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Uh-oh Kelly Slater better look out--warm water too!

Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2016 6:14 am
by GeoffreyLevens

Re: Uh-oh Kelly Slater better look out--warm water too!

Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2016 10:58 am
by SJB
Future shock.....
Multitudes of land lubbers cutting their teeth on manufactured waves across the fruited plain.......
then planning pilgrimages to every decent coastal surf spot in order to experience the true Zen of the ocean experience.
Crowds upon crowds. Eco systems even more stressed than they are today.
Bureaucrats taking charge and surf spot pass requirements in order to manage the multitudes.
I am old enough to remember when it was possible to find a camp site on the California Coast on a whim.
This is progress? More like the continued erosion of the good old days. Too many people ruining a good thing.
I am glad we got a taste of the beauty and freedom of the experience prior.
Well....what would be nice would be a tow rope assist out to the line up. :D
But this wave park stuff.....not so much.
Color me selfish.

Re: Uh-oh Kelly Slater better look out--warm water too!

Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2016 11:01 am
by GeoffreyLevens
Can't remember who or when but old surf mag interview w/ well known surfer from 40's and 50's, now quite old and living on sail boat in Sea of Cortez. He said (approximate quote), "I feel very blessed to have lived when I did and will feel very fortunate to die when I do."

As the saying goes, last one out turn off the lights.

Re: Uh-oh Kelly Slater better look out--warm water too!

Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2016 11:17 pm
by rodndtube
Tell me about it! I was in high school learning to surf ca. 1967, on a longboard around San Juan, Puerto Rico, moving to the west end of the Island summer of '67, and the NW breaks becoming my local area, including Doña Maria, my abuelita at the beach. It was so uncrowded back then... we had one name for the Maria's area which now has 4 or 5 peaks with names, and a "crowd" stretching across that area was 15 people in the water. Very changed. Great time way back them old days.

Camping on the beach at Maria's on some weekends during the winter, Jobo's during the week in the summer, discovering new breaks and riding others that had only been surfed by a handful of people. Oh my my.

Re: Uh-oh Kelly Slater better look out--warm water too!

Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2016 5:31 am
by GeoffreyLevens
Made the chorus of this old Mary Hopkin song pop back into my head
Those were the days my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
For we were young and sure to have our way.
La la la la,
Those were the days, oh yes those were the days

Re: Uh-oh Kelly Slater better look out--warm water too!

Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2016 12:12 pm
by Uncle Grumpy
Image

Re: Uh-oh Kelly Slater better look out--warm water too!

Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2016 10:23 am
by soulglider
It's getting really hard to get motivated to go to the water anymore.

Re: Uh-oh Kelly Slater better look out--warm water too!

Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2016 10:38 am
by GeoffreyLevens
soulglider wrote:It's getting really hard to get motivated to go to the water anymore.
I actually moved to Colorado Rockies, that's how hard it got for me. I very much miss what used to be but not at all what is... Brief and rare visits only now and that to warm water warm climate.

Re: Uh-oh Kelly Slater better look out--warm water too!

Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2016 4:25 pm
by bgreen
I agree crowds are way worse. There are spots I grew up that I rarely contemplate going out. Sometimes finding a car park at these places is impossible.

However, there are still waves to be found - it just takes more effort.

In 20 years time there will be people reminiscing about the good old days.

No doubt there will be more wave pools and a different type of surfing experience. Hopefully better designed artificial reefs as well as the night goggles. Virtual surfing may make the need for most to go surfing redundant.

Spot X awaits.

Re: Uh-oh Kelly Slater better look out--warm water too!

Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2016 5:24 pm
by Nels
Well, Buckos, I too feel your pain. There are no secrets in the Known World. Surf-cams show dozens out at sunrise in California. Crap surf is the last uncharted frontier, and it's already pretty busy. Give me a wave pool any day.

My guess is that a surfer raised on a wave pool will inevitably make a pilgrimage to the ocean...but once there he or she will find themselves "fish out of water". They'll be going from a totally regulated pool situation into a free for all subject to unfathomable human and natural governance. They won't even have experienced "weather" in regards to the surf. It's vacation money down the toilet...except for those who take the boat trips and end-of-the-earth surf camp vacations. That's the market that will suffer...at least the current customer base. Business will boom, but scarcity pricing will kick in as a result along with increased use of the same limited resources as that market struggles for equilibrium.

Artificial reefs are pretty much DOA as far as a mass crowd relief. They change the coast, right? California is a leading edge of a lot of things, and one of the big ones now is trying to undo all the damage a hundred years of jettys and rockwalls fortifying the coastline have done. Man-made reefs will not happen in the U.S. in any meaningful way for surfing. Diving, yes; surfing, no.

There are still waves to be "found", but the real unknown finds are in BF Egypt. There are absolutely no secrets in a place like California, for example, or I'm sure the populated coasts in Oz. For uncrowded waves there's probably a better chance of catching a beach break peak that is newly formed than a quiet hour at any point or reef even in the most remote part of the state or province. Yeah, yeah...Canada and Iceland and Norway...if you like 6 mil wetsuits, and look at all the media coverage they already get.

Reality in 2016 is if you want serious, uncrowded waves...you travel far. $$$$$. You upend your personal life in hopes that you get some waves. Fine when you're a kid, perhaps less alluring as years of surfing turn into decades.

Virtual surfing, maybe. Did anybody see the movie "Surfer, Dude" with Matthew Mcconaghy (sp?)? Actually a pretty solid, funny movie...and it deals with that...

Night time, Bob? Night time is "bite time"...

Wave pools have WAVES...

Nels

Re: Uh-oh Kelly Slater better look out--warm water too!

Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2016 7:53 am
by bgreen
It's not like it was when I was 16 but I still score the odd uncrowded wave or two. Just last week-end I lucked onto a well known rock lined point. The crew was surfing the inside. The tide was dropping so I headed to the outside peak - had about 40 minutes until the crew joined me.

The reliance on surf forecasts, means that when they get it wrong (the models have some blind spots especially about mis-timing swell arrival or dropping off) you can get lucky. There may not be classic discoveries but we have a big coastline and a population of 23 million. There are less popular spots and those days when you get lucky. A paipo board also opens up opportunities but some days you are well down the pecking order.

Before the year is out, I am taking one expensive trip (a 60th present) and a low budget trip to an island with more sheep than people.

Sharks have done a bit to reduce crowds around here.

Not quite time to pack it up.

Re: Uh-oh Kelly Slater better look out--warm water too!

Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2016 12:23 pm
by Nels
The 2015 stat for population of the "Greater Los Angeles Area", encompassing 5 counties from Ventura County where I live to the Inland Empire counties...approximately 19 million. Ventura County, Santa Barbara County, and Los Angeles County population combined is thought to be about 11 million people. Figure that's the total population who surf from L.A. to the Ranch. Santa Barbara doesn't really get surf in the summer, so they have to drive north or south for waves. Booga booga! It's chaos!

In 1978 I spent some time camping in the caravan park in Coolanlgatta, walked to Greenmount and Rainbow for surf. One of the great experiences of my life. I'm told it's no longer worth the trip :shock:

Did love the 2 islands of sheep "across the way".

I "get mine" these days in an almost random manner, ready for anything, once in a blue moon snag a good morning in out of the way nooks...a far cry from days of premier point breaks, people-free weekdays, and the influence of tech...

Nels

Re: Uh-oh Kelly Slater better look out--warm water too!

Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2016 4:25 pm
by bgreen
Nels,

For lots (and lots) of people that walk is still worth it. Did a week-end trip further south, stopped off at Rainbow on the way home but didn't go out. If I had caught a wave I reckon I would just have got dropped in on. A few times a year I go out. Sometimes Coolangatta beach can have good waves that don't pull the same crowd as the points. There are two scenarios to get the occasional decent one. The points get horror sweeps that are near impossible to paddle against. With luck and timing you might pick up a wave. Sitting in the impact zone on a low float board got me a nice set one day. But that is a strategy I use sometimes - everyone paddles for the shoulder when a bigger set comes though, sometimes I'll paddle further inside hoping for a smaller one behind. This strategy doesn't always work. If the points are a clean 3-4 with no cleanup sets this is the worst scenario. The superbank publicity did a lot to overcrowd already crowded surf.

Understand our friends from the land of the long white cloud don't post much. A very underrated destination.

If I had the resources and talent I'd get a boat.

Re: Uh-oh Kelly Slater better look out--warm water too!

Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2016 8:52 am
by belly rider
COULDN'T AGREE MORE WITH GREEN
The land of the long white cloud-- New Zealand that is for those that don't know it
Been there back in 1985 and traveled every inch of that country for 9 months
GREAT GREAT surf uncrowded and friendly natives -- at least back then
Two oceans two coasts to choose waves from -- miles of empty beaches in both Islands (Southern and Norther)
Man what memories-- forget that wave pool stuff

I can foresee the situation 20 years from now -- stances, pool side, people eating popcorn and drinks while in the arena gladiators are
fighting for some world title -- difference is they get to ride their true boards
Us common folks will have to pay to ride some sponge semi rigid board that we will have to rent-- there won't be a choice for kneelos
Rules and regulations will govern these wave pools with a bunch of lifeguards whistling away every time we screw up
NA NA NA
i'll take crowds and stay in the corner/shoulder ride it small and short before i go wave pooling

Re: Uh-oh Kelly Slater better look out--warm water too!

Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2016 11:47 am
by Atlantasurfer
Florida surf report.jpg
Florida surf report.jpg (31.7 KiB) Viewed 4269 times
There is still uncrowded surf in Florida. Here is a pic from today's surf report at my normal spot. I wish I was there, but I'm in Georgia earning a living...

In August I scored some fantastic tropical storm waves. Because we were not at a marquee spot, me and my friends had the peak to ourselves. Summer is usually terrible, but storm season is sweet.

The downside is that you end up in Florida, one of the most culturally backwards places in the U.S.!