The Last of the Wetsuits for the Season?

Texas is about to move from spring to summer. It's a little muggier than it has been so far this year. Up until now, we've enjoyed milder temps and a little rain. But things changed this last week. Humidity is higher as are the warm temps. Usually, the winds have calmed a little by May, but this year, they are blowing hard and strong. Of course, that means that the water in the Gulf is being tossed about like it is in a blender. It has been incredibly choppy lately and this past weekend was no different. The forecast showed decent sized waves, but they lacked form. That wasn't stopping some of the regular surfers. Beginning last Friday, I was seeing and reading online about all the surfers going out. I could see the line-up. The truly gifted surfers were whipping in and out of the waves, making the mushy waves look like perfect lines and, not only that, they were all just in suits -- not wetsuits necessary. Just watching them on the cam made me realize I would need to go surfing over the weekend. Since it was Mother's Day weekend, I had a feeling that getting out on Sunday would be difficult. Not only would I have family activities with my mom, but it would also be crowded on the beach. As for crowds, Saturday wasn't much better. I know, because that was when I decided to go out. 

This photo is an old one, but reflects
what the waves have looked like
lately…very choppy!

I had a bicycle ride early Saturday and fought the same wind that was churning the waves. When I finished my 48 miles, relaxed and watched other surfers catching waves on the webcams, I decided that I needed to make a trip. I was so glad I did. Because of the wind, I took "Sunshine," the 8'1" board. I haven't been out on the McTavish for a while. But, I knew that carrying any of the boards in the crazy wind would not be easy -- the smaller the better. The paddle-out was rough, but I made it to the outside, and remembered what I liked about the board. About four or five other surfers were already on the outside. I spoke with one of the surfers, and he said that it was absolutely necessary to catch these waves before they broke. Of course, as soon as he said that I saw a wave coming and started paddling. I caught it, stumbled on my pop-up because of the smaller board and surfed left. I eventually fell off. That would be my ride for the day. I had one more short pop-up/ride, but, basically, I just paddled around. And, that was okay. I had fun, and got reacquainted with my board. I stayed out a little over an hour before I had to pack up. I was keeping my fingers crossed that I might be able to make it back out on Sunday. But, alas, my Mother's Day schedule was just too tight to squeeze in a quick trip to G-town. I'm hoping to make it down one night after work, but with the weather forecast so dismal, I may not get to make it down. Keeping my fingers crossed for next weekend. Here's hoping!!! 

Does Size Matter?

Midsummer flats! During the middle of our Texas summers, the waves disappear. However, if there is enough wind, which is also something that erupts often in Texas, small and manageable waves will peak through on the inside near the jetty and the shore. Although it's not an ideal situation for surfing, I'm usually so desperate for anything that I will go down to 43rd if a ripple even exists. And, sometimes, these waves prove to be very beneficial to me for practice. Today was a perfect example. Much to the chagrin of Brian, I took my new 8'1" McTavish with me even though Brian said the waves were really small. Brian urged me to bring a longer board, but I need all the practice I can get with the shorter board. (Note: my board is not a SHORT board; it is a mini-longboard.) So, "Sunshine" and I went to the beach. Because I was a little hesitant about my ability on the shorter board, I also took "Goldie," my 9' Softop. (I keep changing the name of my Softop! It's going to have an identity crisis if I keep it up.) I realize that it will take a long time for me to get really good on the shorter board, or a longer board for that matter, but I'm sure having fun trying.

I found this article online about surfing small surf. I thought it was very interesting, and loved the first paragraph, which basically pointed out that surfing small surf was what most people had to do. Although, I doubt anyone's surf is as small as mine was today, I like reading about advanced surfers being forced to surf 2-ft. waves.

http://surf.transworld.net/1000002624/features/how-to-rip-in-small-surf/

From the article:

"When paddling for bigger waves, the wave does most of the work. In small waves, you do the work. One thing you should do if you want to rip small waves is cardio-vascular training. Either run, bike, swim, or whatever you do to get your heart rate going."

Well, I'm glad to see that my running and biking help with the surfing too. I definitely feel like I get a workout on the smaller waves, but I'm able to stay out for three or four hours without burning myself out probably because of my other sports. I realized today that size doesn't have to matter!