Squeezing In Surf Time

Beautiful blue skies, clear aqua water and clean waves make my heart smile. If I squint real hard, I have that every time I get to go surfing. Of course, in reality, I might have the blue skies, but the clear water and clean waves can be hard to come by. I take what I can get though. As I've moaned before, the good waves rarely appear on the weekend, which means I have to take what I can get. Last week, I made the trek down to Gtown after work on a Monday evening, because I could see a little surf on the webcam. It was rough and quite a few people were already out, so instead of surfing at 43rd as I usually do, I went out at 36th. I surfed for about two hours until it was almost too dark to see. It was a great way to end the day. 

SUPing is fun when I can't surf.

By the time the next weekend rolled around, surf had disappeared…at least on Friday. Saturday kicked up very rough, but un-surfable waves so a running friend and I decided to go paddle boarding. She had always wanted to do it, and I knew I wanted to get wet. So, I contacted surf Dude (aka Brian) and discussed either renting a couple of his SUPs or asking him to give us an SUP lesson. He was more than happy to do it and took us out to 99th street -- the bay behind the golf course. It was a beautiful afternoon, and we had a great time. Neither of us fell, and because the water was so calm in the bay, we didn't struggle to get up or find our place in the water as I had the previous times I had SUP'ed in the wavy Gulf. We floated through the water, laughed and paddled into some of the canals. Later I learned that gators hide out in the marshy area, which was a little alarming and may stop me from heading back to that area again. My friend said she was more frightened of snakes, which also had never crossed my mind. Fortunately, we made it out of the bay unscathed by the experience. But, although I will SUP again, I will definitely have to think twice before going out at 99th. 

This weekend, I made my first surf trip to Surfside. Many Houston surfers believe that Surfside is THE surf spot. On Friday, I loaded up and headed down. Waves were rough and the current was strong that day in Galveston, and the conditions were no different in Surfside. It's a new surf break for me, so I wasn't sure where or how to get to the outside. I saw three surfers outside, but most were just playing on the inside whitewater. I opted for the second choice since it was my first trip. I had a rough time even doing that. I don't know the beach, so I wasn't quite sure where to line up. Because the current was so strong, I got pushed quite a ways down the beach right from the start. I caught a small wave in and walked back down to my original spot. Basically, I fought the current the whole time…and watched the guys on the outside. I only stayed a little over an hour, but I plan to go back. I'm hoping to connect with some gals from Chica Brava, whom I've never met, but seem pretty cool through email and social media. 

Yesterday (Sunday), I surfed at my "home break." Again, the current was strong and the wind was

ridiculous, but I just had to get wet. I took the rip out and caught the first wave coming my way. It reminded me why I love to surf. I rode the wave forever, and even though my subsequent "rides" were weak and pretty awful, that one ride rejuvenated my soul. I can't wait to surf again!

Monkeys, Bats and Lots of Seaweed

A month has gone by since posting here. Waves have been lacking severely in G-town this year…at least when I can surf. I think there have been a couple of good "wave" days, but they have happened during the work week. I surfed in G-town about three weeks ago and had a blast, but it just hasn't been enough for me. So, I decided to go to Nicaragua a couple of weeks ago. I met up with my surfin' sistah Robin and her guy at a wonderful eco-lodge called Buena Vista Surf Club in Playa Maderas, Nicaragua. The food, views and people were wonderful.

Gertie and Alice

This trip marked my fifth trip to Nicaragua. I really like Nica except for one thing: THE BATS! No matter what I read or know about the bats, I just don't like them. I read about them carrying rabies, and I freak out about it every time. However, at the eco-lodge, I harmoniously shared my cabana with a couple of them. I named them Gertie and Alice. And, although we got along, I would rather not share my room with them. It definitely added to the experience though.

The lodge, located up a mountain road overlooking Playa Maderas, was in a wooded area that included howler monkeys. Although I'm familiar with the howlers, and have even been "up close and personal" with them, I've never had them so close that they were howling within three feet of my window. At first, the cries startled me, but I soon got used to it.

Walking to the beach was fun. The hotel was about a half a mile from the beach down a fairly steep

From the hotel deck,
we could see the tops of
the waves

and rocky mountain road. The only tricky part was hauling the 9' board with a shoulder strap when the wind was blowing. But, even that wasn't too bad. Fortunately, my upper body has gotten a little stronger so holding the board, walking down the rocky road and maneuvering with the wind wasn't too bad.

Although I've been to Playa Maderas several times before, I had never been there in May. I had always traveled to Nica in March. While the water temp could range from 3-2 wetsuit temps to just rash guard comfort, the waves were usually much smaller. This trip in May showed me a whole new side to Nica waves. They were huge. I enjoy watching other surfers take control of those waves, but I know better than to paddle to the outside and get in the line-up. The good thing to know, though, is that when a wave is that big, the whitewater is often very forceful and can be a lot of fun for "surfing." So, that's what I did most of the time I was there. I surfed the whitewater four out of five days. I stayed on the inside and caught re-forms also. I had a blast. And, I got to visit with my friend Robin, who opted not to surf during this trip. I traveled to some other beaches (Yankee and Remanso) and watched people surf big 8'-10' waves. One day at Remanso, I saw a longboarder catch a wave and his board got broken in two by the wave. It was a not-so-gentle reminder about the how powerful water can be. The surfer wasn't hurt, and he grabbed the part of the board attached to the leash and floated into shore.

Overall, I'm a little disappointed in myself for not at least getting in the line-up to see the wave from the outside. But, I just wasn't feeling comfortable. There's always next time. I had a long talk about surfing with surfer Don, and he explained that his skills came from years of day-after-day of surfing. I need more water time. I need some waves!!

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.