Will you go out when it is like this?

[BaNZ]

Haven't been in water since Feb. Every weekend that I'm off the forecast is either flat or white wash.

Bear in mind that the air temp is 6C and water is 5C. I only have a 4/3 wetsuit and it takes me 1.5 hour to get to the beach. Fuel cost is around £35.
Sigh...

[oldmansurfer]

I don't know about wetsuits and car rides but I woudl surf that if it was available at my home break when I had time.

[Jester]

It gets to that point that you just have to go out..even if it's to get pounded..first day back in a month for me and boy does it feel GOOOOOD, didn't even get that many waves but just the feeling..I neeed this!!

Eddie would go

[dtc]

If I was there I would give it a go, but with low expectations of anything other than 'catch a wave, down face, into white water'.

I wouldn't drive for it unless I had nothing else to do. And with those temperatures, sitting in front of a heater reading a book might be that something else...

Still, as jester says, just doing it can be worth it. Even if frustrating, at least you are out there. As an old person my view is ...do things when you can because your life can fill up pretty quickly with family and work and all the rest of it.

[peazz]

I'd say do it mate, take a nice floaty board to battle the chop and just go with the expectation of getting a good pounding.

On the other hand, U could come to croyde, im going to be there from tomorrow for a week

[oldmansurfer]

I go out in stuff like that regularly. It's remarkably similar to my usual surf sessions. I generally don't take much of a pounding surfing it too.

[drowningbitbybit]

If I'd driven there and that was what greeted me, I'd go in... maybe...

If I was sitting at home and that's what I could see on the cams, I wouldn't bother.

[BaNZ]

This is the live footage I captured on MSW today. I always check before I head out. But the wind is predicted at 25-30mph. I'm surprised that many of you would go out in conditions like this!! This was the same last weekend and my friends decided to call it off again.

I know I'm so unfit now that I won't be able to even catch 1 wave in that condition. Probalby won't even be able to swim past the white wash.

[drowningbitbybit]

I'm surprised that many of you would go out in conditions like this!!

I'll clarify my original post... I would go out in conditions like that.... when I used to live in the UK and would drive several hours to the coast every weekend for any available surf I could get

Would I go out in conditions like that on the Gold Coast? No chance

[drowningbitbybit]

I go out in stuff like that regularly.

Really? I had you down (in the nicest possible way) as a bit of Hawaiian wave snob
I'd've thought you'd take one look at conditions like that and laugh - I always pictured your waves as big, clean and gleaming blue water

Maybe it's me that's the wave snob

[peazz]

Oi Matt stop showing off, it makes me sick to think of the pure beauty you get served up on your doorstep

if you think your out of shape Banz, I have not surfed since last may, since then I sat at my computer coding and smoking, not sure what to expect when I get down to croyde but Im determined - Ill catch something.

[BaNZ]

peazz, I work in IT as well. I sit infront of a computer for around 12-14 hours a day. The only exercise I ever get is walking a mile to work every day. I had to cycle the other day, and you know I couldn't even cycle for 2 miles. I had to stop and catch my breathe. That is how bad it is!

When I went to Portugal for Xmas, I spent the first week just trying to get my fitness level back. Even after 3 weeks of surfing everyday, I still couldn't recover. Good luck @ croyde but I think you will be alright. You look pretty buff in the videos!

I'm with you, I don't believe these Hawaiians or Ozzies are telling the truth. Why would anyone go out in conditions like this when their average days is like heaven for us.

[oldmansurfer]

While there are some really great waves here where I live when they break nice they are often crowded like maybe half as crowded as Kira or Snapper Rocks. I however are extremely time limited so I only go to the beach which is a mile from where I live. I surf those waves whatever they are like and most of the time they resemble those waves in the video above. Now I would probably get some really nice waves on a day like that. You may look and see choppy slop but I see potential in those waves. Maybe what I need to do is spend a little more time at the beach and take some pics so you don't feel so jealous but then again if I had someone photograph me riding them then you might still be jealous. Those waves have potential. They are the canvas for an artist to paint. Go paint them.

[peazz]

I'm blessed in the fact that one day in the water and I start eating like a mad man, from there my strength comes back I'm making a point of surfing and excercising more this year

What sector of IT you work in?

[Jester]

If you're feeling unfit mate you def have to go in my opinion! Obviously be safe and all that but there's nothing like a surf to get you back in shape and start knocking some of the rust off! Even if you're paddling like hell and getting knocked back (I know the feel all too well) it's one step closer to the day you are strong enough to paddle out in that and own it like OMS or anyone else here who can..you can't tell me that's not where you wanna be!!
Every day you don't go is a day you're gonna have to claw back in finding your feet again, we've only got so many days a year to surf, when the good ones come we wanna be ready for them so get your training out of the way on crap days.
Get out there and fight that mother! You won't get stronger behind your desk, we'll be with you in spirit

[drowningbitbybit]

Would I go out in conditions like that on the Gold Coast? No chance

Had to laugh at myself... about 2 mins after I wrote this, I jumped in the car and drove 2 minutes to the beach and surfed some right old rubbish!
I just fancied a paddle

[oldmansurfer]

I want to learn to surf so I have to go out regularly as in every week at least. I need to stay in shape so I have to surf regularly. What this means is I surf if there are any waves (good waves, bad waves, big waves, small waves). There are always things to work on beside paddling and catching waves. Practice going out through the surf, practice judging waves and the lineup. Learn from each outing improve little by little. I guess I have an advantage of having surfed some really great waves in my life and I am pretty sure I will never catch waves as awesome as the ones I have allready ridden but then you never know and there are waves that thrill me. These days it takes much less to thrill me. I watch the surf contests and the anouncer says that may be the best wave he ever caught in his life and I think that is really not likely to be true because I have caught waves that were much better than that just goofing off and they do it for a living.... Anyway I don't think I will ever catch waves like that again but I don't worry about it. I am enjoying riding my stormy choppy surf..... any surf at all is so much better than no surf.

[benjl]

I hate to rub it in...

I've applied for a day of annual leave tomorrow to go hit our west coast, it's looking to be 10/10 conditions for most of the week!!
Probably going to be about 4-5ft and cleannnnn

[BaNZ]

What sector of IT you work in?

I have to do everything... sigh. servers, networking, sys admin stuff. Even had to do wordpress.

The bonus is I do have 33 anual leaves a year not including the bank holiday. Problem is I don't live near Cornwall. Maybe I should move to oxford then perhaps I can drive to wales every weekend.

You see the problem with east coast in UK is that it is white wash like this all year round. I have no choice. You only get a few days that are clean in the entire year. When you've experienced the warm water in SE asia, you just can't call this surfing anymore.

[peazz]

Croyde is absolutely banging, 4 foot with the odd 6ft bomb set and CLEAN as anything. I am seriously out of shape, I managed to get out the back once, caught a 5 ft'r made a late drop then wiped out at the bottom, I was to upright and back foot heavy making the steep drop so 'slipped' off the back

time to get eating and hopefully my arms and back wont be as screwed tomorrow as they feel right now, let me know how you get on!

With my career and the fact I work for myself its easier for me to get away like this, but if work is not good I don't have the money to do anything at all.

My flat is in final stages of selling right now, the buyer has the surveyor in so it shouldnt be long. I have been looking at property near croyde for a while and its pricey, I am thinking of getting a couple of cheap holiday homes for rental /personal purposes in peak months or I'll have to get a place further out in barnstaple, either way come summer I should hopefully be surfing much much more resulting in a fitter, happier and stress-free Andy.

Anytime you want to go take a surf trip on the east coast (at least for the next 6 months) give me a nudge, I work for myself, I can always take my laptop and I drive, i dont really like going to new spots on my own and it always makes its easier to surf crappy conditions if you got someone to chat to and egg you on