mention, difficult to get out of when they are wet. They imply winter because they exist. I've been wearing a 5-4 since November, and I'm definitely ready to revert back to a 3-2 or a springsuit. I've been hearing how great the waves can be if you are in the water just as a norther goes through. I haven't been there at the right time though. I'm either surfing just before it comes through or just after it starts to calm down. I only got to surf one day last weekend, and I didnt' get to surf today (Friday). Last Sunday's surf was odd. I wasn't mentally in the game, and my new pop-up prevented me from getting a good ride. However, I think in the long run that my new pop-up will pay off. One mishap with Brian's board, though, left me badly bruised. He let it go to tell me something just as a wave pushed it into me. He felt bad about it, but not as bad as I felt when it pounded me in the kidney. The purple bruise covers part of my lower back and feels sore, but I know it will heal.

I should have listened to my heart last week and stayed out of the water. I think another kind of workout would have been better for me. I debated whether to go down today or not. Waves were rough most of the morning, but when the north wind came through, the waves were good...or so I heard. In the end, though, I'm glad I didn't go. I had to work later than usual, and I had errands to run. I wish I had some great philosophy to share about knowing in one's heart when timing is off, but I don't. However, I guess "to thine ownself be true" works. I need to always remember to listen to myself.

SUNDAY (2/28) update -- No surf today! The south winds didn't kick up enough surf. So, I rode my bike instead. It was a great ride.

Two dud weekends

Last weekend was a total wipe out for surfing. While Brian has promised that the winter surfing was the best, it certainly hasn't lived up to his awesome description. The other day he told me that he's never seen it this bad before this year. I'm not sure what to think! I had a few good Galveston surf days during January, but February has been flat. Unfortunately, the weather hasn't been cooperative for cycling either. Cold wind and rain just doesn't make it safe or fun to ride. Last Saturday (2/6), though, I was determined to ride. It was cold, but it was sunny. Rob opted for spin class, but I joined my cycling buddies in the Bike Barn parking lot. Because of the wind direction, we went to the Monument, before crossing the ferry to Baytown and riding back across the Baytown Bridge. I rode with the 21mph+ group and had a fantastic ride. By mistake, I left without any gu or powerbars, but someone took pity on me during the ferry ride and shared his power bar. I got dropped by several while crossing the bridge, but maintained a steady pace. Three of us were able to take a short cut by turning on a feeder rode and joining our group by the railroad tracks before heading to La Porte and Morgan's Point. I ended the ride with 52 miles, and it felt good. Sunday, I opted for the gym as I did today because of the bitter cold.

I spoke with Brian and he said there were some nice, little waves. However, because of the Mardi Gras crowds, he didn't think it would be worthwhile for me to drive down. He said it was crowded on the beach and bitterly cold. A late afternoon note from him said that he decided to surf for a couple of hours, but even he had trouble with crowds on the Seawall (and he only lives a few blocks from the beach). He said only one other surfer was out. I'll be waiting for my Sunday update from him in the morning. Then I'll know if I should head to Galveston, or, once again, to the gym.

Great weekend for all my sports!

Surfing Friday, cycling Saturday and surfing again on Sunday. It just doesn't get much better than that. The weather was absolutely beautiful; with temps in the mid to upper 60s and lots of sunshine. I had some decent waves on Friday and there were quite a few people out, including several short boarders. I try to just stay out of their way. Texas experienced some warm weather for the whole weekend, which made my sports even more pleasant. Don't misunderstand: I still needed my 5-4 wetsuit because the water is so darn chilly; but at least the air temps were in the 60s and low 70s, which made it a lot more pleasant to change out of the wetsuit while standing on the seawall.

Saturday proved to be fantastic on the bike. Many cyclists were out and, because the wind was out of the south, we were able to cycle our summer route to Wee Mart in Liverpool. It was a great ride! I rode with the 21 mph group and got a good workout.

Sunday brought me back to the beach and into what was left of the waves. They were fading fast, but Brian, Bryan and I were able to get some surfing in. I only had a couple of rides, but Brian said I was definitely becoming an intermediate surfer. Not sure if I believe that yet. I still have alot of work to do on catching waves. I seem to miss them. I notice other surfers do the same thing; just not as often. What happens is that I see the wave coming; get into position; start paddling; and then, just as I think the wave is going to catch me, I fizzle out. I'm not sure why. I don't think I'm paddling hard enough, which has now made me decide I need to add some more machine activities into my workouts at the gym. I need more lat strengthening (at least that's what I think the muscles are called behind my shoulder). And, more practice, practice, practice.

Troncones Rocks!

Winter surfing can be the pits, unless you are someplace sunny and warm. To achieve this, I decided to take a winter trip to Mexico; although I originally wanted to go to Puerto Escondido, Mexico, where the surf is incredible. However, my surf buddy, Robin, investigated it and discovered that the waves can be so huge and rough there that surfers' boards can be broken. She suggested somewhere a little more calm, and I had to agree. She found a place named Troncones that had excellent smaller surf. She also explored different inns and found us a quaint little one on the coast called the Inn at Manzanillo Bay. As is the case in any travel to Mexico, travelers have to be a little more careful and things can be slightly more primitive. But, as soon as we arrived we felt we had made the right choice.

Our taxi driver Able drove us the 20-miles to Troncones with a promise to pick us up on Sunday. Although there was surf on the beach of our hotel, it was part of a point break and inexperienced surfers would end up in the rocks that surrounded the beach. We watched a couple of more experienced surfers tackle the break, and it was definitely fun to watch, but we knew our limitations and point breaks were out of our league. We were able to hire a surf guide named Beto (short for Umberto) to drive us to a beach where the sets were more defined and designed for surfers of all levels, including beginners like Robin and me. The drive itself was always an adventure. Beto often had other plans for our drive. We also had to pass through a Federales check point. We made it through two days before we were stopped. Beto said they stopped us because he was driving two blonde Americans; I think it was more random than that since we had driven through without being stopped the previous two days. Beto's lessons were brief and, although we were glad we had him to drive us, his teaching skills probably needed a little more practice. Nevertheless, I really liked him. He let us use a couple of his boards and the board I had was fantastic. It was a 9'6", but was a little narrower than my board. After a couple of falls, I started to really like it, despite it being narrower. Of course, with consistent nice waves/sets, it's hard not to feel comfortable on any board. I had one of the longest rides of my life, as did Robin, catching it midway and riding it all the wave down the wave. Beto wanted us to follow him to the outside (beginning of the wave), but since several other more experienced surfers were out there, neither Robin nor I felt comfortable getting in the mix.

Beto was a jack of all trades. Not only could he teach surfing, he owned a surf board rental shop, served as a caretaker at a house, claimed to have massage-healing hands and also could show us real estate for rent/sale. All in all, though, he took care of us, drove us to the La Saladita beach and rented us good boards. Three cheers for Beto!

As a matter of fact, three cheers for Troncones, Mexico!

No surfing this week..

The cold snap this past week made it impossible to surf; not just because it is so darn cold that I don't want to even think about getting in the water, wetsuit or not, but also because it flattened out the surf. No waves, so, naturally, no surfing. I visited with my friend Robin this week. We are planning a short trip to Mexico. While I was at her house, she showed me a new yoga for surfers video that she recently ordered online from Netflix. Yoga...I definitely need more of that. Right now, my training for surfing is a a lot of spinning, some weight-bearing exercise and as much cycling as I can get. I used to swim several mornings, but I have found that the swimming exercise isn't as good for me, believe it or not, as the weights. The weights are increasing my swimming on the board. I think yoga will help me overcome the severe muscle memory I have from riding bikes in a slightly, hunched position for so long. I need to be able to arch my back more for the swim out. When I watch the really good surfers, they all have great form on their swim out. They arch their backs and make it look effortless. Just got to keep on practicing!

Holiday surfing

Fortunately, I get the week off between Christmas and New Year's. Unfortunately, the weather doesn't always cooperate 'cause it is usually just cold and rainy during week 52. This week was no different, but that didn't stop me from going surfing on Wednesday and Thursday. With my 5-4 wetsuit, surfing in the cold isn't a problem. The only issue is the strip-down after we finish surfing because, by then, my hands are so cold that doing anything that requires finger dexterity is nearly impossible. That 10 minutes could, quite possibly, be the coldest 10 minutes of my life. As ridiculous as that may sound, it is exactly how I feel. And, because I'm wet, my booties are suctioned to my feet and require a lot of pulling and tugging. My wetsuit literally fits me like a glove so that removing it is like peeling off a layer of skin. It's definitely a two-person job, and I'm lucky to have my surfing dudettes Andrea and/or Robin, as well as Brian to come to my rescue when I, literally, get into a pinch.

This week, while Andrea and I were out surfing, Andrea's husband, James, showed up and shot some photos. He got some fabulous photos of Andrea catching waves!! She was even able to successfully post one as her Facebook photo. She looks great. He caught a couple of me also; especially one of me doing the pop up completely wrong. Instead of popping up on both feet, I'm moving to one knee first, which is a complete waste of time and downright goofy-looking, and it has nothing to do with my anchor foot (I'm a goofy-footer, so that last sentence was my attempt at humorous sarcasm). Brian wants me to call him so we can critique the photos, but I haven't had the time to do that yet. Although, I really don't need a critique as I can see my positioning issue. I'm practicing my pop up now on the living room floor, but even though I can do it in the comfort of my home doesn't mean I will naturally do it right out on the board. Not sure what to do about that one, but I'm willing to take any suggestions!