My Own Surfing Thread!

[porsche4life]

Try it. The vantage point from a SUP is more enjoyable than a Kayak to me.


I need to get some boards and come out and ride the waves with you Craig!

[Baz]

[trader220]

To my friends on this thread and especially Baz (for always posting inspirational photos)….

I have been laid up in the hospital for 10 days. Even the docs at U Penn can’t figure out what’s wrong with me. In general I have been a real mess. For the first 5 or 6 days I slept 23 ½ hours a day but the last handful of days I have been awake and coherent for long stretches. In that time I have decided to go on the road again. My destination is probably going to be Chicama Peru. At almost 51 I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to really enjoy a full day of surfing over a 10 day trip, and I want one more adventure before it’s not realistic to consider a trip like this anymore. Wasting away in the hospital and looking at this thread has been my inspiration to make one more big trip. Thank you to everyone who keeps it going.

I have surfed up and down both coasts of the US. I have surfed Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua a number of times. I surfed Tenerife a couple of times. I surfed Cape Verde for a 10 day span. I have surfed the better spots in France. In the late 80’s I surfed Mundaka too. I went to Maui for 14 days on my honeymoon (needless to say my now ex-wife was not all that happy with my activity of choice).

I was never much of a big wave surfer and at times and in different places I was in over my head and skill level but for the most part I have been fortunate enough to have caught some fantastic surf wherever I have been for at least parts of the trip if not all. Over the last 20 years my board of choice has gotten longer and longer and my free time to travel has gotten smaller and smaller. So much so that since my separation / divorce my surfing has been limited to a couple dozen days a year when it’s really been worth the drive to the Jersey shore and I can make it fit my schedule. Basically pre-hurricane strong swells which fit my custody schedule. My 8 year old has been hanging out with me on the front of the 12 footer in tiny slop for the last couple seasons too.

My question is this…. Have any of you guys or gals been to Chicama? What’s it really like? What are the seasons like? I guess its close enough to the equator that there are no local seasons but there must be better swells coming from somewhere in different times of the year? What’s the wave like. The shortest board I own is a 9 foot performance long board and I am not looking to get into wicked fast nasty hollow breaking in two feet of water over reefs or lava. I also don’t want to go all that distance for waste high incredibly slow mush even if it’s really long. I am old but I am not that soft so I don’t need fancy digs or fancy food.

Once I get well enough to start training again, I figure I’ll need a few months of work to be strong enough to do more than bob around and catch an occasional wave. I don’t want to waste a trip, but I also realize at my age I am not going catch everything that moves. I’ll be going solo so I don’t really care about the night life.

Any input, suggestions, tips, good links will be greatly appreciated.

[Craig T]

Originally Posted by trader220

To my friends on this thread and especially Baz (for always posting inspirational photos)….

I have been laid up in the hospital for 10 days. Even the docs at U Penn can’t figure out what’s wrong with me. In general I have been a real mess. For the first 5 or 6 days I slept 23 ½ hours a day but the last handful of days I have been awake and coherent for long stretches. In that time I have decided to go on the road again. My destination is probably going to be Chicama Peru. At almost 51 I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to really enjoy a full day of surfing over a 10 day trip, and I want one more adventure before it’s not realistic to consider a trip like this anymore. Wasting away in the hospital and looking at this thread has been my inspiration to make one more big trip. Thank you to everyone who keeps it going.

I have surfed up and down both coasts of the US. I have surfed Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua a number of times. I surfed Tenerife a couple of times. I surfed Cape Verde for a 10 day span. I have surfed the better spots in France. In the late 80’s I surfed Mundaka too. I went to Maui for 14 days on my honeymoon (needless to say my now ex-wife was not all that happy with my activity of choice).

I was never much of a big wave surfer and at times and in different places I was in over my head and skill level but for the most part I have been fortunate enough to have caught some fantastic surf wherever I have been for at least parts of the trip if not all. Over the last 20 years my board of choice has gotten longer and longer and my free time to travel has gotten smaller and smaller. So much so that since my separation / divorce my surfing has been limited to a couple dozen days a year when it’s really been worth the drive to the Jersey shore and I can make it fit my schedule. Basically pre-hurricane strong swells which fit my custody schedule. My 8 year old has been hanging out with me on the front of the 12 footer in tiny slop for the last couple seasons too.

My question is this…. Have any of you guys or gals been to Chicama? What’s it really like? What are the seasons like? I guess its close enough to the equator that there are no local seasons but there must be better swells coming from somewhere in different times of the year? What’s the wave like. The shortest board I own is a 9 foot performance long board and I am not looking to get into wicked fast nasty hollow breaking in two feet of water over reefs or lava. I also don’t want to go all that distance for waste high incredibly slow mush even if it’s really long. I am old but I am not that soft so I don’t need fancy digs or fancy food.

Once I get well enough to start training again, I figure I’ll need a few months of work to be strong enough to do more than bob around and catch an occasional wave. I don’t want to waste a trip, but I also realize at my age I am not going catch everything that moves. I’ll be going solo so I don’t really care about the night life.

Any input, suggestions, tips, good links will be greatly appreciated.

First, I'm very sorry you're struggling with undiagnosed health issues. Hopefully it will pass. I wish you well.

As you obviously know from your extensive surf travel, surf movies and magazine photographs give us an unrealistic impression of all surf spots. Even if a break goes off one or two days a year there is somebody there to take the video or photograph of perfection. Chicama does have pretty consistent surf (similar to like CR and Nic), but rarely is it like the photos. June through October is your best chance in Peru.

I missed a trip with friends to Chicama in Sept of 2008. I had plane tickets in hand when a work process heated up and I had to bail out. They were there for five days and only had one day of memorable surf. They also said the water was surprisingly cold, requiring 3mm wetsuits to be comfortable...due to the Humboldt Current. All said they would not do it again due to long flights, cold water, etc.

[Craig T]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

I know - don't knock it until you try it, but it seems to me why should I go spend $1,000-$1,500 on an SUP setup when I can just drag out my kayak? Either paddle or surf - it seems silly to me to surf with a paddle. Kind of like snowboarding with a ski pole.

I don't disagree. I still spend 90% of my time in the water on a 6'6" Al Merrick. The SUP is really just a good way to stay in shape one days too small to surf or too mushy. A paddle gets you moving so fast you can catch anything. I've had 50 yard rides on waves that never even broke….No way you could catch them on a surfboard.

I use the race board most, paddling 5 miles from Ventura Harbor to the pier and back a couple days a week. I really love it.

[Geary]

Trader .. So sorry to hear of your health issues. It seems that mystery ailments keep popping up every day. I've been battling some weird stuff myself for a number of years. The good news is, assuming you make a come-back, you've got at least a decade of good surfing years ahead. I'm 66, and yeah, I got my ass kicked a couple weeks back during a big south swell, but I could see that with more "training", I'll be good for at least a few more years.

I haven't surfed Chicama, but judging from the website below, it's a long, non-threatening type wave. The good thing about such a long wave is that you can choose an uncrowded zone and pick up plenty of waves that others haven't made all the way. As the days go by and you get stronger, you can work your way out the the outside take off zone.

Chicama

Wherever you go, get the paddling muscles ready before your trip. Paddle in the swimming pool if you have to. Pavones (CR) is another very long break (when it's bigger) .. about a kilometer ride. Probably more crowded than Chicama these days, but a pretty laid back atmosphere. Here's a few photos from the beach on a pretty good day:

[Baz]

Trader - very sorry to hear about the health issue. I guess that is a surfer's worst nightmare...something health related that would preclude us from ever surfing again or at a level we would be able to enjoy.

Hang in there and remember to turn misfortune into motivation. I know those are only words and every circumstance is different but every road has speed bumps....you just have to keep going.

And it sounds like this is exactly what you are doing - good man!

I have no experience with Chicama but agree with what Craig and Geary have posted above. I also sent a friend of mine an email asking if he has any experience there - I know he has made several trips to Peru for missionary work and he surfs so I will let you know what he says when he replies.

The only regret I have in life is not traveling more for surf. I guess it's never too late until heath issues stop you so best wishes on your sojourn, mate.

[Baz]

This one is for our surf brother, Trader.....

[Baz]

Just heard back from my friend:

Am in Peru now and yes have been to Chicama - long left. Great place to go with a hotel on the beach. Will hook you up with a Peruvian surf guide when I get back.

I will post again when I get more info....

[trader220]

Thanks to everyone for the kind words. You guys are right, sometimes I forget that a still photo of one moment in time does not tell the whole story. As a kid I used to watch the footage in Endless Summer from Cape of St Francis. I worshiped the place and never considered that it didn't fire like the scenes in the movie on a regular basis.

The thought of riding a wave for even a full minute is really hard to even visualize, especially growing up surfing on the east coast.

Two things I have been doing most of my life are surfing and playing hockey (43 seasons). I played my last game a week before I was struck with this issue and felt great. 50 year old playing in the over 40 league and playing at a high level. It scares the piss out of me that I may have played my last game and dropped into my last wave. I appreciate all of the comments and I am committed to stepping back on the ice and paddling out again.

At some point I hope I can get up a cracking again. In the mean time I am going to do the research side on this dream of going to Peru. Thanks for all the info.

[Baz]

Please keep us posted on how it's going, Trader.

Gotta keep charging no matter what cards you're dealt!

[Baz]

[Baz]

[Baz]

World champion from Oz Pam Burridge 1990

[Geary]

Pat Curren Waimea 1961

[Heel n Toe]

Guinness record set for most surfers riding wave
June 20, 2015



Long-time Huntington Beach surfer Gary Sahagen had a prediction about how the world record attempt to get the most people riding one wave would go down.

“It’s either going to be spectacular, or a spectacle,” Sahagen said, before joining 66 other surfers crammed onto a 42-foot board on the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier.

Turns out, it was a lot of both.



An estimated 5,000 people watched from the sand and Huntington Beach pier Saturday morning as Surf City claimed the Guinness World Record for the most people riding a wave on a single board, shattering the previous record set in Queensland, Australia about a decade ago, when 47 surfers rode a wave for 10 seconds.







More: Guinness record set for most surfers riding wave - The Orange County Register

[Baz]

[Geary]

Originally Posted by Baz

I'm betting that's an Ilima Kalama shaped Surfboards Hawaii.


Gerry Lopez 1968

[trader220]

Went to work today!!! We'll see how long I last but I am happy to me mobile enough to be at work. Thanks again to all !!!

[Baz]