Surfing Waves

What do you think about while waiting for a wave? Are you focused on surfy stuff, sorting out life problems or just appreciating where you are?

Depends on the day. Mostly I am focused on the task of trying to figure out the break. Where are the waves that I want to catch coming in at and what do I need to do to ride them? If things are slow then real life may creep in.

Being retired the only real life problem I have is my wife's surf permission meter. It takes about 2 weeks of honey do's and grand child care to get the needle into green for a surfing trip. Of course while I'm paying my dues I can usually weasel time for swimming and riding the skateboard to keep my stoke going.

My thoughts in the lineup depend on how the session is going. If I'm catching a lot of waves, I stay in the moment and just enjoy the fun. When struggling I get analytical and think about every little mistake on every wave...which of course makes it all worse. Regardless of how I'm riding, I always feel great paddling around my favorite place on the planet.

I’m usually contemplating wether to just quietly paddling in OR warn the others that I just saw a grey fin surface. Last time that happened, I turned to my friend next to me, “you saw that ?” “Yup”. And we both slowly paddled in.

I guess because there is no one usually around to save me, I need to be extra aware of the environment. I am not really thinking thoughts much just looking and noticing stuff. You might call it situational awareness and it is very much like meditation but no flowers or incense.

I drilled a cupholder into the deck of my board, so when there's a lull I crack open a cold one!

(kidding of course)

oldmansurfer wrote:I guess because there is no one usually around to save me, I need to be extra aware of the environment..

Good call. I took Rinky Dink's advice and paddled around the lineup at low tide to learn where the dangerous rocks are. With this in mind I usually stay out of harms way...except when I can't kick out of a fun wave that's rolling through a bad spot!

waikikikichan wrote:I’m usually contemplating wether to just quietly paddling in OR warn the others that I just saw a grey fin surface. Last time that happened, I turned to my friend next to me, “you saw that ?” “Yup”. And we both slowly paddled in.

Wait, I thought Japan is like most of SE Asia, they ended up being served as shark fins? I've rarely hear shark sightings in Taiwan. It's usually only if people go deep diving.

While waiting on the line up. The shark topic keeps coming into my mind especially if there are not many surfers in the water. I keep telling myself not to think about it and my brain just doesn't listen. I also contemplate if I should just sit closer to another surfer to lessen the chance of getting bitten.

If there aren’t many waves I’m usually second guessing myself and trying to figure out if I should paddle over to a different peak.

My back was kind of hurting from all the aggressive sitting I was doing the other day so I took a break. I put my surfboard horizontal behind my head like a pillow, held it in place with my arms along the rails, and just let the rest of my body float while I scanned the horizon for waves. I thought it was a relaxing way to wait for waves when the swell is slow. It's kind of like a sensory deprivation tank without the sensory deprivation.

dtc wrote:If there aren’t many waves I’m usually second guessing myself and trying to figure out if I should paddle over to a different peak.

Hahaha I have the other problem I just paddle to the next one or the current takes me there anyway

As soon as I paddle to a different peak, the first one fires!

RinkyDink wrote:My back was kind of hurting from all the aggressive sitting I was doing the other day so I took a break. I put my surfboard horizontal behind my head like a pillow, held it in place with my arms along the rails, and just let the rest of my body float while I scanned the horizon for waves. I thought it was a relaxing way to wait for waves when the swell is slow. It's kind of like a sensory deprivation tank without the sensory deprivation.

People pay good money for that kind of "therapy" - they're called float tanks here in nyc:

https://www.infinityfloatnyc.com/aboutflotation/

It depends on the wave intervals for me. If they're long I'm usually looking around, taking deep breaths, appreciating where I am, enjoying floating around out there, practice turning, take a wiz in my wetsuit (I admit it!), etc.... if they're shorter I am usually keeping one eye on the horizon and the other on my surroundings/other surfers. At any given time, my mind is mostly blank when I'm surfing. I'm not critiquing myself or others, nor am I worrying about whatever else I have going on in my life.

RinkyDink wrote:My back was kind of hurting from all the aggressive sitting I was doing the other day so I took a break.

Aggressive sitting can be exhausting!

kookRachelle wrote:
People pay good money for that kind of "therapy" - they're called float tanks here in nyc:

When I was in high school, my psychology teacher recommended a book to me where the author would get into a sensory deprivation tank after he dropped acid. It made for some fascinating reading at the time I wouldn't be surprised if Starbucks starts offering a flotation tank latte experience.

BoMan wrote:

RinkyDink wrote:My back was kind of hurting from all the aggressive sitting I was doing the other day so I took a break.

Aggressive sitting can be exhausting!

Believe me, it's ten times easier than assertiveness training.

My Mind: "Is this the right spot? Look how good the waves are over there. Maybe the tide is changed and this sandbar is done, Am I too inside? Too outside? Does that SUP know I'm here? Did something bump me? Oh that was just my leash. Am I in a rip? Where is my beach marker?

rinse & repeat

take a wiz in my wetsuit (I admit it!),

I peed in my wetsuit once, because I heard that people do that. Then I got out of the water and my wetsuit smelled like piss. I just bought a very nice Feral wetsuit that wasn't cheap. I don't piss in my clothes on land, nor do I piss my clothes in the water. But that's just me.

My Mind: "Is this the right spot? Look how good the waves are over there. Maybe the tide is changed and this sandbar is done, Am I too inside? Too outside? Does that SUP know I'm here? Did something bump me? Oh that was just my leash. Am I in a rip? Where is my beach marker?

rinse & repeat

Spot on!