Seriously, what is wrong with this world ?

?sorry mate, got to go for a run tomorrow?

?so cold...gonna sleep in, stay metro I think?

Welcome to seabreeze.
That was why I came here in the first place, got sick of mates blousing it.

They all fade and drift away over time
Question is will you?

They really do.
Recently bumped into a surf mate who was a fervent wave hound 15 years ago
Who does not bother now at all.
For some I guess they just lose interest.

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Seacht said..

They really do.
Recently bumped into a surf mate who was a fervent wave hound 15 years ago
Who does not bother now at all.
For some I guess they just lose interest.

Or for many i guess time constraints and life just gets in the way

Happily my kid brought me back to surfing

Most consistent one over the last few years is a new missus, not that they admit it ha ha

De-Nile is not just a river in Egypt

Missus wants to go out for brunch
I want a sleep in
Im going out the night before
I drank too much last night
I slept in
Its too cold
My board is damaged
It might be ****

Ive heard them all, i guess some lack the passion. I hope i never loose it!!

If you like it, you like it,
If you don't, you don't,
If you change your mind, not my problem,
I started in my mid 50's, that's pretty radical and doesn't fit the mold either,
I played squash for nearly 30 years, until most of my joints were screwed, and my team mates gave me grief for having a gap year this year,
Not my problem,,, lifes short , take my advice,,,,,, please yourself..

If you don't still surf than you probably never did

i am almost in that category and can show a little insight from my circumstance.
i still get surf stoke but few and far between. the quality of waves is probably the biggest factor. when its cranking I'm all over it but if its not theres a new passion that has taken over. one that has blown me away with its mateship and thrill.
probably surf twice a month (used to be daily) now and its slowly been dwindling since moving here from the east coast about 8 years ago. crappy surf and agro in the water are the other 2 biggest contributors i guess.
i used to be the surf fetish fiend where i had to go and nothing else mattered but gotta say, theres some other great stuff going on that i would have missed out on if i still thought the way i used to as well.
at least I'm off to lombok in july. see what that does.

I'm not quitting, but definitely have noticed I am getting more picky...

I've surfed for 33 years since I was 14yo. Up until I was about 30yo I would go 3-4 times a week as I was working shift work, so plenty of midweek sessions. Then family came along, and a promotion to 8am-6pm and I found myself doing the weekend hassle. Then I was out of the water for 10 months after breaking my back at 33yo - and lost a lot of fitness and nerve, and had to make the move to mid-length. I enjoyed the extra wave count and never went back to a shorty.

Anyhow, along the way all my mates stopped surfing... kids sports, reno's, work, study, family time etc.

I still check the surf forecast everyday. And my initial weekend and holiday plans always revolve around surfing... That said, when it's onshore, rippy, crowded, weedy or straight (or there's SUP's in the line up) I find I just don't have the enthusiasm any more.

Having said all of that, one fast head-high right hander that walls up and I am frothing like the 14yo grommet I once was.

the more that quit the better it is I reckon Although the net migration of surfers is presently very high so we really need an awful lot more to hang up their boots - see if you can convince a few others as well

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GPA said..

I'm not quitting, but definitely have noticed I am getting more picky...

I've surfed for 33 years since I was 14yo. Up until I was about 30yo I would go 3-4 times a week as I was working shift work, so plenty of midweek sessions. Then family came along, and a promotion to 8am-6pm and I found myself doing the weekend hassle. Then I was out of the water for 10 months after breaking my back at 33yo - and lost a lot of fitness and nerve, and had to make the move to mid-length. I enjoyed the extra wave count and never went back to a shorty.

Anyhow, along the way all my mates stopped surfing... kids sports, reno's, work, study, family time etc.

I still check the surf forecast everyday. And my initial weekend and holiday plans always revolve around surfing... That said, when it's onshore, rippy, crowded, weedy or straight (or there's SUP's in the line up) I find I just don't have the enthusiasm any more.

Having said all of that, one fast head-high right hander that walls up and I am frothing like the 14yo grommet I once was.

Sounds like a brother ('cept my real bro quit yeeeeeeeeears ago (still says he wants to get back out there though)).

I'm 43. Started when I was 4

I started when I was 9 and still can't get enough of it....after surfing for 6 hours I still stuggle to stay out of the water if there are still waves to be had...my wife just laughs when she sees me starting to froth out....

I only started 3 years ago and its all I can think about for the most part of the day. God knows what I would be like if I had grown up in Australia and started surfing as a kid.

Lucky surfing isn't a team sport..

I reckon that is one of the best things about it. Towel, board, wettie and you're ready to go.

Although it is good surfing with a few mates at the end of the day you don't really need them.

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SP said..

Lucky surfing isn't a team sport..

I reckon that is one of the best things about it. Towel, board, wettie and you're ready to go.

Although it is good surfing with a few mates at the end of the day you don't really need them.

LOL yep...had some great surf trips in our holden/falcon wagons 20 years ago. The 6 or 7 of us were great for digging/pushing through boggy surf tracks, but we were an instacrowd in the surf

Sharks on the brain?

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samokta said..

Sharks on the brain?

You can't say that its not a factor. Two of my mates used to surf all the time, they were both pretty hard frothers. After that kid got taken at Wedge, neither of them have even looked twice at the ocean.

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LateStarter said..

samokta said..

Sharks on the brain?

You can't say that its not a factor. Two of my mates used to surf all the time, they were both pretty hard frothers. After that kid got taken at Wedge, neither of them have even looked twice at the ocean.

I must admit I really give alot of thought before I decide where to surf these days. I dont blame them for not wanting to get in the water.

I surfed up there all the time thinking we were in a shark free area, oh how I was wrong.

I have surfed all the places down south where attacks have happened after attacks but the wedge attack really brought it home to me.

I have always known sharks are out there and its always been in the back of my mind but its closer to the front of my mind now.

As surfers we are always in the perfect spot for an attack, just out side breaking waves in deep enough water. Sitting ducks, but even though we are sitting ducks why dont attacks happen more often??

I couldnt imagine anything worse than not surfing

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DARTH said..
As surfers we are always in the perfect spot for an attack, just out side breaking waves in deep enough water. Sitting ducks, but even though we are sitting ducks why dont attacks happen more often??

Drum lines. They protect us like an invisible baby Jeebus watching over us.

I can see how injuries would hold people back. The last 9 months have just been a complete pain and the idea that any of them could happen again so easily worries me. But then again i could trip over at the shops or walking the dog so why change what you enjoy..

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Legion said..

DARTH said..
As surfers we are always in the perfect spot for an attack, just out side breaking waves in deep enough water. Sitting ducks, but even though we are sitting ducks why dont attacks happen more often??

Drum lines. They protect us like an invisible baby Jeebus watching over us.

No they dont. If fact they bring sharks closer to us.

Bait taken

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Grevas said..

Bait taken

Not for me though, i just swam on by and chomped on a beach goer

Thats how the drum lines work, whilst they may catch one they may also just as easy mis another..But thats another thread so lets not make everything about sharks
My point of view is that if someone stopped surfing because of fear of sharks, id say thats very sad and in that case the media has done its job of scare mongering well..

BUT i will add, if someone witnessed a serous shark attack, then i could understand

I'm not scared.
Scaremonger till you're heart's content, dear media.

Work, location and time are factors for me. Moving back to WA from the east coast (Port Stephens) makes me realise how lucky I had it there..lack of work forced the move back.
Metro surf is poor and does put me off a bit, I have no issues driving south for a day trip when I can on weekends to get my fix but it is a pain in the ass..I rarely go anymore but I'm still checking reports daily and looking for cheap indo flights..
Nobody can ignore that buzz you get from catching a wave and getting a ride though, will always stick with you and never be topped..
-long sigh-

The offer was made Phil. There is other options....

I love the whole thing about surfing at the moment, it's a balancer for me. Me and a mate at work go down any chance we get for the dawn patrol. Have scored heaps but when forecast looks crap we still do the drive down and paddle out and even if bugger all waves caught we still maintain that it is worth it.- grab a coffee on way to work, put on work shoes at one of the many red lights and go to work with a bit if a spring in the step. We actually laugh at the crap we surf sometimes so surfing crap is still fun in a way.

It means a lot of different things to different people, not talking crap but each to their own. To this day have not been able to turn some one around who is not that keen. Might get them down for an occasional session but not consistently to the level of stoke and commitment that others have or that I feel .Just seems that the ocean can take it away but also give it back reading some of the above replies.

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Souwester said..

I love the whole thing about surfing at the moment, it's a balancer for me. Me and a mate at work go down any chance we get for the dawn patrol. Have scored heaps but when forecast looks crap we still do the drive down and paddle out and even if bugger all waves caught we still maintain that it is worth it.- grab a coffee on way to work, put on work shoes at one of the many red lights and go to work with a bit if a spring in the step. We actually laugh at the crap we surf sometimes so surfing crap is still fun in a way.

It means a lot of different things to different people, not talking crap but each to their own. To this day have not been able to turn some one around who is not that keen. Might get them down for an occasional session but not consistently to the level of stoke and commitment that others have or that I feel .Just seems that the ocean can take it away but also give it back reading some of the above replies.

I do think people look for something different from surfing than others. I agree i enjoy the water, the waves and the company.. Im easily pleased though but still feeling good from the last weekend..