Yep^^ Fun board to cruise on.Thanks for the board btw:).
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Yep^^ Fun board to cruise on.Thanks for the board btw:).
You might have fun. But the wave is overall kind of weak, and sponges take a fair amount of juice to get going. They are soft, bend, and displace a lot of water. OTOH, surfboards are generally bigger (more floatation) and fiberglass (don't bend, glide much better, aqua-dynamic).Quote:
Originally Posted by SheRa
If you are going to boogie, I suggest beach break or shore break. If you do not want to travel, go to 26th Ave beach to play around. You will be ble to catch a bunch of wave and ride right up onto the beach.
ncohnico is probably right. A lot to be learned on a proper board. It is also good to spend a little time on a longboard. Just paddle out on a small day (like today) and watch the line up. Watch the wave. Watch the surfers up close. It is pretty easy to stay out of the way on the point. Also, the paddling will work your paddling muscles. I think one of the toughest parts of surfing is getting those muscles in shape. Once you are tired, you are done. You can paddle out at 38th, and paddle up to 2nd and 1st peak to watch what is going on. Paddle back to 38th and try to get a wave or two.
I also suggest the beach break, just because fewer people are around and you do not need to wait (or hope) for a wave, or be worried about getting in the way/ hitting others. Maybe this is why the 'pleasure point guy' suggests playing around in close outs. No one will. And ask him if he ever gets of the point to surf some real waves. :)
dog beach always seemed like a nice spot for a sponge (not a beginner, though)... or no board at all.
for a beginner not too used to the ocean/waves/etc., you can learn a lot from shorebreak, but you can get schooled.
i suggest putting your body in barrels. it's addictive and you can learn a lot about wave hydraulics.
I live in Maui so am pretty familiar with Launiopoko. A perfect place to learn. In summer time, it catches south swells. If it's big, you can just hang on inside while learning. If not much swell, you can go outside and wait for sets. when you fall, try to land flat as there is quite a bit of reef. Regarding boogie boarding here, it's not just to catch the white water after the wave breaks. Unless you're a tourist with a soft mushy boogie board. With a more expensive boogie board and fins, you can catch waves. I'm not a surfer or much of a boogie boarder ( windsurfed for about 25 years tho), but both of my sons did it for years.
That cat one is photoshopped!!
Another good day of surf in these parts SheRa. Get in the water! This is a perfect week, with small, fun surf.
http://images.yuku.com/image/jpeg/5f...39d27a9c0b.jpg
the good kind of Brasilian boogie boarder
she'd still back paddle you.
You guys are right, thanks for the reality check. If a cat can do it I can too, not even get my hair wet!
I've been distracted with these car shows coming up next week. I'm working both the one in Carmel and the one on Pebble Beach. At least got to play some disc golf on the way back from Carmel.
Throw the boogie in the trunk and go out at Carmel when your there. Picks up a good amount of NW wind swell, but essentially no S swell. It is punchy, and when it peaks up, can be super fun mini tubes.
Or out around the front of PG, near Asilomar. Picks up both NW and some SW. Or stop at Marina or Moss if there is some mid period NW in the water, and no wind. Plenty of spots to surf between SC and Carmel. And if you want some real grindy heavy beach pound, head south just about 20 minutes on 1 to GSP.
She-Ra, just go do it. I moved to a pretty gnarly little break in Ventura County about 3 weeks ago that is known for some heavy surf (and heavy localism). It's summertime so it's super flat and mellow and everyone I've met has been nothing but stoked for me to get out and kook around and learn. In the winter when it gets big I'll just drive north to the more longboardy breaks.
I grew up skiing in AK and CO and this is my first time living on the water so I had to find something to replace the stoke from the snow. Surfing has been great but as everyone else said be prepared to paddle for hours to get a few seconds of wave riding.:eek: No shit. Slowly though you'll find yourself working 'smarter' not harder and riding more waves. (I paddled for probably 20 this morning and actually rode in a whopping 3).
Bottom line is as some old gaper once said, "If you don't do it today, you'll be one day older when you do!" :tongue:
Oh, and you should bodyboard, and body surf, and stand-up paddle, and sail, and fish and dive and all that shit. But surf too. :fm:
not sure which of the "heavy localism" breaks you are talking about but the ones with localism reps ime were much nicer to surf than say the Rincon douchefest of kook dropping in on kook dropping in on kook dropping in on Kelly SlaterQuote:
Originally Posted by mach.850
Thanks for responding. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by stenou
I have some more questions, if you don't mind. First off, can a boogie board go on the bus?
Second, do you know anything about the golf there? I've been talking to my golf pro friend and it turns out he's on Oahu. He can get me a job at his club, which I'll take if need be, but I would so rather be someplace less populated. Anyway, if you're in the know, I'd like talk in PMs. tkx
How do people keep their stuff safe on the beach if they didn't bring a car?
Maui has a lot of golf courses. I only golf about twice a year, so don't know a ton about it. However, I think Maui is a Golf destination for a lot of people. The luxo courses are in Wailea, Makena (south side) and Kaanapali, kapalua (west side). there is a big tournament each year in january at kapalua that draws the big names. I would encourage you to try to save enough money to buy a used car if you are going to be here a while. The mass transit system in Maui exists, but is not great.Not sure if you can bring a boogie board on bus. Crime is not a huge issue at some place like launiapoko, but don't tempt fate either. Launiapoko is considered a pretty mellow surf area with lots of families and kids. so, not an aggressive scene. My office mate who grew up in Lahaina and has surfed all of his life spent years hanging with his 2 daughters at Launiapoko. They both turned out to be very good surfers and were very active in the Hawaii contest scene. One almost went pro. In any event, if you have any questions re surf scene on Maui, I can relay the questions to he and his daughters who will be able to answer any question re Hawaii surfing. By the way, stand up paddling is huge here. Gotten to be a very big deal and is worth giving a try. From what I hear, it's easier to catch waves and good fun can be had even on small waves. Regarding living here, I would tend to shy away from living on West side as it's easy to sort of get isolated on that side. Also, a big transient population. Both the south and west sides have tons of tourists. I would not care to live there personally, but on the other hand, there are probably more jobs there as that is where most of the tourist industry is. For living and getting a bit more authentic feel for living in Maui, I think Haiku and upcountry maui are better. However, out haiku and Paia way, you definitely have a certain percentage of mainland haoles (whites) who have lived here for a year and figure they're full on locals. Or rastafarians. Like most places that have cool recreational opportunities, there is a little bit of local/visitor tension. But not bad. Feel free to PM any questions. I've lived here for 28 years (yes, I'm old), so know the area reasonably well. the good news is that there are many people lijke yourself who move here to have fun and work for a year or two, so there will be a lot of people in your situation. For ocean recreation, it's hard to imagine a better place. some of the most steady, strong trade winds in the world for Kiting/windsurfing, beautiful coastline for kayaking, and reasonably consistent good surf for wave fun. By the way, though, be careful, as the waves here tend to be more powerful than most places. Which is why you can still catch swells with boogie boards (as opposed to just some mushy white water as some have said), but you can also get slammed.When I first came to hawaii about 30 years ago, I went to a beach in Oahu called Sandy Beach. It's a reasonably well known body surfing/boogie boarding spot. I saw all of these kids riding the waves with the greatest of ease. the waves looked just like you expect hawaii waves to look like. Anyway, i decide to go in and catch one, just like the kids. It was a humbling experience. The force was unreal. I ended up dragging myself back onto the beach after being tumbled and having my swimsuit mostly pulled off of me by the water sucking out. I reassessed which waves I should go into after that. Aloha
Thank you very much for taking time for such a nice response. :)
Launiapoko sounds great for a first summer of surfing. Thanks for feedback on that. The closest town is Lahaina. Possible to bike down there even with a surfboard, it's only 3 miles or surf the harbor for a change of scenery. There are rooms on craigslist right on the water. I'm not there for the wind, just the summer swell, so leeward seems perfect. Haiku not so much. Also working on a little business plan and the closer to tourists, the better. They got the monies, you know?
Here in California, my truck is mostly parked. I ride my bike, I ride the bus. Even though I'm new here, I'm open to the community that way, talking to lots of people. It's good. This is like a trial run, being in a new place. In Hawaii I want to work less, surf more. Use my saved money for food and rent, not a bigger carbon footprint, so no car. If it's a great summer, I will plan to come back and reconsider location and transportation. Your bus system looks great. And cheap. Would ride the bus to Costco, golf course, saturday market, etc...
As far as localism and transient folks, I understand it too well. It's a fact of life in Summit County which has been my home for a lot of years. As a local I completely understand the mentality. It breaks your heart to make new friends every season and then they leave, so you harden it and put up barriers. You wait to see if people are more permanent or if they are staying year round before you get too tight with them. But also, I remember my first year teaching at Keystone I made the greatest friends with the other new people, the other freshmen. Maybe Hawaii will be similar. I will let it happen and not worry too much. If I show up at the same beach every day, ride the same bus every day, get a part time golf course job, I'll get known and it'll all work out.
As far as SUP, yeah I've seen them at UCSD. I really like the idea of traveling distances on flat water, nicer than a kayak because you're up and can see more. Will def do if I get a chance. Surfing with a SUP, not so much. Big log. I'm going to surf as short and nimble as I can learn to manage, that's what I'm feeling anyway. In general I'm not into fads either and SUP is so full blown. Sheep mentality is not my thing at all.
Oh man, no fishing licenses needed in Hawaii! May I ask how you get your fresh fish? Costco? Do you ever talk to the boats coming in? When I was little we got our shrimp right off the boats. Do you know anything about crabbing there?
Mahalo
Launiapoko IS perfect for learning if you're in that area. Bus stop right at the stop light as well. The south end of the Lahina harbor is pretty mellow as well. There were a few surf schools teaching tourists there last time I was in Maui so it's definitely a chill wave most of the time.
My niece at that surf camp.Quote:
Originally Posted by BirdRock
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p...ol08-08079.jpg
That jetty is a great place to learn.The outside harbor reef break looked pretty good also when I was there.
Totally agree. I'm speaking of 'Strand. The stories were outlandish but I've found nothing but great people and great surfers who don't mind sharing the lineup with a new guy.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hugh Conway
Sweet pic! Nice shirt. Hopefully my new back yard! Makes me realize there are no palm trees here.Quote:
Originally Posted by TWINS
Quote:
Originally Posted by mach.850
From the guys I've talked with, today's SS localism is not = to old SS localism. Lawyers and cops have ruined localism on the mainland. A few breaks have given a longer fight to keep their localism but today's PC world doesn't allow it. I've never been a loc anywhere so I can't give first hand experiences.
edit: There will most likely be a lot more intensity in the vibe when SS is maxing this winter with a heavy pack. I'd expect a lot more stuffing will be served to everyone in the lineup when it's on. Instead of fighting, a lot of the tactics will involve back paddling and blatant burns. It's still a form of localism but just not as violent.
edit edit: you live really close to the best beach break I've surfed in california, not that I've surfed many but this one stands out
I surfed Windansea last week on accident. I had been in the water 30 minutes, hadn't caught a wave or even paddled for one. Was playing it cool. Dude called out another dude for dropping in on and cutting off other people. Random dude pulled up to me, told me how nobody would have challenged this dude twenty years ago. He was a heavy. An "enforcer". I still managed to get my waves, and nobody yelled at me. I'd never seen this much localism in real time outside of SC or HI. Always interested to see what goes on away from home. With very few exceptions, I think that a low key approach and a humble attitude go a long way. That and a killer hack.
For SS, Pierpont(where I lived) and most of the rest rising real estate and old age were the bigger problem, imo. Same with Santa Cruz. Fun surf down there and even on great swells weekdays were good. Great variety of breaks, accessible and you are heading into the $$$$$$$$$$ season of fall. Good swell and an offshore = heaven.Quote:
Originally Posted by Piggity POW
Take your lunch break on Pebble or wherever and go body surfing to wash the douche of those events away. Nice cars though.
i used to see some weird shit from some drunk "enforcer" hacks at windansea. in my few years of living 2 blocks from that beach, on a quality summer day, most folks there seemed to be enjoying themselves, and focus on having a high quality day. i once observed a local almost get physical with a bodyboarder on a really good day at big rock. the bodyboarder was ruling that wave at the time, more so that anybody else. the local got called out by several other surfers who knew the local and he stfu. all these folks were high-quality riders. i spent a good bit of time in the water at big rock and it was the deepest (the bodyboarder) i'd ever seen somebody successfully get pitted there, like 1 or 2 waves a set. it was also some of the most intense backside freefall to deep pit surfing i've witnessed.
That about sums it up. Looking forward to serving caviar for $16/hr+tips. Just wondering how much I can sneak into my own gullet :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Hugh Conway
The water is still too cold for me to enjoy. Sad. I've biked hundreds and hundreds of miles this summer. Lately having more fun climbing with my mountain bike through the redwoods in Nisene Marks. The pines are dying where I come from in Colorado, so I really enjoy this thriving cool green place. Moss,clovers,ferns,redwoods,coastal oaks...and that blasted poison oak. But I learned my lesson on that.
I go to the beach a few times a week and lay in the sand and stare at the waves. And I read everything I can find about Hawaii. They are getting their ancestors bones from museums and putting them back in the ground. They don't want any studying done, like no DNA analysis. If it were my ancestors, I would want them studied, different way of thinking.
Shera,I also dislike cold water. As I get older I am less tolerant to it. Localism in H.B. is alive still.
My wifes coworker invited me to his lineup whenever I want. If you don`t belong they will let you drift by without any issues.Just don`t paddle into position.I never took him up on his offer though.I go the beach to get away from hostility,not be part of it.
Localism doesn't quite exist like it used to around here but still surfaces at windansea/big rock semi regulary. Nothing like back in the day however.
Bottom line (as with life in general) - don't be an idiot, show some respect and all will be fine.
Bodywhomper, we should hook up. My office is in the village. Used to be across the street from boomers and would spend half the day at my desk watching guys take off on peaks. I don't whomp as much as I used to growning up but still enjoy putting on the fins and getting after it.
BirdRock, i live 'far from my next whomp' :), i.e. western slope of the sierra. i often desperately miss putting my body in barrels, but also grew tired of getting sick so often. i blew out my eardrum mid-summer from little critters in the water at windansea during my last summer living on la jolla blvd.
cheers
Ahhhh. See you in mammoth this season then hopefully.
This made me shudder. I snapped a fin in half with my groin last fall, and it was nowhere near as painful as rupturing my eardrum. The EENT I saw said I would need surgery to repair it. It healed completely in 8 weeks on it's own, but I seriously contemplated quiting surfing. For about five minutes.Quote:
Originally Posted by bodywhomper
yea it sucked, mainly because i had to be out of the water and taking gnarly antibiotics. i blew out an eardrum twice over a few years. pin prick holes both times. the first time was mid-winter probably from contaminants in the water at blacks beach (most of my daily water time at that time). that one hurt like hell until the eardrum finally popped and the floodgate opened. i wasn't following that rule of thumb about waiting a certain number of days after a storm for the water to clear up a bit. second time was mid-summer and was not proceeded by or followed by any pain. i just woke up one morning with a bunch of shit on my pillow and stuff oozing outta my ear. yum! the beaches were semi-regularly assayed at that time and were open (though they were occasionally closed for contamination), no recent rain, etc. the Ci of SD needs to re-evaluate it's sewer and (lack of) stormwater treatment in that area.
cheers
Heh. Yeah. I went to bed in my gf's house, woke up with a pillow case that you could hold sideways and it would stand up. Drainage was ridiculous. Mine was not a pin prick. It has only happened once, and mine was from OB(up here). I've used a 50/50 blend of rubbing alcohol and vinegar, and it has worked for the last two years.
you're lucky it healed-up. i'd imagine you have scar tissue. i do.
middle ear infections for me (infection coming from inside of the eardrum); cleaning out outer ears doesn't help. saline flush up my nose helps me a lot for all that stuff. SF treats most of it's stormwater, of course, you have the rest of what's comin' out the golden gate.
i get wax issues (another critter vector for me), too. one of the two the ent's on kauai told me to rinse my outer ears a few times a month with mild soapy water using a baby bulb, like what you use to clear out baby noses. that's worked really well for me since my last full ear plug-up (whomping shipwreck's beach :) ).
I think that has a lot to do with it. What I am saying is the new school locals are not dealing out quite as many beatings like the old school locals before them did. Part of the reason is today's legal society we live in is actually filtering into the surf scene and most people think twice before dealing out a beatdown as the norm. This is also my opinion on society in general, not only specific to localism in the surf scene.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hugh Conway
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/aug/...s-upsets-some/Quote:
A popular surfing spot where graffiti on a lifeguard tower once proclaimed "if you think you can just pull up and paddle out, you are wrong," Silver Strand was a tight-knit community where neighbors looked out for each other and sometimes resented arrivals of outsiders, residents say.
So when prosecutors in the Brandon McInerney murder trial argued he was a member of a criminal street gang called the Silver Strand Locals, or SSL — and was influenced by white supremacist members of the group — some residents were upset.
Like McInerney's attorneys, residents argue that SSL is simply a mark of local pride for a diverse community, not a gang with white supremacist leanings.
Ventura County Sheriff's Department officials, however, said there is a criminal SSL gang with at least a dozen youths, and deputies recently increased enforcement in the area in response to several assaults. The enforcement is unrelated to the high-profile trial, officials said.
Trying to stick gang charges on someone obviously increases the penalty. All surf clubs are subject to this and all DA's will start following the lead.
Bird Rock Bandits (not fully surf related) is another example of the DA trying to stick gang charges that probably shouldn't have been added. Imagine if one of the Wind & Sea surf club loc's deals out a heavy hand? Definitely gang charges to follow.
All this BS is impacting localism. As a result, the lineups will become a little less regulated, more chaotic and possibly more dangerous due to drop ins.
Localism definitely exists. This is a process and not an event, it will gradually become more the norm even at the heavier localized breaks. You can't hide from a DA on a witch hunt
Quote:
Originally Posted by Piggity POW
From what I recall, negligence on the part of the school probably had more to do with the Brandon Mc. killing than any type of surf gang influence. This is a sad case, one that could have been avoided if the school had played a more proactive role.
I think we are agreeing. DA's overplaying stuff
I think you're right. The whole "SSL is a gang" thing has raised a lot of eyebrows here locally. There was a recent story in the local paper where long time locals (talking elderly folks) were upset because they had SSL stickers and claimed themselves as Silver Strand Locals. It didn't mean they were in a gang, it just meant they were a part of a tight knit community that takes care of one another.Quote:
Originally Posted by Piggity POW
My tinfoil hat says that it's VC Sherriff's attempt at making ground in a gang case that they can control, since they can't control the Hispanic gangs in Oxnard. Go after a bunch of groms (maybe 10-15 at most) and claim victory. And the fact that they claim it is white supremacist is a fucking joke. Half of the people with SSL tats or stickers are not white.
That being said, the localism has relaxed for sure due to the impact of law enforcement. You can't just beat somebody down on the beach because he dropped in on you. Several court cases have proven that. I think that school shooting case had little to do with SSL and even less to do with surfing and localism.
Rode my first left all the way in at the bowl yesterday. Never been so stoked to do something I'm so terrible at. Luckily, there's some great locals to help me out. :wink:
Do you really think that because people cannot as easily (w/o prosecution) beat the crap out of someone for 'not belonging' is ruining surfing? Come on. The ocean is not real estate. It is not owned by anyone.Quote:
Originally Posted by Piggity POW
There are plenty of way to regulate a line up outside of using violence. First step is to speak up, and let the kook know about their infractions. If that does not work, positioning is key. If you have even three competent surfers working together, you can completely skunk another persons (or groups) session. If nothing else works, remove a carburetor and drop it in the water. jk. I've always thought the beat down was the least creative way to protect your wave. Sure, it is effective in many cases. And still wrong.
Claiming surf clubs as gangs is just silly (except for that one in Point Break), and I agree the easy out - instead of going after actual gangs. But stopping assault on the beach is a very good thing IMO.
I've always thought the surfing community dynamic was interesting. Surfing has always brought me a sense of solace. Engaging with a wave and being out in the ocean is special. I think most folks surf in order to enjoy themselves. Yet, add too many surfers (sometimes that is just one other person) to the mix, and things tend to become competitive. Waves are a limited resource. People tend to put the blinders on and become a bit more selfish. And then at some point, tempers flare, and people get pissed off. Then you need to begin to wonder what the entire point of being out is.
I didn't say 'ruining surfing'. I said impacting, which is true.
In no way am I saying beatdowns need to happen or should happen but the thought of one keeps a lot of people following the etiquette. Take the same egocentric surfer from Trestles, then watch him paddle out at Velzy's, all of a sudden he is the most humble guy on the North shore and it's not by coincidence. It is still the same ego driven surfer but the lineup dynamics can change the persons etiquette because they know there are 'potential' consequences for acting like a fool.
I guess living in Socal has jaded me because I see drop ins, back paddling and a lack of etiquette on a daily basis. I wish the lineups were more organized, nothing more and nothing less.
I don't want to get into a pizzing match with anyone, that is definitely not my intent here. :smile:
I have noticed my interwebz communication is lacking.
I feel like most of the time I'm agreeing with people but having to clarify things further. I should consider quitting the webz and just going back to being a real life guy.
The funny thing is, while Lowers has a VERY aggressive takeoff zone, most people tend to kick out if there is someone behind them. I surfed Lowers a whole lot one summer, and I was always amazed to see that. While you might have 6 people paddling for one peak, when someone is up and riding, usually the guy in front kicks out, in fact almost all the time. There are plenty of drop-ins, but I very rarely saw a blatant burn where the guy did not kick out.Quote:
Originally Posted by Piggity POW
I eventually got sick of dealing with Lowers. I surf middles/Cottons/Uppers now and don't deal with the Lowers hassle. But it always amazed me just how civilized Lowers was, all things considered.
Velzy, of course, is a completely different beast. If an important guy drops in on you, he is most definitely NOT going to kick out!
We actually got our car stolen at Velzy once. I actually surfed Freddyland, which was really fun. They found the car a few hours later. Luckily our wallets were back at the hotel. All the guys got were our cell phones, pre-smart phone, and our ID's.
That sucks LDD, thieves suck. I think the break-ins at V'z happen regardless if someone is local or not. The ice heads are usually doing the break-ins and they don't tend to discriminate. My buddy was paranoid about his truck also and he's surfed there since the 60's.
My sis in law used to hide her key while she surfed DH and she came out to find her truck gone. She bummed a ride home and found her front door wide open. They stole her truck, realized they had her home key, found her address and then decided to load her entire house into her truck and steal both. It sucked.