Surfing Waves

So there have been comments about what people thought was fun about surfing. I think it deserves a separate thread. There are two ways I derive fun surfing, one is doing things and the other is learning things. Along the line of doing things I have the most fun when I do something I don't think I can do. I will pull off a maneuver that is not intentional but I complete it without intending to do it and I am so excited because I didn't expect to do it. Of the things that I can do I enjoy getting tubed but that doesn't happen much for me. I totally enjoy a steep drop and take those on every possible occasion with high success. I also enjoy a solid power turn where I crank out a solid bottom turn or other turn. I have the bottom turns down so that makes me happy a lot still working on the rest sometimes good sometimes not so powerful. I enjoy riding a wave where I seem to do everything right making all the right turns at all the right times. Occasionally I enjoy riding a wave a long distance when it seems like I shouldn't be able to do that. Then learning new things, maybe learning a new maneuver or learning which waves to catch on a particular day or learning an easier way through the surf on a particular day. I enjoy meeting people at the beach too. So what is it that is fun for YOU?

Ideally, waist to shoulder high. Clean, lined up, long period, open faced walls with very light offshore wind. Oh, and LOTS of lefts. I won't pass up a nice right hander, either though.

My ideal wave would be a left, around chest to head high, with a crumbling lip to start with (nice easy take off that doesn't hurt my shoulder too much), that then jacks up vertically and runs fairly fast - but not too fast - along the line. And with almost no crowd.

But for actual 'moments' of fun...
Taking off late.
A really fast bottom turn.
Hanging high on the wave just before it collapses.
Not making any of the above - wipeouts make me laugh (to a point, then they make me cry)
Seeing my mates make/not make a wave of consequence.

Oh, and warm water and boardies are a must too!

yumyumyellow wrote:Ideally, waist to shoulder high. Clean, lined up, long period, open faced walls with very light offshore wind. Oh, and LOTS of lefts. I won't pass up a nice right hander, either though.

GET ME HERE NOW PLEASE!

Also add in some warm water, no crowds, easy paddle out back and i'd be in heaven.

It's probably what I would call a unicorn surf due to its mystery and illusiveness

This isn't really surfing, but being old and turning into a reptile, I love going out early (pre 7am) in mid summer when its going to be a hot day but isn't yet. Windless or very faint off shore, glassy smooth water and waves, sun beating down with energy but air temp still low 20sC; waves rolling in, not too big. A few people out but everyone relaxed; a few Scandinavian backpackers giggling around as they try and figure out surfing.

Just sitting out the back in those conditions, love it. Its not a high energy day, not a day when you are likely to surf a wave you will remember for the next 6 months but its sooo relaxing. Its like lolling around on the beach while getting a massage and listening to your favourite band as your team wins and eating chocolate and having a coffee and doing yoga all at the same time. But better.

The only down side is that surfing on the E coast of Australia, at that time of day I'm often staring straight into the sun. If we could just arrange to move the sun about 45 degrees to the left, that would make it totally perfect.

dtc wrote:
The only down side is that surfing on the E coast of Australia, at that time of day I'm often staring straight into the sun. If we could just arrange to move the sun about 45 degrees to the left, that would make it totally perfect.

Ah but the joys of a morning backlit barrell