Latest Surfs...

[oldmansurfer]

I forgot to mention I paddled right over a turtle maybe about 3 feet across wasn't sure what it was initially because it moved away too fast but I figured either turtle or stingray then it popped up it's little head for a breath about 10 feet away from me.

[CutbackBretto]

Another beautiful day on the Sunshine Coast in Australia. My local point break was working like a charm. It was only 1-2 ft but such a nice shape. Everyone was on the outer ledge and I sat on the inside and got bucket loads of waves.Local knowledge i the key

[CutbackBretto]

3rd day in a row of 1-2ft runners at my local point break. Still getting loads of waves because the pack is gathered on the outer point... so good!

[oldmansurfer]

Waist to shoulder high wave at the river mouth. There was a guy teaching a girl to surf on the next break over. I caught a bunch of fast waves and got my rear end tubed once or twice

[oldmansurfer]

Same place and size again. I was late to the beach this morning due to work. It looked bigger and better earlier. One of the nice things about the river mouth break is that there is a big orange ball on the power lines over the river to keep low flying helicopters and planes from hitting the power lines. It matches up with the mountain range in the back making a good lineup for the surf. Fun day, lots of waves

[IanCaio]

Went surfing this last weekend, for the first time on my "new" restored board. Saturday it was about 2ft hawaiian. Paddling seems easier (lighter and bigger volume board), duck diving seems just a little bit harder. I have the impression I'll have a hard time paddling out on bigger days, because I don't feel I'm diving deep enough. I'm still getting dragged by the turbulence, sometimes more than I think I should. But I'm not blaming the board, it's a 6'0", there should be no trouble with duck diving. Maybe I just need more practice to go deeper or get my timing right.

The surfing itself was great. Felt more control on the board, since it's wider, had some nice rides. Missed a couple waves popping up too soon, which I thought was weird since a bigger volume board was supposed to get on the wave easier, but maybe it was just me getting back on water and getting used to the board.
Sunday the break I went before was flat, so I went to a further break that usually holds a swell for a longer time. 2ft hawaiian solid on series, big parallel current (I was being dragged a lot, but didn't want to waste my paddle staying in place ). Nice session, I felt more in control of the board. There was this wave where I dropped on a peak, and another guy on a further peak. We were riding the same wave from different peaks towards each other, and I could easily kick out, even though it was sad, since I was in position for a good ride!

Did my first "rescue"! A guy approached me at the sand after I went out screaming
-"Surfer! Go get my son, he is outside!" - and I saw his son on a surfboard, further out. But he didn't seem to be drowning or anything. But I went out, completely tired (had just surfed for a while), and by coincidence the series decided to arrive when I was going out! I was like
"Don't get tired! Don't stop paddling! Don't be the guy that goes for the rescue and get caught inside!" - So I went out, approached the kid, that seemed to paddle awkwardly. So I asked
-"Are you learning?"
-"Yeah, I did a lesson but I used a longboard, now I'm having difficult with the shorterboard"
-"It's because shorterboards are harder and unstable ( ). Your parents are worried, let's paddle to the sand. Try to get a wave on your belly after they break" - Just before a guy on a longboard stole my scene and gave him his leash to paddle him to the sand!!!
But it was cool, his dad thanked me on sand

[oldmansurfer]

I went out in small waist high crumbly brown water waves today. Yeah I am not crazy and I did not save anyone from drowning but I know there will be a big swell on the east side of Kauai sometime soon (and a hurricane or two) and I want to stay in shape so I am totally ready for it.

[oldmansurfer]

I went back out to the same place. No hurricane swell yet. There was a shallow sand bar going out about 40 or 50 yards so I could almost walk right out to the break. My whole board go tubed along with my legs but the rest of me was well above the wave

[oldmansurfer]

Hurricane surf at my beach finally but it's not so good. I went out after work and didn't catch any great waves. Horners was breaking sketchy so I didn't go out there but the middle part was small inconsistent and there was a powerful current.......Oh well if I didn't go out I would have been hiking up and down the hill that I usually do on Tuesdays this was at least as much exercise and definitely more fun

[CutbackBretto]

Scored yesterday. Totally unexpected! The wind suddenly swung offshore and the swell picked up to 3ft from less than 1ft. I was lucky to be walking the dogs on the beach and my jaw dropped. Raced home, got the board, called a mate and enjoyed an afternoon of screaming left handers out the front of my place. It was a short swell window because when I got up this morning the swell had disappeared. Sooo stoked!

[oldmansurfer]

3 day weekend and hurricane surf happening. Unfortunately so far it has been at the wrong angle for my beach. I went out today to the sand break in the middle. It's odd the reef is breaking in huge closeouts and crumbles but the sandbar is just head high. There were a couple SUPers riding the middle break on the reef and a jest ski with someone doing something way out side (about 0.5 to 0.75 miles out). Initially I went out to the middle where I usually go. I knew there was a strong current but thought I would try it to see how hard it was to stay in place. Well it was too much work so I moved down to the next couple peaks and found a place where the current from the river running out meets the current from the huge waves over the reef and created an area that I could sit and wait for the waves for a little while. The waves also broke right along that meeting of the currents. The waves were (and have been for a while) different. While small they are a bit faster as in moving toward shore faster and more powerful than the usual sucking water up the face even in the less steep portions of the wave. I managed to do a powerful cutback on my 7'6" thruster on one wave and had a fun run across one really steep wall but nothing else that gave me the jollies. However I always feel better after surfing. One more day to go.

[Tudeo]

Had a nice surf on a new wave after 10 days injury recovery. Bliss!

Yesterday a friend invited me to this wave at a time I thought the tide was way too low to surf that particular wave. Anyway I said I couldn't cos still recovering from a back injury. But this morning the back felt ok and I was thinking, "what does this guy know that I don't?" So I went to this wave at the given time and it was way too shallow, nobody out..

Then I looked to my left and saw 2 guys out on a Right I had never seen before, because my wave doesn't work at this low tide.

Another older surfer just arrived driving around looking for uncrowded surf and the 2 of us attacked the newly discovered wave at a time the other 2 just quit. We, two old guys that never met before, had a great time sharing this wealth of waves calling each other in waves and cheering the rides.

Bliss!

Ah ya, my friend. He later told me he went in more early and had to quit because he wrecked his fin in the reef..

[Big H]

Ah ya, my friend. He later told me he went in more early and had to quit because he wrecked his fin in the reef..

Yeah....that happens....I have a couple sets of low tide fins....saves the consternation when the inevitable bump happens. One set is plastic, other set fiberglass local made (actually quite like them) in batik...super strong, chips easy to file out with metal file and they cost 100k.

[Big H]

I had a disappointing surf today...report said the swell was in, went to a spot that should have been firing and it just......wasn't.

Oh well, went out anyway and made the most of the shorebreak....kept working on the same later drop thing only today going backside....good thing it was sandy bottom, was breaking in a foot of water it seemed like. Got in a coupe of barrels that closed out pretty quick. Not really convinced if that is fun. Not much else to do there though and I caame to surf so close outs it was. Good times.

[oldmansurfer]

The swell direction was a little better but it was far from perfect. Horners looked fun except it was inconsistent and there were 10 guys out. I surfed the rivermouth sandbar initially by myself at first , then with 2 others, a guy and his girlfriend who often surf the same area but so far we haven't shared a break. There was no wind and it was breaking about waist to shoulder high and often really fast. I got my legs and board tubed and my rear end tubed and my shoulder tubed and got a head dip but didn't get any closeout tube cutouts which is what I really enjoy. If I am riding a small wave that closes out in a tube I tuck into it then turn toward the wave and stand up pushing out of the back of the wave. My wife saw one of my rides where I didn't get tubed and said she wished she had a camera to film that wave. Who knows? maybe someday she will film me. Then of course she said she wanted to capture my expression LOL I guess I was making a funny face LOL

[IanCaio]

Forecast for saturday was 5ft-6ft. Went for the closest break (not really hollow), thinking that it wouldn't be an easy day of surf. When I got there it was like 2ft, and getting weaker until the point where the waves were starting to break and then getting so fat you couldn't ride it. I got one nice right, at least nice for me. Rode a bit of the wall, finished with a small snap attempt.

I got out of the water, talked to some local friends, and we decided to go the next day to a further break. We knew it would be flat where we were, so we would go to a break that usually holds up the swells a little longer, and is stronger and hollower.

I woke up sunday around 5-6am, took the bus alone. That friend ended up getting a ride to some other break. I arrived there expecting some 2ft solid waves and was surprised with the biggest conditions I have ever witnessed in person. 5ft solid, hollow. It was beautiful and scary. I sat on the sand, watching and thinking whether I was going in or not. I am usually not worried about being pounded by the waves, but to get tired in the impact zone, losing my board or whatever. This time I was worried about being pounded too. Sometimes it would get like 3ft, and I would think to myself "This is still close to my comfort zone", and then suddenly a 5ft set would come breaking hard, and all that foam coming up, and THAT was out of my comfort zone. Was the first time I saw a guy coming out with a board broken in half, lots of leashs snapping.

Even though I didn't like to be left alone in the break, it was good that my friends weren't there. I would probably go in if they did too, and I don't think I was ready. I ended up going to the left side of the beach, where it breaks a little weaker and got in for about 30 minutes. There it was about 3ft solid, maybe just a little bigger on series. I could manage myself there, but it was not a walk in the park. I also couldn't catch a proper wave. I made a drop, quick pop up, the wave got hollow fast and I pearled. I didn't stay long enough to attempt many waves.

Felt a little disappointing to see I'm still a little far from my goal, which is to be able to go out on those conditions and handle it, even if I can't surf it. But I will use this as fuel to get there. Just keep working myself up. This week I'll hit the pool everyday since I have some extra free time. Have to work on my cardio mostly.. And get some thicker leash. I bet mine wouldn't last 10 minutes there.

[Big H]

Get the leash a little longer too...takes the sting out of wipeouts a bit (less leash stress) and will get the board away from you and hopefully not on your head.

[Tudeo]

Got in a coupe of barrels that closed out pretty quick. Not really convinced if that is fun.

[IanCaio]

Thanks Big H! I was thinking about the thickness and the actual size didn't even come to mind.
For a 6ft board, what would be a good size for a bigger condition leash?
My current leash is 6ft, but it's quite thin and is showing some tiny cuts, from the fins I guess, that might make it even more fragile.

[Big H]

I like the oceans & earth leashes.... I'm using the 10ft premium leash for my longboard.....I use it with my shorter boards on heavier days....

Premium 10ft One Piece Leash

WAVE SIZE : 15ft+, 4.6m+
LENGTH : 10ft (3m)
CORD DIA.: 1/3” (8mm)
HORN TYPE : ONE Piece Leash Technology
SWIVEL : Double
STRAP : 50mm Padded
RAILSAVER : Detachable

Not quite as heavy:

Premium 8ft One Piece Leash

WAVE SIZE : 11ft (3.3m)
LENGTH : 8ft (2.4m)
CORD DIA.: 9/32” (7mm)
HORN TYPE : ONE Piece Leash Technology
SWIVEL : Double
STRAP : 50mm Padded
RAILSAVER : Detachable

Regular days I use a leash 1ft longer than the board. The extra length gives a little run on the line before the hook sets on a wipeout and it feels like that little extra time allows some of the wave force to pass before the legrope goes taut....the pull isn't as forceful and stresses the leash less....I change leashes out regularly as well and decommission them after they get around what I guesstimate to be 100 heavy wipeouts. Read somewhere that was the thing to do.....has provided good results so far.

Heavier leashes mean more paddle drag.... I pull the leash up and tuck it under in the long paddle out sometimes. Once going for a wave it isn't an issue because there is power to get into the wave in spades.
Cheers!