Latest Surfs...

[oldmansurfer]

Back to small waves again. My weekend surfing was at the rivermouth reef and sand break. Saturday there was a fishing tournament and the fishing poles lined up in the area I wanted to surf made it difficult. Ten poles along the beach but left me an area to paddle out. What I didn't see is the two poles coming in from the side of the bay. Oh well it was still fun little mushy waves. Sunday was better, only one pole out and the waves were a little better and the weather was nice including water temperature to my wife's liking. I probably had the wave of the morning there out of all the surfers that were there but then there were surf lessons going on in that area as there often are. While the waves were mostly mushy there was an occasional wall to make turns on. I got a wave that allowed me multiple turns cutbacks and top turns but mostly riding like a longboard cutting back with my arm over my head and legs extended and managed to connect it with the inside section of wall by getting into the sweet spot that allows the greatest glide and staying moving on the flat sections. The last five yards I coasted on the wave after it quit breaking just to cutout next to my wife and I did a tail stall cutout where I sink the tail by pushing on my back foot lifting then nose way up then as it sinks down into the water I grab the nose of the board and lay back down on the board. I did that cutout a few time this weekend perhaps a sign I am improving? I used to do cutouts long ago where I stayed on the board most of the time when I was a better surfer.

[BoMan]

For my skills, the conditions were perfect...3-4 foot, corduroy waves and glassy conditions. As the tide ebbed, "way outside" was the place to be. I could get into waves early and ride them all the way to beach. It gave me lots of time to practice skills - fade takeoffs, cross stepping to make reforms and carved turns to avoid folks on the inside. The only penalty was a LONG paddle back after each ride but I was too stoked to feel the burn!

[dtc]

For my skills, the conditions were perfect...3-4 foot, corduroy waves and glassy conditions.

so do we start hating you now?

[BoMan]

Everyone gets lucky once in a while! Here's a look from the beach.

[oldmansurfer]

This past weekend is the first weekend where I haven't surfed at all or even paddled. The reason is my wife just had carpal tunnel surgery and I wanted to be available so she doesn't try to do things she shouldn't because I was not available. But we did go for a walk on the beach to day and while we were there picked up a big trash bag full of plastic trash along our walk. There were three big piles of cargo netting that was too heavy for me and my wife to remove so I dragged them inshore to where they won't be washed back into the ocean any time soon. Hopefully some people stronger or more plentiful than me and wife will remove them. The most common item was plastic bottle caps. There were only three cigarette butts as opposed to four tooth brushes. I guess that is good more people brushing their teeth than smoking? I made my wife carry the trash bag because she needs to do therapy with her crippled hand......(just kidding) Anyway it was good to do a concerted beach cleanup which I haven't done since the days when my wife and I would take turns going in the ocean or walking the dog. Happy Easter everyone

[oldmansurfer]

Back in the ocean again! Whew! I only was out for 2 weeks but it was tough. I needed to feel some saltwater on my skin. It was a choppy messy bunch of slop but it was so goooooood! Overhead slop but at least it is something. The good news is that during my 2 weeks off from surfing neither my skills nor my paddle fitness deteriorated. This is quite different from when I first restarted surfing when there would be a noticeable difference in both skills and fitness. I think my best ride yesterday was a backside wave. I was too far behind the peak to make the right and the left looked ok so I went left, I made the steep drop on my rockerless 7'6" board before I determined to go left, made a bottom turn and a smooth quick but not powerful off the top turn another bottom turn and cutout. My best wave today (on my 8 foot board) was a similar wave going right just a bottom turn to smooth top turn to bottom turn to cutout. My life is about to change soon. For one thing I got a puppy and another is I may be retiring or finding another job, hopefully can afford the internet still LOL who knows what tomorrow will bring? Oh and I am getting a 7 foot egg board too LOL.

[oldmansurfer]

Small surf again so I went to the river mouth break being the best option on both days. Yesterday it was nicer and there were waves at the break I call Crabs but it had a group of surfers out there and Black rock looked like it might be ok but there was an SUP guy out there. There were 2 kids out at the river mouth but they didn't seem to be getting any of the good waves that came in so out there I went. I think they were brothers and actually there were three of them. Half way through my time the third came out but the youngest one who was the one who seemed to be having the most fun, was the least skilled of the three was lining up inside of me making me miss a few waves. I managed to find another peak he wasn't inside of eventually but it took a while. I am pretty sure those kids thought i was a kook. The first four waves I caught I just fell down on due to them being very small and me trying to make more out of them than was easy to do. It may have to do partially with switching back to my 7'6" board again but I also paddled for and missed a bunch of waves. But soon enough I figured out the lineup a little better and started to have more fun rides. I had a couple waves that I managed to get some speed down the line and do some fun turns on and one particular wave where I was lined up perfected for and took off perfectly then I saw a nice wall to smack so I went to make an off the lip turn but the wave was pitching over too quickly so I changed to a snap below the lip which I pulled off but the lip landed on my board making it bobble just enough to make me fall however this was all there was and the wave was totally flat after that section so it may have seemed like I cut out. Anyway it was fun surfing with kids who just enjoyed being out there like me. Today was smaller and more choppy and the wind was more onshore (yesterday it was off shore a bit). I stayed out for an hour yesterday because it was relaxing and fun. It took me nearly the whole thirty minutes to figure out the break today but the last 2 waves I caught were the best ones. The swell direction was different and the waves were even faster than yesterday and sort of closing out but there were area with walls to be ridden if you did everything right. Nothing too special about those two waves but they made the time spent more rewarding.

[oldmansurfer]

Small surf again but at least the water temperature was nice and the weather was as well. Probably the most notable things were on Saturday there were 2 nice looking women who decided to play on the beach in front of where I was surfing. On sunday the most notable thing is the sandbar where I usually surf seems to be shaping up. At any rate small sloppy surf but WAY BETTER THAN SITTING AT HOME WISHING I WAS SURFING New surf contest starting tonight (Hawaiian time) I think

[BoMan]

Note to self...no matter how much fun you're having, do not stay out too long. After 3 hours, I got physically and mentally tired as the tide sucked the water away from my favorite spot. Conditions were right for my not so perfect last ride.

The wave rolled in. It was a rare left for for my goofy foot pleasure and the peak was perfectly lined up. Everything looked GREAT until it wasn't. I slid back to turn and crunched my tail on something hard. I started to paddle, snagged my leash and fell on the deck while popping up. Somehow I still caught the wave and managed to get to my feet just in time to see a ROCK directly in my path. The only option in my tired head was to bail. After jamming my thumb on the bottom, I watched the board take another hit.

It was a still good day...but the ocean kept me humble!

[oldmansurfer]

One word to describe the past two days surfing gnarlyliscious Yesterday I went out to middle Horners break. It was overhead but chaotic and challenging. The waves lurched up radically, I mean they usually lurch up there but it was more than the usual lurching. I had 4 aborted takeoffs because it was too steep and one of them I pushed my board to the side and free fell down the wave. I did get to do an elevator drop steep late takeoff and pulled it off. I have been worried because it's been so long since I did that not sure if I still could do it (I can). That wave however I made my bottom turn and off the top I hit a bunch of chop and lost my balance and went over the back of the wave or off the shoulder over to the back. I think if anyone was keeping score the wave thrashed me more than I did the waves. today I opted for the usual place (sandbar in the middle of the bay) although it was more chaotic than Horners. It took me 10 minutes just to figure out how to catch a wave. It was overhead again with a super strong current and the shore break was mean head high closeout shore dump. I didn't attempt the shorebreak until my final wave and once on the shorebreak portion I turned straight for the beach to try to get down before it dropped me down and I stepped way back on the tail (my back foot just an inch from the tail end so actually behind the rear set of my quad fins) to bring the nose up and made the transition from vertical face to flat bottom ok and rode to the shore til the whitewater bounced me off. I think that last wave was my best wave having accomplished a couple minor top to bottom turns on it. Think I came out ahead of the waves in the thrashing department this time.

[surf patrol]

gnarlyliscious

like it!

[IanCaio]

Been a while, again! Still no internet on my place, so I can't really keep track of everything new going on in the forums, hope everything is fine with everyone!

I'm currently on the north shore of my state, where I started surfing, for a few days on a small vacation from work.

I went out wednesday on a heavy break, on what I just latter realized was a bit of a heavy condition. Offshore winds, tubular waves of about 5ft hawaiian on the biggest series I'd say.
I paddled out, stood there for a while, tried to paddle a few waves but didn't go manage to go through, some because of the offshore wind and some because they were barreling fast, so a few times I didn't think I'd make it. Then I realized some series were quite big, they were pounding hard and I got close to getting about 3 in the head, duck diving in that last critical second.
I caught an intermediary wave (which I wiped out on ) back to the sand before I'd get pounded and later went out again more to the left of the break, where it was a bit weaker. There I found a few lefts, one of them I could ride nicely until I tried a carve that turned itself on an failed involuntary layback..

A small video of that day

Guys, do you have any counseling for those times, when you're pushing your limits. Like, how to know when it's time to push, when it's time to step back, and specially how to keep your confidence and not getting disappointed when stepping back?

[Tudeo]

Nice Rights!

Guys, do you have any counseling for those times, when you're pushing your limits. Like, how to know when it's time to push, when it's time to step back, and specially how to keep your confidence and not getting disappointed when stepping back?

It's just a matter of 'getting used to'. You slowly build up experience by going out in challenging conditions and not getting in too much trouble so your 'system' learns it's ok.
Fear is your teacher, listen to it so you not get hurt. If the takeoff is too scary, then don't do it. Just sit on the shoulder and look at the other guys, and learn. Next time you go out in similair conditions, then maybe you feel confident to give it a try.
I learned to surf bigger waves this way, first time I commited to a heavy takeoff I wiped out. But I noticed/learned I could handle it, so next time I felt more confident in those conditions.

[oldmansurfer]

The way to increase your skills is to keep surfing regularly. When you can't perhaps you just can't progress. And if you are surfing regularly then you just need to make small steps to progressing so that you aren't overwhelmed by the challenge. Steep tubing waves are often difficult because if you are unfamiliar you will try to shoulder hop and the wave won't allow you to take off on the shoulder. Often it is actually easier to take off deeper in the lineup. Look where the other surfers are taking off that is probably where you need to be. Start smaller and work your way up. Work at not falling down and then try something more risky on the end of the wave. Work on your bottom turn, get it down till you can get a lot of speed from it. Surf more often. Don't worry be happy

[oldmansurfer]

here is some video about taking late drops

[oldmansurfer]

Back to small waves again. On Saturday I went to a break that I hadn't been to in maybe 40 years. I surfed it with some other guys long ago. I am not sure the name of it but think we just called it Kauai Sands because that is the name of the hotel in front of it. It is past Horners and the next break over that I call Crabs and it is a shallow right. It's a pretty long paddle from where I entered but seemed to be the best bet. I managed to get a functional cutback in where I did the cutback and then some more minor turns after it. The most interesting thing about that day was I never became disconnected with my board. In other words I was either stand laying sitting or holding the board with my hands because of the shallow reef conditions. Today I decided to try the rivermouth and it was waist high at the biggest but it had some nice albeit small steep waves knee to ankle high tubes. board got tubed but not me

[IanCaio]

Thanks Tudeo and OMS for the tips!

After that day I went 2 more times to this break: First one was just a bit smaller than that day from the video, but series would still come well served. I felt more comfortable on the outside, enough to risk throwing myself inside some tubes (couldn't complete any).
Second day was maybe even a bit smaller, and ironically was the day I was pounded the most. Tried to duckdive a few in the wrong time having my board ripped out of my hands like a rocket, wiped out on some take offs, hit my shin hard on the board later figuring out I had a big scary swelling and had a weird wipe out on an attempted tube, where I felt of my board on my back but actually felt like I was still riding the wave on my back for a while before it actually pulled me below the surface.

I did find a left where I could hit the lip nicely throwing some spray, so maybe it wasn't a complete beating session?

[oldmansurfer]

3 day weekend for me but only surfed 2 days. It was rainy and no surf on Saturday so I decided to make soup instead. Yesterday I went out to "Black rock" which is the break that is about 600 to 700 yards out on the right side of the bay I surf. It was head high but crumbly and I managed a frontside cutback on one wave but nothing noteworthy on any of the others Basically fun but mostly just good exercise. Today I went out to the rivermouth because I was still tight from yesterday and needed an easier paddle LOL but also I had to go to work today briefly and on my way by the beach I saw a nice set of waves there at the rivermouth. Both days it was breaking over at Crabs the break way over to the left side of the bay but there were guys out there both days. Anyway I was surfing my 8 foot board and managed a couple of backside cutbacks on waist high waves. Fun days and the weather was beautiful as well as the people on the beach (excepting yours truly)

[oldmansurfer]

I went to middle Horner's break two days. On Saturday it was more challenging and stormy and really my bottom turns were probably the best things I did out there but today was much nicer. Unfortunately I had to cut my session to only 15 minutes due to some territorial interference from a local resident. I wasn't sure if it was a male or female but I didn't want to stare long enough to figure it out. I didn't even wait for a unbroken wave to ride in and rode the whitewater from the wave after the one the local was on. He/she never said a word but it didn't matter. I always try to give the locals some room out there but particularly if they are a seven or eight foot shark riding a wave right where i want to surf.

[oldmansurfer]

I forgot to mention that Saturday I pearled. It was a steep lurching up wave that would be the type I love to do if I made it but I was slightly too late into the wave and didn't get my rail well pushed into the side of the wave and basically almost free fell down the wave and drove the nose down into the bottom. It's not very often that I pearl so it's worth a mention. I guess running into a shark was so exciting I forgot about it. Also on my first wave I had a decent off the whitewater/lip turn where the wave had crumbled at the top and I was deep and came around the section and whacked the crumbled lip backside. I haven't seen a shark that close in a while it was less than 10 yards from me as I paddled back out and riding the wave right where I wanted to be and was before to takeoff. Prior to that i had seen a shadow on the surface of the wave outside of the area I was surfing but I thought it was some debris in the water since it was stormy and there was lots of logs on the beach.