Latest Surfs...

[312T4]

I surfed Currumbi again yesterday at lunch time.
As Drowingbitbybit said there were poor conditions but I managed to get some long rides anyway. Shortboards just coudnt do much a part from the usual take off a the point. But with my long, cathing a 2ft wave few meters down from there, you had to point straight ahead, even going left for a bit, stall, wait a few second for a bit of wall to build up on the right, then go all the way toward the beach (palm beach?) on the other side.
Very small and messy. But still good fun.
I think keeping my wave count, and riding time, up to decency is key to stay on track on my progress.
Satisfy.

[oldmansurfer]

Here is what I saw at the beach today

[Big H]

Ouch....I've seen better waves on a lake!

....I saw a beached partially inflated Fugu or Pufferfish at the edge of the water on Saturday....it was dead but still inflated which is why it was beached I imagine....pretty big, about 40cm long.....not really germaine but what when through my head when I read OMS words "what I saw at the beach today"....

Latest surfs....nothing of note the last few days....small and gutless waves... the waves not only are small and weak but were closing out at the spots I'd been going to there wasn't much joy to be had...beats sitting on the beach though so I'm out again this afternoon...

[oldmansurfer]

Here is a little wave I caught Sunday. Seems more fun than a puffer fish. I did a little cutback and had to force a couple turns to keep going then got my arm in the tube in the shoredump shalllow area right before the cutout. My wife says she got a good tube ride boogie boarding inside of me going left. I am still waiting for some bigger waves.

[Big H]

Here is a little wave I caught Sunday. Seems more fun than a puffer fish. ........... I am still waiting for some bigger waves.

Hah....that pufferfish was the highlight of the sesh....

We're waiting for bigger waves too....today was the smallest swell height that I've seen for the year....0.9m; it's always at least a meter here and actually anything under 1.5m is considered small...so of course I had to go surf today....went to a west side beach (Kuta) and found the waves blown out, crumbling and windswell waves stacked on top of each other....still gave it a go and got some joy using a big volume shortboard (41L) set up as a quad to get the most out of the little waves....worked and has been working surprisingly well, getting more run than I had been with the longboard in similar surf....swell is in Saturday & Sunday, looking forward to better waves if I remember how to ride them.....they are going to look like mountains at first after looking at the currently uninspired surf for the last three weeks....

[LostAtSea]

I headed for the coast for my weekly surfin' safari. My weekends are midweek so I have the days to myself to feed my stoke. I live in Canada on the west coast, it's winter here and there was some snow in the mountains on the way. Nothing serious.



This is a nice area to live. Another hobby I do from time to time is flyfish, and there are some nice steelhead (sea-going rainbow trout) in some of the creeks and rivers around here. Here is one such creek along the way.



Same creek, different spot. It was pretty overcast today, but still a cool drive through the mountains.


This is Long Beach, Tofino, with a forecast of 10 footers. I didn't get the bomb sets in this short video, but the beach was pretty empty and the surf was pretty good. Getting out back was a serious paddle. Ir was low tide and the waves were breaking pretty far out. I took the big set on the head twice on the way out. Anyway, I'm always learning and I have a blast each and every time.

That's a Stellar's Jay giving me some sass. It was pretty cold too. Air temp was about 44 and so was the water.

[oldmansurfer]

I went out today, it was at least head high but stormy. The wind was blowing so hard I had to use two arms to carry my board. The current was strong and I got pounded a lot and due to the current missed a lot of waves but it was ok. When I came in I was talking to some surfers who were sitting in their car and they mentioned they were watching a guy who was struggling to get in to the beach. He was fighting a rip current. I was going to check my phone but the guys said I should go rescue him since I was wet already so I grabbed my board and ran down the beach toward him but by the time I got to him he managed to get his feet on the bottom and was walking his way in. I did manage a couple of cutbacks and got some awesome paddling exercise. I dislike going through waves with the helmet and gopro on but slowly getting used to it. Nothing worth posting except first person perspective of repeated duck dips

[oldmansurfer]

Went back out today and it was a little bigger, a little less windy and I found a spot in the lineup with less current, so even though I heard other surfers call the conditions "treacherous" I did far fewer duck dips and got pounded less. Because it was bigger I found a spot where I could rest a bit and takeoff and the current wasn't a freight train running into the lineup. Unfortunately my gopro didn't charge properly for some reason so I left it in my truck not much to have shot other than the size of the waves. I was stiff from yesterdays workout so today was perfect follow up (an easier session.) There were kite surfers out and some guys down at the river mouth side at a break called "crookeds".

I enjoyed being out without the helmet cam. It is a distraction from the waves and in "treacherous conditions" I don't need any distractions

[LostAtSea]

I did far fewer duck dips and got pounded less....

I've been trying these duck "dips" (I'm surfing a 7'7") and the wave breaks on the back of my legs and rockets me backwards pretty far. Are you getting your legs under too? I don't think I can completely submerge this board. Also, my turtle rolls seem to be getting worse. My body is too floaty and all that it amounts too is me holding my surfboard above my head (completely out of the water) and getting flung.

[oldmansurfer]

Nope. I shove the nose of the board almost straight down. My butt and the back half of my board are out of the water but the wave pushes that part down as it goes by and I pull up on the nose simultaneously. To do a duck dive you might start similarly then flip over. But for me duck dives are more about putting something between me and the wave than a smooth transit through whitewater.

[oldmansurfer]

I totally messed that answer up TURTLE ROLLS would be similar but you flip over and TURTLE ROLLS are to put something between me and the wave

[LostAtSea]

Cheers. Something to work on this week.

[jaffa1949]

Cut short by being underswum by a juvenile Great White ^^^^^^^^^^^

[oldmansurfer]

My first thought was you were probably wearing a wetsuit... ewwwww. I guess you can hose it off or something.

[drowningbitbybit]

Bonus Christmas glass-off tonight

It's got to that time of year where it clouds over and storms in the afternoon, accompanied by wind-free glassy smooth waves - perfect for finishing up after a day's work.

Surfed Kirra tonight, which was great, although a bit fat towards the end on the big tide.

And then just as I'm paddling back in, in 3ft of water, a massive dolphin swam right underneath me and scared the willies out of me

[jaffa1949]

My first thought was you were probably wearing a wetsuit... ewwwww. I guess you can hose it off or something.

Board short and rash vest weather. No brownie points!

[dtc]

Day 4 of my holidays. 2ft waves coming straight on shore and 6 second period...for the 4th straight day. Cold (for Australian summer) and rain...

Today about every 10th wave wasn't a close out, so managed a couple of 5 second rides.

Have to see whether I can sneak an afternoon surf tmw. Apparently the kids want presents in the morning instead of me going surfing.

[BoMan]

When I arrived at the local break, surf was pounding inside the access ramp. 5 foot waves slammed the concrete and sent water up to the street! The only way out was to time my entry between sets and sprint paddle. After a long wait I finally got my 9 foot barge out the back and spent the next several moments catching my breath. What a rush!

Catching waves was fun like always but the rides were shortened by the approaching rocks and sea wall. Most of the time I was able to kick out but twice I had to dive off the board to keep from getting slammed! I'm not fast with the exit maneuver and need to work on that.

A high school kid got into trouble when he tried to paddle into the access ramp. He was almost in when a cross current pushed him at the wall. He jumped at the opening and was miraculously unhurt but his board was broken in half!

The internet picture understates the conditions.

[IanCaio]

Went surfing last 2 days, happy and stoked!
First day, "stole" my parents car and went to a less hollow break, about 2ft hawaiian on series, not crowded, late afternoon (could only go this hour). Had some good waves, rode some lines. Just noticed I need to work on the compressing/decompressing skills for making speed, I did that speeding pump (B/S) but didn't feel very controlled and I had to work to keep balance. But I did better than I expected, a beautiful sunset just made the session even better.

Second day, hollow break (the only one that managed to keep the dying swell), about 2ft hawaiian on series. Lots of shorebreaking close outs though. But it was also stooking, again I could find some lines to ride. In between I would eventually get pounded in the shore. Used my thicker leash (the other one was in the other board) and didn't feel much drag, which is good!
Tried to teach my sister, not the best surfing spot for learners though. Neither the best board. I was swimming by her side, and she was using the board (the 6'1"). She didn't know how to duck dive, but luckily the series where spaced and we could get out easily, calling some attention of the life guards that thought we were in trouble . Understandable since in this time of the year many tourists need to get rescued. I even saw one rescue that day.
So I was there trying to teach her the basics, having fun, when a bigger set came and I screamed to her "PADDLE OUT!" repeatedly and saw her and the board being tossed in the inside. Went swimming like crazy after her and saw that there were 2 other waves coming. Told her to hold the board since there were some reckless swimmers that thought being in front of a surfboard was a good idea. Then she just hugged the board on her feet and got pounded twice again .
But I think she had fun, and seemed to have figured out how to paddle relatively well! The break didn't help her, but she did good

All the peace and good vibes for you all next year, merry christmas!

[oldmansurfer]

Christmas eve I went out to the middle of the bay sandbar and surfed on my 7'6" old man board and the waves were tricky. When I first went out there was a dad and his kids surfing there and I saw on the side of the place they were lined up there was a nice looking wave that came in and went unridden. So I made an approximate lineup for that spot and another on the other side of them. After I got out they went in and a guy on a soft top went out. He was ridding the break they were riding and ending up right in front of me. There were three waves that I thought were good but he was directly inside of me. So I figured enough of this and paddled over to the other side of him but while i was paddling a set came in and it broke way outside so I went there. It was too long of a wait so I paddled inside and after ahile the guy left the break so I paddled back to the original lineup and waited for another wave like the other three. I took off and had a steep drop but was unable to keep up with the wave and had to straighten out. Oh well.

I went out Christmas morning to middle Horner's (left breaking reef). It was tricky once again. The waves were doubling up. I did manage to get some really steep drops which I love. The first one was too steep and I went airborne and kicked my board out and cannon ball dropped down to the bottom. No video today because I decided to go without the helmet cam because it's too much of a distraction. It's much more enjoyable without it.