I have a few close relatives who just insist that whatever they have heard on the TV or radio is the absolute truth, and it is very difficult to argue them out once they get into that mode. I will hold off on the discussion on how dangerous this can become but I will now stay within the topic of surfing...
So, I think that people should just F the Forecasts sometimes and just get out. Most forecasts are based on computer models and also they tend to be based on 1 or even 2 hour old data. In that time, the tide and wind and even the swell component changes. So I basically go by the swell, tide and wind information on my StokeConsole page and I no longer really look at any other stuff. You will be amazed that your brain is still much better computer than most web sites. Besides we are dealing with ever changing nature (especially true with surfing which do change by the minute, unlike ski conditions). No machine groomed packed powder dudes! Instead, shoulder high left, followed by a big overhead rights and a period of nothing...
This is also the reason why I do not do "go/ no go" forecasts because a good wave for one person is different for another (at one point I thought of doing it.) Plus most of these "go / no go" guys are expert surfers so their "go" is more like eating a big lobster dinner while my go is like a quick stop by at Just Wonton before a session.
Everyone, as a good surfer, should really learn to read the conditions for your own style of surfing. It is actually a lot of fun, especially when you guess is right on.
Today was a fine example where you could have had a Stoke 7 or 8 session at our levels. Great mix of hip to chest to occasional shoulder highs, sometimes rolling, and sometimes fast. I don't know who says junky, not surfable!
But to some extent I am thankful to those off-the-mark forecasts and also surfers who only believe in them... Without it, the beach would have been much more crowded when I got out.
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Today I went back to my usual experiment mode and one of my latest quests is the "tail weighting" during take-offs. This has been going on for about the last 3 weeks, and especially when Jen pointed out to me that the tail fins were getting out of the water and pearling!
Today, I think had made quite a bit of progress on this area, and now I have to back compensate. What I have learned is that if I push the tail of the board hard during steep take offs, I do not pearl and do take off even when the wave face is basically closing out right on my back. The problem is that I stay on that mode too long so as I decent I am really wobbly. I know what should be done there. Shift the weight quickly to forward then the board should descend down even faster and can get ahead of the wave. Also it is a sign that I am pushing too hard to the back, so I need to learn to feel how much I need to apply given each wave. " It is a great feel -- feels like you are descending down on a wobbly wooden escalator that they used to have at the Emporium downtown or the Macy's in NYC.
Well my quest continues!
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