No surfing, but lots of cycling!

No waves! The west/southwest winds have really flattened my favorite surfing spots. It's been almost two weeks since I had a decent surf night, and it doesn't look like it will be that much better anytime soon. Although, a developing storm system in the eastern Gulf might bring in some waves during the next couple of days. Until then though, I'll enjoy my other sport: Cycling. I started cycling seriously about 18 years ago. I say seriously, not because I was training to race, but because that was the first time I went out with a serious cycling group and rode approximately 40 miles. The distance seemed long back then, but now, on most Saturdays, I ride at least 60 miles. (It sounds like a much longer distance than it actually is when you consider that it can be ridden in under four hours.) Cycling is a big part of my life. I'd ride everywhere if I could do it safely and in a timely manner. That's not always the case; at least, not on the roads around here. Our roads have alot of traffic, and the drivers of the cars are often in a hurry. I have ridden my bike on a couple of occasions to work. I enjoyed the ride, but I didn't feel entirely safe. I know people, though, who ride to work every day or, at least, almost every day. They take the same route I would, so I guess I shouldn't use safety as an excuse. I probably should just resolve to ride to work more often. I have showers waiting for me there, so I can't even use my "sweat" as an excuse.

Lately, I've been participating in the Tuesday night paperclip rides. I hadn't ridden that ride for awhile, and it wasn't until I started riding it again recently that I realized how much I missed them. I need to keep it up. Not only does it keep me in shape, but it also strengthens my spirit!

Tides, waves, wind and more

I'm trying to learn about waves. Just when I think I have it figured out though, I look at swellinfo.com and I'm completely wrong. Or, worse yet, I go to the g-townsurf webcam and I see the exact opposite of what I think I will see. Sometimes, I listen to the weather forecast and based on the wind direction and speeds they give, I predict what the waves will be. Occasionally I'm right, but many times I'm wrong. Of course, I shouldn't feel too bad since most weathermen/weatherwomen can't always predict the weather and they've gone to school for years. My surf buddy/guru Brian has the best record for waves so far. Sometimes, when I look at swellinfo or g-townsurf, Brian will call and say to come down even though I don't think things look good. He's often right. Of course, that's when he is standing and looking at the beach. So, I guess that doesn't take much prediction. However, there are times when he'll say something like, "I think the high pressure is going to move west Saturday, and that'll make the waves nice Sunday." He says this after the others predict lousy waves. I trust him though, and he's right 90 percent of the time. After all, he's been surfing Galveston for a very long time.

I've started watching the weather forecasts differently. For instance, I know that southwest winds are messy for the waves usually depending on how hard they are blowing. If they're over 15 mph, it will definitely be a mess. A north wind (like one that most times comes in the winter) that comes in gently can bring some of the most beautiful waves. If they're too strong, it'll flatten the waves. The same with a straight south wind. Southeast winds can bring waves that aren't completely consistent, but are at least surfable. But, like I said, all of this can be wrong on any given day for no reason. Go figure.

I think I'll just wait until I get a call from Brian, or any of my other surfing friends, who happen to be looking at the waves.

riding my funboard

Lately I've been trying to get more time out on my funboard. It's strange that whatever board I choose for the day seems like the right one. With the storms in the Gulf, every other week or so, the waves are just big enough for me to take the shorter board out. Usually, I need my 9'6" or my 9' just to get any ride. I've had a ball. It's a lot more work, but when I manage to get up, I have a great ride. A couple of times, the waves have been really rough, but I still manage to paddle out. This is a real accomplishment for me since it requires a lot of upper body strength and a good deal of balance. I'm still struggling with the pop-up on the shorter board though. I'm not sure how to get from the prone position to my feet without using my knees. Last week, I stopped to talk to a shortboarder and ask him. He said that he somehow put his feet on a pad at the back of his board. He pointed out a lip on the pad that he says he uses to propel him forward into position. I don't have a pad on my board, but I'm not sure I would even know how to use it if I did. I'm itching to get back out on it and give it a try.

In addition to getting up, I'm also still looking down at my board instead of out where I want to go. I had a good day on my longer board practicing that over the weekend, but I really have to concentrate to make myself look outward instead of down. It's true, though, that like cycling, where you look is the direction you go. In other words, when I'm riding my bike and I see a crack or bump in the road, if I look at it, I'm sure to hit it. When I'm surfing, if I look down, I'll just surf straight to shore, but if I look to the direction of the wave, I can get the board to change direction a bit.

I'm excited that a gal I knew from high school came to town and took a lesson from Brian. She wants to learn to surf, and I definitely think she should continue to practice when she comes back near the coast.