Friday Fun on Mother's Day Weekend

It was a somewhat last-minute decision, but I felt like I just had to get wet. Despite dismal surf reports about strong currents and hefty winds, I followed my gut and went to Galveston on Friday afternoon. When I made it to the 43rd Street jetty, it was packed. I knew right away that if I stayed, I would be competing for waves. I met up with the dude, and he suggested that we go to 36th. No one was surfing down there. I arrived just as a school bus-load of kids from somewhere else in the state were arriving to have "fun on the beach." They weren't in bathing suits, so I knew I wasn't going to have to maneuver around them to get out in the waves. The tide was in, so I would be paddling out a little farther than usual, which is slightly more tedious at 36th since I'm not in a rip current near the jetty. I didn't care. I was ready to get wet.

The air temp was warm and, although the water temps are still in the mid-70s, I was able to get out in

A pic of Pipeline. Love my G-town waves.

just a 2mm long-sleeved rash guard. Many were out in just bathing suits, but I was glad I had my long-sleeved rash guard. I needed the extra warmth. I think I'll be in a regular rash guard by next week. The toughest part of 36th is, as I stated earlier, paddling out since there is no jetty. But, I made it out without too much trouble. I just have to take a second to regain my composure when I'm paddling out in this sandbar break. I felt completely in control though. I had a great session even though I did get wiped out by a wave once. I caught several and had wonderful and playful rides. It's not Pipeline, but it is a fun place to surf nevertheless. It's my home break, and I will always think it is wonderful.

Since Sunday was Mother's Day, I couldn't make it down. I had a friend who went to Surfside and the surf sounded a lot like the surf I had on Friday, messy but fun enough to make a trip worth it. I'm hoping to make it to Surfside a few times this summer. It's just a little further than G-town, but I'm willing to give it a chance…especially on those days when it is crowded.

We are scheduled to get a late season cold front this week, so I might have to break away to make a trip to the island on either Tuesday or Wednesday evening. We'll see! I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

A Windy Weekend, but a Well-formed Wavy Weeknight

I was just sure that I would be able to surf last weekend. However, that didn't work out like I had hoped.. It was incredibly windy. I went down on Sunday just to take a look. When I got out of the car, I knew I wouldn't be paddling out. The wind was howling and the sand was blowing. Everyone was

Last Sunday was a windy, messy
day on the beach.

covered in sand and those not wearing sunglasses were definitely rubbing their eyes. I ran into B. and another friend, Susan. She warned me about the waves. They were quite unruly because of the wind. Several surfers were out, but they weren't having a lot of fun. They would catch a wave every now and then, but they weren't catching them consistently. My guess is that they were like me, a person who could only surf on the weekend and was willing to do anything to get in the water. Of course, I guess I wasn't that desperate last weekend because I wasn't willing to fight the tide or wind. Just standing on the Seawall was hard enough. I'm glad I didn't go out.

By Tuesday, surfers in the Galveston area were heading to the beach. A late spring cold front brought north winds that would turn the windy mush into well-formed waves.  The best waves started appearing at about 11 a.m. I just kept my fingers crossed that they would last until I got off that afternoon.

I left work a little early and, even though the wind had started howling, I could see some potential fun. Two other guys from work met me at the beach, as did the surf "dude." Quite a few people were still out despite the fact that the best waves were earlier in the day. It didn't matter to me because these were the BEST waves I'd seen in awhile. I paddled out and caught a wave right away. I caught a few more after that and had a spectacular session. My friends from work seemed to have fun too. However, I have to say, once again, if I had been a better surfer, I'm sure that I might have had even more fun. Actually, I'm not even really sure I would have. I had a ball anyway. I surfed until the sun started setting. I look forward to some evening surf sessions for the rest of the summer. I'm just so glad I went out this week.

The Need to Surf

I was determined to surf this weekend! I knew that I would be cycling on Saturday, running on Sunday morning before going to a work conference in Houston. On Friday afternoon, I was tired just thinking about it all. But, I sure did want to surf. Surf Dude sent me a text saying that it wasn't worth coming to Galveston on Friday afternoon. However, I saw waves on the webcam and knew I had to go down. It was a mess, but at least there was something. Several surfers -- probably other surfers like me who only get to surf on the weekend -- were out in the waves when I arrived at the 43rd street jetty. I could tell it was just as the Surf Dude had said. He wasn't going out in that mess, but I was ready to give it a try. My time in the water is so limited. I put on my 3-2 (although the water is warming up quickly) and headed out. Several of the surfers were in just long-sleeved 2-1 rash guards, but I thought the water felt chilly, and I was glad to be wearing my wetsuit.

I originally thought I would just stay on the inside and play around in the white water. I attempted to catch a couple, but got pushed around quite a bit. I was determined though and, eventually, caught a few. I attempted to get to the outside and took the rip current. I made it to the end of the jetty and was paddling out past an incoming wave when I somehow got turned sideways and got pummeled by the wave. I made my way back onto the board and tried to paddle, but I had been pushed back to the inside. I caught some whitewater all the way in and caught the rip current back out. Meanwhile, the other surfers are around, but only one or two seemed to be catching waves. I don't wish for others to have a miserable time, but I feel a little redeemed when I'm not the only one NOT catching many waves. I eventually caught a couple of whitewater waves, and I had a ball. I just needed to be in the water, and it helped my week be a good one.

Hmmm…maybe if I ate the right
food, I could be a better
surfer!

Saturday waves were very similar to Friday's, and I decided to just cycle. I rode 48 miles in preparation for a half marathon I had planned to run on Sunday. It was pretty silly for me to wear myself out the day before a long run that I had hoped to set a personal record running, but I wouldn't have changed a thing. Sunday was a little warm for running, but I still laced up the sneakers and ran 13.1 miles. Had a blast. I was a little slower than I had hoped. I was dreaming of a 1:55 finish, but, alas, I crossed the finish line at 2:01. That's okay, I'm still happy with my time. Temps were a little high and the wind was blowing quite a bit, so I doubt anyone had a PR. Right after the run I had to drive to Houston for a work conference.

On a sad note, one of the runners collapsed as she crossed the finished line. The medics worked on her and she was taken to the emergency room, but the run Facebook page posted that the young lady had died. She looked to be in her 20s, was having a bachelorette weekend with friends and family, made it past the point where she had her crown and pink feather boa (close to the finish line) and was smiling as she passed her sister. I was very sad to hear about this. This young woman had a bright future ahead of her. It is a reminder, that we should live life to the fullest. May she rest in peace!