MORE, that's what they said !!!!! October 2008

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........