Safetosea

Back from holidays but with no bragging rights whatsoever.

Usually when I go on my holiday up the coast I score in one way or another but this time round from a quality surf point of view I was well and truly skunked. Not that I didn't get the odd fun wave, but where usually I would score a three hour session at least every other day I was in the end dragging myself into the water just to get wet.

Well not quite as the big plus was that instead of me going feral as there were waves everywhere waiting for me, me, me the relative low quality had me spending a lot more time with my two lumps as they seemed to really get it together this trip.

Not that they were ripping or anything remotely similar, but they discovered they really enjoyed just being out there.

I never had to convince Joey, but Tom, the argumentative Hell Boy, always said... "Naaaa, skating's way harder to learn, way better to do and water is just soft compared to concrete and... and...and...."

You get the drift.

So imagine my joy when we're sitting out the back and Tom's just sitting next to me and observes.." you know Dad, it's really nice just being here isn't it?"

Bing!!!

The Light Went On.

To the point where after watching him in dreadful onshore conditions force himself through the shore break time after time, and really work for a wave... well - I went down the local surf shop and bought him a second hand board more suited to his still diminutive stature so that he had half a chance at duck diving the thing and something that would allow a decent learning curve.

An early birthday present and one of the few times I was grateful that these days with the influx of asian boards the resale value of surfboards is the pits. For a snap I picked up a very nice little 6 footer that floats him fine, has no dings and should see him through some of the impending growth spurt.

Joey is happy with his old board thank God, and so I hope to have them with me on more trips through the year.

The joke now is they argue like there's no tomorrow over who did the best re-entry, or has the best style, or "my carve was better than yours", when the truth, as we all know from our own self reflection is that they never look as good as they feel.

For now though I'll let them enjoy the journey and try and encourage them and enjoy watching them grow in all ways as I slide relentlessly toward pathetic little splashes.

As for the rest of my time there, I ran (plodded) a fair bit, walked a lot, gazed at fishies, took photos, drove Tom to the skatepark more times than I care to mention, patched scrapes, caught up with friends and read two books.

Fortunately I didn't have to work but first day back and I've been up to my armpits and really could have had a lighter day to sort myself out.

The shots?

Tommy on the onshore day on one I snapped from a long way away as he tried to connect to the shorey. He was totally in awe as was I of a young guy out there who was absolutely going nuts, with the topper being a huge 540 air thing that ended with him landing it with the tail pointing shorewards, so he just did a shove it so that he remained in his natural stance ... but with the nose now pointing the right way. Unbelievable as he had a lot of power too. No idea who he was.

The other, a shot of two guys doing what I did a lot of.

Waiting. Hoping.

Oh yes... and I had a lot of finless surfs in the slop. Getting there very slowly but the kids begged me at times to ride my normal board as they were sick of people thinking I was a complete wood duck.

Quack.