Session 8039: This IS Evening Glass Off

WavLOG

Day 39

Day like this make me so happy to feel that I am living in Califonia!

Session 8013: Still Zero Catch Today, How To Use the Wrist Cam

WavLOG

Day 13
Learning How To Use The Wrist Cam

NOTE: Click the picture to see the enlarged photos. You get a lot more out of them.

I am a bit embarrassed to tell you that for two sessions in a row I have not caught a wave. Nevertheless, I was glad I played in the water for an hour or so before work (well, I had to work this morning to do some IT issues.)

I have been practicing how best to get the shots with my submersible wrist cam. So let me talk about this a bit more in detail. The first picture you see here, which I highly recommend you click and see the higher-res version, you can see a rainbow out in the ocean. Picture like this is much easier to take because I can shoot just before I get in the water up close from the water. Otherwise I have to take them after I am done or before I do get in the water with a separate camera.

Again, this one is from the shore but it is now so easy to capture that.


This is kind of a picture I get a lot. I intended to take some other picture but ended up pushing a button just when the wave knocks me over. I have fond out that it is better to take pictures with me off the board, propping the camera and my arm on the board.


And that brings me to this picture. It is nice to take picture of waves from behind as well as from the front. You can see that this was a good offshore day as the good thick spinnaker cloud is flying behind the wave. What you are seeing is the infamous shore break that is about to happen.

Sessions 7149-50: Trust Your Equipment

I still distinctly remember one thing about learning to drive a car. It was learn how to turn the car. That was to put down the gas as you get out of a turn and let the steering wheel go. I remember this because it was actually a bit hard for me to do. It was hard because I did not want to let go of the steering wheel, especially when making a directional change and then you also need to punch the gas a bit.

But after a few tries, it just worked as exactly the driving instructor said it would. One distinct thing about this is that I had to trust the machine to do its thing, thereby actually being in control of the machine.

Similar stuff goes with with any other stuff, but when it comes to surfing, sometimes I do not trust the surf board enough and that can be the cause of why I do not progress as much. Quite a bit of it is a control issue and the fear that goes with it.

But one would not realize once you have established a relationship with a surf board, and trust it that it will do its thing, even when the wave is jacking up and going hollow, or when you feel like you are going to drop straight down into the bowl of the water in front of you, a moment of letting your own issues and trust the surf board, and perhaps the whole situation of the moment, a magic would occur and you'd realize it is indeed good to put some trust in the whole situation.

Session 7073: A Magical Morning with the Magic

This morning was small, glassy, and the water was balmy 55 F. Just one of these perfect summer dawn patrol here in Northern California, and nobody else has found us surfing, at least for an hour or so. So just me and a local buddy of mine each owning peaks. Nice rolling sets gets bigger every once in a while, and when it does, we paddle to the outside... or during smaller sets, we paddle back in a bit and continue to catch waves, or rest a little by paddling back further out.

I don't know about you, but it is like sitting in front of a mixing console and having fingers on the sliders, bringing them up and down to get the best mix out.

This morning, I took my Walden Magic out. It was lightly fogged in, a nice backdrop to perform some Magic.

Presently I own 7 surf boards, but the Magic is the one that I take out these days when a long board condition is called for. I pull out the side fins on all my long boards, and put a little bigger center on it.

The board never feels heavy in the water. Even if I screw up a bit and get in a situation of a "late" take off, it lets you take off. I call that a Magic. And when it comes to turns it seems I can create all sorts of turns with it and whatever I try, the board seems to easily accept my command. It lets me go where I want to go.... like I mistakenly take off in the other direction, recovering from that is just as easy. Just step back a bit and look in the direction of where I want to go. Never a disappointment.

I had some of the most fun long board rides with it in Santa Cruz connecting one section to another starting from the Hook and end up at the Privates stairs. I hate it when that happens because it is a long paddle back.

Do you have a magic board of your own?

Session 7065: Monday DP Nobody Out!

With the types of swells in the mix, I decided head north a bit this morning. During week days, I have time constraints as I do have to show up at work after surfing like everyone else does. My boss is understanding that I show up a bit after the normal commute time and leave a bit after a normal commute time as well. I really think that it is good for the environment to time shift and share the road.

This morning turned out to be a fun morning. I was the only one guy out for quite some time until someone else showed up with his Fish board. There definitely were quite surfable waves out there so I don't know where other people went. Well, the tide was on a low side and probably those who can pick their surf time were waiting for the tide to improve, but that was not an option for me.

This spot is notorious for its strong rip currents, and I chose the spot that was easy to get out. I took a ride and tried to plow through oncoming sets, but it was amazing that with a bit of paddle to the side, it makes a world of difference in getting out. It is almost the point of being scary, and that's why I still don't usually go all the way out, but this morning, it was so easy that in no time I was completely outside. Still, some sets closes and some sets are decent and I tend to pick the bad ones!

I wish that I had more time this morning, as when I got out there were some more sets coming in.

Surfing continues to take a lot of time and patience to really learn the best skill set. Lately I have been sensing some progress and I see the door to the next step but I still have not been able to twist the knob to open it. There has been many number of these doors that I had to open, and I am certain that there will be more.

Session 7053

Every once in a while the devilish punchy spot becomes a very delightful surfing spot. We wait all year around stopping by and checking the spot to see "just in case if we can surf." And this morning, it was a delightful surfing morning. Should have brought a long board. The water temp came back up to 55 F. I was actually hot for the whole session and had to dive under the water to get cool.

Session 7050: Miracle M - Stoke 10!

Tomorrow through Friday, I will be out of town, out of ocean and will be locked in a deep maze of a major hospital in Pacific Northwest. I will be seeing happy people with a good news of an addition to their families, and I will see people in despair, and some preparing for the ultimate departure. When I hit the ocean, I think about these things, my friends, and myself, people who I've met and people who moved on. It is a good place to contemplate these life issues alone. From this stand point the ocean is a spiritual place for me, and that's the part of the attraction that compel to bring me back, every day, if possible.

When I got up this morning, the wind was blowing still, and I had to cancel the down patrol routine. I was looking forward to it, because missing it means I could not get back to the ocean until this weekend. Sounds rather selfish, but on the other hands, I made a life commitment to lead a surfer's life and planned everything so that I can keep surfing. I am sure many of you can related to that, and there are many of my coast side buddies who are doing the same.

Occasionally throughout the day, I was looking at my forecast tool on the StokeMaster.COM home page that I have built; yes, I even build a tool to make my surfing life easier. As the day went on the wind started to come down. The hope returned, and I did take off exactly at 5 PM from the job to do some last-minute wave hunting. And I found the waves! And they were perfect size and shape. Not too big, but not too small either and I know the place can be punchy. Which could be fun.

I now know the place. I know where to hitch a ride to the rip current, and where not to paddle back out. I even know that where I will be caught inside if I paddle back out. So I just get out and walk to the channel. Even though it is relatively calm, paddling does require some effort, and with some backwashes it was a bit bumpy. But I've even learned to like them as they cause all sorts of big bumps that you can surf on and around!

I surfed really hard for just over an hour. Kept moving, kept paddling and kept getting into as many waves as possible, and some waves were thrilling and really fun to ride. The F4 board worked really well.

It was very satisfying when the waves, the weather, and the possible disappointment turns all the way around. Miracles do happen.

While I don't hear from many of you, I do appreciate you taking a virtual ride with me through my WavLOG all this time, and I hope that you will have sweet rides too!

Surfz Up!

Session 7036: No Crowds But No Waves!

Like I said, as soon as I start to talk no so humble, the karma turns bad.

Nobody in the wave, but caught zero wave this morning.

The nature always teaches you to be humble!