Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Beach and more beach...
"Yesterday we surfed and boogie boarded all day! The boys are getting better and better. Rod and I can not say the same. Rod has given it more of an effort-I prefer to boogie board. Today was gorgeous out...the ocean was really calm so we spent the whole day at the beach playing in the water..There are no pictures today as I left the camera at home. I asked the boys what I should write about -if there was anything that they saw or did worth mentioning. Stirling said "just that nasty stuff" What he was talking about was all the naked boobs they saw at the beach today. He pointed out to me mid day that "there were a lot of topless girls at the beach the today"him and Isaiah giggled lots, Jax was oblivious...
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Hey, just went thru all your photos and the haircuts look sharp! I couldn't figure out what was different at first. Stirling and Zay look so mature!!! Sounds like you guys are having a blast. I so want to go back and visit. We sure were thinking of you when you left as we plunged into the high -40's. One week I was Christmas shopping in a blazer and the next needed my thermal underwear. Continue to have a great time. This will be a family experience to cherish. You can see it in the boys' eyes and body language that they are having the times of their lives.
ReplyDeleteYou're killing me here!
ReplyDeleteOf all days to forget your camera!
Sheesh!
I'm talking about the surfing! You guy's are sick. "Nasty stuff" indeed!
Rod...Carla, what kind of trouble are you having with the surfing?
Can I walk you through the finer points?
Too bad. I'm going to anyway.
There is a lot to think about out there, but a few things will help you along the way. They are super important and will make it all come together.
1. when you lay on the board you do not want the nose to be too far out of the water...too much resistance is a bad thing. "Snudge up" (that is a technical term) on the board until the nose is almost sinking then arch your self up so you are resting on the bottom of your ribcage. It can be a matter of fractions of an inch so play around with it.
2. Keep those feet together when you paddle! I can not stress this enough. When your feet are dangling and not in line with each other it means you are wasting a lot of paddle strength. Your core muscles will firm up and the paddle will become stronger and more focused.
Touch those big toes together.....(keep your chest up!)
3. Keep your chest up!
4. If you are playing in the foam just paddle like mad and let the wash catch you...wait a second...make sure it has you...place your hands on the deck....don't grab the rails...hands flat on the deck...lift your chest up higher and swing your legs under you.
Very Important: Do not look down! at no time during this should you be looking at the front of your board. Where you look is where you will go. If you see the nose of the board and the water in front of you. Rest assured that is where your body will end up...over the front of the board and into the water. Better to look to the side over one shoulder or the other.
5. Stay low. don't stand up straight! do your best "fake surf stance"...you can't get too low at this stage.
6. having fun yet?
7. have fun.
8. Fall....relax under the water....don't fight it....you are just wasting oxygen. if you do not feel the board pulling at the end of the leash when you are surfacing put your hand above your head as you come to the surface....it just might be right above you. Those fins are sharp.
9. paddle back out and repeat.
10. Do not give up!
if you are in the real waves.....do all the same things just way, way, way faster!!
I wish I could tell you about the waves you are in and the best way to approach them, but that really is something you need to see to explain.
Oh!
When you are paddling back out on your longboard the wave will want to wash you off the board, turn you sideways, flip you upside down, drag you back to the beach etc.
Simply paddle straight at the wave and just as you get to it grab the rails and lift yourself away from the board and let the wave pass between you and the board.
This will save you a lot of energy out there.
Ok...have fun!