CAN YOU SAY "KOOK"

SO.... one of the things I learned on Friday..I need to pop up sooner.. my pop up is more of a 2 step crawl up...and sometimes by the time I pop up I am in shallow water..When you pop up on shallow water.. as in these pictures.. .your fin can sink into the sand like a brake was put on..feels like someone yanks you backwards..and what happens????? YOU FALL FACE FIRST INTO SAND!!!

I was cracking up laughing when this happened!

OK I dont think anything I have done in the past screams KOOK more..
But hey!!!! If I can't make fun of myself.. and laugh at myself..who can?

I am getting braver!

Well I had 3 days off this past week. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I needed to surf. It was raining on and off the past week. BUT a window of opportunity came to me on Friday. It had been about 48 hours since a good rain, and it was the only day off I had with no rain. SO I went surfing!

Now as you know I am not the most experienced surfer. I want to tell you how I felt Friday and how I saw things. Because now after looking at pictures. It may not have been as bad as I thought. OH I have so much to share. This might be a 2 post story.

Lets start with the back and forth communication of me and my friend Laura. It consisted of: should I come down to surf?(remember 37 miles from my surf break for me) How is it looking? It is so cold, do we really want to go? What about the tide? When is the rain due to arrive today? Is it windy yet? Should I or should I not make the trek? I have to drop kids off at school, and Laura had to wait for some stair repair people..BUT we decided to meet and take our chances. Laura called it something like a surf addict day. Not any of our other friends replied to going out too. I usually like to go out with a group. Especially on a day like this. Took a lot of thought to go but I went!

I did however decide to invest in a pair of surf booties, not the surf socks I got before, But real split toe booties to keep my feet warm. I rather surf barefoot, and always thought I would, but I have so many friends who use booties in the cold water, so I though why not? I had a gift card and decided to use it. I am so happy I did.. GREAT INVESTMENT!

Now when I pulled up it was already pretty windy, but the waves looked good, a bit bigger than I was use too, but I was getting more confident in my surf ability. After all I can stand on a surfboard now. A storm was coming in from the North and a wind from the South. There was this "king tide" issue too. Which was more hype than anything, but the tide was odd and the undertow was strong.

It was cold, which prevented Laura from going in, but when I got in, didn't seem that cold too me after all. I am sure the booty investment helped with that! But I am kind of happy Laura didn't go in, because she took a lot of pictures of me. These pictures helped me learn a lot about that day too.

I went in, as I was trying to get outside, I was getting so beat up. The water was not that cold and, that is what I thought I was going to have the most problem with...WRONG.... The current was pulling me and the waves were pushing me. Not from one direction either. I was getting pushed from the waves coming from the left and waves head on. I had the hardest time getting out past the break. The set kept coming too. One time I counted 10 wave breaks before I could put my board down and paddle and as I was paddling I see another swell coming. I felt I just was not given time to even get out!(totally caught inside)These waves seem so HUGE and had so much power behind them and the water in general was choppy. It was not calm seas for sure. As I looked out past the break I saw little white caps peaking up. It was rough! I was wondering how these people got out there.


I did manage to get out 2 times. But I was so afraid of how big the waves were. I was afraid if I did take one, I was going to wipe out for sure. I hate the fear factor that messes with your mind when you are out there sometimes. To me they might as well been anywhere from 6'-10'. When I was on my board paddling out and kept looking up at a wave coming at me I was oh shit! What am I going to do? I turtled 2 times, something I am not very good at. BUT hey, at least I got to practice. I can spin my board and let the wave go over, however, I cant get back on right away. One time I turtled, wave went over, and I tried to get back around, as I pop my head up.. crash another wave came pounding down. Yep I got me a mouthful of some sweet salt water, I was praying that it is not infected with hepatitis,or anything else. SO much to worry about when surfing, most people think the Shark factor is the most scariest.. HA! I seriously felt so nausea all day because of swallowing the water. IF you never have taken a big gulp of sea water, I do not recommend it, But if you have you know what I mean by feeling sick and nausea. I am sure every surfer at one time or another has done it.
I still would like to know,how you get out on a long board. IF there is any other special trick when a wave is coming right at you and breaking? Turtling is not so fun or easy.

Any way I would not have gone out on a day like this. But I really was getting more confident, and more anxious when I have not been out in at least a week. I am taking more chances and I am glad I did.

I stayed inside and played in the white wash most of the time. Was in the water for about an hour. Stood up a lot. Still working on that pop up. I took a lot of breaks, especially after the chugging of salt water. Instead of paddling back over to where I was, I got out and walked my board. A lot easier. I was so beat up and bruised and tired. It felt like I just got into a fight with the ocean and it won.

Now the reality of most of the day. YES it was rough, YES there was a strong undertow. My husband works on fishing and whale watch boats right off the shore I surf. THEY had to come back in because of how rough it was. SO I feel a bit validated. HOWEVER the waves were only 2-3' with some 4' sets OR 3'-4'. When I look at the pictures Laura took. It really didn't look that bad. It look like it should have been a lot easier out there. AGAIN.. when you are out there it is always different then what you see from the shoreline, I have to keep telling myself that.

In the long run I am happy I went out. As I always say. I learn more and more every time I go out. I need to go out on all different type of days. How boring if I don't. I am getting better and I am getting Braver. I have only been doing this a year and a half, I feel I have come A LONG WAY.



I will do another post regarding a few things I have learned on this day. I will post my major "KOOK" pictures too. I just feel this post is long enough.

Bad Surf, But Great Surf Day

Basically what surf looked like yesterday. HA! Not my surf break..just want to show what FLAT means!


OK so what would you name this post?
All I have to say is that yesterday was my only day off..I had not surfed in over 2 weeks. The surf was flat or if there was any surf from Newport to Seal it was closed out or windy or just plain non existent. That was the reports I was getting from my surf buddies up and down the coast. They were looking at web cams and also driving to check them out and getting back to me. I was getting a bit discouraged, because ONE, of course I really wanted to surf. It was such a beautiful sunshiny Southern California day and again.. MY ONLY DAY OFF THIS WEEK.. and TWO.. I was getting better at this thing called surfing and I wanted more, and to see if it was just a fluke or if I was really getting it? The more you do it, the more you want it!
Last time I surfed, it was the day after I took a fall, if anyone recalls from the last post. I was so sore and ran out of steam fast. But I did still manage to catch and ride 2 waves. But I was still not convinced I "got it" yet. That day was not as good as the time before.
Now I have recouped somewhat..still sore from my lovely fall.. but hey honestly,as you age,it takes longer to bounce back. But I was jonesing to get back in the water. Plus, if I don't get my bath in the refreshing pacific ocean on a regular basis.. I get a bit grumpy... and I have some added stress these days, and I need my stress relief. So, I was debating on what to do.
I thought well regardless, I will still go and paddle around, get wet and an upper body workout. I am not letting this day go to waste!
I decided to go for a run first, while waiting to see if maybe later surf would pick up. So I did I ran from Balboa Pier to Newport Pier and back. When I got to Newport, I checked out the surf a bit. The Jetty was getting a bit of action, not anything to write home about, but there were some sets coming in, but a lot of close outs, still surf though. OF course that is where everyone was, who was in the water. Then I noticed the South Side of the pier. HMMMM some wavage there too..Maybe a few random 2footers, but something. The waves were pretty much closed out there too. A surf team of about 30 teenagers showed up also, which didnt make me happy. Because of course they are gonna dominate the little bit of surf that was there.
So I ran back to Balboa and waited to see what everyone else was doing. I heard one of my friends took a nap on the sand at Bolsa, another said Bolsa was windy, closed out, and just not good. Cliffs, pretty much like Bolsa. I heard Seal was bad from one person, but another said they had a fun time at Seal. I could have drove up and down and checked this all out myself..but I didn't want to waste the gas.
So I decided I would go and if anything get wet and paddle around Blackies. My decision got confirmation when another friend driving down from Long Beach informed me Bolsa was No Bueno for sure. SO she met me at Blackies and it was basically flat. It didn't get better as I waited, like I hoped.
We saw some form of life on the south side of the pier, so that is where we headed.
Now when I say form of life..I mean ripples, ankle biters with an occasional random 1to 2 foot close out wave. BUT ehh it was something. Even though there was not much power behind them.

I came to the conclusion even bad surf is better than no surf and what is bad for one may not mean bad for another.. you ask why I came up with this?....

WELL... I got ride after ride after ride..Even though they were "short rides" because there was not much umph to them. Some of them were just the wash from the closed out wave.. It was still a ride. I only rode 1 all the way in yesterday. BUT .. now here is the good part. NOT because I couldn't do it...but because there was not a lot of push from the wave. What I am trying to say here...is I actually know how to catch a wave and pop up without a second thought. SO it is not a fluke!!I DO GOT IT! After standing up and riding 5 times, I lost count how many times I did this. I even turned once. I still can't believe it. I surfed for 2 hours. I wanted more and thought maybe 30 more minutes, but, I was starting to get sore and tired. When after the last couple waves I just couldn't get my balance and was losing my mojo, I knew it was time to go in.

I know there is so much more to surfing than just popping up and and riding..but I am totally happy with where I am.. and I am happy with staying here for a while...don't get me wrong, I am also looking forward to learning more and getting better. But for now I WILL HAPPILY TAKE THIS!

So when most surfers would have scuffed at the thought of going in on a day like that, I am all too glad I did. NO crowded surf, just me and 2 of my friends, and..
.. a GREAT day surfing.

Just Because

New Look!!! OK I was searching other blogs and thought mine needed a little upgrading. Even though.. I feel my blogging is not about the cosmetic aspect of it and how it looks, more about what is written. I still thought it may be time for a change. It is good to mix things up a little now and then. RIGHT?
So I want to know if you like this better with the ocean in the back ground. I was trying to post my own picture in the back ground...but was having difficulty. SO I just chose this picture from the selection "blog spot" gave me.
OK what do you think?

Another Year

Well less than a week ago I had another Birthday.. We all get one every year. HA..
I wish I could say I got some killer waves on my special day. But I chose a day at one of my favorite places to relax. Glen Ivy Hot Springs. If you have never been there. You don't know what you are missing. It is where I go for total relaxation.

Any way the weekend before my Birthday. I had a little get together at my home. Nothing big, but was fun. My friend Nina made me this cake. My husband is a fisherman and I am a surfer. So this is me surfing being chased by a Great White, as my husband in the boat hooked it. This cake is just the best. I think to date it is my favorite Birthday cake so far. Thank you Nina!

Not much else to write about.. just wanted to share this photo.

I am happy I am a surfer, because no matter how many birthdays I have.. Surfing keeps me young.