Saturday surf and a post-surf coffee with a pal

I almost always surf on Friday and Sunday. However, since Friday was the day after Thanksgiving, which is enjoyable family time for me, I was unable to make it down to surf. I received a surf report from my surf dude Brian. He said the waves were small, but very consistent and clean; something that only happens every once in a while in Galveston. And, usually, it happens when I'm at work or have some other place to go. After examining the forecast, I decided that I might need to change my schedule this week. A strong front was scheduled to cross the coast some time on Saturday. With it would come a small window of opportunity for some fabulous waves. However, a Saturday morning arrival for the front quickly turned into a late afternoon arrival, which meant I was going to miss the good stuff. But, I also knew that if I was going to surf at all this weekend, it would have to be Saturday because once the front blew through it would be FLAT! I started my Saturday as usual: a 5 a.m.  8-mile run with some running folks (we actually usually start at 5:30, which I prefer), but when I made it back home, instead of heading to Bike Barn for a Saturday morning bike ride, I loaded my 9' Softop and headed to G-town. Conditions were not fabulous, but I was not the only one there who had a now-or-never attitude. I ran into five of the usual guys including surf dude Brian. I even ran into an out-of-town non-surfing buddy who was visiting Galveston, happened to be driving down the seawall and stopped to say hello. It was so good seeing him!

Neil, who had already been out, warned me that it was difficult getting out because the sets were not consistent. And, he was right. I struggled in the rip beside the jetty. When I made it to the end of the jetty, I was pummeled by wave after wave. I'm sure it looked like a Three Stooges (minus two) episode from the seawall. I immediately got swept to the west side of the jetty, pushed to the inside and surfed a white water wave in. However, I could tell that the best waves were definitely on the outside. That's where all the experienced surfers were. I made my way back out, and although it was a struggle, I made it. All in all, I paddled quite a bit during my surf session. The wind and the tides kept pushing me west, but I struggled and made it back to where the guys were surfing on the east side of the jetty. Bryan (with a "y") was in town and he gave me some tips, which are always great to hear. He tried to help me catch one by yelling out moves, but I got shoved under once again. Eventually, though, I caught some re-formed waves on the outside and rode three or four of them. They weren't long rides, though, because I lacked the skills to ride a wave, catch a re-form and catch a third re-form to get a nice, sweet ride like the other guys. (In particular, the T-man was surfing like a pro and walking the board while catching wave after wave.) All in all, I had a great time, but I need soooooo much practice on my surfing. I worked hard, but got very little reward. And, just about all four or five of the waves/re-forms I caught in the three hours I was there were in their whitewater stage. I got a great workout for my arms though since I had to paddle so far out and continue paddling when the current pushed me to the inside.  And, despite the fact that I struggled so much, I can't help but love doing it. While surfing the Internet for some surfing tips/quotes, I came across this one:


"Surfing expresses ... a pure yearning for visceral, physical contact with the natural world." Matt Warshaw, "Maverick's: The Story of Big-Wave Surfing"


I definitely experienced physical contact with the natural world on Saturday!

After surfing, I offered to take a couple of the guys for coffee. However, Neil and T-man had other places to go, so only surf dude Brian took me up on my offer. It was a nice post-surf experience. He told me a little about his younger life -- his life before Galveston. He told me about some of the gals he had fallen in love with along the way, and about some of the unusual jobs he had along the way. He told me about an old friend who is now deceased, and about finding out he had died. He missed his friend. It was a great way to end a morning of surfing. I will definitely have to do it again!

* Brian gave me a couple of t-shirts and a sweatshirt (pictured) to wear around town and promote his surf school. Texas surfer for sure!