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The Drifter DVD

Rob Moachado in The Drifter: Info and Reviews on the Way!

Endless Summer DVD

Two surfers travel the equator for a never-ending summer surf trip: Info and Reviews on the Way!

Step Into Liquid DVD

Step into Liquid: Info and Reviews on the Way!

What Difference Does Tide Make in Surfing?

Found in Safety, Surfing — Tags: — Texas Surfer

In order to understand why the tide makes a difference for your surf session, you have to know what the tide is. Basically, at every beach, the water is always either coming in from sea or going out to sea.

Low Tide

When the tide is low, water is being taken from the beach area and sent out to sea. This causes the water on the beach to be more shallow than usual. During low tide, you may find that you can walk out into the water a lot further than usual because the water doesn’t get deep as soon. Some areas that are normally covered by water may not have any water at all. You’ll probably have some areas of sand that are only about two inches under water, and some dry sand, little narrow “islands” that come up out of the water. It can be fun to walk in the shallow water and then onto the dry areas, especially when the water is warm. Sea gulls like to hang out on the little islands.

Also, low tide is a great time to walk the beach and find starfish, but you better go very early in the morning or other people will beat you to them.

Safety During Low Tide

Something you need to be warned about is that since the water is going back out to sea during low tide, it’s (remotely) possible that you’ll be taken far out to sea, possibly never to return. You don’t want to swim or paddle out very far during low tide for this reason; you might not be able to paddle back to the beach.

One time I was right at the end of a jetty when the tide started going out. I was on this little Rusty surfboard that requirs a lot of paddling in any type of condition, and I’m still surprised I made it back to shore. I floated past the jetty and was headed into the wild blue yonder. I paddled as hard as I could, and when I was so tired I wanted to stop paddling, I’d think, “If you don’t paddle you’ll die.”  After several minutes of paddling, it looked like I’d traveled maybe 3 feet. I eventually got back inside, and I was so tired I was done for the day.

High Tide

When the tide is high, water is being brought into the beach from the ocean. This means the beach water will be deeper than usual. The deeper water is, the bigger and more powerful waves it creates and sustains. When you surf, the bigger and more powerful waves you can find, the better your surf sessions will be.

Plus, high tide will bring you home if you get tired out there. Just relax on your board and the water will push you toward the beach. Imagine closing your eyes and drifting off a little on your surfboard (not really recommended), then suddenly you hear your board float right into some sand. You were out there and now you’re on the beach. You look up and say to the ocean (or God, or however you view mother nature in its most awesome form), “Hey, thanks, man!” Nothing to it.

  • Surf during high tide for the safest and most fun sessions.
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Surf Report Wave Height and What it Means

Found in Surfing — Tags: — Texas Surfer

If you read surf reports (if not, try one out: Corpus Christi surf report) you might wonder what the heights mean. What’s a head high wave? Exactly how tall is that? And is that the height from the bottom of the ocean? What’s ankle high? Why would they even report an ankle high wave? If you’re wondering, you’ve come to the right place.

How Waves are Measured

Wave height on surf reports is measured simply by looking at the water and guesstimating the height of the wave as compared to the average person. The height is also guesstimated from the top of the water. For example, if you were to walk out in the water and it was waist high, and then the waves were so high that if you stood on the water (like, if you were standing on a surfboard) they would reach the top of your head, that would be head high.

Head High Waves

Most people would call those 8 ft waves. This is because if the water is up to your waist when you walk out in the water, that’s about 3 feet of water, give or take a foot. For the waves to reach your head while you stood on the water, they’d have to be about 5 feet high on top of the first 3 feet. That’s 8 feet, but to surfers, those are 5 foot waves. They would simply be called “head high waves.” Or: “Hey man, how’s the surf today?” “It’s head high! Get on it!”

Waist High Waves

Waist high waves are waves that would reach your waist if you were standing on the water. People who don’t surf would probably call them 6 foot waves.

Chest High Waves

Chest high means the waves would come up to your chest if you stood on top of the water.

Knee High Waves

Then there are knee high waves, which, of course, are waves that would come up to your knees if you were standing on the water. These could be decent for long boarding.

Ankle High Waves

Ankle high waves aren’t really good for anything but boogie boarding (which is fun!). On a day when the waves are ankle high, the surf report might say something like: Barelling ankle high surf, great waves for GI Joe!

Other Wave Heights

A lot of the time you’ll find that the surf report says a combination of these, such as:

  • Knee to waist high
  • Waist to chest high
  • Chest to head high
  • Head high and over

People come in all shapes and sizes, so these measurements are just really good guesses. The surf report is meant to give you a good idea of what to expect at the beach.

What to Expect from a Surf Report

Aside from telling you how high the waves are, the surf report should also tell you:

  • How strong the current is and what direction it’s going
  • How powerful the waves are
  • The water temperature
  • Anything important going on at sea, such as a hurricane on the way
  • What to expect for waves for the rest of the day and the rest of the week and weekend
  • Any news of jellyfish, sharks, or anything else related to your local surf spots
  • A good surf report will even keep you informed of upcoming surf competitions
  • The best surf reports are written before 8am. There really aren’t enough of these around.

Writing the Surf Report

So who walks out there on top of the water to find out how high the waves are? No one! The surf report is usually written by the surf shop owner, who drives down the beach before work, sipping his coffee. Or by the same guy after a 6:30am surf session known as dawn patrol. The surf report is usually just eye-balled. And sometimes they’re not what you would agree with. I’ve gone out to the beach on days when the surf report said the surf wasn’t very good, and ended up having a blast on my board.

If you’re not sure the surf report is correct or if you don’t have access to one, it never hurts to get wet and find out for yourself. If in doubt, paddle out!

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Carry a Surfboard on Your Bicycle

With this contraption you can carry your surfboard on your bicycle. These pictures were taken recently in Galveston, Texas. Surf shops in the area have these; I’ve seen them at Surf Specialties and I’m pretty sure the others will have them too.

surfboard on bicycle.thumbnail Carry a Surfboard on Your Bicycle
surfboard on bicycle 2.thumbnail Carry a Surfboard on Your Bicycle
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What to Wear During Winter Surfing

Found in Surfing — Tags: — Texas Surfer

 What to Wear During Winter Surfing

Most people think of surfing only as a summer sport. Nothing could be further from the truth. Actually, the best surf sessions happen during the winter. That is, winter brings some of the biggest swells and most powerful waves of the entire year. You might not get much of a tan on your surfboard during the winter like you would in summer, but winter is even going to bring you more frequent surfable waves. This means you can not only have more fun while surfing during winter, but you can also surf more often.

Wetsuits, Rash Guards, and Booties

But it’s cold! Yes, it is very cold during the winter. The air is cold, the wind makes it even colder, and the water is frigid. That’s why we have wet suits. Wet suits are like extra thick swim suits that cover your whole body. They are designed to keep you warm while you surf, and they’re made to be very elastic so that you’re able to pop up on your surfboard easily.

Wet Suits & Rash Guards

wet suit.thumbnail What to Wear During Winter Surfing

Wet suits are so tight they are really difficult to put on and take off, but the effort is worth the amazing surf sessions you’re sure to get.  Most surfers ease into their wet suits through the winter season. They don’t go from wearing some board shorts to suddenly squeezing into their wet suit. When it starts getting chilly outside, surfers start wearing their board shorts and a rash guard. This is a thin shirt that helps avoid rashes causes by wax on your surfboard; it can also help keep you warm.

Short Wet Suits

When it gets a bit colder, surfers might still wear their board shorts but instead of a rash guard (or rashie) they’ll start wearing a short sleeved wet suit top. As its name implies, this is the top part of a wet suit that has short sleeves. Around this time surfers may also start wearing some short wet suits. These are wet suits that have short bottoms and short sleeves.

short wet suit.thumbnail What to Wear During Winter Surfing

As winter progresses, surfers begin wearing wet suit bottoms, which means the full length bottom half of a wet suit. They may or may not wear a top, and their top may be a rash guard or even a short sleeved wet suit top.

Booties

Eventually, you’ll end up wearing a full wet suit. If the water where you surf is cold enough (or if you simply prefer), you’ll want to get some booties. These are basically shoes for your wet suit. They’re really thick and designed to keep your feet warm. The problem with booties is that they’re very prone to having water get in them. They fill up with water, which makes them heavy. This makes it a bit more difficult to pop up on your surfboard. Wet suits also tend to get a bit of water in them. Most of this water seeps in through the top of the wet suit, by your neck. You might want to get out of the water every 45 minutes or so just to drain the water out of your wet suit and booties.

booties for wet suit.thumbnail What to Wear During Winter Surfing

Summer is a very relaxing time to go surfing and you get a nice tan to go with it. But if you’re serious about surfing, you can’t miss out on winter surf sessions; they’re bigger, more powerful, and more fun than any summer surfing you’re likely to find.

Peeing Inside a Wet Suit

Yes, peeing inside your wet suit really does warm you up.

But whatever you do, don’t fart inside your wetsuit!

 What to Wear During Winter Surfing
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Galveston College Teaches Surfing

Found in Surf News — Tags: , , — Texas Surfer

It’s about time they started teaching surfing in college.  Galveston College (in Galveston, Texas, of course) is now offering a surfing class. Checkout the price kicker: It’s $250 but you can also add on another class such as English or Math for only $36.  That’s hard to beat.  You can take care of your physical ed class and another required course for under $300 and learn how to surf at the same time.

Surfing is a great class to offer because surfing is about so much more than just riding waves in the ocean. For one, you’re guaranteed to shed fat and get a nice tan. The salt water will also clear up any skin issues a person might have and also helps any wounds heal faster. I write all of this from personal experience. On top of all these benefits of surfing, you’ll build muscle, agility, endurance, make friends, learn team work (ever been in a lineup?); you’ll learn that you can surf, which is something most people think they could never do. You’ll gain self confidence.  You’ll learn an appreciation of the peacefulness of mother nature and an appeciation for the power of mother nature. You’ll see sunrises at the edge of the world you thought were only in movies.

You’ll find out what it’s like to fight the current in order to catch a wave, an experience I compare to everyday life every time I paddle out.

You’ll earn some college credits and open the doors to an education that will give you a better life.  And if you already know how to surf, this class is your obvious choice.

Source.

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Vodka and Jelly Fish, Sounds Good to Me

Found in Safety, Surfing — Tags: , , — Texas Surfer

jelly fish Vodka and Jelly Fish, Sounds Good to Me

While stumbling through random websites, I found this list of anecdotes that says, “vodka will disinfect and alleviate a jellyfish sting.”  So there you go. If you don’t have any urine to pour on your jelly fish sting and you don’t mind tossing some vodka, pour vodka on your sting and it should go away.

It also apparently helps cure swimmer’s ear: “Eliminate swimmer’s ear. If you don’t have rubbing alcohol, fill an ear dropper with vodka, and squeeze it into the affected ear, then let it drain out.”

You can even use vodka to get rid of last year’s beach parking permit and all the glue they tend to leave behind.  “Rub the glue with a soft, clean cloth soaked with vodka.”

btw, there are a lot of other things you can do with vodka too. Funny, this list I found doesn’t even mention drinking it. Basically, if you’re of age, you should be taking vodka to the beach with you. You’re gonna need two bottles and they need to be plastic.

If you read this and then pour vodka on a jelly fish sting, you really need to email me about it.

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How Old Can a Person Learn to Surf?

Found in Surfing — Tags: , — Texas Surfer

ireland first surfer joe roddy How Old Can a Person Learn to Surf?

I’ve seen men and women surfing that had to have been in their 70’s, so I don’t think there is a general limit on it. The guy who first surfed in Ireland (like, ever) is still surfing, and he’s in his late 70’s. His name is Joe Roddy and he says he first began surfing in 1949 with a 12 ft surfboard that he made from old tea chests. Since no one had ever surfed in Ireland or even heard of surfing, the whole beach was astonished to see him on top of his board.

He says:

“It was an incredible sight. One time I came in around two miles and there was a line of people along the beach just gobsmacked,” he said. “Most must have thought it was Christ back on the water again.”

In June, Mr. Roddy, a grandfather, surfed again for the first time in 57 years.

Source.

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Avoiding Surfboard Injuries

Found in Safety, Surfing — Tags: , , — Texas Surfer

Found a really good article you’ll like about injuries caused by surfboards over here. I like to think that everyone gets smacked by their board now and then, but who knows. I do know it happens to me at least once a year, and it hurts pretty bad.

surfer under water Avoiding Surfboard Injuries

When you go under water, it’s a really good idea to be sure you know about where your board is before you bring your head back above water. This can be difficult if you’re totally out of air after a wipeout and you’re having trouble finding the board, but it usually only takes a second or two. What you do is kick back the foot that has your leash attached to it, or pull on the leash if you can find it, and you also know the board is going with the current.

It’s a good idea to also never put your board between yourself and a wave, because a wave could quickly push it right into you.

You could also be hit by someone else’s surfboard, so you have to lookout for others’ boards too.

Here’s an excerpt from this article:

… A lady that had progressed nicely over the last year since I gave her surf lessons last summer was out surfing and attempted to push her board through a breaking wave. For some reason, the board didn’t penetrate the wave as intended and it was pushed back with a vengeance, hitting her in the mouth and breaking a couple of her front teeth.

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Why You Should Buy Used Surfboards

Found in Surfboard Care, Surfing — Tags: , , , — Texas Surfer

  • You’ll save hundreds of dollars if you buy used surfboards.
  • Brand new surfboards cost a lot of money. A new Rusty shortboard can cost you over $800 easily, and longboards often are priced at over $1,000. Used boards are generally under $400, with many decent boards for first-timers running $250 or less.
  • You help out a fellow surfer when you buy their surfboard.
  • The surfboard gets to go to a good home (a surfer’s home where it’ll be loved and played with, not stuck on a wall for looks).
  • When you ding the used board, it’s not as big a deal as it would be if the board was brand new. If you buy your boards new, a major ding or crack can cost you $800 (the price of a new board) versus a couple hundred. And even if the ding is small, the emotional damage is much less if the board is used rather than brand new. It’s similar to getting a scratch on a used car and getting a scratch on a new car.
  • You can have more surfboards because you spend less on them. Imagine the variety of surfboards you could be surfing with! An $800 board could have been 3 used  boards.
  • Used surfboards usually come with a traction pad, a leash, and cool stickers.
  • You get to meet a fellow surfer during the transaction, someone you might end up paddling out with.
  • Buying a used surfboard is the best way to learn how to surf at the lowest cost.
  • It’s easy to find used  boards.
  • It’s easy to sell used  boards when it’s time to get another board. And the same money you sell it with is all you’ll need to get another used surfboard.
Save on Boards

Sell or buy used surfboards for free on Texas Surfers. And by the way, you don’t have to live in Texas to use the for sale board.

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New Indo Board Design

Found in Balance, Indo Board — Tags: , , — Texas Surfer

indo board bamboo beach New Indo Board DesignThe guys who make the Indo Board have come out with a new design for the board called the Bamboo Beach. It’s the coolest design they’ve had so far.

Here’s a picture of all the Indo Board Original designs you can currently purchase. The original board sells for $58, and the boards with designs on them cost $69.

Our Indo Board Links:

What’s an Indo Board?

Learn Indo Board Tricks

Watch a Crazy Indo Board Trick

External Link: Get an Indo Board Original! – Everything you need to improve your balance for surfing and skating.

indo board designs New Indo Board Design
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