Starter Pack, Part 4: Surf Gang

Hey Folks! 

So we have worked through the wetsuit, the board, and transportation. The last subject in this starter pack is quite possibly the most important component to surfing:

Your Very Own Surf Gang

As I said in the past, I was determined to become a surfer. Getting the proper materials can be complicated, but truthfully, it can also be an independent and personal endeavor. In other words, it's easy to do it alone so long as you know what you're looking for (see previous postings for guidance). Finding people to surf with isn't always easy. If you are surrounded by people who surf, you have a leg up, but it's not that big of an advantage. They are usually better than you and are only willing to take you out on occasion, which is fair enough. Finding the time to jump in the water can be difficult, so the precious opportunities those more experienced surfers get...well, let's just say they would rather not be watching over someone else. Then all of a sudden you find yourself in the same position as someone who doesn't have any surf friends and you are forced to get creative. 

Why can't I go alone? 

Imagine that you are out alone in the cold water as a very new surfer. Meaning you have yet to develop an acute oceanic awareness. You go for a wave that is too big for you, your leash snaps, your board drifts off and you find yourself being pummeled by the waves. This is what the French called being "Le Fucked" because the ocean shows no mercy. You need surfing buddies primarily for safety reasons. As a newbie, you essentially have the coordination of a toddler. We all know toddlers are accidents just waiting to happen. As you get better, you can start depending on random people who are surfing at the same time as you, but even then, it's just a better idea to go with someone who has your back.

Secondly, surfing with people is always more fun. There is A LOT of waiting time out there, you might as well have a friend to goof off with until the next set.

Friends also provide motivation. There will be times when you feel lazy and cold water just sounds dreadful (like me at this very instance), that is when a friend comes in and drags you out. I find that I usually have the best surf session of my life under these circumstances. 

Lastly, you can learn from each other. You can compare boards and fin set up. You can compare surfing styles and mimic or correct accordingly. You can learn to look before you charge since your friend just accidentally cut off the scary old dude with the yellow board. A friend is both a teacher and a student. They are invaluable to your own path. 

Moral of the Story: 

Don't be a moron. Find friends.

Okay, so how do you find friends? I will gladly tell you what I did, but I encourage you to brainstorm a solution that works for you. I found a meet up group. I realized they would have organized sessions every week, so I would have many opportunities to surf and meet more people. I now have a pretty solid group of people that I can surf with at different times of the week. Consider meet up groups, clubs, or find people who are also eager to learn! Sometimes surf shops will have clubs or something of the sort you can join. Go to surf shops and the beach; expose yourself to the culture. The surfing community is filled with many wonderful people, you just have show self motivation. If you live in the SF area, you can use me as a surf buddy to get launched too. I would be glad to usher in more motivated surfers! 

Here is my first attempt at a GoPro video. In the video are some of my friends from the Pacifica Meet up Group including, Courtney, Sam, and Oz. It's not an awesome video, but here we are suiting up to surf Bolinas in Marin. (Note: I fit two, yes TWO, surf boards into my little Honda Civic! You go, Civic! <3 )

Starter Pack, Part 3: Transportation

So you have your wetsuit and you have your board. The next logical hurdle arises:
How the hell are you supposed to get that long ass "eggy" board into your little sedan?!

My advice to you:
First and foremost, cross & double cross your fingers that your board fits in your car. If that fails, finagle a way to carpool with someone who has their shit together. Your last option is to surrender to surf rack city. 

In being honest with you lovely folks, I find surf racks intimidating and confusing. I am doing research in order to learn more, but I truthfully feel very naive. I struck gold by somehow being able to fit my board in my little Honda Civic. I only wish this happy coincidence upon all of my readers because it is sooo much cheaper and soo convenient! This happy coincidence has also left me blissfully naive to the world of surf racks. With that being said, I am going to keep this post extremely simple with the intention of revisiting the topic later on. The goal is to get you all set up and this is an annoying, yet imperative, part of getting into the water.

Your options for surf racks fro simple to complex:

1. Ratchets and towels
Go to your nearest hardware store and buy two ratchets. Wrap your board snuggly with towels and strap it down to the roof of your car with the hatchets. Note: THIS IS NOT A LONG TERM SOLUTION! This is for SUPER quick trips or absolute desperation. I have attached pictures of ratchets below.

2. Soft Racks
Soft Racks are cheaper and more reliable than ratchets. However, they are really not meant for long car rides, freeways, or going over 45 MPH...sooo, also not an awesome choice. They are easy to work with, though and their affordability is a huge plus! I have heard that soft racks are not advisable for two door cars, but I have seen it done! You go, Morgan! Where there is a will, there is a way! haha

3. Hard Racks
I am as ignorant to hard racks as I am to big wave surfing. Let's just thank God hard racks are no where near as dangerous or seemingly unattainable as big wave surfing!  With that being said, I have faith that I will eventually figure out hard racks, I don't have the same faith in my big wave surfing career...but you never know! In upcoming months I will have to buy my own hard rack. When that happens, you can bet your newbie behinds that I will give you an extremely detailed post about what I learned. If you plan on pursuing hard racks, please, contribute to my blog. I would be so happy to incorporate the knowledge of my audience! (Mom: I know you are the only one reading this. Please don't feign knowledge to make me feel better about my lack of audience haha...love youuuu)

Ratchet with straps:

Soft Racks:

My car with TWO boards!

Toodaloo!

Annette

Mermaid in Training

Starter Pack, Part 2: The Board

We discussed the wetsuit in the last post, on to finding the most righteous first board of your life...lol

As a side note, I am going over the basics on how to get yourself into the water. Once I cover those bases, I will post things that are a bit more personal and fun!

Your First Surf Board

I am not going to deny, this is a really complicated topic. Surf boards are extremely personal and I cannot claim any expertise to the mysteries of a perfect board. What I will explain is what I have noted as good introductory boards. 

I am going to keep this brief:

You want a egg shaped, tri-fin fun board OR an 8'0"-9'0" foam board.

The Breakdown

Shape:
You want it as egg-shaped as possible. That means you want a big oval board. If you're asking why, the best I can give you at this time is that the egg shape is usually more boat-like and stable. That makes it easier to paddle, catch, and stand up on a wave. The more narrow or pointy the board, the less stable the ride. There are other certainly other options, feel free to flip through the sources I listed below. I am over simplifying this, but it is so complicated and I really learned that your first board should be an egg. You will learn as you get better about the other styles, but egg is clutch.

Size:
As I researched, it appeared to me that there are the two options for first boards: fun boards and long boards. Generally speaking, the longer the board, the easier it will be to get into the wave. A serious drawback lies in carrying your board. If it is too large it becomes unmanageable. Here comes the beauty of the "fun boards". Yes, they all should be fun boards, but these guys are extra fun because you can catch almost anything while still being able to carry the board. These are boards that are probably between 7'2"-8'0" and super eggy. My board is a fun board and I think it was the best investment I've ever made. My recommendation is an egg shaped fun board.

Fins:
Here is the honest to God truth: I don't know shit about fins. I just know that the 3 fin set up is what you want. 1 big one in the middle with 2 little guys on the side. Oliver from Aqua surf shop out here in the Sunset said he would teach me more about fins, so once I do that, I will spread the love. For now, go with it.

Leash:
You want the leash to be about the size of your board. I have a 7'10" and my leash is 8'0". You can buy one at any surf shop.

Wax:
Put down a base coat of wax all over the torso of the board (and the part where your hands go on the rail, or the side of the board). After the base coat is down, put cold wax down for SF surfers. DO NOT DO THIS FOR FOAMIES OR SOFT TOPS.

What type of board?
Foam board- great to begin with, super cheap. Check out costco.
            What is it? Think of a block of shipping styrofoam, covered in a soft skin like that of a boogie board.
Soft top- great to begin with but to be honest, I don't like these boards for anything besides the white wash. Good to start out with, not so good for long term progress.
            What is it? A soft top is like a high end foamie. It has a soft skin lining, which a foam center
Fiber glass- Awesome & cheaper than epoxy, but get's pressure dings really easily. It's a great investment, but acknowledge that your first board can and will get beat up. It's a tool, nothing more (thank you to my brother, Quitofer, for forcing me to understand that when I bought my board).

Epoxy-Lighter weight, more expensive...I don't really know much about epoxy yet. I'm still too much of a newbie. I encourage you to look at this link for clarity, though.


Surf bags or surf socks: 
Unless your a massive klutz, don't waste your money...yet. Eventually, I will suggest the board bag, but I can go into that later. For now, just be gentle.

In Sum:
If you want to just get your feet wet on a stable board without making a huge investment, get a 8'0"-9'0" foamie or soft top. If you want a real board, get a 7'2"-8'5" egg shaped board. As a good friend Josephus O'brien just reminded me, it really does not matter how beautiful or perfect the board, it's more important to have something that is thick, floaty, and stable.




MY BOARD:

Her name is Taylor for obvious reasons. She is a 7'10" fun board (so she is shaped like a oval, long board but is a bit shorter). I have the tri fin set up but I still don't know anything about that. I have an 8'0" leash. Have a look below. She kicks ass.



Sources:
1. http://witchsrocksurfcamp.com/blog/5-things-beginning-surfer-should-know-about-board-design/
2. http://www.surfipedia.com/blog/epoxy-vs-fiberglass-whats-the-difference/
3. http://www.degree33surfboards.com/blogs/gettin-pitted/14071105-traditional-fiberglass-vs-epoxy-vs-nexgen-so-which-is-better

Starter Pack, Part 1: WETSUITS

Okay Annette, cut the crap, tell me how to get from the sand to the waves.

You will need certain materials:

1. A Wetsuit

2. A Board 

3. Transportation
4. Surf Buddies

We are going to begin with the wetsuit.

The Wetsuit

If you are reading this from somewhere tropical: I am so jealous. You can just jump into the ocean without any thought. You don't freeze every step of the way. You get a golden, balanced tan. You can sport cute bikinis. The list goes on, but suffice it to say I would love to surf without a wetsuit.

Still, my wetsuit is my best friend up here in San Francisco. Having a good wetsuit is imperative to having a good time. Seriously, the water is freezing and being unprepared will leave you absolutely miserable. 

What makes a good wetsuit?

1. Size

2. Thickness

3. Stitching vs Sealed

4. Price

Size: 

One size fits all is a farce. Bodies are always different, the important thing is that you find a wetsuit that fits snuggly around your body. If the wetsuit is to be effective, it need to be as tight as a second layer of skin. Keep that in mind when you're trying wetsuits on.

Side note: Trying on wetsuits is literally the worst, but you have to do it. Still, prepare for an uncomfortable struggle in the fitting room. 

It is important to have your suit well-fitted in the shoulders, by that I mean not too loose and not too tight. If it is too tight in the shoulders, your paddling will be restricted and less effective. If anything is too loose, you will have rolls where water could get in. Someone once said it's okay to have a little water getting in, I would agree to that statement, but still try to get a second layer of skin. 

Thickness:

Northern Californians will need a 4'3 mm or a 5'4'3' mm wetsuit. What the hell does that mean? GOOD QUESTION. 

Okay, so the material is neoprene and its flexible, insulating and wonderful. The most common thickness is a 4'3 mm. 4 millimeters in the chest and torso, where you need extra warmth and 3 millimeters is allocated to the arms and legs, making paddling and moving easier. 

The 5'4'3 is 5 mm in the chest/torso, 4 mm in shoulders and upper legs, 3 mm in arms and lower legs. If you're particularly cold, you could go this route. It will be more expensive but you certainly will be cozy warm!! 

Sealed vs Stitched:

Honestly, this is where I know very little. I have gathered enough information to know that sealed stitching is more water tight which will lead to more warmth. Unsealed stitching will be more susceptible to leaking. 

Price: 

They range from $180-$490 (approximations from 2 mile surf shop prices in Bolinas). What you choose to pay is up to you, but as frugal as I wanted to be, every person I consulted with said to not skip on the quality of your wetsuit. Keep your eye open for sales or used suits. Personally, I'm grossed out by used suits because many people "christen" their suit by peeing in it...ew. You're trapped in your own pee the entire time. Grosssssss. Anyways, it certainly is a cheaper option, so I wouldn't rule it out.

Brand: 

who cares. 

My opinion is to get a 4'3 mm wetsuit for SF and a 3'2 mm for Southern California. I don't recommend cutting corners here.  

I have not bought booties yet, but it's something I regret every time I do a morning session or encounter rocks. 

I hope this helps! 

Toodaloo!

Annette 

Mermaid in Training 

Resources: 

1. Evo Wetsuit Buying Guide

2. https://kitepaddlesurf.wordpress.com/2015/01/ 

3.  http://www.2milesurf.com/wetsuits.html

Sooo...what's your deal?

I think it’s important for you all to know how I got where I am and that I am not doing this entirely alone.  So here is my deal…

My name is Annette and I have five older brothers, four of whom surf. I grew up surrounded by the San Diego surf culture. My brothers and some of my best friends all surfed (I encourage you to check out Chloe Buckley’s FB fan page. That girl has been a best friend and an inspiration from day número uno, plus she rips.). I tried multiple times to learn how to surf, but for various reasons, I never succeeded. My brothers were amazing. They would often take me to surf with them, but I later realized that they’re approach to teaching me was throwing me out into the line up and letting me figure it out. Sweeeet…Psych. Even with a buoyant surf board, I was still at risk for drowning and getting rocked by the surf.
I have listed my initial hurdles so some of you can take comfort in the fact that I was probably more pathetic than you. haha 

1. I would have scored a 0 on a 1-10 scale for upper body strength.
2. I wanted to hang with my brothers, so I followed them to the outside line up. Poor life choices. The outside requires significantly more paddling in order to reach the line up and then to attempt catching waves that haven’t broken. *head nod of disapproval* 
Newbies: stick to the white wash until you can stand comfortably. It’s just a waste of energy to do otherwise. 
3. My brothers only had short boards to lend me…no matter how buoyant the short board, it is sooo much harder to learn on. In this case, bigger is definitely better. 
4. I loathed these words: “…and then you just pop up!” No offense to the countless people who said those words to me, but seriously, enough! Do you realize that in order to “just pop up” you need to lift your feet from the board so you can hop into place? Right, well for that split second you rely on your upper body strength to keep you stable. Do you not remember in my point número uno that I had ZERO upper body strength?! So yeah, that just wasn’t an option. I eventually got a break down on an easier pop up method but it took traveling to Byron Bay, Australia for someone to utter these beautiful words, “and this is how you actually pop up”. I would have kissed him except he was a bit to crusty for my taste.
5. I was doing it for my brothers, not for me. That’s not an authentic enough of a reason to stay dedicated. Although I am looking forward to being invited to their surf trips now…hint hint wonderful brothers of mine who I love so much!
6. I did not respond well to be babied by my brothers in the water. I wanted to surf with them, but I liked learning in my own right. Every time they pushed me into a wave, it was adding another element of many elements that I could not control. At least I could control my own speed, positioning and balance when I do things myself. Even if I would fall…Thanks, but no thanks, hermanos. (I love all of youuuu!)
7. I was (am) afraid of sharks.

So I went off to college in the bay without having learned how to surf.

Fast forward six years to last September. I was doing some reflecting and I realized that I really did want to be included in the surf community. I live in an area of SF flooded by surfers, my friends are surfers, my brothers are surfers; how the hell did I slip through the cracks?? The second thing I realized was I could do this without my brothers coddling me in the water (again, I love you, dear brothers!). Lastly and most importantly, I needed the ocean. I’ve always needed the ocean. Since I was young, I would do solo beach runs then sit on the beach for hours. There is something so calming and consistent about the ocean. I became restless sitting on the sidelines. I wanted to play and connect with the ocean, not just run next to it.

So many issues arose when I started thinking about logistics.

Q: Who would I go with? 
A: My friends were too good to want to come with me to the learning beach all the time, but it’s too dangerous and less fun to go alone. So I joined the Pacifica Meet Up group. Best decision of my life. Just because I say I am a “solo” surfing female does not mean I do not have a support group. Everyone should find a support group. There are more conventional routes like a friend, bf, family member to show you and then there are more unconventional routes such as a meet up group. To each their own. This meet up group have been such a blessing. My brothers are in SD or Mexico and so my conventional routes were exhausted. These people have been so amazing. I am so fortunate to have made friends with such a supportive and genuine group of people. I encourage everyone to find a group of people that will motivate and support you. It is a game changer.

Q: Board?
A: I searched and searched until I found what I needed. I will discuss the board search in the future, but for now craigslist and surf shop’s used board racks. I also researched and asked every surfers opinion that was willing to talk to me. You could also rent a foamy or borrow a board from someone. Pacifica surf shop rents foamies.

Q: Wetsuit?
A: I fortunately had one from San Diego, but it was too thin and falling apart. I repaired it, but I knew I would need a thicker suit for the winter. This is the best investment you could make when surfing in the Bay Area. Surf shops also sell used suits, just make sure it is a 4’3” and snug. Again, I’ll go over all surfing materials more in depth later. 
Really quickly: Booties are good too, but I’ve been surfing since October without them. I’ve received some beautiful black and blues on the bottom of my feet, but I suggest spacing that purchase out so you don’t go for broke.

Q: How the hell is that 7’10” board supposed to fit into my Honda Civic?!?!
A: Thank god it fits inside. Eventually I will get racks and when I do, I’ll document that, too. You will need these if your board does not fit. Apparently, there are many options and it can get expensive. Ugh, surfing investments are always so damn expensive. You can get a hatchet and towels to temporarily tie down your board, but that can be kind of sketchy.

That was pretty much the first round of hurdles that I encountered. It’s not as hard as it seems, but it can get expensive and tricky. The thing is if I can find a way, anyone can find a way. That is the honest truth.

So now you all know that I do have brothers and I do have a support team, many of whom are men. At the end of the day, it’s me who gets my booty into the water. I will leave you all with that as my segue into the next post.

Love to all,
Annette 
Mermaid in Training

P.S. I received complaints from my brothers to the length of this post, so I will make sure future posts are not as verbose. 

[Respectfully] Dropping in

Hey folks,

This is my first time writing a blog, but I am excited to share my experience of (respectfully) dropping into the surfing world as a solo female. What I mean by that is I do not have a dad, brother or boyfriend taking me out to surf and showing me the reins. If you think about it, most girls who surf usually* have had a male champion who ushered them in by lending them a board, teaching them how to stand, explaining the unwritten rules of the line up, etc.. That’s all well and good, but I know too many girls who have expressed interest in surfing but are waiting idly by until they strike gold and get a boyfriend who surfs. That was 100% me for way too long until I said enough is enough. Why the hell should I have to be dependent on a dude to induct me into a sport? That’s just dumb. So I said screw it, I’m not waiting for my brothers or a fantasy boyfriend to show me, I’m going to do it myself.

This blog will document my efforts to (respectfully and safely) drop into the surf world. My hope is not to put down the male surfers with whom I share the water, but to empower girls to go after what they want. Where there is a will, there is certainly a way. I plan on sharing information that I have learned like: how do I pick a board? How do I find people to surf with? How in the world do I get this massive board into my little Honda Civic?! And what exactly is a “fun” board?? Shouldn’t they ALL be fun boards?? Let me assure you all, I thought long and hard about how to approach this venture without becoming shark bait in these freezing Northern Californian waters. It’s been scary, thrilling, frustrating and tantalizingly addictive. I am not perfect and am CONSTANTLY making mistakes, but so it goes, right? Again, my hope is to empower and maybe rant a little…

That’s enough for now. In the next installment, I will share who I am, what my deal is and whatever else comes to me.

Toodaloo!

Annette 
Mermaid in training