A Quiet Summer

This has been an unusual summer in G-town. For one thing, the seaweed has been the worst I've ever

Met pro surfers Teddy Navarro, Morgan Faulkner
 and Sunny Garcia while they were in
Galveston promoting the Mauli Ola Foundation.

seen. And, secondly, it's been unusually flat … especially on the Fridays and Sundays when I can surf. That hasn't kept me from getting in the water though. Thankfully, Dude B has been willing to let me rent/use a SUP. I'm even thinking about buying one. I've investigated a few. My problem with the SUPs is that I'm afraid I won't be able to carry one in my car or from my car down to the shore. The ones I've borrowed have been so heavy and long that carrying them across the beach is difficult. I can't imagine having to lift it to put on the top of my car, and I doubt that either of the ones I've used will fit inside my car. Hmmm… I've had a good time on them, and it definitely gets me in the water when there are no waves, but I can't decide if I should buy one.

On Friday, it was too flat to surf and dude wasn't able to bring the SUP. By Sunday, though, I knew I needed to get in the water.  Dude B thought the waves were nice enough for him to have lessons and even believed that if I had the right board, I might be able to surf. So, I packed up "Petal," my 9'6" Senator surfboard, which I don't surf often, and headed to the 43rd St. jetty. Fortunately, Dude B brought his 10'6" SUP too. I went out on the SUP and floated around for awhile, before deciding there might be just enough waves for me to go out on Petal. I got her out of the car, and I was glad I did. The waves were very small … so small, in fact, that I had to paddle really hard to get into them. In the end, though, I found a few small waves to surf. It may not have been pretty, but it sure was fun.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I will have something to play on this weekend wave-wise. Not completely sure that I will, but we will see. The surf forecast projects waves all weekend. The weather forecaster, though, also predicts some bad weather. As I mentioned in the first paragraph, I might even go take a look at the local surf shops to see if I can check out an SUP. Again, I will have to figure out how I will carry it. But, just going to take a look at them will be an adventure. And, I love adventure!

Questions

Where are the waves when I can surf? Why are the best waves early in the morning on days that I have to work? How can I become a better surfer if I don't get out into the waves at least once a week? Where should I go on my next surf trip? Should I stick with my 9' or should I experiment with different sized boards? Do I need another board?

Questions: I have so many questions about so many things. I would certainly like to surf more, but I don't want to give up anything else I do. I love to run and cycle, but I know the only way for me to get better at surfing is to do it more often. I usually get to surf twice a week, but this summer, it seems, has been different. No waves means no surfing. While I got to surf last week twice, this weekend has been a dud. I was hoping to surf tonight, a Tuesday night surprise, and although it looked good early today, it was a bust. A simple phone call resulted in the bad news: IT WAS FLAT! I opted to bicycle when my surfing session fell through. But, I sure wanted to surf.

Although Wednesdays are my run days followed by dinner with friends, Thursdays are wide open and I'm hoping some waves appear. And, I hope they hang on for Friday afternoon and return on Sunday morning. I want some surfing time to strengthen my skills and clear my mind. And, maybe I'll even find a few answers.

Another One Bites the Dust

And yet another weekend passes me by without surfing! Friday was flat; Saturday morning was flat; and Sunday was FLAT. I think some small, but surf-able waves appeared on Saturday afternoon, but because of Mardi Gras, getting to the 43rd street jetty or any other jetty would have been difficult. On top of everything else, I didn't have the time to go Saturday afternoon anyway. I ran seven miles on Saturday morning, but I didn't even get to go to my usual Saturday morning ride because of a work commitment. And, of all days, the idea that I didn't get to surf or cycle is SAD! I had a wedding early that evening so I knew that I wouldn't have time to do any of my fun activities in the afternoon. I could only dream.

The good news about my work commitment, though, was that it was great fun. The university I write for held its first ever event for freshman. As an upper level university that has only accepted students in their third year of college, the idea that we might be recruiting high school students to become potential freshmen is exciting and refreshing. I had the privilege of interviewing a few of the students with their parents. They were sweet, bright and energetic, and I can't wait until they possibly choose my university as their university in 2014.

Saturday was Ground Hog Day.
Not sure if the Ground Hog saw his
shadow, but I sure did. Oh my!
Six more weeks of winter?

As I said earlier, Sunday was not any better when it came to waves. I had another commitment in the morning, so, again, I didn't get to cycle until a little later. I was able to ride a few miles, but it was a little chilly in the morning so I didn't get to ride as far as I usually would. I also had a number of other commitments that day including a Superbowl party, which was very fun. (My team didn't win, but it was a close and exciting game, and the company was good.) I sometimes wish the weekend was just one day longer so that I could do everything I want and need to do. Although I rode a little on Sunday and ran on Saturday, I wish I could have surfed and cycled. And, I also need to continue packing. I'm in the process of moving, and, fortunately, I've been given some extra time to complete the move, but I really need to get busy.

I can't say the WHOLE week was a waste when it came to surfing though. Last Tuesday reports indicated that Wednesday morning would bring a short period of clean surf. I'm allotted approximately three hours a week to work out so I chose Wednesday morning for my workout time.  I was sure glad that I had. I found my way to the 43rd St. jetty with all the other local surfers. It was quite crowded because of the Surfline forecast. I was so glad to be out in the water even if it still meant putting on a 5-4 wetsuit on a cold day. I didn't have as many rides as I wished, but I had one really good one that made it all worth while. I don't think I'm paddling soon enough. I know I've said it before, but I really need to work on that. I can't explain, though, the exhilarating feeling of that one good ride. I felt like I was gliding across the top of the wave. And although I'm sure it wasn't as big a wave or as fast a wave as it felt to me, I flew into another place in my mind. I know I need a lot more practice, but rides like that one makes me appreciate all the hard work. I can't wait to surf again.

Oh No, Not Again!

I haven't been surfing in over two weeks now! Just when I think some waves are building, I look at the webcams on Friday and realize there is no way I'll find waves -- not Friday, and probably not Sunday. I'm desperate for waves and surfing these days. I have some stressful things taking place these days and could really use some waves to help me unwind. I kept/keep hoping something will change, but it hasn't. Not only was there no waves on Friday, but the forecast for flatness continued today. After looking at SwellInfo and reading the forecasts on g-townsurf.com, waves should come back one day this week. I just hope that when they return, I'll be able to squeeze in an hour or two of winter surfing one evening.  

The only wave in Galveston
lately is the one painted on
this bench located on the
seawall.

Although I didn't get to surf, I am glad to report that I was able to participate in my other sports, though I must admit in a rather limited way. Heavy fog didn't stop me from getting in an early morning five-mile run on Saturday, but it did stop me from cycling. I was forced to spin at the gym instead of cycling outside with my cycling club buddies. Of course, I was set to go out on my bike alone after the fog lifted, but as I was walking to the back of the house to put on my cycling clothes, I heard a large popping noise and hissing. I ran back to the front, panicked looking everywhere, but finally realized that it was my back wheel. Not really sure why it popped/flatted, but decided it was probably a sign to skip cycling. So, instead of taking 30 minutes to change the  back tire, I opted to go to the gym and finish the last 30 minutes of a 9:30 a.m. spin class.  I was so glad I made it, but even more glad that the fog was gone by this morning (Sunday). I was able to actually get in a quick 26-mile ride today. But, oh how I wish I could have surfed! I need/needed it.

Looking for Excitement, Waves and Miracles

Life seems a little crazy right now... again. I'm in the process of moving, which I may have mentioned before since I will finally have a great place for my boards in the garage instead of in the dining room. In fact, it looks as though my new garage has a special place just for the boards. (Of course, I may have already written about this since I'm a little excited about it.) I digress. Moving is crazy especially when you've lived in one place for 28 years. Going through boxes and boxes of stuff you don't even remember having can be overwhelming. And, then trying to decide what must be kept is even worse. Do I get rid of the hospital identification bracelet I received when I was six and had my tonsils out? (haha) What about the small, square school pics of my best friends from the fifth grade? And, what about all the photos of family reunions from the '80s? Or the certificate my grandmother received in 1922 for reading all of her school books?  My struggle with holding on to "stuff" is a lifelong one that I'm trying to break myself of so that I can move into my new place.

I definitely wish I could have taken a break and surfed this weekend. Unfortunately, there are no waves lately. On Friday I was prepared to take a break and head to the island. But the surf cam proved it was flat. I kept my fingers crossed for a few waves to pop up Saturday afternoon or even this morning, but none materialized. So, I continued to sort through my stuff.

During some late night free time, I've been investigating my next surfing destination. Although my funds are somewhat limited these days, I'm wondering if I can't squeeze a few dollars together for a quick trip to a warm place in March or April...maybe Panama. I've seen/read/heard good things about it. And, there are almost always waves. I've done a little research but haven't nailed down exactly where I might want to go. I have a little while to think about it.  But, yes, Panama might just be my next surf destination.

Tanker Surfing Part 1 (Hoping for a Part 2)

It all started with a surfing movie (or, maybe, two)! Many surfers have seen "Step Into Liquid" and "Miles to Surf." Both films highlight tanker surfing, and mention one of the best tanker surfers in the country who happens to be in Galveston. The cool thing about tanker surfing is that it allows a person to surf even when a wind shift has flattened the waves on the beach since the wave is generated by ships/tankers. Because the surfing is in/near the inter coastal canal, however, surfers must pay close attention to shallow areas as well as objects just under the water's surface.

Last week, the surf "dude" I often surf with contacted me to find out if I might consider a tanker surfing trip. "Of course," I answered quickly. However, I had a little hesitation about whether it was something I could actually DO. The dude assured me that I could, but I still felt the need to send a note to the guy leading the tanker tours. I explained my concerns, and he wrote me back to let me know that it was, in fact, a dangerous sport, but that he would take me to a few easier spots. A day or so later, though, he wrote back to my friend Brian and said that he didn't feel good about the trip with three beginners (me and two others I surf with at the 43rd St. jetty) and only one experienced person in the boat (Brian). His email stressed the importance and necessity of strong paddling skills and that he didn't feel comfortable about the trip and he wouldn't take us out after all. I was very disappointed. I've since sent another email requesting permission just to ride in the boat. I explained that I would take my board, but that I wouldn't put it in the water if he thought I was not capable. I'm anxious to hear how he will respond. I sure hope he will let me go. Of course, that is dependent on whether we can get two other surfers to join us. Since the email saying we couldn't go, the other two "beginners" have decided they wouldn't go anyway; even if they could just go and watch, they wouldn't pay the money to not surf. I think I know of at least one more who would go, but that still leaves an open place. Oh my! I'm not ready to give up yet though.

This week, one of the pages I follow on Facebook just so happened to post a video of tanker surfing. It sure looks fun.  (http://wavecation.com/galveston-tanker-surfing.)

On another note, it's been flat, flat, flat in Galveston this week. The great waves from last weekend disappeared by Monday and the beach looked like a lake for the rest of the week. A few weak waves developed close to shore yesterday, but nothing surf-able. And, today was flat again. According to the surf forecasts, we might see some waves midweek, so I might just have to pack my board before work with the hope that I can have an after-work, late afternoon surf session. Hmmm...I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Flat, Flat, Flat and Flat

Welcome to the end of summer! A person wouldn't know it by the heat, but summer is coming to a close and I can tell because it is soooooo flat. Actually, I think the flatness last year was a little earlier in the summer...July or so. But this year, it's been flatter in August. In fact, this weekend has been the flattest of the year. I didn't bother even going down on Friday, my usual weekday surf time. It was quite flat, and I had other things to take care of, so I opted out. I was working later in the afternoon on Friday because of an event scheduled for the new fall semester. If there had been waves, I would have definitely headed down to the beach right after 5:30 a.m. spin class. However, without the waves to help lure me down, I just stayed on the mainland.

I decided to head down today despite the flat conditions. I was lusting for the beach, so I thought I would do some Stand Up Paddling. Brian graciously brought his SUPs to the 43rd street jetty so that he, Robin and I could play around in the lake-like Gulf. He also brought a small kayak, which was a good thing 'cause surfer Bre joined us. We all had something to play around on. We had a blast and, during the first half of my time on the beach, I never fell off my SUP. On my second round, though, I had trouble with the current a couple of times and forgot to use my core to stay steady and fell. (I used my legs instead, which just doesn't provide enough stability.)

Although nothing exciting happened in the water, I experienced a little thrill when I bought today's Galveston County Daily News. A couple of weeks ago, a reporter with GCDN interviewed me and Robin for a story in the newspaper's Coast magazine. She had been approached by Brian to come take a lesson and learn to surf. She took him up on it. While taking the lesson, Brian told her about me and Robin. (I believe she even met Robin during the first lesson; I met her during the second lesson.) It was a fun interview and, eventually, "photo shoot." (The story begins on page 29.)

SUPing on a flat day

Summer has hit with a vengeance! Not only is it how-can-it-be-this-hot HOT, it is very dry. No rain has come our way in a long time. The waves have been odd this year too. The first year I started surfing, we had some sort of wave just about every weekend. Last year, was a tad more inconsistent, but this year is really sloppy. We've had some weeks with churned up waves that are hard to maneuver and then we've had A LOT of flat days. No waves! Nothing! Nada! Today was no exception. Although there had been some decent waves at least one morning this week, by Friday, those waves were gone. (It's hard to get in some good surfing time, when you have to work full-time...but it beats the alternative -- UNEMPLOYMENT. Surfing doesn't pay much...and there are no benefits. Besides, I love my job!) So, when Brian said I could use one of his Stand Up Paddle boards, I jumped at the chance, just so that I could be out in the water on a summer day.

I got to G-town about 10:30 a.m. I connected with an old friend from junior high who was in town, bought a surfboard and decided to surf. She was having fun just practicing on her new board in the small surf that was available for practicing surfers. It was great seeing her. (And, I was sorry that she ended up falling and breaking her nose later. EEEk! That's probably worthy of it's own future surfer girl post.) After a little while though, I was ready to get in the water. Brian handed me one of the boards and I went out. What a blast!! I'd done it one other time and had fun then. I think I even described it the same way and used the same tired and overused phrase. It requires some core strength, but, for the most part, SUPers need strong upper arms and good sense of direction. Turning that sucker necessitates some thinking...at least for people like me who can't remember to paddle backward on the opposite side to start a turn.

I remember saying in a an earlier post that I would probably never buy one, but having one on days like today, would be great. How would I carry it though??? Those suckers are big! Big, but very fun. Maybe I could figures something out!