Can a thick, 230 lb., 48 yr old man who once was athletic, learn to surf?
Or would I just be wasting my time and should sit on the beach watching my son get a solo lesson?
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Can a thick, 230 lb., 48 yr old man who once was athletic, learn to surf?
Or would I just be wasting my time and should sit on the beach watching my son get a solo lesson?
if this fat fuck can do it, you can too....
Attachment 318049
OMG....thanks for the laugh. I was expecting a pic of you riding....but this is better.Quote:
Originally Posted by m2711c
It aint a waste of time if you're having fun.
That critter has a lot of insulating blubber. If it were me I’d start somewhere warm. If it’s not working then hang on the warm beach. Would not want to flail around in 55 degree water.
Guessing u thought of that already. I go now.
Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums
You're going to flail, people on the beach are going to be pointing at you and making personal comments. Fuck 'em. Accept it, and have a good time.
That's what I do and fwiw I started surfing 40+ years ago.:fuckyou:
Surfed my whole life. Take the lesson. Stay out of other surfers way, have fun and dont worry what others think. If you dont do it now you will be that much older when you finally do
OK....here's the deal.
14 yr old son was diagnosed with Leukemia in August '18 and Make-a-Wish is kindly granting his wish.....trip to Hawaii.
We will be staying in Waikiki and my 16 yr old son wants to try it. $60 Groupon for 60 minutes for one person or $77 for two. Leukemic son doesn't have the strength....thus for $17....I'll give my wife a good laugh (with my clothes on this time).
One of the most chill waves out there, I’m not a surfer and it was cool and not too heavy even for a beginner. Go for it!!! They will put you on a 10+ longboard so even the big guys can float
Oh yeah, you gotta do it.
There really is no downside, might even make your kiddo laugh uproariously.
That is priceless!
Of course you can go knock around in a mellow place and get a sense of it.
by percentage of time spent, surfing is mostly just paddling and being in the water anyway. Think of it as an expedited way of swimming, and a nice way to get out there and be in the ocean.
not really applicable to just knocking around for a day or two, but fwiw, as far as developing further as a heavy weight surfer, it helps to remember that the ocean has enormous power, more than enough to toss the heaviest human being who ever lived, so it becomes a matter of positioning yourself so the ocean can pick you up and throw you forward, then learning what to do with yourself during that throw.
But don't worry about all that when you're knocking around for a few days...you'll be fine!
Great thing about surfing is you don't even have to know how to swim. You have this giant flotation device tied to your ankle.
^^^^^ThisQuote:
Originally Posted by ill-advised strategy
Not This^^^^Quote:
Originally Posted by I Skied Bandini Mountain
C'mon.. it'll be fine.
GB good luck with your son I hope he is doing ok. For $17 you better get out there and do it. What I would give to whet my gills in WaikikiQuote:
Originally Posted by gatorboy
I'm right there with you dude, my wife got me a surfing lesson for Christmas this year. Surfing for my first time at 43 and I can't wait! Do it!
The hardest part about surfing is you cannot breathe underwater. Gills would be really helpful because beginner surfers are not very efficient. Be prepared to get worked. Start running now. :)
Actually running and swimming would be decent prep. But no mater how good your lungs are seconds feel very long under water. The nice think about Waikiki has plenty of places to hide from any juice, and then it is juts a paddle out into some moving water.
OP, I think this will be one of the best things you could do on vacation. If you catch even one wave you will be blown away. Surfing is such a cool feeling. That is why seals and porpoises do it. It's fun.
Do it! Waikiki is in most ways probably the ideal place to surf for the first time. Which also means that there will be plenty of first-timers out so no need to feel embarrassed. There’s also a dude at least as large as you who is one of the better regulars out there, so size is not an insurmountable obstacle to being pretty damn proficient with a longboard.
I’d also recommend splurging on a lesson from Ohana Surf Project rather than going the more affordable route for what might be a once in a lifetime thing. Most of the “surf lessons” in Waikiki are pretty lame/not that helpful. OSP actually take it seriously and give people way more attention. My partner took a couple lessons with them on separate trips and she loved it both times. They also paddle out at a break a few hundred yards to diamond head side, so you have to deal with way fewer people and can catch more waves. The main canoes/queens area can be a frustrating shitshow sometimes.
Hope you and your kid have a great time.
Noob here. I was going to suggest Hawaiian Fire, but they closed. My first time surfing I used a long board borrowed from a buddy and surfed at Waikiki and had a blast. So the next day, I rented a big foam thing, (all they had), and did not like. Couldn't turn. All the rest of the times I've surfed, I made sure to not to rent a big foamy thing.
Also, use a rash guard and shorts that go long enough so that when you straddle the board they go below the edge of the board.
At 230 pounds your gonna be skinny compared so some of the Samoan Guys in the line up
Enjoy yourself and have fun
Well.....our first planned trip in mid February got cancelled when mom and son were diagnosed with Flu A days prior to our departure.
Now....Make a Wish is cancelling all trips until things cool down. :(
Disappointing for sure, but....que sera, sera
Cheers
Bummer.
Sorry about your kid. Fuck leukemia
But yeah, if you want to learn to surf Hawaii is great.
Warm water
Reef breaks
Bikinis
Actually the bikinis can be very distracting. Especially with a modern cut.
...and the trip has been permanently cancelled. I know it pales in comparison to those that have lost family and friends to Covid, but I was looking forward to giving you guys a good laugh at my expense. Oh well, maybe I'll try to hang ten in Lake Michigan. Cheers!
Quote:
Originally Posted by gatorboy
Take care of what’s important and when the time is right, give it another shot. Surfed for my first time last year at 50 and definitely rode the struggle bus. Getting back to Costa Rica as soon as I can and will be spending more time on that bus. Can’t wait.
Fuck no
Lake Michigan sucks. So does superior. So does New England, except for rare long period swell on the best rock breaks.
Sandbar breaks suck ass. Kids and experts can ride that shit. But your fat ass can’t hang.
Kids be like dig dig pop up, turn turn kick out.
You be like dig dig dig. Nope dig dig dig. Nope
Learn to surf in the pacific. With real waves. And reef breaks.
While the Core does not know how to use empathy, there is an undeniable kernel of truth in what he says. If it's small, long sandy bottoms are fine but it's just riding the foam. A reef will blow you away.
Relative to the current pandemic, however, a nice isolated mushy beach break is a beginners choice.
Heh.
Not trying to float a turd in anyone’s surf bowl.
But learning to surf in your forties sucks.
But a strong long period swell, particularly on a hard reef break, can put a smile on your face quite easily.
Trying to get a ride is easyish. Getting back out through the waves wipes me out.
Not for someone learning.Quote:
Originally Posted by Core Shot
40 years olds can learn just fine. Core Shot just shows his stupidity no matter where he posts.
My buddy picked up surfing at 45. Three years into it I’m taking him out into legitimate surf. He hangs just fine. Mostly cause he does not suck like CS. He is no ripper, but he is getting waves and having fun.
What ever you do don’t listen to Core Shot. He is a racist troll.
As far as balance goes. 1) practice 2) wider board 3) look where you want to go over your front shoulder. 4) start low. 5) more practice 6) lead with your front shoulder. 6) practice.
You are such a fucking kook dude. Go back to posting racist shit. You’re better at that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Core Shot
Some of the heaviest and fastest race tracks are sand bottom.
EC fires on mid period swells. For the most part, long period runs through everything. So wrong there. Again.
Man, I so prefer a submerged ledge over almost any other type of wave, but Im not stupid enough to claim
Sand bottom surf is just for beginners.
Best surf to learn is 3-4’ faces with mid period (10-13s) swell on a moderate pitched well groomed sand bar. A good day at Wells Beach comes to mind.
Wow. The hate is strong with you. The piss I put in your Cheerios really left a bad taste.
By saying sucks, I didn’t say don’t do it. It’s just harder with age and harder with Quick close out sand breaks.
Maine does have some nice longer sand breaks. But most Atlantic coastal shores are steeper drop offs and shorter rides.
Point being, take a vacation, find a nice break, and ride a longer wave. On a longer wave ride you have time to learn to turn.
Then when you come home, you have skills and stoke to ride the shorter rides.
Maybe you need a vacation?
Learning in shit shore break is a lot of time paddling. Not much riding. Analogy being learning to ski at the local sledding hill vs a thousand foot vert.
The essence of my post was to find a good wave if your older and learning so you don’t give up.
PS. I am a surf kook.
If you want to paddle around in the lakes, go for it!
Fwiw the majority of surfing I do here is over sandstone and cobbles. The lake Michigan time I get is on the far north shore of it, and both go-to spots are rocky.
I don’t have the ability to do high performance surfing, but it’s still just nice to be out there and get carried along by a wave.
I understand the pov that it sucks, it does suck in comparison with very nice waves. But when it’s happening, I still want to go...so I go.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ottime
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ottime
Haha you guys handled missedshot proper.Quote:
Originally Posted by ill-advised strategy
"Don't fuck wit Da Hui brah" Turtle-The North Shore
That lake has some fun looking surf. While I'm happy in the cold waters on our coast, I'm too soft to make it through a Michigan winter.Quote:
Originally Posted by ill-advised strategy
But you get it. Surfing is about having fun. No need to bro out about it. Some of the best rippers I Know are humble, can enjoy almost any day in the ocean and just love being in the water. Watched a friend surfing a almost 1' wedge rebound wave on his wavestrom yesterday as I hung out with the kids on the beach. He came with a huge smile. This same dude gets deep pits at Puerto on waves most surfers will never touch. He also has enjoyed east coast, short period, sand bottom breaks. Go figure.
OP I hope things are working out. My sister had lukemia I was a BM match and donor years ago. no fun. :-(
Now, to the topic. long story I won't bore you all with, but it looks like I'll be on the big Island west coast at a swanky-ass resort in Feb and I am absolutely dying to try surfing in a decent-ish wave. which I guess is 3-4ft. I'm pretty old (57) but pretty athletic / trim (run 20m/week, 4.0 tennis). I was on the local skatepark team in the late 70s and was a pretty good vert skater in the day, but have never surfed. I've done a fair amount of SUP, some even in the ocean.
any reccos for learning on the big island? Zero fucks given about looking stupid, just want to wear my birdwells, have good manners and have some fun. thx kindly MT
I gave away one of my longboards this weekend. My Son-In-Laws Brother was in town from the bay Area and we went out to a break north of Ponto's. He had a 8 foot foamie , and I let Him ride my old Harbor. He started catching waves. I tried the Foamie. Told Him to buy a real board to learn on. Didnt realize how hard it was to catch wave and surf on one.
I figured if He was core enough to learn to surf in Pacifica , I was core enough to let him have a good board.
So, go learn.....at any age. However if you really want to go through with it dont use a foamie. That shit is hard
the best way to learn is to practise, and practise, good classes will certainly give you more confidence.