Beginning to Get Colder Way Too Soon

I was excited that the waves from last week stayed around through the weekend. It has to do with the north winds and the beginning of the fall season. I've been a little sad since the days started getting shorter. I want the days to be long and the air to be warm. It's still rather warm right now, but the when the northers come through and the air temps are only in the 80s, I have to wear a long sleeved rash guard. After hearing about perfect waves all week, I went down after work on Friday, despite a report that the waves were dropping fast. I drove to the 43rd St. jetty to see what the waves were like. About seven other surfers were out. Most of them were on the east side of the jetty, but two of them were on the west side. They seemed to be having fun without all the problems facing the crowds on the east side of the jetty. So, I paddled out on the west side. I caught a wave almost immediately, but after that, I waited. I eventually caught another, but by that time, the other two surfers had moved to the east side of the jetty. I hung out a little longer on the west side, and caught another, but the waves were definitely getting smaller and coming through even more sporadically than when I first arrived, and definitely smaller and more sporadic than earlier in the day. I eventually moved to the east side and caught a few there. All in all, it was a wonderful day

By Sunday, the waves were as pretty as they had been during the week. I had some morning responsibilities but, fortunately, the waves held on until I made it down by 1:30. In fact, they were beautiful. I had received a text from dude Brian saying the waves were going flat and he was leaving the beach, but it looked great to me. I went out at 37th and, although there were three or four others already out, there were plenty of waves for everyone. By friend David also drove down and we spent the next couple of hours catching wait- to shoulder-high waves. The were fast and big. Had a BLAST! It was a great way to wrap up the weekend. The only negative aspect was that I had to wear a long sleeved rash guard for the first time this season. There was just enough coolness in the air to make being in the water cold. Bummer! Although it is flat right now in G-town, a north wind is blowing through, and this Friday afternoon is looking pretty nice on SwellInfo's forecast. Hmm. Despite my proclamation that I probably wouldn't be surfing on Friday until after my Marine Corps Marathon at the end of the month, I might have to make an exception this weekend. What the heck?!? I'll just have to go to bed earlier that night to rest and relax before my training run on Saturday. 22 miles of running the next day will definitely give me a workout.

August Surf

At least this year, we have had a little rain. Thank goodness! Sometimes the small summer storms cause the waves to build a bit. Of course, we rarely get the strong, clean sets, but we do get some mushy waves that are, at least, surfable. Two weeks ago, I went with my friend, Dave, to G-town for a pre-work surf session one early Friday. He texted and said that after driving by 43rd and 36th, he thought the surf was better at 25th, also known as the Pleasure Pier, and formerly known as Flagship. Only a couple of other people were out on that early Friday morning at 25th, which left a lot of waves for many to catch. I took the rip current out and caught a wave right away. I knew it was going to be a good morning. Several more surfers came out, but there were enough waves for everyone. Dave also caught several too. As it turns out, I even got my picture taken by a local photographer/writer who writes surf reports and posts pictures online of surfers and other Gtown scenes. I didn't know until I received a text from Dave. After five years of trying, I finally made it on. He caught me on a good wave for Galveston, but I long for the day I can have a picture of me on a big wave. Hmmm…yeah, that would be nice.

By Sunday, the waves looked small…borderline surfable. A friend of mine and I decided to take our SUPs down for just some fun in the water. When we made it to 43rd, there was a little wave action. But, we were able to knee paddle out and then stand and paddle to our heart's content. Eventually, my friend who is quite good on the SUP, decided to take a surf lesson. The waves were perfect that day for lessons. She took one from my friend Brian who had her standing on the board and surfing in no time. I think I might have a new surf buddy, and I'm so glad.

This past Friday, the waves were back. While they had been bigger in the morning, they were still quite nice in the afternoon by the time I got finished from work, loaded the board and headed down. Thought about paddling out at 43rd until I saw about a dozen or more surfers already out there. I drove by 36th and saw two or three surfers out there also. Fortunately, only about two surfers were out at 25th. I immediately unloaded and paddled out. I caught a wave right away, but during the second paddle out, I realized that it was easier with the current and wind to paddle out closer to the pilings under the Pleasure Pier rather than the jetty. Brian, the surf dude, made it out. He suggested that the best place to be was in the corner pocket of the Pleasure Pier. Because of the way the wind was blowing, the waves were coming in from east. At first, it was just me and the surf dude, but after a short while, a couple of others paddled out to the pocket. One of the guys was a very good surfer who had no problem catching every wave. I pulled out of two waves because of him, and loudly protested. Once he noticed, he let me catch a few. Wow! One of the waves I caught reminded me why I love this sport. Hope to catch more waves this weekend.

Happy New Year and Three Key Words

December was a crazy month! Between work, holiday commitments and life, getting to do anything fun is very difficult. When I had the time to surf in December, I would check the wave cam and find it flat. I made it to G-town one Sunday early in the month. I didn't have very much time to surf, but I still needed to get wet. Waves weren't the best, but there were some out there. I had already decided that I was wearing my 3-2 wetsuit instead of the 5-4 simply because I am sick of wearing the really thick one. It limits my movement. The air temp wasn't too terribly cold…in the high 60s and low 70s. I was certain I could get away with the thinner suit.

One other person was out. I paddled out in the rip current to the end of the jetty and got pulled west. I paddled for a few waves, but couldn't catch them because they were too week. But, by the fourth wave, it had just enough punch to get me a little ride. The other person who was out was a shortboarder and he was staying real close to the jetty and a little on the inside. He spoke to me as I sat waiting for a waves. He mentioned that we must be really desperate. I responded by saying that we must be the only ones who had full-time jobs because we had to surf on the weekend whether there were waves or not. He agreed. He caught a few, and I caught a few. I had fun. I wished the waves had been a little better, but beggars can't be choosers.

Ugh! I will be wearing a wetsuit in Galveston
until March or April. 

Since that time, waves have been hit or miss, as has the weather. When the waves have appeared, I've either been busy at work or it has been too cold to even think about getting in the water. I saw a picture the other day on the Internet of a man who had been surfing either in Alaska, Canada or somewhere in northern Europe. He wore a full wetsuit that included a hood, gloves and booties. He had icicles hanging from his mask, and all I could think is how miserable that would be. I'm sure he caught waves, but I don't know if that would be something I could do. I'm pretty strong, and although I could make up my mind to surf no matter what, even I would have a difficult time being in water and possibly having icicles dangling from my stocking cap and or gloves.  I have a hard time even thinking about those few seconds between pulling off the wetsuit and putting on the dry clothes. The time period is short, but it feels like a lifetime as I'm shivering and pulling clothes from my bag. A 3-2 wetsuit, and possibly a 5-4 wetsuit -- yes; but a stocking cap gloves and booties with that 5-4 -- probably not.

Happy New Year! 2015 is upon me and I always reflect on what I've done in the past, and what I want for the future. I saw a post on another social medium that suggested people come up with three words to describe the hopes and dreams of the upcoming year. I took some time thinking about those three words and came up with Change, Adventure and Passion. I think I start most years hoping for these three things, or, at least, Adventure and Passion. However, I believe I sink back into the safe and standard way of living life. And, although, I'm often opposed to Change, I finally realized that I can't live a year of Adventure and Passion unless I learn to accept Change more readily. I'm excited about my own personal discovery, and I'm committing to accepting what might lay ahead for me. And, as usual, I'll still be looking for waves.

Run, Ride and SURF

I had a very active weekend as usual. In addition to the craziness of moving, I had the opportunity to participate in all three of my sports. I think I mentioned in another post that I'm training for a marathon, which requires long runs. This weekend's training plan required a 16-mile run. Fortunately, I have some other friends training for some runs, so I was invited to train with them this weekend in Memorial Park in town. What a fun way to run! I hadn't been to Memorial Park in ages, and I had never been there to run. Hundreds were on the trail, which was exciting to see. One of my friends and I ran the 16 with relative ease. It was a great start to the weekend on Saturday morning.

On Sunday, despite the cool temps and cloudy weather, I participated in a cycling club ride to a local coffee shop. I finished with 36 miles, and had a ball the whole time I was out. It was a little windy, but what fun we had! I'm so glad I was able to go. I checked the wave/webcam before the ride, and the waves didn't look great. My surf contact said it was incredibly cold and that he wasn't planning to surf himself. He had lessons to give, but hadn't even bothered to bring a board for himself. But, when I looked at the webcam after I rode, I thought it looked a little better. I had some lunch plans on the island with my family, so I opted to pack a board just in case... I'm so glad I did.

Several people were out at 39th.
I opted to go out at 33rd.

I drove down the Seawall looking for parking near my usual surf spots at 39th and 45th, but because the sun had come out and the air temp had warmed considerably, the beach was packed. I found a parking spot between the 33rd and 34th Street jetties.  I had never surfed there, but was willing to give it a try. I noticed as I was leaving that several people were out at 39th (as you can see by the picture).  However, I'm glad I went out at 33rd. I was able to take the rip out, and although it was quite rough, the small chop was enough to give me several fabulous rides. I hopped from one wave to another at least once. I needed a little wax on my rails and had one bad tumble when my hand slipped off the board as I was popping up. But, even that was refreshing. It felt good to be back out in the water. I'm so glad I made it out. Life is about experiences. Every time I participate in any of my sports, I have an experience -- an experience that changes me more often than not for the better. It's important to keep having experiences -- to keep moving, seeing, living...

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” 
― Albert Einstein

Surfing Can Make Things Better

I had a rough news this week. Bad news on top of bad news came all in one day actually. I received a call about the death of a family member and a text about the results of a bad blood test from someone even more dear. The text came because my dear mother didn't have the emotional strength to make a call. She asked that I wait to call her, but I went to her instead. Both of these emotional events reminded me how precious time is, and how I need to worry less and live more. I can't change things simply by worrying. But, I can be a better person if I'm happy.

Since I had to leave for a funeral in another state early Friday morning, I was not in town for my usual surfing session. However, I heard that it was too cold to enjoy surfing, and that the waves were not worth the misery of being wet AND cold. Many were out though because of spring break. In the southeast Texas area, almost all schools, colleges and universities had last week off. It was spring break at the university where I work; however, as a staff member, I had to work. I took time off on Friday for the funeral and stayed in Louisiana until late Saturday. I had originally been registered for a half marathon on Saturday. The run was one of those rare events that is held on Saturday AND Sunday. I decided when I returned home to see if the race director would let me transfer the Saturday registration to Sunday. And I'm glad I did. They allowed me to transfer, and I ran. It wasn't my best run time, but it was good to be out. The surf report for Sunday was that, while there were waves, the spring break traffic was unbearable and not worth the effort of traveling to the island to surf. So, I didn't even attempt a surf session after my run. I decided to see what Monday would bring. I believed that I could use some fitness release time, leave work a few minutes early and have an afternoon session. And, that is exactly what I did!

By Monday afternoon, the waves looked nice. On the G-townsurf.com website, I had seen surfers out all day. So, I ran home, loaded the board and headed down. I'm so glad I did. I've been having sinus issues all week, but I think the salt water helped clear them. The waves were difficult for me to read; although others were making it look easy. I still had a blast. I caught several waves, including one fabulous wave that allowed me to ride suspended in air for what seemed like minutes. Several times I was able to relax and stand up straight. I still need work on making sure that I'm not hunched over. I also still need work on popping up faster. I feel like I take way too long. Let's face it! I just need a lot of work on many things. But, I'm willing to keep at it. I don't live close enough to the ocean to surf every day so I have to realize that only surfing one or two days a week will make it a little more difficult for me to become an "expert" or even a "pretty good" surfer very fast. I watched the movie "Riding Giants" recently, and I was in awe had how smoothly those people surfed. I have to just continue my practice. I believe one of these days, I just might have someone tell me that I looked "pretty good" out in the waves.

Back to the Murky Waves of Galveston

I had beautiful waves in San Francisco, but I was definitely ready to return to my home break this Friday. After all, even though the sets/waves wouldn't be as pretty as San Fran, I definitely wouldn't have to put on a wetsuit. I probably won't need a wetsuit in Galveston until November and, even then, it probably will be only a springsuit until late December when I wear my 3-2. I won't need my 5-4 again (I HOPE) until mid-January. Dude B. says the water is cooling in Galveston, and I found that hard to believe until I went down on Friday afternoon. It is a little cooler...by Galveston standards.  By cooler I mean that instead of feeling like I was stepping into a murky bowl of steaming soup, it felt more like I was actually stepping into a pool. Water temp is about 86 degrees.

Dude B. called on Friday to say that the waves were pretty decent despite the picture that was appearing on G-Town Surf. He said the sets were fairly clean and breaking outside of the camera picture. When I got to the 43rd St. jetty, I saw what he was talking about. I think the sets had slowed considerably, but they were still there. I unloaded Roxanne and took her out. I caught a wave right away, but it fizzled. I got a ride though and even tried to extend the ride by stepping forward on the board. However, I either didn't step forward quick enough or the wave really was fizzling out, 'cause I couldn't extend the ride. Oh well! I caught several waves that day, and received some compliments. The planets must have been aligned for my success, 'cause while one of the lifeguards was walking out on the jetty to do a water check, he saw me paddling back out and stopped to talk to me. He said it looked as though I was the only one at the time that was catching any waves. I wasn't sure. I saw several surfers out, but only noticed one who seemed to catch quite a few waves. By the time, Dude B. made it out again to surf with me, I was catching waves quite consistently. They were very small waves, but waves nevertheless. The second compliment of the day came from one of the little boys playing in the water. I had seen him a couple of times when I was making my way in to catch the rip current back out into the waves. He turned to his mother and said, "I want to surf like her." Now, I would like to say that I had a stellar day! But, it wasn't the greatest. It certainly wasn't the worst, but things must have been just perfect when people saw me surf. The waves were small, and I'm guessing that those watching were just excited 'cause ANYone was able to surf them.  I paddled hard to catch them.  And, I missed many. I certainly didn't catch as many as Dude B., who manages to catch just about everything he attempts to surf. All in all, I had a ball and it was great getting back out.

By today (Sunday), it was flat again. Later this afternoon, I noticed that the waves were building but, by then, it was too late for me to load up and get down to 43rd. Oh well! I had a full weekend. I ran and cycled (more than 95 miles) this weekend. And, I'm looking forward to next weekend. 

Post-playcation surfing

I had approximately six miles of hiking
to do before I would be back at my
starting point. It was a long,
strenuous hike.

I can't have a pre-playcation (vacation) post and not have a post-playcation entry, can I? This year, instead of returning from vacation on a Sunday, I returned on a Saturday, which meant I still had one more day to play before returning to my regular schedule, which, although still quite fun, is much more subdued and includes work. Although I love my job, sometimes a little time off revs the internal engine a little, which it has definitely done this time. I'm excited to be returning to my "regular" life. I got quite a workout while I was in the Smoky Mountains. I hiked every day while there, with two days of very long (12 to 14 miles, which is long in the "hiking" world, especially in the mountains) hikes and four days of medium-distanced hikes and one day of only six miles. The hikes were beautiful and sometimes strenuous, but worth every step. Fortunately, I always had an inn to return to at the end of the day, and don't have to "rough" it like many hikers. Today (Sunday) could have been a day of relaxation and unpacking I guess, but I opted to bicycle and surf. I can always do the laundry tomorrow after work, right?

This morning, I did a quick little 28-mile bike ride before loading up my 9' Softop "Iris" for a quick surf session. I didn't have a lot of time, but I wanted to get in at least an hour or an hour-and-a-half of surfing before my "fun" time was over. I made it down to the 43rd street jetty about 11:30.  It was getting crowded and, by the time I left, was packed with people. The wind was blowing WSW, which meant that the best waves to surf were on the west side of the jetty. Generally this time of year, we surf the east side of the jetty, but not today. The waves looked decent from the seawall view, but once I was down on the beach, I could see what some of the issues might be. They looked as though they might "play out" quickly. And, once I took the rip out, I found that to be true. It was easy to be pushed away from the jetty, and the first time that happened, I caught a short ride right away. After that, though, I had to wait for waves. They would either break at another spot close to me, or fizzle out. I got pushed in by the current several times and made a rather weak attempt at getting back out without using the rip current. I quickly realized that was an error. It took way too much energy. A couple of young guys on short boards were catching some waves closer to the jetty, which is amazing since they were on such short boards (5'-footers). Although, I must add that even they missed waves because of timing. I started just staying a little closer to the jetty myself and, from there, was able to catch a few waves. I had a blast, and was even able to maneuver around the guys when they suddenly appeared in front of me. I fell a couple of times because I locked my knees and bent forward, but I think that is only because I had been off the board for more than a week. It usually takes me a couple of rides before I feel comfortable again.

Toward the end of my surf session, I had the pleasure of meeting and surfing with two new surf instructors hired by Dude B to help at his camp. Both of them were polite young people who I know will be inspirational to those who they teach. It sure is special to meet such nice people!!

And, although my playcation is over, I plan to keep on playing...at home.

The Beauty of California Surf...

...is that they always have waves! Well, maybe they don't always have waves, but at least they always have waves when I visit. I also follow a couple of surfers on Twitter (people I don't really know, but people who started following me) who post about their great surfing sessions. And from what I've seen, they definitely have some sort of waves most of the time. I headed to southern California this weekend for a quick trip. Now, that I've started running, I like to find interesting places to run. This weekend, Orange County hosted their OC Marathon, with a half marathon option available to us newbie runners. I chose this run for a number of silly reasons. First, I ran the Huntington beach half in February and found out that if I signed up for the OC and Long Beach also, I would receive a medal shaped like a surfboard. I know it's silly, but I like the bling. Secondly, I think southern California is beautiful; a little chilly, but beautiful. Finally, if I travel to California, I can surf! 

I contacted the school I used when I was out there in February and asked if the instructor I had then would be available and he was. I really liked Phil 'cause he's a little older and really wants his students to understand the waves, which is very similar to the "dude" I learned from, and still surf with, in Galveston. I received my instructions about where to meet him through a text message, so, on Saturday morning, I headed down to the beach entrance on Huntington Beach to meet Phil.  The first thing we did was examine the waves. After a few moments and a thorough discussion with Phil, he decided we needed to drive down the beach a little way. There were waves where we were,but he thought the waves on the outside were closing out a little too fast for me and, on top of  that, it was quite crowded with local surfers. We drove down the beach and after another thorough investigation and explanation by Phil, we found the perfect location. He explained that I would have to paddle quickly to get past the rough stuff to the outside. I said "No problem." Of course, the first time I tried, it was a problem. I got pounded on the inside. On my second try, I paddled quickly enough to push to the outside. Once out, it was wonderful. With Phil by my side, I was able to decide which waves to attempt to catch. Of course, it helps when he's right beside me and is telling me. There were a couple of waves I would have attempted to catch if he hadn't been there to wisely guide me. However, even with him there, I managed to blow it most of the time. I caught two or three...kind of. By that I mean, that I had a couple of waves that didn't pummel me, but I waited a little late to get up, so I missed the drop. My drops were small in comparison to his, 'cause I delayed my pop-up. However, the two or so waves I caught were wonderful and fast. Phil assessed me and basically said the same thing that my "dude" in Galveston said. I need to stop thinking so much about and surf. It needs to become second-nature. I definitely want it. I think it's a fair assessment.  

On another note, my run today was fun, but not a PR for m. I probably needed to run more miles while training. Also, I probably needed more repeats on the Kemah Bridge. Today's course was very hilly for a flatlander like me, but the scenery was beautiful. I finished the 13.11 miles in 2:02 rather than  1:55.  But, I've already signed up for the Long Beach Half in October to see if I can better my time. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Chica Brava Rocks ... Again!!!

Chica Brava Surf Camp in Nicaragua is fantastic! I just got home last night from a fourth Chica Brava trip in San Juan del Sur. It was a great week, with a fabulous group of gals and four outstanding surf instructors. On the first night at the camp, we, the campers, were asked to introduce ourselves and to state our goals for the week. The goals ranged from just standing on a surfboard to experiencing the drop. My goal was to catch waves consistently on the outside. In Galveston, I sometimes start on the outside, but often end up on the inside catching waves after they break. Nicaragua waves form and break much more often than the ones in Galveston, so I was sure that this would be a great place to practice. And, practice I did!

I surfed five of six days. During those surf sessions, I surfed approximately three to four hours. Our instructors took us to the best surf breaks in Nicaragua including Hermosa and Remanso. On my unscheduled "rest" day, I took a trip to one of the best and well-known beaches in Nicaragua -- Popoyo. At Popoyo, I got to watch some of the best surfers around rip through the waves, including Chica Brava leader Ashley. Watching them surf strengthened my determination to become a better surfer.

I will have to admit that I didn't have one of my best surf weeks, and I didn't meet my surf goals. I felt oddly out of place and out of sync for the first four days. By Friday, I felt a little more comfortable and had a decent day. However, I still missed waves ... many of them. This was through no fault of the fantastic Chica Brava instructors that included Candace, Sarah, "Boom Boom," and Elsi. Each one spent time with me (and Robin) during the week so that we could get the best experience possible. I learned secrets to paddling (moving arms in an "S" rotation) and to board positioning. I was also given tips to learning to judge the waves. However, I think that right now, I'm in a "place" where the only way I can get better is to do it over and over again. While looking at the pics that were taken of me, I noticed a lot of things I did wrong. For one thing, although I never do this at my home break, it looks as though that while I was in Nicaragua, I spent a lot of time popping up by going to my knees. I had some slight bruising to the knees that I hadn't had in a very long time. I'm not sure why. I guess I could have been nervous about being at a different beach or fighting an unusually strong wind, but, nevertheless, I did get to my knees several times. I had a couple of good rides too. Friday was my favorite day, because I was feeling more like myself, but I just didn't have enough time that day to correct all I needed to correct, even though I was in the water for most of the four hours we spent at the beach that day.

Wave judgment and my pop-up will continue to be my main focus. I was hoping to make it to G-town to surf today, but I just didn't have the time. So, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for one evening this week as well as next Friday and Sunday. I MUST keep practicing. Thanks to Chica Brava for giving me great advice!

Below are just three photos of the fabulous trip I took. I will add more in the weeks to come.

A sign on the beach at Popoyo

A mural on a wall in San Juan del Sur

A brief meeting with two of the Chica Brava instructors! :-)

Waves have returned...at least for now

It's about time. After a couple of weeks of absolutely flat surf, today the waves were back. They weren't huge (after all, it's still Galveston), but they were a little bigger than they had been during August. The sets were different too. Although there was a quite a bit of time between the sets, when the waves finally made it to me, they seemed different somehow. I started out on my own 9' Softop, but, eventually, traded it for Brian's 9'6" fiberglass board, on which I love surfing. I'm not really complaining about my Softop. It's a fabulous board (and it's pretty too), but that fiberglass board is like surfing on a cloud. It's incredibly light and easy to manipulate in the water because it is also a little more narrow than mine. I'm dying to get a board just like it, but I know this one was custom-made and would probably cost me $1,000 or more. I'm not sure I could describe the differences adequately. I just know that it seems easy to maneuver.

I'm still having trouble "catching" the waves. I'm trying to catch them out past the break(s), but I only really catch about one in ever four or five. The others I seem to misjudge. I end up face first in the water alot too, without any real explanation as to why. I guess it's just part of the learning process. Today's waves tired me out too. For the first time, I can honestly say that my arms were a little tired today after surfing only about three-and-a-half hours.

I bought my springsuit just in time. I needed it today. The water temp was only about 78 degrees, but stepping into it was shocking. I eventually warmed up, and I'm sure the springsuit had something to do with that. I think I'll probably need it for about another month or so until I have to drag out the ol' 3-2 wetsuit. But, I hear that when that happens, the waves will definitely be good.

In closing today's blog post, I'll drop in the opening quatrain/stanza from Katherine Anne Porter's "Texas: By the Gulf of Mexico":

Ye shivering ones of the frozen North, list [sic] to my happy song
Of the seventh heaven nestled here below,
In our rich, fertile valleys, midst sunkissed fruits and flowers
In Texas, by the Gulf of Mexico