Sweet Leftovers and seaweedpalooza

LS. Got out a couple hours after HT. North side parking was practically full so I parked just north of the BH and met Gary who said he’d seen me around. He’d been out Saturday—crazy people! Saturday was way too heavy for me.

I ventured further south, toward R————--s and quickly understood why no one was down there (SEAWEED) but I refused to leave. There were sweet waves rolling through that I nearly had to myself, save one SUP-er named Mark from KBPT and a shortboarder who seemed to be doing not much of anything at all. These waves were so generous — I was throwing some turns and riding them all the way in, and then getting stuck in the seaweed-created impact zone. Like, this was an epic seaweed situation. I was out for maybe three hours when I got so tangled up in seaweed I just had to leave. I saw a dead baby seal on the beach and realized it’s ear was stuck in the seaweed in my leash. It was time to rinse off.

I caused a major hulabaloo at the shower trying to get the seaweed out of my hair. A French Canadian girl said “That was me yesterday.” I looked at her hair and said, “I guess there’s hope for me.” She said, “Mm. I don’t know. Mine wasn’t that bad.” She said there was a lot of shampoo and conditioner in my future.

I went home and spent approx. two hours doing the following: combing the seaweed out of my hair and attempting to ensure that the seaweed did not clog up the shower by placing a paper towel over the drain and letting the water seep through. Let me tell you. These commercials about the strength of paper towels, I now believe. It would hardly let the water permeate!

I took a walk down the SS and the waves were friendly and nice. Everyone was happy. The sun had come out around 10am, right at the end of a sweet wave I got, and stayed out nearly all day. I walked up to LS and the waves looked fairly clean so I went out again, because I knew I would hate myself if I didn’t take advantage of the holiday, sun and sweet little friendly waves.

This vision/FOMO/proactive avoidance of self hatred for not going encouraged me to go out for the double sesh. (C) Sara Dyer

An onshore breeze had kicked in by the time I drove back but I still got some fun stuff and also got my ass handed to me a couple times. I thought we’d be dealing with ankle biters but they were still 2-3+ here and there. A shortboarder was near me and he’d been out in the AM too.

Everyone is stoked and smiling and happy because of all the waves rolling through.

I love Sept/Oct in New England. It’s the best.

The carnage that was seaweedpalooza:

Feeling concerned that this may never come out. (C) Sara Dyer

You are sort of getting the picture now. (C) Sara Dyer

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On Another Note Bad Habits that I really need to stop:
My board dismount
What I do when big waves are rolling through
My shimmy

Catch and Ride

It took me years to realize the huge difference between catching a wave and riding a wave.

I was in the “catch a wave” stage for a year and a half.

But within the last month or so, I entered a “ride a wave” stage.

For me, finally being able to ride the face and turn—following the wave and throwing a little style. Catching a wave was “Ok, I’ve paddled and I can feel the wave has me. Now I am just going to sort of hang on for dear life.”

P—s and A'-’s.

Met up with Angie at P—s after applepicking at the amazing moneymaking machine that is Applecrest Farms. It was fairly mild, in comparison to what it had been the last couple days, and uncrowded. I was essentially out of my mind not having jumped in the water, and having sat watching at Long Sands this AM, the clean, friendly lines that were rolling through and hardly any wind at all.

Felt like the swell kept moving south, and the current kept pulling us north. Got a couple nice lefts that left me Swamp Thing-ed in the huge collection of red algae that was kicked up from the storm nearly the whole stretch at the beach. We were there for a bit but the waves looked better north, which made sense, as we were a couple hours passed high tide so we traipsed north. And I am so glad we did.

We hit it a little north of A-’s. It was damn hard to get through the white water and I was trying not to get gassed on my way out there. I’m still really struggling with turtle rolls. I don’t do them. A couple times some 8 footers rolled through and I just had to ditch my board and swim through. There was no other way to safely get out, and I made sure that no one else was around when I did it.

Then I charged.

We had some overhead waves rolling through and people just weren’t going for them so I did. I had a couple rides that just lasted forever and attempts at turning that are baby steps of progress. But these waves were just so generous. They were moving a shit-ton of water, and they were heavy, but the two I rode all the way in were so generous. Angie said some really nice things and it totally lit me up. She was like, “You’ve been surfing!” and it made me feel good. I’ve been working out, watching my clips, skating and above all, surfing, and I’m just having so much fun and getting better. Life is really good. I am thinking of trying to take a week off to just surf up here since the waves are rolling through and the water is still so nice and warm. Today was ridiculously amazing—no wind, bright sun and warm water. Thankyouthankyouthankyou.

SO. MUCH. WATER.

Insanity.

There is so much water being moved around right now.

Checked out SS, LS, WS, P---s and RR. Everyone and their mother at RR, maybe 20 or so people perched waiting.

LS was filled with kooks with a death wish and a few really good surfers. People were really struggling to get through the white wash at high tide this AM. Got to WS and there was one surfer who got out pretty soon after I got there. “Fun, but so much water moving,” he said.

I watched for a while at LS and WS but ultimately decided it was just too gnarly. There were periods I totally could have surfed, but the close-out sets that came through were so heavy I just didn’t want to get out there. Plus, I could see how tired everyone was trying to get past the foam. I passed. Headed to Shipwrecks and skated for a while. Trying not to hold back and it’s really helping. Hit NTC.

Supposed to clean up for tomorrow and Monday too. I really really hope so. I haven’t been in the water since lunch time Tuesday and I’m jumping out of my mind.