Dodging Sharks and Storms

I skipped posting last week partially because I was busy and partially because I didn't get to surf last weekend. However, I had gotten to surf during the week, including a fabulous Tuesday night session with incredible waves. I'm back in a strange pattern with the waves. When the waves are around, I can't go; and, when I can go, there are no waves. According to my surfing buddy, the waves were good this past Friday morning. However, by the time I got off at noon, they were weak and messy. I didn't care. I decided to load up Roxanne and take her down. Surf dude didn't like the looks of 43rd because so many surfers were out at that jetty. (The webcam makes 43rd a popular place, and, for some reason, the waves are the best there.) He suggested we go down to Flagship, which used to be the most popular surf spot on the island before the Galveston Island History Pleasure Pier opened up with games and rides. I thought the waves looked weak there, but I was willing to give it a try. I only caught a couple of waves, while a couple of the more experienced guys caught wave after wave. The break was unusually quiet though; possibly because the waves were better at 43rd and the parking is so difficult at 25th because of the Pleasure Pier. After the first 45 minutes, I was ready to leave, but it wasn't until surf dude  saw a 6' shark that we got out of the water. He paddled up to me and said, "Get out of the water, now." I thought he was joking, but when he looked at me and said it again, I knew it was time to get out of the water.  By that time, he and I were the only ones out there, but he warned the lifeguards anyway just so that they could warn any other swimmers or surfers who wanted to paddle out on the east side of the 26th St. jetty. We ended up at 51st Street, where I had a ball with only a couple of other surfers out. The waves weren't any stronger, but they seemed a little easier for me to paddle into and to surf.

This morning (Sunday), I received a text early that the waves were good. However, since I had already

Thunderstorms moved in and cut
my Sunday surf session short

planned a 5:30 a.m. run, I wasn't ready to head down until about 9:30. Of course, according to a couple of the guys I surf with, the waves turned to mush before I got there. I paddled out anyway and caught a couple of waves before a thunderstorm appeared, and I was forced to get out of the water because of lightning. I hate it when that happens! I would have loved to surf more waves, but it didn't look as though it would let up any time soon. I went with a couple of the guys to a garage where the surf dude and one of his instructors mend boards. It was fun to see their place and to see T, one of the owners of the surf repair shop, hard at work mending what looked like a little board. What an artistic endeavor creating and fixing boards seem. Hmmm...

Looking at possibly taking a surf trip to Bali sometime in the spring. I really want to go, but I need to check into the safety of such a trip, especially if I have to go alone. I read the book "Eat Pray Love," but I'm not sure I will have the financial backing that the author of the book had. But, I can't wait to discover more about it.

A 3-D Surf Movie and a Few Little Waves

Social media can definitely be helpful sometimes. The other day while reading Facebook posts, a FB friend who oversees the local chapter of a surfing organization, posted about two surfing events taking place. One was a fundraiser in Galveston benefitting the man who made my second board and who was injured during a tanker surfing event when the boat threw him. His back was injured, and because of the lost of income he has sustained due to his injury, some of the local surfers held a silent auction to raise money for him. The other event was an announcement about the premier of an independent 3D documentary about a couple of big wave surfers. While I will contribute to the funds being collected for the tanker surfer, I decided to attend the second and see the movie -- "Storm Surfers." One of the surfers was close to 50, while the other was 45. They had been surfing together since their 20s. With the help of a meteorologist and a couple of others, they would see big waves close to Australia and get towed into them. They would carry cameras. It was a fabulous movie! However, I don't EVER want to surf waves that big. Here's the promo clip from YouTube. (Not sure how long the link will stay live. hmmm...)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW_eIeKyjSo

After seeing a movie like that, I knew I had to surf this weekend. Friday was flat, but I kept my fingers

I finished surfing just as
a storm arrived

crossed that there would be waves on Sunday. So, first thing Sunday, I visited several of the usual websites and noticed that while the "seas" seemed choppy and the current looked strong, there were surfable waves.  I loaded up Roxanne and headed to the 43rd Street jetty. When I arrived, I saw a few surfers already out, but none that I knew. Once I paddled out on the west side of the jetty though, I noticed that the other gal out was actually someone I know. She is one of the local surf instructors and a great surfer. She and the others who were out on Sunday were probably 25 years younger (or more) than me. But they are always very nice to me and offer advice when I need it. I had a fabulous few rides, and even managed to turn and catch adjoining waves. I practiced shifting my weight on the board and looking to the side. I practiced my paddling and had a ball. Clouds and rain in the distance made the temps more than tolerable. All in all, I had a wonderful time surfing. I'm hoping for a some evening surf one night this week.

Pretty Little Waves and a Day Off

A day off is much better than an off day! So goes the classic greeting card saying. But I'm getting ahead of myself. I've been dying to get back into the water since last Sunday. I have a couple of good "rides," and the next thing I know, it's time to get out of the water and wait until the next week. Of course, by the time this past Friday rolled around, it was flat. I think I've shared my theory already about why it is so flat this summer. In case I happen to come back and try to read this again, I'll go ahead and re-post my theory: I think that for the past four years, I've just been incredibly lucky with the waves. And, I think the reason I've been so lucky is because of El Nino. For the past few years, we've been an El Nino "dry" pattern. The waves have been strong out of the south all summer, which gave us choppy, crazy waves, but waves nonetheless. However, this year, we've had a little more rain, and it's not quite as hot. They say we are experiencing drought conditions, but I think the rain has come fairly regularly this year. I know it's not as bad as it has been for the last four or so years. (My theory may be hogwash. Haven't researched it much, just jumping to conclusions based on what I see.) And, this year, the waves have been very inconsistent...especially on the weekend. Also, this year, when we have had waves, they've been clean, consistent sets because of a strange north wind. This weekend was a fine example.

As I stated earlier, Friday was flat. However, by Saturday, the webcam showed waves building, and

Strange, north winds this summer
are good for the waves.
A pic from Sunday.

when I drove to G-town on Saturday night for a birthday dinner, the waves were nice. I wished I would have had my board with me for sure! I was hoping that they would hold out until Sunday. And they did...sort of. The nice sets were there, but they were fewer an farther between. I made my way to the island early, unloaded Roxanne and hopped in the water. I caught a wave right away and worked it down the beach. I felt proud. I caught a few more, but, for the most part, I just paddled and missed. The waves were not very strong, so only a few were surfable. Those that were "strong" enough, provided wonderful rides. But, figuring out which ones were strong enough was a chore for me. I paddled and paddled. One of the other surfers suggested that my paddling was too shallow and that more of my hand needed to go in the water. The interesting thing about that was that he wasn't catching any more than me. Of course, I believe that I was shallow with my paddling. I decided then and there that I would return on Monday if there were waves.

I had planned a day of vacation for Monday based on surf reports early last week that we would have waves because of a tropical system moving into the Gulf.  By late Sunday, the forecast wasn't nearly as hopeful. And, by this morning, I thought it looked quite flat. My surf report confirmed what I was seeing on the webcam. So, I decided to go on a bike ride. By the time it was over, I had a text message that it had improved quite a bit. I loaded up Roxanne and headed down. The waves were smaller than they had been on Sunday, but if patient, a nice little set would roll in. Like Sunday, I caught a wave right off the bat. However, I had to wait a little while for another set. I practiced my paddling. I dug deep, and it seemed to pay off a couple of times. I received some more advice from another surfer. He said that I needed to look behind me on days like today so that I could see how the wave was closing out. I think he told me that because, a couple of times, I couldn't quite propel myself to the next re-form to keep riding the waves. I felt like I was doing as well as some of the others who were out, but I think this particular surfer just thought I could have gotten a longer ride if I had "swung" the board a little to the left to catch the remainder of the wave. Like the paddling advice, I will definitely do as he suggested. I have a tendency to look down or straight in front of me; I need to practice looking elsewhere. I'm hoping to get to "practice" it some more next Friday!