The rules

Summer is upon us. The water is quickly warming up.

The beaches are "officially" open and, as a friend says,

the eggs have hatched and all newbies are scurrying about

everywhere. This is especially true in the lineup.

Yesterday I got to watch the same scene play out over

and over again. Inexperienced wanna be surfers haphazardly

paddling to the peak without a clue, endangering themselves

and others. When someone nicely tries to direct them

away from the main peak, down the beach, where beginners

belong, a nasty exchange takes place. Why is it that these

folks without a clue get angry when someone tries to teach

them the rules? What happened to the idea that if you don't

really know the rules perhaps you should timidly sit on the

sidelines for a bit and learn them before you head into the

game?

Knowing the rules doesn't only pertain to surfing. We'd

all be much safer and happier if we took the time to observe

how things work before haphazardly or impulsively charging

ahead without knowing the obstacles. We all can benefit from

learning a bit, taking the advice of "experts", and listening

to wisdom gained over the years. Don't be a kook in the surf

or in life. Take the time to learn the rules. You'll be happier,

safer, and healthier for sure.

Waves per Lifetime

It's rare that you get to surf fun A frames, with

oil slick glassy conditions, in the rain, alone. I had

that opportunity just the other day. On those rare

occasions when I surf alone I find it quite meditative.

As anyone who meditates on a regular basis knows

sometimes you become aware of interesting thoughts.

My thoughts on that day seemed focused on the concept

of "Waves per Lifetime" (WPL). Just how many waves

does one ride during their lifetime. Each wave is but a

brief few seconds. Each session is made up of a finite

number of waves. Each year consists of a finite number

of sessions and your surfing life probably has a finite number

of years.

I actually have no real interest trying to calculate the

number of waves I've ridden in the 48 or so years I've been

surfing. I know it's been quite a few. Some have been

really special and stand out in my mind while others seem

to be lost somewhere in my brain. Much of our lives go

by in the same way I guess, some moments very special

while others rather ordinary and seemingly easy to forget.

Our challenge both in and out of the water, is to value all

our moments, all our sessions. We can't forget just how

blessed we all are simply to have them. Enjoy...

Yea but the surf was good

Saturday we had some pretty fun leftover surf here in NJ.

Unfortunately there were many many more people surfing

than there were taking part in the semi-annual beach clean up.

Why was that?? Not quite sure I fully understand why so many

surfers don't take the time to take part in, or regularly on there

own pick up trash from the beach.

It's amazing how much surf related trash we regularly find when

we do beach clean-ups. On Saturday alone I found 1/2 a surfboard

that someone had broken the day before; a leash that had snapped;

wax; towels that someone had left covered in sand; empty plastic

bottles. Now maybe all that stuff wasn't from surfers but alot

was for sure.

Why aren't we, as surfers, leading the way in the effort to keep our

beaches clean? Why can the lineup have 25 to 30 people in it and

the beach clean up crew only have 5 or so? Kudos to the few surfers

who did help. As to the rest...apathy will destroy the ocean, beaches,

waves we all love so dearly.