Thursday 30 August 2012

The green green glass of home

There were some nice glassy little 1 ft waves at Sandown this morning. I doubt they were rideable, even with a longboard as they were short lived, formed too close to the beach and were slow, but they looked nice.
I only had my phone with me, so had to take pictures with that, hence the poorish quality.






Wednesday 29 August 2012

4od - Surfing Special, The Endless Winter

Three programmes about the history of surfing here in Britain have been aired on Channel 4 recently. You can find these on their website, at 4od.
I've not seen these yet so, as there's bugger all on the TV this evening, I am going to watch.

Surfing Special, The Endless Winter.

Tuesday 28 August 2012

Grovelling in the white mush

It was a last-minute decision but I texted Chris and managed to arrange another session this afternoon. The waves were smaller, 2-3ft at 5s, and not as powerful as they were 12 days ago; the wind was a light onshore breeze. Consequently, I wasn't as shattered as I had been last time but, that said, this could be as much to do with exercises here at home, press ups and similar.

The session was pretty successful in that I caught most of the waves I went for and stood up on about 50% of them; I'm getting faster at getting to my feet. However, I was having a bit of a problem with nose-diving and losing my balance, unlike last time. I also found that I was dragging my front (left) foot quite a few times which is probably connected to losing my balance.

I have a couple of injuries, I jarred my neck and bent my left fingers back the wrong way, suspected dislocated (they're now painful, swollen and have had the ice treatment) but, on the bright side, that's better than jarring my fingers and bending my neck the wrong way!
I did remember my surf boots, which made things much easier. No cut feet this time.

I am hoping to get one or two more sessions before my trip to Cornwall in October. Having done 95% of my surfing in Cornwall throughout the 1990s, I know that the waves are better than here. They are less mushy and more longer-lived and, as a result, are easier to surf on. I don't like to appear disloyal to my home county but the IoW waves are not exactly world class and they're hard to surf on and Chris said as much.

Friday 24 August 2012

'Don't rent out space in your head'

I.e. Don't let people get to you', is an excellent saying. But, while it works well during the day, I wish it worked out as well in dreams. I am sick of people, often relatives, in my dreams telling me that I am useless and everyone hates me...although it is not them, I think it's me telling myself that in the guise of other people. It's the whole self-esteem thing again and another reason I am taking up surfing again.

Anyway, have another vid. This is bodyboarding, rather than stand up surfing, at Teahupo'o, Taihiti featuring some pretty huge waves - this is one of the most dangerous surf spots in the world, even the world's best surfers are scared of it. Better yet, the soundtrack is provided by Metallica. Interesting comment from someone below the vid, though "super gay to bodyboard ant (sic) not surf that shit" - I wonder if the commenter has actually surfed waves like that, if I was a betting person I'd guess not, they'd probably crap themselves. Posters of YouTube comments are invariably full of shit. Anyway, why is there always some schism about one thing being better than another? Stand up surfers v bodyboarders v SUPs, Canon v Nikon, Metallica fans v Megadeth fans, and so on and so forth? It's stupid, there's room for everyone, why can't we all respect each other and get along?



Grockles

I know we need them and all that (as there's eff-all other real employment prospects here) but I'll be glad when the summer holidays finish and the grockles go home. As I work in the tourist industry here I should feel treacherous saying this, like biting the hand that feeds - not to mention the fact that I'll take a massive drop in my income until next year if I can't get any other work during winter - but I don't really as the roads are crowded, the beaches - weather permitting and even when it's not permitting - are crowded and the ferry companies charge a scandalous amount to cross the Solent between July and September.
No surfing opportunities until after the bank holiday, probably later next week if I can arrange something.
Can't wait until October and my trip to Cornwall, when I'll be a grockle myself...we're all grockles somewhere else.

In the meantime, here's a surfy sort of tune from Green Day.

 

Thursday 16 August 2012

Standing up a little bit and falling off a lot

Finally! I got back on a surfboard - albeit a 9ft Alder foam longboard - for the first time in 14 years. I'd arrived at Compton a little early, having finished work a bit quicker than I thought I would, but that was no big deal because I had work phone calls to make and also have something to eat.

The surf was around 4 or 5 ft high, with 11 second intervals and there were plenty of surfers, including bodyboarders, out. I grabbed a couple of photos from the car park.



To cut a long story and one or two kooky errors (kook ups?) short, it was harder than I remembered but, after being knocked down by deceptively powerful waves a few times, it all came back to me, especially how hard paddling for a wave is, and how hard it is to get out beyond the white water. I didn't paddle out today, I was just shattered wading out to chest height and catching waves from there - I still missed loads - and my feet got battered by the rocks (I have surf boots which I will dig out for next time). You may think you are reasonably fit - I can do 40 lengths of a 25m pool - but you have to be even fitter to surf properly. There's only one way to get fit to surf and that is to surf more. I got caught inside and rolled over by larger waves a few times, but I don't mind that.

The main thing is though...I CAN STILL STAND UP! I can't pop up as easily as I could 14 years ago but that is because of being out of practice for that amount of time, and it will come, but I can get to my feet although I fell off rather more quickly than I'd like. I also need more practice with balance but, again, that will come. It will be easier on a hard surfboard, rather than a foam one, as hard boards are more stable and I found the foamie rocked from side-to-side too easily. But today was about getting back onto a board, any board, and getting the feel of it again.

I really need a day where the surf is nice smallish summer waves, rather than the largish swell of today. It was mushy but powerful, not clean and all over the place. Even Chris, the instructor, described the surf as 'challenging' and he'd initially been afraid it was too large but, even so, it was great to get out there again. I am bloody knackered and my left shoulder, knees and back muscles hurt, my feet are sore from the rocks and my eyes are sore from the salt water (but I am pleased not to have stepped on a weaver fish) but it was worth it.

Where did I leave that stoke 14 years ago? Ah right there, there it is! I am hoping to go again next week, if conditions coincide with being able to dump work for a few hours.

Tuesday 14 August 2012

Thursday...

I can't wait as long as October, it's fucking 7 weeks away, so I have booked a lesson for Thursday afternoon. It's a group session, with at least 3 others but should be no more than 10, but I'll also do a 1 to 1 sesh in September, when things aren't so busy. At £20 for 90 minutes it sounds good value and iSurf have a good reputation here on the Isle of Wight. It's a mobile surf school, and I have seen the van out and about - mostly at Compton, our most consistent break - so they can go wherever there's a swell. Hopefully the conditions will be good, with plenty of waves.

I have been doing a few press ups and practising pop-ups at home, as well. It was hard at first but getting easier and will make life a lot easier once I get back on a board properly. At least, I hope so.
I've also asked the surf shop in Shanklin, Earth Wind and Water, whether they often get second-hand longboards or mini-mals in. They do and cost around £250-ish but also to look on Wightbay. I might look when I get to Cornwall in October, there'll be a greater choice and, dare I say it, probably better prices, too.  I'm looking for something in the 8 to 9-ft range, as it will fit into my Renault estate. I'm not in too much of a hurry to get a board for the next month or so, especially as I have that car tax and MOT to pay for. Also a friend has talked me into going on a 4-night booze cruise on the Queen Mary 2 in November, which I now rather regret having said I'd go on...

I have discovered a number of videos on You Tube, one of which is 'Learn to Surf, The Fundamentals', in which the late, great Andy Irons shows you what is necessary to learn - or re-learn - surfing, which is in 2 parts. There are tons of videos on YouTube, though, some better than others.

Part 1





Part 2


Sunday 12 August 2012

Rediscovering the stoke

...42 years old, not exactly fit but wanting to rediscover the 'stoke'...that's me. I surfed - not great, but I surfed - throughout the 90s on longboards, but I have not been on a surfboard since 1998, when a combination of things meant I packed it in. Even without a family (I am single) demands on time and - particularly - money meant I never got round to replacing the 8'6" longboard I sold, although I do have a bodyboard. Bodyboarding, however, is not the same. Good fun, but not the same so I want to get back into stand-up, dare I say 'proper', surfing.

I've been assured that 42 is not to old to rediscover surfing, with people getting into it for the first time even into their 60s and 70s and with arthritis, which is reassuring! My relatives, however, probably think I am crazy and should act my age - well, bollocks to that! Who says surfing is a kids game?

Why, exactly, do I want to get back into surfing? Well, it's not to look 'cool', as I look like a prat, rather than cool, because I fall off a lot and get wiped out, not that I give a toss about that. No, I want to have fun, maybe get to know some new people, get fit again and remain that way. Added to which, it is great for self esteem, particularly helpful when yours is currently at about the same level as the Earth's core. Also I like being in water and, above all, I love the feeling that surfing brings - that all-important 'stoke'.

I have booked myself a few days down in Newquay in the first week of October and have also arranged a couple of days one-to-one tuition at Newquay Activity Centre to get back into the hang of things. Unfortunately that is still 7 weeks away...working in tourism here on the Isle of Wight, and wanting to avoid the worst crowds means I have to leave it till then. Can't afford a surfboard yet, as my car tax and MOT are due over the next month, so I'll have to content myself with the body board in the meantime, plus swimming, practising pop ups on dry land, etc...also, if I can find a day to do it, when surf is available and I don't have a lot of work on, I'll pop down the road to Dunroamin Beach and Wight Water, it's only five minutes from here but needs a good swell.

I have decided to do a blog about my efforts to rejoin the surfing community, just for a bit of fun. It's called 'Stand Up, Fall Off', because I expect know I'll be doing a lot of that...falling off, that is. Especially falling off.

This TV programme by comedian Justin Lee Collins, who is nearly my age and about as fit, has given me hope - and he's a total beginner! Btw, you can find the rest of the programme (it's in 5 parts) by clicking on the 'Watch on YouTube' link.




So has 'Silver Surf Dude' who is in his 60s. And 'Surfers Over 50'. And this thread, 'Later in life beginners', on Surfing Waves forum is great, everyone either starting surfing for the first time or getting back in the water after an absence.

I have no photos of myself surfing but here is a photo I took of a bloke surfing at Ventnor, in front of the Spyglass Inn, back in January.


Wish me luck - and if you see me in the line up at Compton or Hope Beach please don't give me a hard time! Cheers!