And We Surfed

More and more I absolutely love surfing this mat!!! Although the kids actually bodysurfed more this trip than any before (maybe the water temps was finally warm enough).

Body Surfing

We were in Virginia Beach to watch our buddy's Change of Command ceremony (UCT ONE) and are hanging out in the trailer at the Dam Neck Campgrounds - awesome spot that is a short walk to this beach (not the same one we've been going to, just a little further North). And we didn't bring the SUP surfing boards - this was a torpedo squad mission! There was a time when I was a wave snob and did not appreciate small waves. That was a long time ago and now I greatly appreciate even the smallest of waves breaking on the sand. We are liberated and are having more fun than we ever imagined -

More Fun at the Beach

More fun ;) If I ended up finding a job in Virginia Beach, I think I could actually spend the rest of my life surfing these beaches and the Outer Banks. And kiting. And fishing. And paddling. And hanging out. And having fun!

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!

More Fun

Proof that the 3.5 hours in the truck was worth it!

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!