I get the feeling that the rot is settling in to Perth Surfers being Summer.

Right, I have surfed since 1986. Up until 2009 I was basically ignorant to how much fun there is in the ocean. I mean the bit far beyond the line up.

You guys have one of the most valuable resources in the ocean world, it's called the Doctor. Pretty much everyday there is some of the most fun you will ever have, you have no waves. The wind is up. Don't despair.... Get something to ride the ocean swell.

You'll have fun, get fit and when the waves come back you'll be surfing better than ever rather than taking a couple of months to get back into it.

SUP, Ski, OC1 whatever. Just get out there....

spot on there CMC, most days in WA you'll see all manner of craft on the water whether the Doctor is in or not, I think we are spoilt for choice. I live in place surrounded by water, ocean to the west and estuary to the east and I'll tell you that most crew take advantage of that.

Yep there is more to do on the ocean than just ride glassy waves on a shortboard.

If there is not much wind and no waves I go for a coastal cruise on my 14' SUP, just for a workout and an ocean fix.

If there is not much wind and only small waves I grab my surf SUP.

If there is not much wind and there is good waves (yeah right ....I wish) I grab my surfboard.

If there is light to moderate wind it's the big kite and a twin tip (if flat) or surfboard (if waves).

If it is strong SWer and no waves, it's a downwinder on the big SUP, the wind always creates some ocean swell.

If it is strong SWer and decent swell it is usually the small kite and surfboard or occasionally a down winder on the big sup.

Say what you want about kites and SUP's but it beats goin to a gym or riding a bike to keep fit, as far as I am concerned, and can only help your surfing when the planets align and you get decent surf.

doggie said...

I enjoy shortboards, is that a crime?

Only to yourself mate.

I read something the other day it said 'there are no bad days in the ocean, just bad equipment choice'

I ride my shortboards when conditions suit as well. My post was to say that just as many have already realised that there's no need to lean on the fence or just go home when the waves are bad, take another option. There are so many to choose from.

Best bit is when the waves come back you surf better than you did before and enjoy your shortboards even more. I don't know where or how the belief from so many shortboarders originates that you are less hardcore if you ride anything but a shortboard but as someone that surfed my whole life and worked in the surfing industry as well I think it's just plain silly.

CMC said...

doggie said...

I enjoy shortboards, is that a crime?

Only to yourself mate.

I read something the other day it said 'there are no bad days in the ocean, just bad equipment choice'

I ride my shortboards when conditions suit as well. My post was to say that just as many have already realised that there's no need to lean on the fence or just go home when the waves are bad, take another option. There are so many to choose from.

Best bit is when the waves come back you surf better than you did before and enjoy your shortboards even more. I don't know where or how the belief from so many shortboarders originates that you are less hardcore if you ride anything but a shortboard but as someone that surfed my whole life and worked in the surfing industry as well I think it's just plain silly.

Im looking at getting a fish and a midlength at some stage that should cover me. Im not interested in SUP, goatboat etc. Windsurfing interests me more than anything else tbh.

I cant see me enjoying SUP no matter how many waves you catch, they are still oversize buckets of.............

Downwinders, how do you say, boring????

If i enjoy more than one style of surf product does that make me a "Bysurfuall"

doggie said...

CMC said...

doggie said...

Downwinders, how do you say, boring????

I would have agreed with you until I tried it a few times.

Not just on SUP either. Ocean swell travels way faster than the surf and what makes it fun is not only the rush from the speed but the strategic game of trying to read what the ocean will do next, how to get a longer ride, how to go faster. Not to mention the marine life and the exhilaration of being in the ocean, not just the surf.

It's a whole new skill, after surfing for years it turns you into a grommet again.

But hey, if you arent interested in enjoying yourself that's cool as well. Maybe video games or squash are more your style???

P.S, I'd be super keen on windsurfing as well. May have to try it some more I reckon.

Mate I will leave the DWs to you and Lacey as you are such good watermen

Great comeback......

Waterman is a term reserved for elite athletes like Jamie Mitchell, Dave Kalama, Jamie Sterling etc.

Guys that surf big waves, dive, paddle or whatever and are exceptionally good at it. They live their whole lives in the ocean. I'm no good at any of 'em.


Everybody else is just a Water Enthusiast or a Water Baby.


BTW, I'm not the one living next to a fun park but refuses to go inside..... Head in the sand much? Nah, just hardcore eh Doggie. HARDCORE!

Agree, end of thread for me.

I still love you Doggie.

I don't really understand the point of this thread. "Are perth surfers serious?", just because you enjoy surfing it doesn't mean you have to engage in every other ocean activity. When the swells down i'd rather just laze at the beach reading a book than go looking for downwinders or kayaking. It's purely a matter of personal preference. Just because we're not in the water everyday doesn't mean we're overlooking other forms of ocean activity. This thread has the feel of a mormon knocking on your door and preaching religion. Different strokes for different folks.

If I'm not surfing (shortboards only for me), then I'll go diving or spearfishing. But sometimes I wont bother with any of them. If I need my fix of 'stoke' then I'll rack up my trad gear and go climbing in the quarries or elsewhere (indoors only for strength training). I've learnt to live with the fact that Perth is a pretty average place to be a surfer. I don't feel like taking up SUP or kitesurfing to deal with that. They are both sports I have absolutely zero interest in and they're a pop trend, I must admit, I hope will eventually go away.

I live only a few minutes walk from the water so I get salty on a daily basis, without fail. That's good enough for me and it keeps me in a good frame of mind. I don't feel like I need to always be doing some recreational activity in the water. A morning/night swim is fine by me between periods of swell. Admittedly, without climbing, my views may be different. If push comes to shove and I find myself needing more water related fun then I'll go back to sailing or go freediving more.

Don't paint us shortboarders as being short sighted and missing out because many of us don't wish to take up SUPing and kiting when the swell is down. It's laughably comparable to telling a guy who doesn't get laid much to maybe try batting for the other team to increase his chances. If it's not your thing then it's not your thing.

Sorry if this post is awfully incoherent, but a day of reading papers on Australia and Indo relations is a enough to fry even the toughest of brains.

subasurf said...

If I'm not surfing (shortboards only for me), then I'll go diving or spearfishing. But sometimes I wont bother with any of them. If I need my fix of 'stoke' then I'll rack up my trad gear and go climbing in the quarries or elsewhere (indoors only for strength training). I've learnt to live with the fact that Perth is a pretty average place to be a surfer. I don't feel like taking up SUP or kitesurfing to deal with that. They are both sports I have absolutely zero interest in and they're a pop trend, I must admit, I hope will eventually go away.

I live only a few minutes walk from the water so I get salty on a daily basis, without fail. That's good enough for me and it keeps me in a good frame of mind. I don't feel like I need to always be doing some recreational activity in the water. A morning/night swim is fine by me between periods of swell. Admittedly, without climbing, my views may be different. If push comes to shove and I find myself needing more water related fun then I'll go back to sailing or go freediving more.

Don't paint us shortboarders as being short sighted and missing out because many of us don't wish to take up SUPing and kiting when the swell is down. It's laughably comparable to telling a guy who doesn't get laid much to maybe try batting for the other team to increase his chances. If it's not your thing then it's not your thing.

Sorry if this post is awfully incoherent, but a day of reading papers on Australia and Indo relations is a enough to fry even the toughest of brains.

Well said mate

People who say Perth surf sucks are correct,,,, but also damn lazy. Buy a boat or a landcruiser, it ain't that hard. Beats the super bank anyday.
Bakesy and zuke are scoring uncrowded waves not that far from the cbd. Just need to think outside of the box.
Btw no amount of flatness would drive me to surf a Sup.

swalkington said...

People who say Perth surf sucks are correct,,,, but also damn lazy. Buy a boat or a landcruiser, it ain't that hard. Beats the super bank anyday.
Bakesy and zuke are scoring uncrowded waves not that far from the cbd. Just need to think outside of the box.
Btw no amount of flatness would drive me to surf a Sup.

Yes, Perth surf sucks supreme. I had an epiphany a few years ago and realised that I cannot justify the cost of buying and maintaining a boat and/or 4WD to go surfing.
I was returning from a trip to Esperance and took stock of the fact that I had spent time and a considerable amount of money to spend a total of probably 45 mins actually riding waves. Sure, it was fun, but the opportunity cost associated with spending the time and money to go surfing seems too great these days. Kitesurfing seems like the future to me. Seems like more bang for the buck imo, at least in wave starved Perth and surrounds.

swalkington said...

^^^^^^
to me that's actually the best thing in surfing. Rocking up in your boat to find perfect waves with no crew, 4x4ing over dunes to find mile of empty beachbreaks. Doesn't get much better.

I'd have to admit, I'd prefer to do that before I went paddling 3k's to sea chasing wind bumps as well....