Last TIDE GUIDE surf camp of 2008, but Terry, and Karen have news for me. They want an extended 5 day surf camp next year. So due to popular demand I will comply with their wishes. It would be impossible to comprehend a finer weekend of surfing and beach time. October is theeeee month, I got here Thursday morn knowing the waves where happening, yea they where, I better pass the good vibes on because 8 -10 foot peaks got rode by a lot of us locals late Thursday evening down on the south side of the pier. The reason i write this blog is so that i can recall the good times. I didn't know many people out that eve, but lots of us where getting rides and all the way until dark, it was glassy and sets where consistent. Due to another east wind that blew all week and is now weakening, but excellent waves.
Friday i worked on camp in the morning before going out for session #1 and it was better than last evening, 10 foot peaks with dolphins jumping out of the top. I had called Blake Pettis, Nueces County Parks director earlier this week. Since this swell was bound to happened and full moon as well I wanted his permission to set up surf camp up close to his new Ranger station. He said, not a problem, be sure to watch out for the tides though... Jamie and Linda and C.J. the lady rangers discussed the tides with me when i checked in Friday. I am taking a small gamble that there wont be a storm surge, so I'll go ahead and set up camp where i usually do, close to the water.
So all is well Friday afternoon. Camp is set up and i have enough energy to surf session #2 from out frontof camp and on down to the pier and then join the gang, I last about an hour and a half. My shoulder is doing so well, recovering from an injury. Camp begins to fill. Nathan Miller arrives, he is just getting into this sport and has brought his own new board, a nice 9'6" southern cal shape. He inspects camp and then goes into town with friends. Terry and KarenS. arrive and are thrilled to be on the beach and in a bonified surf camp, they are both my age, "no offense ladies", and i ask them if they can be my "high school reunion girl friends", sure, and we talk about things like that all weekend. Shawn Shulze and Jennifer get stuck in the soft sand about 50 yards from camp in Shawns mom's suburban, we push him out, I've tried to convince him to bring his Nissan sports car the hot rod one and put a surf rack on the roof, he won't, he also has a dune buggy and also a cj5 jeep, they all would look cool with a board on top but he always drives the burban. He and i try to calculate how many times he has been to surf camp, at least 7. Karen Crenshaw makes it on time this time, last month she didn't make it until 4 a.m.. Mary Trapp calls and she is getting close. So everyone is accounted for and now I can and will retire....
Sat. morn pre dawn, wind offshore, tide no problem, waves big time. Cowboy coffee for Terry, she said she probably wouldn't come if coffee couldn't be made on the beach, so i put a big spoonfull extra off grounds in just for her. Everyone asleep, a little nippy, i have on ski pants, and a hoody. Papaya, honey dew mellon, cantaloupe, oranges and the Tide Guide specialty strawberry stew all on the table before anyone is up. Now time for beach chair, i am not going to rush, nobody will get in the water until the sun is beating down, especially me in my ski clothes.
Surf camp idle time, couple boards brought down from the rack, to look at while we listen to the waves and eat. Shawn has some car wax in his kit, we waxed the bottom of both our boards in June and now again this fall, i am convinced that it helps pick up maybe 10% more speed. Both our boards are identical 10' 2" TIDE GUIDE CANE'S. Nathan is all ears for any tips on surfing, so i tell him to wax also, but he is new, so, he is not to embarrassed when i observed him waxing his hull with sticky bumps, which goes on the other side of the board, Shawn and i discreetly educate him that the car wax will work better on the hull than sticky bumps, so, he asks me, well now that the sticky bumps (wax) is on how do i get it off. Get the comb i reply, now he thinks we are giving him the business, I say, the comb, the board comb, then i show him the new one i just bought from Ted's Board House, and Nathan learns how to use the straight edge to clean the sticky bumps off the bottom. The surfers will be sharing a board this morning with their buddy. Terry and KarenS. are given "Mabel" my remodeled 10'6" cruiser. the morning warms up sufficiently and safety session is held up on the tallest sand dune, it is a fabulous morning and uncrowded, water is real warm and i have every one go for a swim before trying their boards. I give a demo for them and catch a couple waves and then turn them loose. Shawn and Nathan go outside, but i keep everyone else inside for now. Waves are great, and looking out to sea, 9 oil tankers are in the roadstead and at anchor, and annually the Houston Yacht club stages their October full moon regatta, from Houston to here, a few stragglers are entering the ship channel, but yesterday during the main stage of the race, i was privileged to watch at least 70 beautiful yachts under full sail and racing at 1 knot. There has remained so much water in the bays from the hurricanes last month and with this moon and at about 9 a.m. yesterday at ebb tide, the sail boats where foundering in a 5 knot falling current going against them. The finish line is only another mile up the channel, and these 70 yachts are neck and neck but only moving at 1 knot land speed. I didn't see any collisions which says a lot for their skill, Sunday a couple of skippers came into camp to ask about our party, and we learn they took first place in their division, Karen S. (no last name), antenna went up as these two Captains chatted with me, I was the harbour master on the island of Lanai, Hawaii for 4 years, anyway, Karen was quite interested in our guests and after they left with one of my business cards, she came out with a good one, cause she and Terry were wondering if these two guys where single. They had hired a boat crew to deliver their yacht back to Houston, giving them time on the beach, so Karen's parameters for a first mate are, and I quote "he is old, rich, ready to die and has no kids" ha ha. We all surf until noon on this Saturday morn and have a good time, then take a walk down to the pier for ice cream and to walk out on the deck to look down on the surfers. Then back to camp for two more sessions. Mary is now able to drop in then stand and ride, Karen Crenshaw this time is just knee boarding and pleased with that. Karen S. and Terry stay out and really try, they are getting drops and then some knee rides and plenty of belly rides, they just like it, thats all. Nathan goes down to the pier and surfs with some friends. Shawn broke the fin off his "Cane", we think Jennifer on an early morning belly ride, went all the way to shore and buried the fin in the sand, then it broke off later. So Shawn goes into town to Ted's and buys a second board a real collectors item, A Dewey Weber 9'6" he paddles out to me and i can tell i like it even before i knew it was a Weber, he asked me to surf it, i am pretty partial to extra long boards, but it made the waves, and would really be fun in big surf.
So dinner Time Shiskabobs, corn on the cob, and new potatoes, and Halloween Cookies.....Great Camp!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sunday night coyotes where all over the beach, no one to bother them, also hunting the beach Monday night, I saw them two of them........
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
""BALANCE"" Trinity University 2008
It is all about ""BALANCE"" that is what Trinity University discussed this weekend. Apparently they chatted all the way down Friday afternoon in the 10 passenger van. Jessica and Ally and Kyle and Paul are in surf camp for the second time, well Jessica for the third time. Casey first time, Veronica, Andria, Emily,Jake also first time. Weather looks stable, tides stable, water clear and warm, a spawn of minnows though make the water look murky as they pass by in the billions, little 1 inch minnows, you look into the water and don't realize that the water is clear because the mass is so dense, lots of Spanish mackerel around to gulp them down, and the sea birds are swarming inside and outside the lineup. We put up some paper shinny Halloween skeletons in the tent, and every one finds a bunk or cot, except Kyle, he is trip leader and Tide Guide only has 8 cots so he dutifully agrees to spend the nights on the sand, well with a ground cloth and i brought him a camp mattress, none the less the cots are pretty nice. Waves today where OK. i am still very spoiled from two weeks ago when they were exceptional, but i made two sessions in between setting up camp today.
We stayed in the beach chairs Friday evening until maybe ten p.m. when i put my lights out, but i learned next morning that as usual trinity students do not go to bed early, and they or most of them hiked down to the jetty and then walked all the way out to the end of the jetty, this is not even easy during daylight, and then hiked back to camp before getting to bed.
Ally is up early and asking to get things rolling, she is goaly for the water polo team, and she did well surfing last year and so i had to tactfully say to her that we had to wait until everyone is up and had a safety session before we go out, as the waves are up and look real good. Paul is sleeping in so someone rings the cowbell and i yell "surf camp in five minutes".
Real deluxe morning to hang in surf camp and eat honey dew Mellon, papaya, cantaloupe, oranges, and strawberry stew and cowboy coffee. get boards down, students are going to share a board with a buddy this morning for safety, so boards are waxed and coffee is drunk and surf talk is shared. Waves are not going down they a re going up, current running toward pier, we do a safety session and a stretching session, Ally is beside herself, and finally gets to put a board in the water, she and Jessica are sharing "Mabel", and i might as well get this over with, Ally broke the nose off "Mabel". Here is what happened, i had modified Mabel earlier in the week. I chopped the front end in two places to give her some more banana, Mabel is 10' 6" and as Ally was dropping in that big front end i had modified could not take the drop and one section broke, and Ally was shocked, I was down the beach when is happened and i wondered why she and Jessica had got out, soon they began walking my way, and i got the story, Ally was so amazed that this happened, she didn't know what to expect when she told me, well i was a little perturbed, but not at her, i wanted that board in the water as it was perfect for Jessica especially, I asked Ally do you have both pieces?....So no harm done really, but I must admit i did not miss an opportunity the rest of the weekend to tease Ally about breaking one of my boards, haha....She is a good sport and she is taking the water polo team to Colorado later this month to a Collegiate meet, Veronica and Andria are also on the team. Veronica and Andria got a nice tan this weekend Ally already had one.
Paul is really glad to be at surf camp, and he shared with me that he has access to a wood shop and wants to build his own surfboard, so he is checking out mine, so that he will know more about what will work for him, he is surfing well....he is also a trip leader on this outing. Kyle and Casey are animals, I don't have to help them hardly at all, Casey was quarterback all through high school, and Kyle a running back, both of them walked across the sand "On their hands", before we went out for first session, and i mean walk, not just balance for a few seconds, then later in the after noon Casey had to do a back flip on the sand, I could hardly believe my eyes, Andria says, Casey you look like Tarzan. JOhnny Weismuller was the best Tarzan, OOOOOHHHHHOOOOOHHHHHHAAAAAHHHHHHAAAAAA. Jake gets up already, and after lunch most every one else is up for at least a few feet, except Emily she made it up on sunday. Waves are really happening, so i ask Kyle and Paul to keep a good look out on everyone, I go out later in the day with Paul way outside past the pier for the bombs, and they are good, peaks 8 foot, I caught one all the way to the beach about 300 yards.
Nice afternoon Veronica, Emily, Andrea take naps, Ally Cant stay out of the water, she is an athlete, hard on equipment though, but that goes with the territory.
Evening and Shiskabobs and boiled new potatoes and corn on the cob, plenty to go around every one builds their own kabob. Emily carves our Halloween pumpkin while waiting for dinner, she does a surfer on the skin, not cut out eyes an teeth, you put a light inside and the surfer appears on the outside, very life like. Kyle goes into town before dinner, Paul has to have SOMORES roasted over the camp fire, I need more surf wax. Camp fire and everyone stays up a long time again except for me, i'm dead and in bed about ten, weather stable, tide, not a problem, lights out.
We all seem to gather around the kitchen table and talk and talk this morninign. This is what surf camp is really all about, people and words, laughing, teasing, Casey and Kyle have a plastic straw and plug them with papaya a shoot them at the girls, and then up at a swarm of seagulls. Waves pretty good sized this morn, I ask Kyle and Paul to keep the session down to 3o minutes. Today we do a Tradition of Trinity. Cut a large enough hole in the bottom of the pumpkin and select a "Pumpkin Head", Casey it turns out, to put the melon on and go out and catch a wave, Veronica gets a good photo. So this surf camp turns out great, they cant wait until next year......
We stayed in the beach chairs Friday evening until maybe ten p.m. when i put my lights out, but i learned next morning that as usual trinity students do not go to bed early, and they or most of them hiked down to the jetty and then walked all the way out to the end of the jetty, this is not even easy during daylight, and then hiked back to camp before getting to bed.
Ally is up early and asking to get things rolling, she is goaly for the water polo team, and she did well surfing last year and so i had to tactfully say to her that we had to wait until everyone is up and had a safety session before we go out, as the waves are up and look real good. Paul is sleeping in so someone rings the cowbell and i yell "surf camp in five minutes".
Real deluxe morning to hang in surf camp and eat honey dew Mellon, papaya, cantaloupe, oranges, and strawberry stew and cowboy coffee. get boards down, students are going to share a board with a buddy this morning for safety, so boards are waxed and coffee is drunk and surf talk is shared. Waves are not going down they a re going up, current running toward pier, we do a safety session and a stretching session, Ally is beside herself, and finally gets to put a board in the water, she and Jessica are sharing "Mabel", and i might as well get this over with, Ally broke the nose off "Mabel". Here is what happened, i had modified Mabel earlier in the week. I chopped the front end in two places to give her some more banana, Mabel is 10' 6" and as Ally was dropping in that big front end i had modified could not take the drop and one section broke, and Ally was shocked, I was down the beach when is happened and i wondered why she and Jessica had got out, soon they began walking my way, and i got the story, Ally was so amazed that this happened, she didn't know what to expect when she told me, well i was a little perturbed, but not at her, i wanted that board in the water as it was perfect for Jessica especially, I asked Ally do you have both pieces?....So no harm done really, but I must admit i did not miss an opportunity the rest of the weekend to tease Ally about breaking one of my boards, haha....She is a good sport and she is taking the water polo team to Colorado later this month to a Collegiate meet, Veronica and Andria are also on the team. Veronica and Andria got a nice tan this weekend Ally already had one.
Paul is really glad to be at surf camp, and he shared with me that he has access to a wood shop and wants to build his own surfboard, so he is checking out mine, so that he will know more about what will work for him, he is surfing well....he is also a trip leader on this outing. Kyle and Casey are animals, I don't have to help them hardly at all, Casey was quarterback all through high school, and Kyle a running back, both of them walked across the sand "On their hands", before we went out for first session, and i mean walk, not just balance for a few seconds, then later in the after noon Casey had to do a back flip on the sand, I could hardly believe my eyes, Andria says, Casey you look like Tarzan. JOhnny Weismuller was the best Tarzan, OOOOOHHHHHOOOOOHHHHHHAAAAAHHHHHHAAAAAA. Jake gets up already, and after lunch most every one else is up for at least a few feet, except Emily she made it up on sunday. Waves are really happening, so i ask Kyle and Paul to keep a good look out on everyone, I go out later in the day with Paul way outside past the pier for the bombs, and they are good, peaks 8 foot, I caught one all the way to the beach about 300 yards.
Nice afternoon Veronica, Emily, Andrea take naps, Ally Cant stay out of the water, she is an athlete, hard on equipment though, but that goes with the territory.
Evening and Shiskabobs and boiled new potatoes and corn on the cob, plenty to go around every one builds their own kabob. Emily carves our Halloween pumpkin while waiting for dinner, she does a surfer on the skin, not cut out eyes an teeth, you put a light inside and the surfer appears on the outside, very life like. Kyle goes into town before dinner, Paul has to have SOMORES roasted over the camp fire, I need more surf wax. Camp fire and everyone stays up a long time again except for me, i'm dead and in bed about ten, weather stable, tide, not a problem, lights out.
We all seem to gather around the kitchen table and talk and talk this morninign. This is what surf camp is really all about, people and words, laughing, teasing, Casey and Kyle have a plastic straw and plug them with papaya a shoot them at the girls, and then up at a swarm of seagulls. Waves pretty good sized this morn, I ask Kyle and Paul to keep the session down to 3o minutes. Today we do a Tradition of Trinity. Cut a large enough hole in the bottom of the pumpkin and select a "Pumpkin Head", Casey it turns out, to put the melon on and go out and catch a wave, Veronica gets a good photo. So this surf camp turns out great, they cant wait until next year......
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
SURF CAMP #6 2008
Went down early again knowing it would be pumping. Arrived about 8 a.m. thurs morn. WWWWOOWWWWW I was right, got 10 -12 foot faces with this 6 day old east wind. Tidal Surge is a problem though, not much beach showing. I'll wait until tomorrow to set up camp, swell and high tide is predicted to subside. Not real tough getting outside thru the impact zone, since I started close to the jetty. It’s 400 yards out to the line up and I start getting some clean, clean bombs, excellent shaped waves, wind is almost offshore and stacking up the peaks, near vertical take off’s, ripping bottom turns, long fast rail rides 150 yards and more, best this year. A bit nervous alone way over here, so cut left on my take off’s and gain on the pier where couple of guys are out. I love this board, now in its fourth season, getting lots of rides, and I got into two barrels on a line high up on the shoulder of a big one, cant handle it anymore, out of gas and catch a final good ride, almost 400 yards on in and step off onto dry sand, not bad for a 56 year old bald guy. Mike King is getting his board ready and we shake hands he is one of my buds out in the line up, he will go way outside once in awhile, we talk, but I’m dead and I tell him I’ll see him later this afternoon. Drag my “cane” all the way back to camp. Then have a couple of business calls to make from the cab of the 4x4, rest a long while. Go back out for session two I run into Kevin another one of the guys I'll surf big waves with, he came down from Austin, talk with some other guys, two ladies are out here also, big sets coming thru where I am lined up, which is way outside most everyone else on this catcher board of mine.
Next morning tidal surge I think is predictable so I will pitch the camp today, but before doing so I must get out there, surf it. Get in the line up at the pier about 8 a.m., no teenagers on this Friday morning, just guys my age, about 20 of us, waves have dropped just slightly but no chop on the water and bombs coming thru, we just blast it, and inbetweens sets we talk about dealing with Wills and siblings, and Mike King and I talk about Briggs and Stratton lawn mowers and how to fix them, funny, sort of like being on a golf course. I can handle about two hours before I’m dead. so in I go to get my camp ready for guests tonight.
Tide is lowering back to normal, beach is very clean, hurricane Ike did the cleaning, and I understand from speaking to the rangers that their other beach park 10 miles south of where I am is a veritable junk yard and sort of wasteland from debris from Galveston. The jetties here probably deflected the current in combination with the Massive waves here, and the beach at the other park is a ugly mess of lumber, plastic, etc. I saw the photo’s, it would have jeopardized this surf camp immensely.
Camp is organized and up by two p.m.. wind is almost offshore and this nice swell is still rolling and will be happening tomorrow for my guests, I go out for session two and surf for about an hour, my right shoulder slight problem as it has been all summer so I come in and don’t over do it.
The gulf marine traffic in the channel is back to normal I guess, I can see 8 oil freighters at anchor in the roadstead way offshore, every hour one comes thru, and earlier a massive military cargo vessel entered the channel, just dwarfing every thing in scale, it may have been nuclear powered, completely navy grey, really an awesome piece of equipment, it just looks secret, no windows, no one visible.
A long about 5, Jason and Emily and Chad arrive. Jason and Emily will be married in Florida soon, Chad is Jason nephew, Chad is here on his birthday present from his folks, his 20th. He is a longboard skateboarder which I admire, and he is fit and agile so he will do well this weekend. They all go into town for dinner since Tide Guide doesn’t cook Friday nights. Nathan and Eileen arrive real late after I am asleep, they had to work late, Karen arrives about 3 a.m. Saturday morn, so every one has their drive over and can enjoy surf camp and the beach for the next two days……
This is Nathan and Eileens second surf camp, I get Nathan out on my newest board “Mabel” he reports that it is a piece of ----------, Nathan is in the legal profession, you know, a “lawyer”, so he doesn’t mince words. He takes out the Texan which he used last year and begins to get some waves. Actually I will agree with him about Mabel, so something has to be done, the next day Nathan was helping Eileen on Mabel and I was standing on the beach with Jason and I saw what would be needed to done to Mabe, cause Eileen was pearling when the board should have easily planed and made the drop for her. I’ll chop Mabel, which as of this writing has been accomplished, Mabel now has about 2 more inches of banana on the front of the board, I’ll try it this coming weekend with Trinity Universities annual Halloween surf camp, Mabel will be a winner, I am confident.
Karen is needing some help, the waves are still fairly large even on the second bar, so I decide to let her just get used to being out, and tomorrow I know the waves will have dropped and I can help her with the big green board. We all take a beach walk down to the pier for ice cream and to go out on the deck and watch the surfers. Then back to camp to sit in the shade or some people nap, waves will be good this evening. Great fall weather and no summer squalls I doubt in the late afternoon. Dinner of shiskabobs and new potatoes and corn on the cob is mighty fine, and sitting around camp after dark is really a treat for all.
Next morning waves have dropped but Nathan and I go out and it is fun and glassy but small, finally everyone else comes out and it is a lazy morning of surfing easy waves a just floating. Excellent camp…….
Next morning tidal surge I think is predictable so I will pitch the camp today, but before doing so I must get out there, surf it. Get in the line up at the pier about 8 a.m., no teenagers on this Friday morning, just guys my age, about 20 of us, waves have dropped just slightly but no chop on the water and bombs coming thru, we just blast it, and inbetweens sets we talk about dealing with Wills and siblings, and Mike King and I talk about Briggs and Stratton lawn mowers and how to fix them, funny, sort of like being on a golf course. I can handle about two hours before I’m dead. so in I go to get my camp ready for guests tonight.
Tide is lowering back to normal, beach is very clean, hurricane Ike did the cleaning, and I understand from speaking to the rangers that their other beach park 10 miles south of where I am is a veritable junk yard and sort of wasteland from debris from Galveston. The jetties here probably deflected the current in combination with the Massive waves here, and the beach at the other park is a ugly mess of lumber, plastic, etc. I saw the photo’s, it would have jeopardized this surf camp immensely.
Camp is organized and up by two p.m.. wind is almost offshore and this nice swell is still rolling and will be happening tomorrow for my guests, I go out for session two and surf for about an hour, my right shoulder slight problem as it has been all summer so I come in and don’t over do it.
The gulf marine traffic in the channel is back to normal I guess, I can see 8 oil freighters at anchor in the roadstead way offshore, every hour one comes thru, and earlier a massive military cargo vessel entered the channel, just dwarfing every thing in scale, it may have been nuclear powered, completely navy grey, really an awesome piece of equipment, it just looks secret, no windows, no one visible.
A long about 5, Jason and Emily and Chad arrive. Jason and Emily will be married in Florida soon, Chad is Jason nephew, Chad is here on his birthday present from his folks, his 20th. He is a longboard skateboarder which I admire, and he is fit and agile so he will do well this weekend. They all go into town for dinner since Tide Guide doesn’t cook Friday nights. Nathan and Eileen arrive real late after I am asleep, they had to work late, Karen arrives about 3 a.m. Saturday morn, so every one has their drive over and can enjoy surf camp and the beach for the next two days……
This is Nathan and Eileens second surf camp, I get Nathan out on my newest board “Mabel” he reports that it is a piece of ----------, Nathan is in the legal profession, you know, a “lawyer”, so he doesn’t mince words. He takes out the Texan which he used last year and begins to get some waves. Actually I will agree with him about Mabel, so something has to be done, the next day Nathan was helping Eileen on Mabel and I was standing on the beach with Jason and I saw what would be needed to done to Mabe, cause Eileen was pearling when the board should have easily planed and made the drop for her. I’ll chop Mabel, which as of this writing has been accomplished, Mabel now has about 2 more inches of banana on the front of the board, I’ll try it this coming weekend with Trinity Universities annual Halloween surf camp, Mabel will be a winner, I am confident.
Karen is needing some help, the waves are still fairly large even on the second bar, so I decide to let her just get used to being out, and tomorrow I know the waves will have dropped and I can help her with the big green board. We all take a beach walk down to the pier for ice cream and to go out on the deck and watch the surfers. Then back to camp to sit in the shade or some people nap, waves will be good this evening. Great fall weather and no summer squalls I doubt in the late afternoon. Dinner of shiskabobs and new potatoes and corn on the cob is mighty fine, and sitting around camp after dark is really a treat for all.
Next morning waves have dropped but Nathan and I go out and it is fun and glassy but small, finally everyone else comes out and it is a lazy morning of surfing easy waves a just floating. Excellent camp…….
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