Intro
I learned a lot of useful things from surfing on a daily basis that may be of assistance to the general public. So I figured I would share them publicly to help people find new tips or just remind people of things they already know.
Positive & Negative
In order to appreciate the good in life, there must be some negative to balance the positive. There must be an equal balance between yin and yang. It is a simple piece of information, but it is not always executed correctly. Having too much of one instead of the other can alter your life and throw judgments off based on events. In surfing, there must be flat spells and days where the wind is howling, making the waves break sideways. We must have those shitty days to appreciate the days when the weather cooperates and the waves are epic all day. It sounds cliche, but it is something that I have learned to be super important in surfing and life in general. It is all about balance.
Forecasting & Gear
I used many different apps to forecast and track incoming swells. As we know, Surfline is not the most accurate forecasting app out there, and any veteran surfer knows that. The following apps I use to track and forecast swells are: Magic Seaweed (MSW), Windy, Surf Captain, NOAA buoy readings, and more. By taking forecasting seriously instead of just opening the Surfline app the morning of, it can make a real difference in your surfing experience and the spots you surf. Furthermore, on days where it is forecasted to be 2-3 ft or bigger and the winds are forecasted to be 20-25 mph with a deep high tide at sunrise, it is most likely that there won’t be a rideable wave that morning. Take that with a grain of salt because sometimes you get lucky, but most of the time there isn’t. So think wisely when setting an alarm for those types of conditions.
Lastly, you do not know what the conditions look like until you get to the beach, regardless of whether you watch the surf cam. To ensure that you have the right board for the conditions. I recommend using or buying a fish or groveler type board that can be used in any type of wave. By keeping that in the car at all times, you’ll be able to get more waves than some people in the lineup.
Weather
I threw myself into many conditions where there was dicey weather involved. From doing that, I learned that weather can change within seconds in a good way or a bad way. No matter which way the weather turns, you must be prepared. One day in August 2021, it rained heavily for the whole day. My car was stuck in the parking lot. I had clothes, a portable charger, and money to buy some food. I got to the parking lot at 6 am and did not get home until 4:30 in the afternoon due to the heavy rain flooding the island. Always keep a raincoat, food, and a spare pair of clothes in your car for times like this. You may never know when you will need them, but when you do, you will be happy that you are prepared.