I saw someone in a nice 5/4/3 yesterday just getting tossed around in the white wash. I was keeping my eye on them out of concern, but that was the first time I've seen someone that clueless in winter conditions. I believe in helping kooks, since I still am one (on some level), but I've never seen them come out in less-than-ideal conditions. Are people really dropping $450 on a wetsuit when they can't even paddle out?
it was probably gocowboys.
With winter gear getting better each year, it is inevitable that even the most inexperienced are going give winter surfing a try. Yesterday was pretty big though, so you can't really say everyone that was floundering around is a kook...there were probably quite a few people that have been surfing for years that struggled to get out yesterday...But people need to know their limits and stay on the beach when the surf is beyond their skill level / endurance.
Also, it is winter break for a lot of people so you can assume that many of those that live away from the beach are making the commute to surf, especially when waves are that good.
Funny thing is, when it gets that cold and strong, people get skittish and weak. Was out the day after Thanksgiving... it was chest high and clean, and this guy literally took 20 mins to paddle out. But when he was out, he was a decent surfer. He blamed it on all the food he ate the day before.
You can get fully hooked up now for <$300 with some decent winter gear, so its actaully easier and smarter for a beginner/kook to invest in a wetsuit/hood/boots/gloves and borrow or rent a board for a few years than investing in a board at first without the proper wetsuit gear. As long as the waves are under stomach/chest high, its actually better for a kook (with a few friends to lifeguard them) to splash around and learn to catch waves in the offseason and winter, than being in the way during the selective few "good" summer days.
I've been surfing for about 4 years and I'm still quite the beginner/kook status because I can only get out 5-10 times a year. Progress is qutie slow and frustrating (but there does seem to be some progress!). After 2 years of building my wetsuit inventory, I'm now fully suited up for 45 degree water temps. Yet, I'm still a kook in the water for sure (but at least I know some etiquette and respect...I just look like a bumbling fool in the water most of the time)!
Originally Posted by Exit98Surf
Hah! that's a good point! My bet is probably a little to do with having a gut full of turkey and gravy combined with the cold water making it harder to paddle. I'm tenatively planning to surf on New Year's Day (so far appears to be waist high and clean..but subject to change). I'll have to lay low on the booze NY Eve, otherwise I'll end up looking like Jan Michael Vincent in the beginning scene of "Big Wednesday"...all hungover and floundering around in the water! I surfed once last summer hungover..man that was the worst surfing I ever had in a long time. I was really frustrated because it was one of the few surfable days on my whole week's vacation. Don't go to Secrets the night before, then try to pull off a dawn patrol on 3 hrs. sleep...very bad combo!
I saw a guy out yesterday in OCNJ I watched him paddle out or attempted to He sat and watched and then paddle out while the set waves were coming in . I seen him finally get out catch one wave get worked on a close out and called it a day
BTW I quit drinking. LOL
Whoa learn your verb tenses. My brain hurts from reading that.
yesterday was pretty gnarly no matter who you were. They certainly weren't beginner waves. If you got the stamina/balls to charge it..go for it. Definitely caught my lumps out there yesterday..but when you caught that right A frame with a nice shoulder..ahh man..ecstacy! This morning was real fun too...and still pretty powerful.
the water was a bit warmer than last week (Right after the snow) so i didnt mind it too much, got some realll fun ones today. yesterday was pretty heavy so you had to be picky, today clean lines were everywhere
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