Tuesday, June 28, 2011

You know you are getting somewhere, when compliments get handed out!



There is never a camera or a photographer around when you do something amazing and want proof.. but at least I have a nameless witness. ..ANY way this pix my daughter took yesterday, as we were waiting for the host and hostess of a BBQ we were invited to, to come home. She was going for something artistic here.. I actually like it. SO I thought I would use it.. I like how I am looking out to the sea...It is a standard surfing scene.. usually a surfboard and wetsuit are present..but again I was dressed for a BBQ ....


Well...I have had no Internet access for a while and I really wanted to post about my Saturday Surf Session... FIRST it was Saturday.. so you gotta go to the beach early to surf when it is "shoobie season".. (see earlier post for reference) SO I got up at 4:30..and I went to bed about close to 1 AM.. so I had about 3 1/2 hours sleep.. I Was soooo tired. BUT I HAD to surf it had been almost what 2 to 3 weeks..


I need to mention this YES!!! The water is so much warmer..Finally!! I didn't use booties and I think I can ditch my 4/3.. however the 3/2 I have is a bit snug.. I D K if I should try to lose some of the weight I gained back, or suck it up and just buy a bigger wetsuit.. ALSO the O'neils seem to run small..this is an O'neil and I never really tried it on prior. I got it if I did not fit into it..my daughter can..and she has claimed it. SO I think I am gonna use that as an excuse, to purchase a new 3/2..;-)


The surf sesh was short and sweet maybe an hour and half.. I got in the water just before 7 AM..BUT that hour and a half was fun. The waves were 2 to 3 and they were FUN!!!.. Did I mention it was fun?!?! MY first ride was this amazing left.... IT was the longest left I have done to date.. AND I tried to get tricky, and use talents I don't quite have yet and tried to cut back up the wave..but that was failure.. I fell off my board and it came RAIL first into my gut.. I just laughed...I did not get hurt.. I was on a high from my magic carpet ride I just experienced!! THIS surfer guy came up to me and said, "that was a sweet left".. I just smiled and said ,"RIGHT??? It was only my 3rd left to date".. and this was my first compliment ever from a random stranger.. WHAT a way to start a surf day!


I had another nice left after that..and I actually had to avoid hitting a lil beginner grom.. and I DID! much to my surprise, I handled and maneuvered my board to miss a collision. WOW! that was a first. By GEORGE I THINK I AM GETTING THIS!


Well after that I had a fun long straight ride to shore. I crouched the whole way, to keep control of my board on that one.. It was fast and bumpy and another (different) guy, said "that looked fun!" I said with a big smile, "it was!"


I had a few times where I was up and off..but that didn't matter, the 3 GREAT rides made my day. I would have stayed out longer if I could..BUT my paddle powered pooped out..and I just did not have it in me any more. I had the whole day till 3 PM..but I just couldn't do it..WELL at least I made good use out of the 1 1/2 hours I could hang!


I could not believe how fast the beach filled up with Shoobies too, It seems like they are coming to the beach earlier and earlier.. which is not a good sign.. because that just means that blackball flag comes out earlier too. =(.. OH how I am already anticipating the FALL!

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Thou Shall Not Covet thy Neighbors/Friends Surfboard!!!

OK BUT I CANT HELP IT!!! It is just so Beautiful... look at it!!!.........................................................................
...................................................................................Does this mean I am going to Hell????


Seriously I am not a jealous person.. I never want what others have..well OK ..maybe sometimes, like now... ha ha.. I just think it is beautiful, and the person who owns this board totally deserves it. She is a good person and has a good heart, she is a fellow surfer, mom, wife, and blogger and I have met her and I call her friend..and lets not leave out she is an AMAZING surfer.. So she totally deserves it.. Because, trust me..she knows how to work this baby.

I just am in awe of this board and wanted to say so, and share it's beauty with those who have not seen it!

Sunday, June 19, 2011

1960's Surf Scene in HB



My friend posted this video on FB and I wanted to share.. AT first I was WOW the water in Huntington Beach must have been warmer in the 60s or we have all become a bunch of wooses.. no one is wearing a wetsuit!!!..but then I thought wetsuits were invented in the 50's..they were.. however, were not used for surfing until the 70's! SOME brave surfers to get in the COLD Cali waters back then! ALSO funny side note.. Linda Benson is in this clip and not kidding as I was watching it..my friend texted me she just spoke with Linda Benson at a Starbucks.. OK.. I call that IRONY! =).. ENJOY THE MOVIE FOLKS!

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Geese Surf Glenwood Wave @ 25,500 cfs!!




OK A friend showed me this video and I thought it was soo cool... THESE Geese are totally surfing.. they are even looking back at the wave and you can even see them paddling with their wings! They have technique! Awesome!

Saturday, June 11, 2011

What? This is consider a NOT SO GREAT SURF DAY???



Surf report said 2-3 fair.. I say 2 feet consistent and glassy and AMAZING! I had the best time out there last Thursday!! 2 hours of non stop fun.. AND yes the waves were not "the best"..but I LOVED THEM! Also since it was Thursday with not the best conditions = no crowded surf in one of the most notorious crowded breaks...which made it that much more enjoyable..And the peeps who were out there were all mellow. Surfed from 8:30 to 10:45.. caught wave after wave..practice my pop up..had another one of those fun left turns.. and I learned to pump my board to keep it going..then another push of white wash took me all the way in. Fun Fun!!!

Yes the waves did not have the inertia behind them..but they were still fun. Even though most of the rides were short.

I did decide to attempt a right.. I paddled, popped up arched my back to go right..and I went right.. Right off my board backwards!!! HAHA! Nestea plunge off a surf board. Oh well I tried.. I guess I will get it one day.. I am getting this left thing now! But just never seems to be a lot of left waves..and if there are..everyone else gets them..BUT again I am learning..and someday soon I will be the one getting ALL the lefts.

ALSO.. the Dolphins were performing again... and this time so close. We were literally in their splash zone from the ariel acrobats they were doing! I also thought they were gonna come up to us and say hello.. which I think I would have been a bit intimidated by. I said to one guy, "they are getting very close maybe we should back up a bit", He said "naaa they are friendly".. I said "well they are still a wild animal"...as I paddled in a bit. We all just sat there and oohed and awwed.. a few nice decent sets came in and everyone was in awe of the dolphins no one went after the waves.. finally another set came in and I said.. oh I guess we should not let these go to waste.. haha and when I said that it was almost like I broke a spell and 3 of us went after the same wave..but it was ALL GOOD..

I have to say.. this may have been one of my favorite sessions out there. I first sent the above picture out to friends with the title doable!? Thinking well I will at least be getting wet and get some paddling in.... what a pleasant surprise to get so much more.

One kind of bummer thing happen.. don't know how really???..but when I came in and preceded to take my wetsuit off. I got this sharp shooting pain from my wrist to my elbow, I felt it in my stomach, it made me nausea, and I teared up! I was what the?? So I took my suit off with one hand.. then thinking maybe I just moved my wrist wrong. I didn't think much else of it.. but went to open a water bottle.. same pain and I dropped my bottle. SO wrist is still sore.. today SAT.. and I have a salon pas patch on it and a brace.. only when I move it a certain way does it hurt. NOT bruised, not swollen..but the pain is very excruciating when it hits..I am hoping it will go away.. I don't have time to get to a Dr. and get x rayed.. And I have plans next week to run away to Big Bear and do a lot of outdoor activity's there..Anyway..I didn't have a wipe out, except my Nestea plunge incident..So I don't know what happen??.. can I chalk this up to a surf injury???.. HAHAHAHA!

Again Regardless.. I had an amazing day, no crowds, fun waves, easy paddle out, good people and performing wild life.. then I had coffee and chit chat with a friend, got my hair done.. and was informed my son is all packed and coming home from his deployement soon.. Sore wrist?!?!?.. well that was just a hiccup in my amazing day!

Friday, June 3, 2011

2 Days in a Row... YES!!!!!



Pictures here are from my friend Laura and her Go Pro..=).. she has kind of unofficially become our clubs photographer. .seems like almost ALL my pictures are taken by her. THIS one is her board going over a wave.. COOL right?



FINALLY!!! I got to surf again... It feels like eternity between my surf sessions lately. Makes for an unhappy Surfing Grandma at times. Even though one day outshone the other.. I would not trade either day I had this past week.



Wed.. was all about DOHO! SO many great things about that. First off I had 7 rides. Even though my pop up sucked A LOT that day.. Excuse me.. I mean my Crawl up...=(..






BUT Fun none the less. My very first ride of the day I felt like I was on a magic carpet. EVERYTHING about that ride was near perfection for me. BUT OF COURSE NO CAMERA AROUND DURING THAT TIME!! I popped up rather nicely..then I walked my board. YES I walked it! Then I did this amazing left turn, I had such control, it was great.. and....The ride felt like it went on forever.. it was pure perfection. It is now Friday, and I am still on the stoke from that one wave! WHY CAN'T I DO THAT MORE OFTEN????



WHAT a way to start the day! My other six waves were not the best. I was really trying to work on popping up and crouching down, Not just jump up to my feet all excited like.. THAT is what I usually do. However 2 of them I was off as soon as my feet got to the board. ONE the water rushed from behind went over my board and pushed me off the board. Another... it was so bumpy that when I got to my feet, The board just bounced me off.. One I rode in crouched but, not the way I wanted too. There was a lot of power behind me and I was just trying to stay on my board. .THAT was a fast ride, like a roller coaster.. I just tried to stay on. I don't think I could have even tried to stand...but I was not on my knees.. I was on my feet. and my hands never left the deck of the board. I used them for balance.. The other two. .basically crawled up and by the time I got to my feet. The ride was over. SO that was my first SURF day..



The waves were 2 to 4, and started to get bigger as time went on.. so that was my clue to go in, I paddled for one wave and as I was on the lip looking down, It looked like a long way down.. I backed off so fast.. I thought I was gonna go over! Whew.. DID not!








I also learned that day.. to try and go right when you are goofy foot is so awkward, it is like being right handed and trying to write with your left.. Is that just me? Or is that normal.

This picture is me out there and yes I went right.. the best I could.. I did catch that wave! Apparantly this is videod..but I have not seen it yet.



NOW the drive to and from was so much fun and relaxing as well. My friend recently bought a Westfalia, and I met her in LB, along with another friend. She drove PCH all the way to Doheny. IT was a very nice, scenic, enjoyable drive to and from. Not to mention the company was not too shabby either. AND we met some other girls from our club there. I am much more confident in the water when a pack of us are out there.



SO DOHO... still my favorite wave! I have so much fun there.. NOW if we can just work on getting the water quality cleaner.. I did swallow some and I have to admit.. I am not feeling so good today. I hope I didn't catch anything. If I do die from this.. please have a paddle out in my memory at Doho!



OK so second day.. Thursday.. Blackies..by myself. SO since I was alone, I have a bit less confidence. It shows from my paddle out to my surfing. I say it was about 2' pretty consistent..looked somewhat decent from shore when I arrived..But after I got in.. I was not feeling it so much. Seemed as I paddled out the waves were just one big wall after another. I did get a few. maybe 3. It was crowded and the waves were wierd to me by the jetty, So I walked closer to the pier..and it was just one big jumbly mess there. SO, then I ended up in the middle a bit, But it was the most crowded there. The vibe of the peeps in the water was off too at that spot. BUT nothing like Doheny, waves were betterh and the vibe was great. Any way I am at Blackies, and I went out past the break a few times. BUT decided to stay inside and work on my pop up. THE really awesome thing about yesterday was.. right out past the pier the Dolphins were putting on an amazing performance, jumping out the water doing ariels.. that was fun to watch sitting on your board outside. THAT made going out worth it all the more.



Both days the weather was sunny and nice. A bit breezy, but not too bad. BUT the water was flipping freezing!!!! COME ON IT IS JUNE NOW!



But still I would not trade the last two days for anything.. I got a fix.. hope it lasts a bit!