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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