HE IS HOOKED FOR LIFE, SURF CAMP #3 2009

This first picture is not staged, Natalie (in pink) told me i had surfed her out. and she is now part of the beach, and the other ladies joined her, wellllll that is what i do best is get them on the water. this particular session we paddled out 300 yards from shore, to just see what it was like, and to show them where the line up is when a major tropical swell develops. so it is quite a bit of excersice out and back to shore.

Group photo. and everyone became a surfer, and could stand up!!!!!!!

Now to the heart of the story, Here is the man who is hooked for life by his lovely wife.......after surfing all day saturday, then having a fine evening meal, Keith took Natalie out in front of camp each with a fishing rod, I was impressed, very few men have the privelege of a wife to fish with. The rest of the camp eased into the beach chairs and enjoyed the surroundings. then sometime later, i see Keith approach, he is like cleaning his teeth with a toothpic or something, Natalie is trailing behind. Keith passes by our grandstand and mumbles something, but he isnt exactly cleaning his teeth????? He is holding on to something!!!!! It is a stainless steel fish hook gone clean through his lip..............and sticking out ,,,,,,the barb passed through and is visible,,,,Keith is mad, embarassed and wants no smart remarks. i follow him over to his pick up truck and he has grabbed his fishing pliers and is getting ready to operate. its getting dark too. i get him to let go of this huge piece of metal, and i hardly know what to say or do, again a real fish hook is in his lip. Now i dont say something like "that is supposed to be in the trouts lip"... no i dont say that at all, Keith is 6'3'' and 220 pounds. Natalie walks up almost in tears, well in tears....and we begin to learn the grit. because the lovely wife was complicit,,,,,,hooo yeah, she will never live this one down...Keith was changing lures on his line, and holding the hook between his teeth, a common practice, and according to his version of the story, Natalie 30 yards away, made a neophyte cast and bopped Keith on the back, which then snagged Keiths line and you can guess the rest, that is why we decided that "Keith is hooked for life, by Natalie" i took them to the hospital, keeping them seperated, i put Keith in the front seat and Nataile out of reach in the back seat, Keith was a gentleman and was not to rude to his wife on the drive to and from the hospital. I had the doctor save the hook after it was removed so that Keith and Natalie can show it to their 4 month old son Kade when he grows up.

Oh yeah and surfing was fun to on this trip for Joe and Vanessa and Alex and Ashley and me......

surf camp #2 2009

No bragging rights on this session. Caught a fair amount of waves but they where tough to get to. Wind was so high thursday thru monday. Lots of tidal movement as well plus for some reason the break was chocolate, you could see green clear water 600 yards out? So i arived early thursday and made it outside 400 yards to catch 8 - 10 foot wind waves, they where fun i'll admit but not clean long rides like last month. Oh well. ....Carol came by and we went to an AA meeting together thurs. nite. During the night a squall comes ashore, producing gusts of around 40 knots, with a rain of 1/4 inch. Friday i get camp up in fairly nice weather, windy but just on the shy side of being a problem, surf is the same, but nice to be here, this being my 10 th season. Nothing hurts on my body, unlike last year with my shoulder pain. the pain is Gone!!!! My teeth hurt a little but a month at the dentist will fix that someday, i hope soon. Mark and Martin from Houston appear at around noon??? Carol and i are drinking my expensive coffee, i usually open camp in the late evening. But the gents are welcomed into Surf Camp and find a beach chair, and join in on the discussion, whatever it was.

As the afternoon progresses and we ease into the chairs a little more we learn both these men are executive engineers from Marathon Oil. They are playing hooky today, friday!!! i am very proud of myself for hosting an outing that will encourage this behavior. And these fellows i think appreciate it as well. Before long they want a surf board brought down from the rack, and a short lesson, they both are athletic and are water skiers, snowboarders, snowskiers. Martin shared with me that after 30 years with the same employer he takes 6 weeks paid vacation, 10 days sick leave etc, etc, goes to company meetings around the globe etc . hurruaah i say, Mark the same and he and his wife have just bought their retirement home on the island of oahu just above one of the best surf breaks in the world for longboards, Wikiki....WWWOOOwwww. Later Audra, Lacey, and Chritine show up. and i introduce them to surf camp, but it is to late in the day to surf and i am not cooking tonite, so they go into town for dinner. All surfers for this camp are on the island, pretty good for the size of the econimic shake down going on today in this country. Every one else is being audited, what is the so called federal reserve system hiding from us. they need an audit, and the house of cards will come tumbling down...! No squall's friday night, in fact weather seems real steady, though windy as heck but not that bad, sleeping is fabulous, cool, zero bugs. Saturday morn, a few jelly fish on high tide mark, the stinging type. while out during first session, i explain why we all are itching, the jellyfish are pummeled in the impact zone and their legs are broken up and that is what gets on your skin and in your bathing suit, it itches, but not to bad. water is so warm and the waves are ridealbe. Mark and Martin have got rides and are standing up already, the ladies are instructed to "just let the board do the work" and you just ride along for funand enjoy a belly ride.... The waves are pounders, wave, after wave after wave, so i get everyone out after 30 minutes to rest and eat watermellon under the camp awning. The ladies are becoming tan, and looking like surfer girls. Many sessions are had today, along with a walk down to the pier and out all the way on the deck to watch the surfers below. My vanity has gotten a real large boost, i stopped by Ted's Boardhouse surf shop thursday and one of the gals pointed out some new surf wax, that is glow green, i bought some along with the standard, old, white wax that everyone else uses, but not me anymore, my deck is now getting glow green and it looks cool, looks way better than everyone else....by late afternoon my surfers are finding out that this is definitely a major athletic sport, so we start slowing things down, the ladies go over and get a real shower and i start preparing a grand dinner and everyone pitches in. After dinner and while enjoying the fine atmoshphere we all learn a new word, from Mark. Mark understandably is highly educated and oversees the planning, the procurement, the building of and installation every year of 100 million dollar investments of oil rig platforms out in the gulf of texas. Tonight he uses this new word "STICKTION" , yes that is right , sticktion, he swerars that this is a real word. i've never heard of it or used it although i kind of like it. DEF: (the physical dynamic of the surfboards ability to contnue on plane during a surfers attempt to "hang ten" on the nose of his or hers board and not wipeout by pearling). We dicsussed this word for awhile>>>>> "During the night we are annoyed by some rednecks, driving a fourwheeler around and around and around out in front of our camp pulling a drag, smoothing off the sand. we are to find out that next morning the area is roped off and a wedding takes place later in the day. I called it a "shotgun wedding", because lots of guests arrive and then the bride in a flowing white gown with train, she is barefoot, maybe pregnant, but the odd thing was that as we sat there in our beach chairs watching it all took place in about 20 minutes and then poof everybody left, no real party......Fathers day is tomorrow and also the first day of summer. Lacey this surf camp was not able to get a full 30 foot stand up ride. Beginning surfers who haven't done so are encouraged to do a repeat and keep coming to surf camp. Then they get to sign their name on the awning. An old tradition of Tide Guides, the main thing is to let the board do the work and beginners just do a belly ride. I guarantee that is what i did, and my learning curve is now 30 years or so. We all where champs as surf campers and had fun getting to know one another and the joys of walking barefoot and living life in the slow lane. This is the allure of the surf culture. We all had to say ariva derche, adios, good bye and we did so with good grace early afternoon on sunday. All will be missed, and that is one of the reasons i keep this log, so we can remember this weekend.......

UTSA May 2009 continued

I suppose i should include a little script pertaining to actually kayaking. We probably covered 12 miles during the 3 days, and pretty effortless, although tiring, but no wind problems, so it was really fine. Sunrise's where right out of the water. Lots of reading, in the shade of our group tent. lots of talking and fun interactive word games. Fairly good food, i had asked Eliot Howard our UTSA director for this activity if i could be relieved of food chores, which he agreed so, i digested some velveta cheese, ate a few marshmellos, etc. but i was happy Kevin got the food delivered, hot and on time, with the help of the crew. I already miss our group and the trip, so we just have to go back......

UTSA May 2009 Kayak Kamp

Fine friday morning. UTSA kayakers already at the marina, they stayed last night. I arrive in time for honey dew breakfast mellon. Kevin has the group moving and we are all delighted especially me that the winds are at our back for the 5 mile trek by kayak to my Shell Bar. There where numerous highlight to this expedition, but in writing this i am going to jump to the beauty baths we all indulged in.....(SEE PHOTO'S). This extra caricular activity is somewhat of a tradition during fair weather for the UTSA Kayakers, we've dived in the primordeal oze a couple of years in a row now, and it is fun. We let the mud bake on for awhile while giggleing on shore in the sunshine, then a good dip to make you beautiful again. We found this mud, during Saturdays circumnavigation of Steam Boat Island. Other highlights of this trip to me where just the forecast of steady weather, so for 3 whole days none of us where subject to much stress. How rare!!!!!

2009 FIRST SURF CAMP MAY

The thrill isnt gone: Let me explain, this surfer has not left town for 6 months. Now i had watched an east wind for six days up in town. So when i arrived on the sand and came around the first sand dune, and could see my favorite break, it was big!!!! and had rythm. This is thursday before Memorial Weekend. I pull surf trailer into my favorite spot, in front of Ranger Station. I'm closer now to the break, the seas are alsmost glassy, and the swell is way overhead. Do a few chores tie up guard dog, uload favorite longboard which is already to go and i go. get up on first wave in front of camp after six months of doing real estate development and i wipeout. next wave is at least 100 yard 4 footer. i work my way down to the jpeir and spend two hours getting big rides, - 10 foot drops with about 10 of us out. Next day meet the new Nueces County Parks Director, we talk in my camp under the awning, things are well. Shawn Shulz and Chris Gueriky come into camp a day early to help me tomorrow put up the big tent. Shawn is Tide Guides model student, he surfs with me maybe 6 days a year, for 5 years now, and he is over the learning curve. So i push him so that someday when we get big surf he can get out there. Chris has a home garden and really produces a crop and has brought many vegatables and berries etc. for the camp to enjoy this weekend. His surfing is evolving, this is second season, in his recent life he shed over 70 pounds of his body and is looking trim. Victor and Rhoda arrive and Christian. I heard from Elizabeth, and she is going to be a day late. Every one gets a lesson Saturday afternoon, and the swell is still out there only half as big as yesterday, but excellent for biginners, so i get them going knowing the swell will be gone by monday. We eat well and surf well and enjoy this fabulous trip......

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........

TRINITY UNIVERSITY HALOWEEN 2008 SURF CAMP