Are you there older, middle-aged dudes, it me Margaret. Are you guys getting bored

hahaha I know what your talking about....

 

what about matt keenan?

 

Friday was good here in Monmouth County. The only reason I was not out was for a concussion I was diagnosed with in the ER the night before. Still feeling out of it and going for a checkup later.

http://vimeo.com/35033339
Jan 13

http://vimeo.com/35072351
heck, even the 14th was still decent

Gerry Lopez said it best: "Surf is where you find it." If you're not finding it out in the water, find it somewhere else, but keep searching. When you stop searching, that is when the s#@t will hit your fan.

Ryan

 

I feel your pain - sort of. It gets so incredibly frustrating at times as you get older trying to get your fill of waves with between the demands of work and family and the east coast's fickle hit and run swells. Several times in the past few years I've been so frustrated I've thought it was be an easier and less frustrating existence to just give it up altogether and take up a hobby I could do more consistently. Even Friday, I had the board on the roof and all my stuff ready to hit it after I dropped the kid off at pre-k. The forecast was perfect. Then the kid woke with a fever and my whole plan went to hell. Now it could be weeks before my window and a decent swell line up again. It is so damn maddening. Your problem, however, seems to be something more profound - that you are not enjoying the experience even when you ARE in the water. I have never, ever felt that and must say it sounds a bit more troubling.

Maybe the incredible pain in the ass it is to get in the water is sapping the fun out of it for you. As some of the folks here suggested, maybe try something else. And I'm not a shrink, but I think that not taking pleasure from activities you once enjoyed is a sign of depression. You should talk it out with a friend, confidant, or a pro. Maybe something deeper is buggin' you. We've all been there, too, bro.

 

Ragdolling hit it. No matter how stressed, grouchy, pissy or absolutely impossible to be around I get, even if it's 1foot grovel, it makes me better. If I were you, I would get it checked out.

Heed the other's advice as well and find something to get your juices going again.

 

I'm not even where I want to be skillwise. I probably need at least 2 sessions a week for the next 3 years to get there. So I try to get out as much as I can, plus I love being out in the water, I feel at home with it. Sometimes I don't even realize that the ocean is salty anymore.

Somebody mentioned that only surfers really get to see that view of the beachfront from sitting in the line--up, thats a cool perspective

 

"It gets so incredibly frustrating at times as you get older trying to get your fill of waves with between the demands of work and family and the east coast's fickle hit and run swells. Several times in the past few years I've been so frustrated I've thought it was be an easier and less frustrating existence to just give it up altogether and take up a hobby I could do more consistently. Even Friday, I had the board on the roof and all my stuff ready to hit it after I dropped the kid off at pre-k. The forecast was perfect. Then the kid woke with a fever and my whole plan went to hell. Now it could be weeks before my window and a decent swell line up again. It is so damn maddening"


Wow, This quote above could literally have been written by me.... I agree that you might want to take stock and see if something more is robbing your stoke. I still get as excited as ever about surfing...when I can get the time to go and the waves cooperate. I can't imagine that going away. Sounds like it has for you. Maybe take a surf trip and see how it feels in a new better locale for a spell?

 

Move to California and don't look back.

 

I've been surfing since the age of 10 - on and off throughout the years - with one long layoff. I've been into a few other things when I was not surfing and got extremely competitive in them - to the point where it began not to be fun any more. Winning was everything. I can say surfing is not like that to me - I just enjoy being in the water whether its getting endless rides on chest high days or just sitting on my board waiting for a knee high every now and then. With my buds or alone its all good all the time. Hope you get your stoke back. Remember - were in NJ - what we get hasn't really changed for a long time - we just make the best of it.

 

Hey guys this is a good thread! I am 40 yrs ols been surfing for 24 yrs. I have for the most part lived my life around surfing. I dont look and never did like a "surfer" no one would ever guess that I surfed. But I have spent every vacation for the last 15 yrs on either a surf trip or a ski/snowboard trip. Is it getting old. No way! but... I have lived and learned and I am still learning!! Yes I am getting older with that it seems that some grouchyness comes with it,. LOL yea grouchy old men I understand now why that term is used so much. The last few years my surfing has progressed more than it ever had in my 20's and early 30's. I started to educate myself with board design and just over the last few years since money started to get freed up some(after a divorce) experimenting with different boards and designs. I now am riding boards I never thought would "float" me. I am just ordered another board so I am so stoked that my quiver has evolved the way it did.. But I have had my issiues with surfing and stepping back for a little while even if its just a few weeks or a few months is a good way to regenerate your stoke. Especially for NJ surf. Last year was one of my best years for my surfing. I was gettting in the water as much as possible I was very happy with the way I was surfing for the most part. I have travelled quite a bit but with age comes change and your buds that would go on trips cant or wont anymore they lost their stoke or balls lol and are hopeless is ever getting it back anytime soon wife is gone so you do it alone. Well I decided to do a coaching trip. Yep it was a gamble but felt worse that can happen is a pay too much for a surf trip. But I did an all-inclusivre surf coaching week in CR I have been to CR 7x's b4 through out the years and never even so much as had more than a reservation for more than 1 night so a whole week at the same locale was a big deal for me. Anyway I was stoked on the experience! I came back from that trip and I was studying how the surfers I enjoyed watching surf ride waves. I started to break down their surfing and now every time I drive to get in a surf I am thinking what I am going to work on. Sometimes once I hit the water all that goes away and I just surf, especially when the waves are pumping, but when its waist to chest and I am out there catching a lot of waves I start to remember all the things I want to improve on and I start practicing and I have made some of the best turns in my life once I start to think about it and put some of that schooling to use.
Another thing I did last year was I took the summer off! Wasnt planning on doing it but as I usually dread once May hits knowing Memorial day is weeks away and the crowds and guarded beaches and tags and all the crap that comes with summer that you wish didnt have to happen as you had a very peaceful 9 months. I surfed Memorial day weekend then didnt get on my board again till after Labor day! I even missed Irene! But a few days after Irene I have been out with a vengence and have hit an avg of 5x's a month since which is a decent amount for me..Living an hr from beach and working a 50 hr work week..
The time off wasnt totally planned but it just happened got flat for a while 1st session of summer was so crowded and week I decided to focus on my Biking. I mountain Bike and do some road cycling.. I did that all summer along with swimming running plyometric training.. I got so into that I didnt even care if a swell came or not. That was very liberating. One day my bud texted you surfing tomorrow I looked at forecast and responded nah let the Benny's have it! Cause I knew I have gotten it and will get it so much better without the Benny's,or shoobies flailing all over the place.
So maybe you need to step back for a little while find out if you miss the surf or if your just surfing cause its what you have always done and dont know anybetter?
Sorry for the long book

 

66 y/o in April & like you, have lost the passion for a while, it rekindles yet again and off ya go into the ocean. A month, 3 month's 6 month's ... it comes back, but your a lil rusty, shrug it off, point your board down the line, get up and drive ... don't let the "head trip" spin out... it all comes back... Been in the ocean for 60 years..surfing, bodysurfing, paipo boarding. It possess you, consumes you, and you wallow, in it's embrace. There isn't anything more spiritual than getting a wave to yourself, screaming down the face, time warping on crystal like facets of a glimmering, oily wave. No better! Hang in there, it'll come back. It always does!

Having said that, we got High Surf advisories posted here ... it's din din time, with warm Tai coconut soup, chocolate brownie CLIF Bar & a good book. ni ni, kiddies ...

No Worry .... Beef Curry!!
Boogie till ya Puke!!

 

california dreamin

please don't.

 

Move 2 hours from the beach, any beach, and you will REALLY learn to appreciate every swell, every waves, every turn, every wall, every rail grab. Whether in NJ or PR (I lived in both), RI, MASS or Maine. Great Lakes or Georgia.
That, and try taking up killing things. Hunting deer and coyotes with a bow or rifle- good stuff. Looking for Sasquatch works as well. As you can tell, the flat spell has made me batty.....

 

Good thread here. Ive definitely felt a little of what you are feeling, but mine usually comes AFTER i go on a trip. Went down to Mexico a couple years ago and caught five days of perfect warm water rights in the Cabo area. Came back to waist high dog sh!t chop for a few weeks and was totally bummed about surfing. the same thing happened with me this year except it was indo, and that took way longer to get the stoke back for surfing jersey waves. But like most other people said here, one great session with only a few people out and some great surfing got me out of the funk and brought me back to reality. and reality is we live on the east coast, we all have to work for a living which makes winter surfing suck cuz you gotta wait for a weekend swell or call in sick during the week, but that one really good swell that you get several times throughout the year makes it all worth it. sounds like you need a change of scenery in the area. check out some other breaks and break away from the crowds. cuz we all know its more crowded than ever, even in the winter. (lets not let dark fall fool us into thinking that winter in new jersey is all massive barrels with no crowds)

 

Scobeyville
"Move to California and don't look back."


Im trying, Im trying but NJ is the biggest black hole there is. CANT ESCAPE!!!!....HELP!!!

 

Southjetty... 40 isn't old... get a grip! Your going through a flat spell period.. It'll come back.. it always does. Perhaps the lack of waves...cold weather, lots of factors... hang in there! Lost it a few times. Even stayed away for a few years but went bodysurfing, a whole different animal, but stayed, in the ocean. So you need a break...
Take it...but you'll be back... no worry... beef curry!