I am covered in jelly fish stings and sea lice bites, but yesterday made it all worth it. I won’t pretend to be a great surfer, or even a good one, but–after a 20-year absence–I bought a board at the tail end of last season and worked hard this summer getting back into it.
Hanna sent its first warnings to Long Island yesterday in the form of morning beach closures. The early waves rolled in as solid overhead sets. For me at least, they were big waves. All summer I’d put in my time on two-footers. In Northeast fly fishing terms, it’s like spending the season targeting bluefish and then finally getting a shot at false albacore. (Not meant as a slight; I love fishing for bluefish.)
I am still jacked from the speed. And from turning my head to look at a wall of water extending above it.
Even wiping out was fun. On my last wave I went over the falls, doing an unintentional somersault in the whitewater before paddling back to the beach exhausted. The lifeguards had blocked off the water with a yellow rope; dozens of people stood behind it watching the surfers. I felt pretty pumped walking along the edge of that rope. Until one of the guys who’d been out earlier called out to me, “Nice face plant.”
Shoot, man, I was hoping nobody saw that.
*Apologies to Gary Busey (Photo a random still from “Big Wednesday.”)
Right on! Now stay out of Long Beach lol
It could have been worse; you could have lost your trunks in front of the crowd, lol.
That will be come more of an issue as the water temps start dropping.
Blogs are cool. People who blog are cool. You’re cool. God I admire you.
Uncle Leo?
Best comment ever
Former Florida boy/high school class skipper/crummy paddler is very very jealous.
Dig it….I used to surf in Maine and now was the time when we would get some good swells. Reminds me of all my ear shattering face plants on higgins beach. I never got real good but what a cool feeling when you finally get a good ride.
Michael, when I got back into it I had forgotten how hard it is just to paddle out.
Joey, surfing in Maine must be pretty hard core with the water temps. Same thing with me, getting a good ride is one of the greatest rushes around.
Dude, you are officially the coolest guy that I know.
He writes, he fly fishes, he surfs….
I’m just a small town white boy trying to make ends meet.
(Murdock, please destroy all evidence of the cashier’s check I sent you to post the prior comment.)
I caught my first wave before Bruce Brown made that movie I saw about 20X. I walked away from it all when I had my kids and could only go on the weekends. Now its on my “Bucket List” I hope titanium isn’t much more dense than bone. Otherwise I’ll keep going left.
Gary Busey’s finest role, other than in the first Lethal Weapon movie.
Probably too early for you to get the new hips out to take advantage of Hanna’s sets.
If things that are in the planning stage work out .It will be this winter .Otherwise next summer