regardless of the conditions....

Guilty. I'll paddle out just for the exercise; even the hope of catching a few small ones is better than nothing for me.

 

I'd say they're putting their time in and trying to log as much water time as possible. Sure conditions are challenging and less then ideal, but they're out doing what all of us love. I could see if you have been surfing for awhile, days like these, side shore and sloppy, would give someone second thoughts about paddling out. Surfing is surfing though, anytime in the water isn't a waste in my mind. They're out trying to have some fun and catch a wave or two, regardless if it's not ideal.

I wouldn't say you lost anything. From your past posts you've obviously traveled a bit, and having solid conditions in PR, CR, where ever, could make days like today hard to get out. Keep surfing, keep getting wet, keep the stoke. When you get it good at home it may make it a bit sweeter after putting in all the other time on cruddy days.

 

Thats life, things become old hat when there is no challenge involved. Your senses are dulled and it sometimes takes a little work to tap into that childlike perspective. Surfing on days like this would make me feel foolish...but would I have had fun?....maybe.

 

A bad day of surfing still beats just about anything... but I guess I'm still a kid at heart

 

I drive 200 miles to surf Texas wind swell. It gets OK in Texas now and then, but given the limitations on when I can make it to the beach, waist high waves with <15 mph onshores are "good" conditions. As I improve, travel and sample better waves I've definitely seen the "what conditions I will paddle out in" bar inch up a bit. The way I look at it, even if I'm just paddling about in barely rideable chop that's doing something to improve my surfing. But hey, in the grand scheme of things I'm still a kook. I can definitely understand how more experience and regular access to better surf could change one's perspective.

 

1-3 foot with 20 mph sideshore chop to me is worthless. I would probably get out of the water after 30 minutes more annoyed/irritated than when I started. To me thats not what surfing is about.

go to Gym, play drums, knock back a cold one(s) with a bud, post on moronic forums, read a book....all better options.

Lee - Isnt the other side of the jetty protected? I'd rather surf clean and tiny than so choppy the texture is bigger than the swell!

 

ever single time i paddle out no matter the conditions its ALWAYS better then doing nothing

 

I paddle out no matter what it looks like, Its just the practice of the paddling and building up the strength , If its Choppy and 1-3 ill catch maybe 2 waves in an hour but the rest is just paddling around trying to find a good part of the sandbar. And surfing in weak choppy junk makes you better for when a Clean swell comes through.

 

dude i'm kinda with you. 20kt sideshore usually will dissasuade me from going out. I am very familiar with the jetty and I can tell you that I have seen guys trying to kill either each other or themselves trying to catch 6" waves. I have noticed quite a lot of *****ing about the lack of surf. These have to be really young guys that are accustomed to having waves. The last few yrs. have been ok to really good at times. The last thirty yrs. has taught me that it's a ***** to live on the right coast and expect surf. It was actually better with no report and you relied either on your own skill as a forecaster or the word of someone that looked, or the best one was the rumor that the lighthouse was going to be going off. It is too easy now, which creates this idea that if they ride around with boards on the top of their car then someone will notice and think they are surfers.

 

Sorry, I hope I did not offend anyone by using the word that referred to a female dog, but was filtered. I guess the FCC will not allow that.

 

As long as you're logging water time I find it difficult to call it wasted time.

 

I can agree with this as well, paddling out is better then doing nothing ... but people should definitely have more then one hobby that interests them besides surfing ... especially living on the east coast, way too much down time swell wise ..

 

in the summer i skim everyday its flat. even when its flat when you wait long enough there'l be a set of knee high shoreys. skimming made me a better surfer. feels nice when you can blow the lip up on a knee high wave

 

I skimmed when I was in middle school and some of high school, mainly because I was not working and hanging on the beach all day. Thought it was a blast back then but now I feel like I will never do it again ... I feel like most skimboarders are younger and more high school age people .. but I could be wrong ...

 

I end up annoyed during the winter , I would rather skate ,play tennis , or drink beer during the summer its not so bad

 

It takes me 3+ hours to get to the nearest beach. Two better than average ones (EC scale) are within that strike zone, with OBX entry point 5-6 hours. I have been to surf CA, PR, and CR multiple times. However, even with all of that travel overhead, there is still a breaking point. I will drive the 3+ hours to surf pure slop if it has been 3 weeks or more, OR leverage up to my eyeballs in order to fly to one of the aforementioned places. I know that I will be happier afterward period.

 

I can honestly say if you would have asked me this 2 years ago I would have told you there was no way in hell I would have surfed today. I lived 15 minutes from the N.Shore Oahu. Fast forward 2 years later and I was groveling in the shorebreak 5 miles South of first street. Caught a couple of knee high lines on the longboard, though. And the sun was shining. Better than mowing the lawn.

 

moslty yea your right its like a 13-24 age group for the most part. its does a lot of work on the body. but i know a lot of skimmers that are somewhere around 30-40. and for the most part the skim community now reminds me of the surfing community decades ago in a way. thats just my point of view

 

Speaking of breaking points:
http://www.surfline.com/travel/summer-resort-guide/