Latest Surfs...

[oldmansurfer]

Just checked out some specs. The d220 records in mpeg2 and this is compatible with vlc so it should work for you.

KS

So will that allow me somehow to get a video off that disk that I can post here?

[drowningbitbybit]

It was just like Jaffa's 3ft today (Jaffa's thread)... good-sized waves, but a stiff cross/offshore making it very hard work to get into. Some of them, I'd catch and then immediately stall on the face in the wind

Caught a few nice ones though

Three times this week it's been a 2-hour+ session... I need a rest!

[kitesurfer]

Just checked out some specs. The d220 records in mpeg2 and this is compatible with vlc so it should work for you.

KS

So will that allow me somehow to get a video off that disk that I can post here?

I am fairly certain you can upload an mpeg2 to youtube. How big are the files and do you have access to editing software? I think the youtube file size limit on uploads is 2gb. If you have access to editing software then export as h.264 for best quality.
Once its uploaded you can link to it from this site.

KS

[oldmansurfer]

I don't have software currently on my computer that allows me access to the files. The camera has a sim card and an 8 cm dvd. If I put them on my computer there are no video files that I can see so i have no idea how big. This is my work computer so I will have to wait till I get home again and see if that program helps

[oldmansurfer]

Well I can view it on my computer now and know she didn't actually catch me surfing (just paddling around and waiting) but heck it's a starting point. Now if she does catch me I need to figure out how to cut out and reformat that part of the video

[oldmansurfer]

Shoulder high surf and lots of waves. I got a major cardio workout but waves not quite big enough for my oldmanoutofshapeoverweight board. I was pushing it not quite the size needed to really throw my board around

[drowningbitbybit]

Unexpectedly good session this evening to finish off my weekend

I only popped out because I hadn't been out all weekend, and I didn't think it would be up to much but ended up getting some great set waves. Headhigh or a little more, clean, and - oddly - not much in the way of crowds

Good way to finish the weekend.

[oldmansurfer]

I went to the same spot today only there were hardly any waves. I did manage to get some shorebreak closeout tubes so tat was fun anyway

[Jester]

First day back in about a month.. Surfing Lahinch and it was a beautiful day. Felt so good to be back in the water, also felt a bit of paddle-fitness coming on! Did a full on washing machine treatment by the wave at one point and learning to 'enjoy the ride' actually felt good!! Loved loved LOVED being back!

[oldmansurfer]

I surfed today in sloppy choppy windswell that had some waves that were head high. Yesterday it was less windy and smaller. Both days the biggest challenge was figuring out where to lineup and which waves to catch. There is really a lot of sand piling up on the beach (at least 10 yards more sand than normal) and an outside sandbar which makes the waves crumble outside then some of them reform and break with a face on the inside

[peazz]

I managed to get out again today OMS this evening, the chop died down and turned into some nice 5ft or so clean lines.

The problem im having is I am so unfit (and smoked so much) I literally cannot get out back, I managed it twice so far.

things are changing when I get home!

[oldmansurfer]

I am just so happy to be surfing again. I quit surfing for a while that remains the biggest mistake I have ever made in my life. In my old I age I find I need to go surfing to stay in shape so I try to put in an hour of serious surfing a week. This past weekend I found joy in getting past huge sections with bottom turns and getting coverd up in the closeout shoredump tube on the inside. I have always done this one type of cutout where there is a waist to shoulder high shoredump closeout that is hollow and I surf to that area and tuck into it then stand up as it collapses on me. I often come out of the back of the wave doing that but sometimes get pounded. Anyway it's something fun when the waves aren't happening (or even if they are). I also get pleasure from navigating through the surf. I can generally avoid getting pounded but even a little pounding is good for me. On days when the waves are really difficult I try to figure out which shape of a wave is going to be the best ride and where to lineup for it. Those skills will help you in the future. There is no replacement for being in shape. Maybe if you ride a longboard then you can be less fit but only if the waves are easy. There are lots of waves that go unridden because surfers look at them and think they aren't worth the hassel. For me that hassel means I can go out in uncrowded waves and it helps me to stay in shape and catch some otherwise unridden waves. One of the reasons I may not have as much problem getting back out in the surf compared to you is that I usually try to catch the biggest waves that come in so when I cut out I am the furthest out of where the waves might break. Anyway I love surfing anything and hope to continue surfing for many more years even if it is mostly stormy choppy double waves and backwash. It can be done, one just needs to figure out how to do it.

[drowningbitbybit]

Gorgeous conditions this morning... glassy clean, and 2–3ft on the point and a smaller 1–2ft on the inside bank. A little soft maybe, but that's what I was in the mood for... effortless surfing

Spent a little time on the point, then went and ironed out some bad habits on the inside break by getting wave after small wave and trying a few things out.

[IanCaio]

Taking the buses to the beach today right after class. Can't wait to test the renewed thruster. Kind of hoping it will make my surf improve because the board will be less loose.

Gonna stay for a week and it seems like there will be surf for several days! Hope my shoulder handle it

Also there will be a small amateur and junior tournament on my break tomorrow and sunday, which will probably close part of the beach for a while. But I've been told there will still be spots left for us non-competitors

[peazz]

as a reference its 2am Sunday morning, we was having a drink in georgeham and met this lovely couple who invited up back to their house for a 'proper smoke' in their words, some of the nicest hospitality we have encountered in the uk.

Yesterday at croyde was the best waves I have ever seen in my life. Considering I traveled Australia for 9 weeks doing 1200+ KM that is a big feat. Croyde is AMAZING. if its to much, u have 3 different breaks / waves to choose from within 5 - 10 minute drive, when croyde is working (it was blown out today at 25mph + yet peaks were still holding at 15+ ft) its a faster, hollow, perfectly formed wave.

The only thing that has beaten croyde for me so far was snapper on the goad coast, its a truly magically wave Banz, after a drive around the coast down this end I cant help but feel there is some secret gems waiting to be discovered.

Croyde was 15 foot today, i drove to Ilfracombe and it was near flat apart from the swell moving through the deep ocean, occasionally some set waves rolled through, hit a rock / potential slap and just suck up HARD. North devon is a hidden gem!


@Banz I kept my eyes on the surf and it seems some swell is going to be pushing down the east coast thursday next week, im no guru and dont know if wind will accompany but lets take a surf trip! my missus dont surf and need someone to chat to on the waves!

@IanCaio Have you tried Quads yet? in the big scheme of things im still a beginner but have tried a fair bit of kit and progressed alot in a short amount of time.

For me I feel quads are much better (although I have very short arms, I am 5'4, I prefer to be on the inside getting flung over the lip rather than guided down) they hold the line better and really provide some INSANE drive on the drop, I actually found thrusters more tiring when paddling! - Personally I love Kelly Slaters quads, they take a little more to get going in the the water but dam on the drop they are soooo quick! FCS still sell these fins however they cannot market them as kelly's instead search / look for FCS V-2 quads. seriously amazing all round fin.

[oldmansurfer]

I went out to Black Rock which is at the same beach I usually go to but a half mile paddle out. It took me 15 minutes to paddle out so my usual 30 minutes of time was half used up. There were some decent waves with 8 to 10 foot faces but I only caught one decent wave and wiped out on a couple of others so I used up my time and went back in. I caught a shore dump breaking wave on the inside and made a bottom turn a foam climb and then jumped off my board in less than a foot of water just 10 feet from the shore. I got a lot of exercise which is great because tomorrow I have get up early to cook breakfast for 1000 people. I love my quad with FCS fins

[dtc]

. I got a lot of exercise which is great because tomorrow I have get up early to cook breakfast for 1000 people.

I hope someone else is doing the dishes

[drowningbitbybit]

The mellow sunday evening session with just a few of the locals is turning into a bit of a thing

[dtc]

The mellow sunday evening session with just a few of the locals is turning into a bit of a thing

As I suspect is the same for you, most of my surfing is early morning. But I really enjoy the occasional twilight session. As you say, more mellow, relaxing. Even the waves seem calmer.

Until the point where you start thinking 'should I go for another wave or has it become dark enough for the sharks'

[IanCaio]

@Peazz,
I never tried quads, but have given my thoughts about getting a quad fish (in the long run, would help me with chubby waves too).

Went to the break yesterday and today. The board is working fine, not sure about the piece above it .
Yesterday started well, with shoulder high waves I guess, and little wind. Not many people out. I've dropped a few waves, but having issues riding the line, because of losing speed or not being able to generate enough. On the afternoon it got bigger, but stronger winds made it a little messed. I've managed to paddle to the line up (it was quite hard, because there was no time between series) and when I finally dropped a wave, I lost my balance on the bottom turn and hitted my face hard on the water, about a feet and half away from the board . Saw everything red for a fraction of second, just to be caught inside and leave the water (was also kind of tired, after 5 hours at the beach).

Today the forecast was bigger, but in reality the waves were quite smaller and the crowd was bigger. The rain helped making the sea less messy. Today I planned on working on my nose-to-tail balance, since it might be the reason I can't keep speed. Wiped out a lot. Sometimes I dived the nose on water after I made the bottom turn, others were just too late drops. But guess it means I'm doing something different, and that's good. Felt like it worked a bit, but I didn't have the best rides yet. Also, I'm not sure if it was the tide, but waves were becoming more rare, and breaking too shallow. Gonna go again tomorrow on the hope there are waves, but I'm not too sure.

It would be nice if I could record myself to realize what's going wrong after the drop in.