Goodbye Old Friend

Here is the ULI Fat Ass Quad all boxed up and ready to ship to Guam. We decided to sell it to La's sister since her kids loved paddling around on the SUPs when they were here a couple of years ago, and they can use it while out in Guam this summer. All in all this board will have seen action in Diego Garcia, Hawaii, Virginia Beach and ponds/lakes/Potomac River here in the DC area. I have relished the ability to take this board anywhere (packs in a suitcase to fly) and not have to worry about dings or fin breaks riding right up to the beach. The performance has been good - but with this board I actually learned I really like trifin configured boards (to be able to turn harder). Once we get settled in our new home (I have to find a job first...) I will order a new ULI (eyeing the Limited Edition Lopez 9'0") so all is not lost. Goodbye old friend - take care of your new owners!!!

Pressure Valve Lifting

As I write this, I'm actually 9 calendar days from my last working day in the Navy. It's been fun and I've had opportunities I would never have gotten if I had picked a different path in life, but we have goals that we cannot meet if I decided to continue serving. That said, I have been trying to land a new job for the past several months and have met my match in the "process" - I have never been so stressed out (well, maybe that time in Kuwait while missiles were flying overhead, or that time in Fallujah when the tail gunner in my convoy lit up a car that was chasing us, or maybe the mortars that would come down on us regularly in Baghdad) as I have been trying to solve this "how to get a job" puzzle. I asked La if she wouldn't mind if we went down to Virginia Beach for the day seeing as how the surf forecast was calling for some decent conditions (and I've been really tense lately). We met the Bisgards at the beach. I caught several decent waves and a few really good ones. It was hard at first to find the groove - lots of offshore wind, higher tide, deep troughs - but a little bit of effort paid off! Since we live 3.5 hours from the ocean, surfing has been scant on our list of things to do to relieve stress and have fun. I wish we lived closer because I don't know of anything (G rated) that pops the stress relief valve better than catching a good wave... Oh and this may be the last time I surf the ULI FAQ - we're selling it to La's sister so their family can use it on Guam. I'll likely order an ULI Lopez 9'0" Special Edition as a replacement - trifin slashing machine!!!

Beggars Can't Be Choosers - Opening Day - Microwaves

Yesterday's waves were definitely better - bigger and cleaner with the offshore wind. Today's were WAY smaller and choppy. I have a tad bit o' crankiness from realizing early on that today would not be a repeat of yesterday (a rare throw back to the wave snob I was in my early 30's), but that went away once I pulled on the cold, damp wetsuit and started paddling. I had tons of these microwaves and Charlie Bisgard came out to share the waves (check the left side of the picture).Lastly - the water was as cold as you would imagine water should be in January.May 2014 bring you epic surf sessions and oodles of stoke!

Another Wave from New Year's Eve

Not as good as the first - but still fun! I love this inflatable SUP board - dropping into crashing beach break was an act to be avoided at all costs on hard boards - snapping fins off, dinging the rails and giving birth to hidden deck cracks were certain maladies that awaited you if you dared to go. Now I throw caution to wind and look forward to completing heroic deeds worthy of epic blog posts.Don't knock the blowup toy until you try it - you just might end up selling all your conventional boards and turn to dredging the high water mark for lasting smiles!!! Stay tuned for more from tomorrow's surf session!!! Happy New Year!

Last Surf of 2013

We beat feet to make it down to our favorite surf spot in southern Virginia Beach - caught the last bit of the rising tide. Managed to squeeze some juice out of the minimal surf - a barrel is a barrel is a barrel (although this was one of the better ones I've had in a while). It's been another good year and I couldn't have thought of a better way to close it out! Yes the water was cold. But it kinda makes the surfing that much better ;) Stay stoked in 2014!!!

Virginia Beach Skunks

We are down in Virginia Beach for the weekend. Our arrival time did not coincide with the low tide - surfing was tough but I did manage to a few rides. The water was in the low 60's so Marlon and Noe opted out of the wet activities - in lieu of that Marlon dug a 5' deep hole in the sand. It was funny to see him standing in the hole (NOTE: we did have plan in case the side walls fell in and one of use adults was always close and paying attention). I brought the surf rods but didn't even string up because I did not see any fish signs. Despite the wrong tide, the wind coming from a direction the forecast didn't predict (onshore) and the lack of fish, any time at the beach is a good time.

Fun Sequence

Thanks to La for taking the vast majority of the pictures this weekend! What a great weekend!

Seahorse

Not what you were expecting huh?

Noe Surfing

Noe has really taken to my 4th Gear Flyer surf mat. It is her wave riding vehicle of choice. The kids were actually catching white wash while lying on their backs and facing the wave - and laughing the whole time as they shot out backwards towards the beach. They had me laughing the whole time as well! Later, La bribed Noe with a trip to Target if Noe would ride a wave on the ULI. This board is so ridiculously stable - Noe was horsing around and....

Busy Weekend

Packed and ready to go!!! SUP surfing and fishing, kiting and boogie boarding - oh my...

Beach Break Dancing with the ULI FAQ

I love this board more every session!!! From overhead stoke generators to knee high giggle makers, this board does it all. Not having to worry about snapping fins off in the shallows makes for easy rides straight to the beach or care free paddle back outs. And the biggest reason for loving this board? Nothing else makes a small day of beach break surf more fun or care free - all the stress and crap from work literally melted away during this session. The ULI FAQ - best surfing board for 95% of all the waves out there (North Shore Oahu being the other 5% - where I'd prefer to have something a little skinnier, but that's another story).

Paddling Lake Audubon in Reston

The forecast for today originally called for 70% rain. WRONG. With the dismal outlook, we had planned on knocking out some errands - changing the van's transmission fluid, begin shopping for back-to-school, finishing off the outfitting on the kids' new SUP board (Tahoe Grom) and more cleaning. After a while, I was getting cranky because I haven't had any water time. We did not have enough time to go out to Beaverdam Reservoir, but we did have some time to check out Lake Audubon. I paddled here last when I was back from my last tour for a conference (old blog post from September 2011). Marlon and Noe really like the Grom - they were each keeping track of how long the other had been using it - looks like we'll have to save up some more and get a second one. The ULI FAQ is a little wide for them right now - but both these boards are ding proof so that's what they'll be using for the foreseeable future. La met a new friend paddling another inflatable - NRS I think. The length of Lake Audubon is better for paddling then Lake Newport - but the fishing honey holes are different (as they should be for a different body of water - it's just that I don't know where they are).