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.

Sustainability

A surfing friend of mine has been writing a blog about

her fitness adventures. She has been on a good program

of diet and training and is really happy about her results.

I made a comment to her asking if she thought her new regime

was sustainable? All too often I see people who get excited about

a diet, a workout routine, a life change they've made, only to

be unable to keep at it, unable to sustain the change.

Sustainability is a word and issue I've been thinking quite a bit

about lately. So much of what we do as individuals and as citizens

of the planet Earth is not sustainable. I'm sure you've heard the

dire forecasts regarding the fish in the ocean. If we don't change

our present practices there will be no fish to eat by 2050. Our

current fishing practices are not sustainable. Our current addiction

to oil...not sustainable. Our continued use of plastic and the adverse

impact it has on our planet...not sustainable.

Looking at sustainability from a more individual perspective might

force you to ask some interesting questions about your own lifestyle

and habits. What are you doing that's simply not sustainable, that you

just can't keep doing with having to face serious consequences some day?

Try to live as sustainable a life as possible. Guess that means eat right,

exercise, rest and learn to relax, have fun, find balance, and try to

develop good "attitudes of mind" as my friend Doc Paskowitz would

say. Make your life as sustainable as possible. You'll live longer, love

longer, and of course surf all the waves of life longer.

Leif Engstrom's 540

If you haven't seen it you should check out

the "Punt of the Month" on Surfline. It's

a video of Leif Engstrom doing an amazing

snowboardlike 540 on a wave in Puerto Rico.

It's not just an amazing feat, to me it symbolizes

a number of interesting observations and lessons for

the new year.

Leif didn't just paddle out and do his 540. I've seen

him try and try to pull it off many times. He is tenacious.

His persistence is really something to behold. A

great lesson for us all. Keep at it, keep trying to accomplish

the things that are important to you. Sure you'll fall short,

fail, or miss it many times before you make. That's all

part of life. If you don't try how can you succeed? What's

holding you back?

Another thing that wave reminded me was just how much

things change and how critical it is to try to adapt to

change. A 540 is a long way from a nose ride. It represents

a totally different way of thinking about, and riding a wave.

One is not better than the other, they're merely different.

They represent two ways of approaching something. Just

because things change doesn't mean we must all follow along

blindly or alter the way we think or view the world. Change

happens, it's inevitable. How we adapt and cope with change

is the challenge.

Watching Leif launch that air and spin around above the wave

made me think about trying to imagine yourself doing

something new, or something you've feared. I initially

commented to a friend that I couldn't even imagine myself

doing a 540. The more I thought about

it the less I like the idea that I couldn't imagine it. I probably

will never do one but I'm working on imagining it, seeing and

feeling myself do it. Who knows where that mind game will

lead. I'll bet it pushes me to try something I've not done before.

Make a New Year's resolution. Imagine yourself doing something

new, something you'd like to accomplish. Be persistent in working

to achieve that goal. You just might pull it off and at least you'll

have fun in the trying.

When is it too cold?

The surf here in NJ was as good as it gets this past Monday.

Waves were overhead, the wind was offshore, and despite the

relative cold (air in the mid 30's) those of us who surfed won't

be soon forgetting the day. How can you forget big, spitting

barrels with relatively empty line-ups?

Unfortunately an "arctic blast" has taken over much of the

eastern half of the country. Here in NJ by Tuesday we had

temperatures in the 20's with wind chills in the single digits.

Tuesday's surf wasn't bad at all, stomach high with offshore

winds. A few hard core souls were out braving the frigid wind chills.

The ocean temperature isn't horrible (upper 40's) but single

digit wind chills? Too cold for me. Maybe it's that I just returned

from almost 3 weeks in Puerto Rico and am going back in a month

or so. Maybe it's my advancing age? Maybe it's wisdom? Who

really knows. All I know is that it's too cold for me.

I have gotten to the place in my life where I know what I will

and will not do, what is acceptable and not acceptable.

I've become much more mindful and that's not a bad thing. Are you

doing what you want? Can you determine when it's too cold or when

something doesn't fit into your life's plan? Knowing is a great thing

in that it can guide your actions and help you get what you want in your life.

Same Ocean Different Place

Just a few days ago I woke up, put on my board shorts,

t-shirt, and flip flops and casually set out to check the

waves. Along the way I met up with a few friends who

were engaged in exactly the same activity. We moved slowly,

drinking our coffee and sharing conversation. The air warmed

as the sun rose brightening up the lush tropical morning.

This week I wake up in a somewhat different state. The

comforter that has kept me warm all night seems like

a weight to be removed. I labor to put on the layers of capliene,

fleece, and down. The coffee needs to be hotter and my motivation

to go outside seems low. It's below 30 degrees and the wind

is blowing. Checking the waves isn't a leisurely experience. My

dog runs along the beach looking for other dogs to play with. They

are few and far between this time of year.

Hard to believe it's the same ocean, the same surf check.