Cowabunga.

[Nords]

(I was thinking of posting this in "Life after FIRE" or continuing the thread "But waddya DO all day?") 

Last week's surf forecast started out pretty low key for such big news:
"A south swell is expected to arrive on Wednesday likely exceeding advisory levels of 15 feet late Wednesday and Thursday."

This is unusual because summer's surf on Oahu's White Plains Beach rarely exceeds six feet and is usually a beginner-friendly 2-4 feet.

This morning it was:
"HIGH SURF WARNING FOR SOUTH FACING SHORES.  Surf along south facing shores will be in excess of 15 feet."

I haven't seen the south shore like that in the three years I've been surfing, so of course I went out expecting to beat up the older eight-foot board on shallow-water coral heads.  The first picture is what I saw when I arrived.

The first hour went quickly until a guy 20 feet to seaward decided at the last possible second to spin around and catch a wave.  He was looking at the wave (instead of at me) until I uttered a pithy warning as I slid under my board to get away from his razor-sharp skegs fins.  Unfortunately he wiped out and couldn't get away from my board.  I didn't get a picture of his head but the scrapes & bruises were an inch above his right temple.  He insisted that he was fine and headed for the beach to go to work.

I was going to continue the day but when I started paddling I realized that the nose bumper on my board had been ripped off.  The second picture shows what I had left.

The board is a dinged-up handyman's special that's already more repairs than original.  I suppose I could drag out some more foam, fabric, & resin but it would be the third or fourth nose repair and it owes us nothing.  Now I have an excuse to go board shopping. 

I paddled in half expecting to find the other guy puking out his concussion on the sand.  However as we talked about the incident I recognized him as a Marine infantry colonel who stands watch at PACOM.  This was a big relief because I realized that, considering his occupation & senior rank, brain damage was not only unlikely but darn near impossible.  Of course he's going to have quite an injury to explain to the watch team tonight.

Here's tomorrow's forecast:
"HIGH SURF WARNING FOR SOUTH FACING SHORES... Surf along south facing shores will be 8 to 12 feet and as high as 15 feet on reefs with best exposure to southerly swells this afternoon through Thursday morning. Surf will decrease to 6 to 10 feet by Thursday afternoon."

And this weekend:
"Outlook through Tuesday Sep 20. The very large south swell should drop below the warning level of 15 feet for south facing shores by Thursday afternoon and then below the advisory level on Saturday."

So I think the kid and I are going to get in a few more waves tomorrow after school (homework permitting) and again on Saturday afternoon...

 

[runchman]

And to think I was talking to a co-worker just today about how I could retire in an instant and never be bored (I'm 41), while he wants to work forever because he just doesn't think he could find enough to do.

How could anyone look at these pictures, and think "Hmmm, no, I'd rather continue to go to a cubicle every day..."

Looks awesome, enjoy!!

- John

 

[laurence]

As ex-Navy, I bet you were all tears at the thought of putting a goose egg on some Jarhead!

Random kid at school: "what are you doing this afternoon?"

Nords' kid, "catching waves with Dad".

Are you officially the coolest Dad ever in your kids eyes or what?

 

[Jarhead*]

Nords: Saving those comments for an internet board shows me that your "brain" is working alright.

Jarhead

 

[Eagle43]

Way to go NORDS. Long distance criticism is always safer. Of Marines. Horn blaring. Dive! Dive! Dive! (well, isn't that the way they do it in the movies?)

And it is cool that you can take your child surfing after school. But, who you doing this for. Yourself or kiddo?

Next time you're out there, think about those cubicle rats. There they sit, staring at a monitor, looking serious, considering something soooo important, like a change in direction on an Excel spreadsheet. Meanwhile, you're looking at a change in direction of a 15-foot wave. Some things just don't need explaining.

 

[Mr._johngalt]

And to think I was talking to a co-worker just today about how I could retire in an instant and never be bored (I'm 41), while he wants to work forever because he just doesn't think he could find enough to do.

How could anyone look at these pictures, and think "Hmmm, no, I'd rather continue to go to a cubicle every day..."

Looks awesome, enjoy!!

- John

I've mentioned this before (yeah, I know it's a long list)
Even with the dropping of virtually all of my main planned
ER leisure activities, I go through my days so filled with
stuff that I know I have no chance of getting bored
(which I hate BTW) before my departure from this world.
Had lunch on Tuesday with my best friend (my age - still working). I know
what is on his plate and honestly, I don't know how he does it.

JG

 

[TromboneAl]

You didn't tell us how the waves were.   Were they really double over head?  Did you get some good rides in that hour?

Some of the best times with my daughter were surfing together -- great father daughter activity.  But she's in St. Louis now, and someone's coming to look at her board today.

Surfboard for sale [<-- link fixed]

 

[ronin]

The swell hits us tomorrow, peaking on Sat. It's been a really pathetic summer surf-wise; I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[Nords]

Nords: Saving those comments for an internet board shows me that your "brain" is working alright. Jarhead

Way to go NORDS. Long distance criticism is always safer. Of Marines. Horn blaring. Dive! Dive! Dive! (well, isn't that the way they do it in the movies?)

Well, my spouse has stood watch with him before, so she's saving those comments for their next watchbill... and I'm sure that he & I will run across each other again on White Plains, hopefully without making it a contact sport.

And it is cool that you can take your child surfing after school. But, who you doing this for. Yourself or kiddo?

Hey, there's a health dose of self-interest there, but like Laurence said she'll brag about it to all the other kids. Who will mention it to their parents. Who will come back to me later with a "Yeah, thanks a lot, Nords." She was stoked when she saw the photos yesterday, so I don't feel too bad about driving by the bus stop with the board on top of the car.

I commented to my spouse the other day that I get to do all the "fun" activities-- surfing, tae kwon do, camping, paintball, library runs-- and she gets to go to Goodwill or underwear shopping at Wal-Mart. But I was told that she's happy to be rattling around the house by herself when we're gone, and the longer we're out of the house the happier she is. Everybody wins!

You didn't tell us how the waves were. Were they really double over head? Did you get some good rides in that hour?

Oh, yeah, the waves were party time. I got there early enough (the sun was lower in the sky) to watch rainbows in the spindrift. I won't whine about the chop, it made things more interesting. The smaller board moves a lot faster, though, and I need to work on better cutbacks before I go shorter.

The swell hits us tomorrow, peaking on Sat.  It's been a really pathetic summer surf-wise; I'll believe it when I see it.

I think this one is fo' real. It's all fetch from the southern hemisphere, and it kept the lifeguards pretty busy yesterday. But I'll know more in a couple hours!

 

[deserat]

Nords,

That is so damn cool - I've boogie- boarded and body surfed in CA and Mexico and I have a goal of standing on a surfboard someday. I love the feeling of a free roller coaster ride - when you are falling down the face of the wave - it is a blast!

I am envious - definitely! Surf's up dude!

Bridget

 

[Nords]

Surf's up dude!

Another great day today.  Slightly smaller and not so much chop.  The boogie boarders were going drop-knee and getting tubed.

6-8 feet of clean lefts & rights stretching over 50 yards or more, and hardly anyone out there to use them.  The "crowd"-- all dozen of us-- was mostly adults over 40 and I bet half of us were retired or taking a sick vacation day.  The nine-foot longboard was a much smoother ride.  Paddle out, surf in, paddle out, surf in, paddle out, surf in, paddle out (pant, pant), surf in, ad infinitum.  Eventually I caught an express train to the beach and just couldn't stand the thought of paddling out again decided not to push my luck.

I did see a guy on the beach with a bandage on his head-- different guy, though.  It was only 9:30 AM and he didn't look very happy about cutting the day short.

After last night's tae kwon do, it's gonna be an 800-mg ibuprofen day...

 

[ronin]

Nords, check out the barrel at the San Clemente pier this AM.  Can't get the surf cam at my local spot due to net congestion (too many land locked barneys like me trying to see what we're missing).  The report is 5-7' with occasional 2' overhead.  Lots of side shore current and rips.  Sounds like you are having a good time!  That's awesome.  I hope to be really deep on a sick, sucking pit tomorrow.

http://www.surfrider.org/surfreport/ (oops... forgot the link earlier)

 

[Nords]

Nords, check out the barrel at the San Clemente pier this AM.

Excellent! By the time we see those at White Plains they're closing out (or swallowing boogiers). Looks like that south swell is working out all over...

That website also reminds me of how much I miss wetsuits & water-quality reports(NOT).

Our kid was chewed up by the homework monster yesterday so we rescheduled for Saturday, no problem since they're still forecasting over eight feet (that's unlimited no-paddle takeoffs when you're 12 years old). Of course I think I still need to personally verify the 6-10 foot forecast this morning. It's been a while since I've been out three days in a row (no whining!)-- only two more hours to go.

 

[deserat]

Nords,

I can relate to the pant-pant part of that - plus it is really neat that you have the wave almost to yourself. Used to drive me nuts at Manhattan Beach when the 14 year old boys would steal the wave from me and I'd have to pass becuase I didn't want to put two stripes on their back.

Worst part - being sucked up into wave, scraping on bottom, watching your life go before your eyes wondering if you will drown, popping up sputtering....then saying OK, just one more time

B

 

[Nords]

Used to drive me nuts at Manhattan Beach when the 14 year old boys would steal the wave from me and I'd have to pass becuase I didn't want to put two stripes on their back.

I almost never see that on the south shore but I stick to the spots that aren't crowded.

North Shore is another issue. Local pros like Sonny Garcia or Laird Hamilton are even worse but I think they're in the minority.

Another great surf day-- solid 6-8 with those 10-footers on the horizon and much less wind/chop. It was easy to ride them all the way to the beach (literally) and today was the easiest paddling of the week. Of course with this being the third day in a row it only took me an hour to get spaghetti arms. Tae kwon do sparring tonight will be a lot of footwork & maneuver, not so much offense!

 

[Nords]

Viva all tropical hurricanes (in the NE Pacific only!).  I'm so sore!

Ronin, you might have to clear your calendar for another board meeting next week. Here's an excerpt for Oahu's south shore:

"Outlook through Saturday Oct 8. A large late season swell is expected to arrive from the southern hemisphere Tuesday. Surf heights will likely be well above the high surf advisory threshold of 8 feet along south facing shores from Wednesday through Friday. Also, a small northwest swell is forecast to arrive late Wednesday and continue into Friday."

I'll do a quality-control check Wednesday and Thursday and Friday and...

 

[Nords]

I'd hate to show up late for my own party and have to tell my teacher I was out surfing.

I doubt the concepts of "dude" and "gnarly" translate well into Japanese...

 

[Nords]

Newport Beach on the last south swell.

Yikes, kick out! Kick out!!

Easily 6-8 feet today at White Plains but extremely choppy. Some of the waves were barely separated by 10 feet, which meant that I'd run down the face of one and up the back of another. Kinda psychotic. I got real good at changing direction.

Bought a used epoxy board yesterday. 7'9", single fin (but bored for thrusters), made by BIC Sports (yes, the ballpoint-pen company) in France of all places, and a big difference to fiberglas. Seems about the same weight yet much more buoyant, I guess due to more of an egg shape than a taper. I felt like I was floating instead of plowing. I'm not sure my kid is going to get to take her turn on this one!

I'll have to do some more research on Thursday and Friday and Saturday and...

 

[TargaDave]

No waves required!

 

[TromboneAl]

Great shot, TargaDave! I was big into windsurfing -- several times a week in the Bay Area, but stopped right around the time the kite sailing was coming it.

When the wind dies how hard is it to get self-rescue?

 

[TargaDave]

No strings required!

Distance to good waves for me (2350 miles). Just adapting. I did take surfing lessons in Santa Cruz with my then 13yr old last year. Tons of fun.

Great shot, TargaDave! I was big into windsurfing -- several times a week in the Bay Area, but stopped right around the time the kite sailing was coming it.

When the wind dies how hard is it to get self-rescue?

Actually not a very good shot but not bad for a video cam frame capture. Windsurfing since '79 as well. Sort of semi quit like you until this new fangled thing came along. Longest self rescue about 30 minutes due to gear breaking but off shore winds a no-no.

Bay area is great. I kite at Third Ave, Alameda and the Delta when I'm in town on business. Way too chicken for the ocean out there.

Why did you quit?

 

[Nords]

No strings required!

Great photo, but I'd like to see what happened to the subject of it in the subsequent 15 seconds... and if he wasn't wearing a leash, how far did he have to chase that board?

Much better today.  Clean 8-10 footers, peeling off into left & right breaks with only occasional closeouts.  The waves were big enough that I saw a couple guys trying for tube rides (ouch).  Boogie boarders were getting tubed less than 25 yards from the beach.  There weren't many rips or side roads or breaks today; we had to paddle out through all the mess and it was darn near endless.  I'd spend 15-20 minutes getting to a good spot and I'd sit up to try to catch my breath and enjoy the view of Diamond Head when suddenly aiiieeeeeeeee... a no-paddle takeoff.  It doesn't get any better than this.

The epoxy board is a hit.  Very responsive and easy to steer.  I thought I'd miss the thrusters but I'm having too much fun to notice.  It weighs a bit more than our 9'2" foam/fiberglas longboard but it seems to have more buoyancy, and it does have a wider profile near the tail.  I also think it's easier to paddle out but I might be prejudiced.

I saw a kid (age 12? 13?)  paddling out on the same board (he was surfing with his dad) and when I when I came in I walked past them.  They were eyeballing my board so I asked the kid how he likes it.  His dad said "It's great!"  I asked the kid how long he's owned it.  His dad said "A couple years, and we really like it a lot!"  I said to the kid "Your dad hardly ever lets you use that board, does he?" and he finally got a word in edgewise:  "Nope."

I met C.J. the USMC colonel in the parking lot as I was unloading.  He healed up fine and he doen't bear any ill will.  He did say that he'd gone off the lip this morning and found the bottom, which is not easily done at White Plains beach, so I think he's one of those thrill-seeking high-risk Marines who's always getting dinged up.  (I know, Jarhead, all those modifiers to the word "Marine" are just redundant...)

800 mg of ibuprofen, an afternoon nap plus a good night's sleep, and I'll be ready for tomorrow!

School has a day off next Monday and in a stunning surprise, my daughter asked if I could drive her posse to the beach.  We'll be taking four 12- & 13-year old grrrrls, three surfboards, four boogie boards, a couple cameras, and plenty of food & frosty beverages.  They'll probably want me to rent my own pavilion so that they don't have to be seen with me, but I'll be spending the day on the waves anyhow.  Is this a great country or what?!?