Breakdown

Let's face it, taking shots with a drone is very similar to taking shots with any other camera. Flying your camera to the point where you want to take that shot is slightly more of a challenge, especially if your subject is moving as well. But as they say, practice makes perfect....after many attempts I guess.

I'm still not near perfect when it gets to catching a surfer on a wave and getting the background that I had in mind in, but I am slowly getting there. The composition is not always the way I want it and I am surprised at how fast a wave is moving when you are waiting for a surfer to take that wave. Positioning your drone at the right spot is not always that simple, especially not if the surfer has the option to go left or right. I usually end up with a surfer in the bottom corner just about to leave the frame. You have to be quick on the controls which is up, down left, right, forward, backwards...and then you have to think about composition and pressing the button. To me it sounds like multitasking and we know how men are when it comes to multitasking.

I have to say that it is so much fun and getting on picture is rewarding enough for me at this stage. Here are two shots from Doodles again.....

What would it take to fulfill a dream?

I am sitting on a boat just outside Hout Bay and I am thinking hard.  It is the Rebel Sessions Big Wave competition at Dungeons and I am there to take photos, but something does not feel right inside me.  On the boat and in several other boats around me are more photographers who are all basically going to get the same shots which they are going to post and get an "ooh" and an "aah" from everyone that bothers to comment. Not because it is a great shot, but because it is a shot of something great.  A shot of big waves and guys with big balls....or was it boards? Yes, big waves and big boards...and that's an "ooh" and an "aah" worth.

I have always said that I prefer to be a participant and not a spectator and clearly that has not changed.  I want to be part of the action and not the dude in the boat taking pictures of guys having fun. I want to surf Dungeons.  I am just wondering what it is going to take to get myself to that point?  No, I don't want to take part in a Big Wave competition, I just want to surf Dungeons. So let's see where I stand right now...

On the  down side I am on the wrong side of 50, maybe a pound or two overweight, very unfit and with the lung capacity of a tiny bumblebee bat.  On the up side I can surf, I still have a heartbeat and I have balls. Maybe not big enough right now, but I am sure I can grow them larger with the right head shift and plenty of exercise.   

I am only speculating but I have looked at the waves at Dungeons and I am sure they are doable for anyone with surfing experience and a long breath. The sharks feeding on the local seal population is something I can cope with. I will not attempt the traditional paddle from the foot of The Sentinel through shark infested waters to get to Dungeons.  At my age I will be excused, or should be excused. Most of the surfers take the boats out anyway. I'm not there to prove anything, I am there because I want to feel the rush of catching a wave that size and not capture a wave that size.  But there's the problem with water, lots of water.  How long must one be able to hold your breath? 10 seconds, 20 seconds...a minute? Two minutes? I don't have the facts, so I need support from someone with experience.

I am sure that we have seen the last sets for 2017 breaking at Dungeons, and the next swells will only be winter 2018.  That gives me 8-10 months to train. Get fit, loose the belly and expand my lung capacity. While doing this I can gradually work my way up on larger boards until I get the chance to paddle for my first wave at Dungeons.  All I need is someone to train me or keep me on a training program.  

Are there any Dungeon surfers out there who wants to take on this task? We can record my progress, make videos, get sponsors (I can't afford another surfboard) and surf as much as possible for a year. I need to do this because I won't be wasting my time in a boat taking pictures at Dungeons ever again......

Dungeons and Dragons

I always had this image in my head about what it must be like out there in the ocean when you are a big wave surfer.  The images you see in the media makes the hair on your back of your neck stand up. Like anything else that includes some dedicated athleticism I guess one will only really know when you are paddling out there yourself after years of training.  I had however the opportunity to go take pictures on a day when the waves were breaking at Dungeons, South Africa's biggest wave spot and counted under the best in the world for wave riding.

There seems to be two ways to get to Dungeons which is situated behind the Sentinel at Houtbay. Either walk across the saddle of Sentinel and paddle out, or take a boat out.  I was lucky to be on a boat. Just as well because I was there to take pictures, not surf.  We left from the NSRI slipway in the Hout Bay harbour and a 10 minute boat ride took us to where we could safely sit and watch the waves of Dungeons doing their thing. We weren't the only spectators, there were tourist boats, support on paddle skis, photographers on paddleskis and everybody else it seems that could get something that floats.  I was going to find out soon that taking a shot without a paddle ski or boat in the frame was going to be difficult.  Luckily sometimes an object in front gives you a nice perspective of the size of the waves.  I tried to incorporate the objects in such a way that it did not distract one's eye from the actual surfer, but that was not always possible. A lot of my images ended up in the bin.

So after the opportunity to shoot from a boat I can point out a few disadvantages of doing it from there.  The advantages are clear, you can get some of the best shots of surf spots where you would never be able to get that same angle from the beach.  What was a bit annoying on this day was the amount of traffic in the water.  Always a boat of someone in front of you.  Secondly getting the best angle is difficult, because you cannot drive around and look for the perfect spot to park your boat. The current moves the boat and the skipper had to make a turn every time to get back to position. There is not room for capturing unique images.  Everyone on the boat takes the same pictures from the same angles.  The end result is 20 people sitting with the same images.  If you cannot add any of your own creativity to your shots you are not standing out. Something which I never thought would be a problem was the size of my lens.  My 600mm at some points were too long and when the guys were surfing closer towards the boat you could not get them into the frame.  But then again, most of the action happened a bit further out where the 600mm was just perfect. Lastly is the bopping on the water.  If you cannot stand steady or rock with the boat you lose track of where the surfer is and sometimes you get sky or just water. But this only happened for the closer up shots.

Despite everything mentioned above, the pro's outweigh the cons.  It is amazing out there on the water. The images are breathtaking and the whole experience was just something you want to do again. Below are a couple of the shots from the trip.  For more images of Dungeons and other surf spots please visit my facebook page.

How to change your life...and maybe the world!

I honestly believe that one always feel better after some time in the ocean. My philosophy has always been that no matter how bad the waves were, you WILL feel better after the surf than before you went in. 

Yesterday I went for an early morning surf. Because it was quite chilly outside I got into my wetsuit in the comfort of my living room, made myself a flask of coffee for that "after-surf-warmth-requirement" and headed down to the beach.  When I got to the beach I looked at the conditions. The temperature outside was not what I call pleasant and the waves were on the small side. Despite my already proven philosophy I convinced myself that the waves were too small and the water too cold. I turned around and went home. I drank a cup of coffee from the flask when I got home not to waste it while bitching about the fact that I went through the effort of putting on a wetsuit and having to take it off for no reason. I was not feeling better at all and slightly disappointed about my cowardly move to turnaround from a potential nice surf session.

This morning I went to the beach again.  This time I did not get dressed, nor did I make that coffee. I got to the beach under the same weather conditions as yesterday, cold water and small waves.  The difference today though was my determination to get into the water to "feel better". Yesterday that was lacking a bit. Sitting in a car next to me was another surfer also checking out the waves.  I could see from his facial expressions that he was not planning on going out today either. I got out, started chatting to him and suggested that he should do it just to feel better afterwards. "Three waves" I said, "that's all I want....and some time in the water and I will feel it was worth the pain."

I walked down to the water with my longboard. There was only one SUP out and I could feel that the water was indeed freezing.  I paddled out and quickly got my three waves. I looked around and saw my fellow surfer friend walking up to the water with his board, dressed from head to toe in neoprene and with an uncomfortable smile on his face.  We chatted more in the water convincing ourselves that "f*ck it's cold, but that we did the right thing". We both surfed for another 30 minutes or so. Eventually after 10 or more reasonable slow longboard waves we decided to get out. I was about to lose my fingers due to frost-bite and I also don't want gangrene at this stage of my life. He followed suit. 

Back in the parking lot another group of SUP-boarders were contemplating whether they should go out or not.  The news of the ice-cold water was out and they seemed very reluctant to face the discomfort of brain-freeze and possible hypothermia. Myself however and my new surf buddy felt stoked and pleased with ourselves and glad that we went in.  I had that "good-again" feeling I was looking for before I went in. What made me even feel better is that I made a new friend who left me saying, "I'm so glad you convinced me to go in". He clearly was also stoked after his session.

Sometimes we can change ourselves or even the world, all we need is that little encouragement, either from ourselves or from someone else. I am not going to beat myself up over yesterday's missed-out surf session, but I will remind myself about today's experience when I am sitting on a fence again in less than perfect conditions.

Surfer's Corner

I don't surf at Muizenberg and the only reason for that probably is the distance from my house. Two weekends ago the Atlantic side was flat, but a friend on mine told me that she was surfing at Muizenburg on that same day. This weekend it was once again flat on the Atlantic side but I was in a desperate need to get into  the water so I decided to drive through to Muizenburg with the hope of finding a wave as per her claims.

In hindsight the drive to Muizenburg is not really that bad. Onto the N7, then the N1 and finally the M5 and I'm there. OK, it took me 45 minutes in Sunday traffic, but it is such a mellow drive and such a lame excuse to have never gone to Muizenburg for regular visits. Parking is a bit of a problem though. People seem to be arriving and leaving all the time and with a bit of patience a parking spot will soon become available. Unfortunately I wasn't born with much patience but I managed to find a spot not too far from where all the action seemed to be.

When I looked at the surf I was quite surprised. It looked like a public holiday on South Beach in Durban. In the water I counted more than 150 surfers, and I am not lying. In Muizenburg everyone in the water seems to be surfing or learning how to surf. From the age of 4 I guess up to over 70. If it can float and you have a reasonable chance of standing on it, you have an argument to be called a "surfer". When I saw the amount of people in the water I was a bit reluctant to go in at first. The word "crowded" pops up indiscriminately, but once you are in you realize that you can surf wherever you find a suitable wave breaking close to you. What was fantastic though was the temperature of the water. Although my friend told me that she recently bought booties for the cold I was rather pleased with the water which is probably 5 degrees warmer than on the Atlantic side where I do most of my surfing. 

After my hour and a half surf session I went out to get something to eat and hoping to enjoy the surf atmosphere you find at Surfer's Corner. Not difficult with so many surf shops and nice places to grab a surfer meal. In my case it was a coffee and two samoosas. 

I think I have missed out a lot in the past because of what I believed was "too far to drive". From now on I will make more frequent trips to Muizenburg.....

Better Days Take 2

After I posted the first shortened version of the surf clip I made yesterday, I decided to see if it would make a difference if I create the movie being more patient. What usually happens when I input too much information my Sony Vegas Movie Studio Platinum 8 software hangs. Last nigh I waited for each processing step to finish before I clicked my next click, and somehow I managed to win the war.

What is a problem to me now (and I have consulted the Internet where I got many explanations and none that would really seems to be the right one) is that the quality of the video on YouTube is very poor compared top the crystal clear quality I see on my computer. There are many suggestions on what to do, but none of them seems to be the magic solution. Anyway, here is the initial clip I aborted after the umpteenth crash and eventually got right when I aplied a bit of patience. I guess better days are coming indeed....

Inspiration to Frustration

After being inspired by Jack Johnson video of his song "You and Your heart", I decided to go do a quick surf session and see if I can get a similar shot or two. I bought my Sony Vegas Vegas Movie Studio Platinum 8 some years ago when I got my Sony Handycam. Although I am not an expert on creating movies I did manage to make a few memorable videos of my son which he will probably one day be grateful for. The time  and effort that went into those videos know one will ever appreciate, because the amount of times that I had to start all over because the program crashed is enough to make anyone give up. I never knew if it was the software or if my system was just not fast enough to cope with large amount of video's and music files. Nevertheless, it was never a pleasure to make these movies, more a frustration.

When I got my GoPro I thought that it would give me better footage to make even better clips. What a disappointment in not only the fogged-up lens. Once I load more than two clips into the movie software, the whole program crashes and I have to start all over. I am sure that the quality of the clips are way too good for the Sony Vegas software to handle...or maybe my machine just cannot handle it. Not enough memory maybe? I went surfing today and although I got some nice clips, I only managed to make this short video. One extra clip and the software stops responding. A real frustration and maybe this time enough to quit my movie making career after all. The day's surfing was good though.....

How to improve record breaking attempt

I have been thinking about the surfing event to break the record for the most surfers standing on one wave and how it could be improved to maybe get more surfers on a single wave. Having been in the water myself I realized a few obstacles that prevented us from getting that record:

Waves - The waves were perfect. Medium sized swells building up over a large distance allowing many surfers on one wave.There were two issues with the waves though:

1) the sets were quite long apart after each other, so we wasted most of the time waiting for the right sets,

2) we were told to wait for the third wave which on the day turned out to be smaller than the first two waves of the set. Some guys took the first wave which was not going to help the rest who were waiting for the wave they were told to take,

3) the shape of the waves favoured the longboards and not the shortboards.

Although we couldn't really complain about what Nature gave us on the day, we might have to look at the following solutions to make the waves we are giving more successful to ride:

1) Separate the surfers into 4 groups based on what they are riding. Longboards, minimals, shortboards and SUPs. Because the waves have a point where they pick up steeper before it breaks, that area should be given to the shortboards. As the wave weakens out further away from that point, the rest of the waves should be allocated to the minimals, the longsboards and finally the SUPs. Longs boards and SUP can go on much slower and weaker waves than shortboards. If we want each type of surfer to stay on a weak wave for at least 5 seconds, then this might assist in achieving that target.

2) There were too many surfers taking waves when they thought it was the best wave to take. Granted, the waves they took were probably better than the ones we were told to take, but with half of the participants taking waves at their own decision it left not enough surfers behind to make up the numbers for the second wave. Secondly they were now paddling back in the way of the second line of surfers catching their waves. The organizers should have a jet ski in the water and decide from there is the wave is good to ride, not from the beach. Once the jetski indicates to catch the wave, then all should start paddling.

3) Keep the line straight for easier take-off. The problems with different boards mixed up meant that shortboards and longboard do not take the wave at the same spot and thus leaving shortboards lying in front of the longboards or vice versa. Catching a wave with someone floating in the water in front of you is not easy. Put two surfers on your side and the chances of everyone getting up becomes rather slim. 

Shot at Muizenberg

Last man standing

So you have 400 surfers in the water and you cannot understand why they cannot break the record of 110 standing up together on the same wave? This picture might explain that getting up is not that easy for everyone.....

Highway Surfer

Although I roll by the alias of "Justasurferdude", I have to admit that I haven't been in the water for a while and can hardly call myself a hard-core surfer anymore. When I was a kid we always used to joke about guys riding with surfboards on their roof racks that never see the water. "Highway surfers" we called them. My surfboard is not on my car, mine is hanging on the wall in my garage most of the time, but then again if I allocate equal amount of time to all the other toys against my wall then I can hardly blame the surfboard for having collected some dust over the last couple of months. When I heard about the record attempt this weekend at Muizenburg to have the most surfers standing on one wave I thought this might be a good time to get the surfboard wet again. After all, I have a new GoPro camera and it was a good opportunity to try it out.

When I arrived at Muizenburg this morning I was excited like a kid in a toy shop about getting into the water again. At least the water on this side of the Peninsula is warmer than on the other side. This is probably one of the main reason my frequency of hitting the water has dwindled over the last few years. Two days ago when I attached the bracket of the GoPro camera to my board, getting the dust of was harder than getting the sand, salt and surf wax off. Today I was not only going to break a Guinness world record, but I was also testing out my new GoPro Camera and I was hoping for some good shots.

At 10 o'clock the registration started and I was about 7th in line. I was a bit worried that they were going to ask questions like "when last did you surf?" or "how fit are you?", but I guess fifty bucks is all they were after and anyone could enter. My biggest concern however was not my fitness but rather whether my GoPro was going to stay stuck to my board. I saw a couple of other guys with GoPros and asked them whether they had close calls before. I got some advice on how to tighten the small chord so that it does not come off, but I was still worried even though no-one has lost their cameras before. At 12:30 when we all lined up I was still trying to figure out how to set the camera to take intermittent pictures of 10 second intervals. In the rush to not to get left behind on the beach I set it on 20 seconds and would only later realize the consequences of my mistake. 

There were around 400 surfers ready to take on the challenge and even though the conditions looked good, it will never be possible for all 400 to take the same wave. With a combination of longs boards, shortboards and a few SUPs (stand-up paddle boards) the different positions to take off on a wave for these three types of boards meant that lying in a straight line would not work. Longboarders and SUP's have the ability to catch a wave much earlier than shortboards, and this left the line-up a bit messy. The last record was 110 surfers, but with 400 in the water just over 25% had to catch the wave to break the old record. Although instructions on which wave to catch were announced from the beach, some younger surfer with less patience didn't wait for the call and took whatever wave they thought was good enough to take. I have to admit that sitting in the water watching the prefect wave goes past is kind of hard to resist. When the actual wave came, the surfers who took the first wave was either missing in action or floating around in front of the line-up, leaving a difficult take-off for the others. The waves were good, but the sets also did not play along as well as the weather did. The rules state that 8 waves could be ridden in one hour, but the sets were so far apart from each other that their were only about 3 proper attempts made and each time on the third wave of the set. For some reason today the 3rd wave of the set was not the best one and after watching two perfect waves go past, it was a bit harder to catch a weaker third wave.

My eyes were on my camera most of the time, not to see myself in pictures afterwards, but to make sure that it was still attached to my board. I realised afterwards that because of the slow setting of 20 seconds, as well as the fact that not many waves were ridden, I could not get a nice picture were I was actually surfing. Just a bunch of paddling shots with lots of water in my face. I will definitely have to do a re-shoot on my surfboard in the near future, but all I know from today is that the angle of my camera needs to change and I have to find a way to prevent the condensation on my lens. The camera stayed put and the clarity of some of the shots were quite good. The setting unfortunately were too slow and 5 or 10 seconds should be better to get more action pics

The record was not broken today, the most surfers on one wave was 85. I doesn't really bother me because the day turned out to be very enjoyable. My camera works, I discovered a new beach break (although located 40 km form where I live), and the surfing vibe was absolutely great. Seeing 400 surfers in the water was spectacular and being able to take part was a real privilege. My board is clean today and summer is here. You will definitely see me more often on Muizenburg beach from now on and maybe I can keep the dust of my board this time. 

Evolution of Surfing

Beach Life

Surf's Up....not exactly

I have been surfing for nearly 30 years now and I realized the other day that I don't have ANY pictures of me actually surfing. I guess it is probably because I have no friends that have waterproof cameras or cameras with lenses long enough to reach the backline. This morning while having breakfast at a restaurant overlooking Blouberg Beach, I noticed that despite the waves being very small, that they are breaking close to the beach. Close enough to take a picture I thought. Knowing that I have a lens that might just make me visible on the picture, I decided to have a quick session and asked my wife to play photographer. She hates that job because she says I am never happy with the end results of anything she has taken in the past, but that is not entirely true. I have one or two pictures that she has taken of me that are good, but none of them in the water unfortunately. The waves on the other hand was not really picture quality waves either and the few times I managed to get up on the lazy ice cold waves, she was either running after my son on the beach or the wave had closed out before she could get the focus right. What she did manage to do though was to take a good picture of a perfectly executed duck dive which I might blow up and post on my wall some day. One might think that after 30 years of surfing that I could get a better wave than the one below, but sadly that is all the Atlantic Ocean had on offer today. But even though she might not think that I appreciate her efforts, at least I have one picture of me surfing and that means a lot. I think I will try Outer Pool in Mossel Bay next time, there she can sit on the rocks and fire away. Watch this space.

Surfing At Seli's

Here is a very nice aerial picture form GoogleMaps of the Seli 1 at Kite Beach. This illustrates why this beach has become such a popular spot for surfing and SUPs lately. On the photo one can clearly see the diffraction of the waves around the wreck, resulting in a nice peak zone for take-off with the options of lefts and rights. JUst a pity the Seli 1 will probably soon be something of the past....

Surfing at Seli's

It's amazing. The day before I was kitesurfing close to the Seli 1 with hardly any waves. The local yacht club actually did a race and used the Seli as a turning point. Today the waves were big enough to have half of the local surfing population in the water, with hardly any safe space for yachts to turn. It is going to be a sad day indeed when they tow away the Seli to her last resting place....whenever this is going to happen. Even Deon Bing the local surf reporter said that this could become the second J-Bay. Can you imagine, the best kiting and surfing spot in one location. We just need something to heat the water.....

The Seli 1 has been lying here for nearly two years and is sinking deeper into the sandy ocean floor. According to a local newspaper it would be away and gone by the end of the year, but that was what they said last year as well. No matter how it obstructs the most famous view in the world, the effect it had on the local waves are amazing. This never used to be a surf spot, and yesterday it was probably the best and only place along the Atlantic coast to have decent ridable waves. Even Derde Steen, Big Bay and Melkbos was not working. If I had a say I would leave it there. Let Mother Nature deside what to do with her.

The Duck Dive - Some advice

I've noticed on my blog statistics that many people search for "dick diving" and then land up on my post I did a while ago on this topic. I actually just  put some nice pictures in the post, but I assume people are looking for this because they want to learn to duck dive and not want to see pretty pictures. Duck diving is NOT a pretty picture if you don't know what one's talking about or if you don't know how to execute it properly, so here are some tips.

Many years ago I had a friend who was rather competitive. He grew up far from the ocean but always said that he would be able to surf, that it cannot be that difficult. I took him to Durban where I grew up, gave him my board and said, there you go. What he didn't know was that duck-diving is as part of surfiing as climbing is as part of paragliding. After about 20 minutes of struggle to get out, he came back exhausted and admitted that surfing was not easy. He has not even been to the part where you have to stand up yet. I am no Kelly Slater or Jory Smith, but at least I have learned a few things about getting to the waves without having to rest for 20 minutes to get my breath back, so I hope I can help you.

1) The first thing you need to do before going out is to wait a second and look at the sets coming through. Rushing in just as a set is coming through will have you fighting against the waves and leaves you exhausted. Watch two or three sets coming through to see how long they take and how far they are apart of each other. As soon as the last wave brakes then start paddling in. You don't want to get pounded on your way in already, so be patient to get out.

2) If the next set comes and you are caught inside, do not fight the waves. Most people start paddling harder with the hope of missing probably only the last wave, leaving then exhausted and unable to continue paddling. The best way is to relax and to wait for the waves to come through. You don't have to move forward, all you need to do is stay at least at the same spot. Keep your slow paddling pace and make sure that you do a proper dive at least so that you are not thrown backwards. Conserve your energy. When the sets is over you can continue going forward.

3) One of the worst things that could happen to you is when a wave breaks and you get hammered by the lip on your back or right in front of you. So, time yourself when paddling in so that this does not happen. This means that sometimes you have to stop paddling to get your timing right. It is much easier to duck-dive a foamie than to duck-dive a wave that is going to close out right in front of you or or your head.

4) In a worse case scenario as described above, there is no shame in "abandoning your ship" and diving underneath the wave. The dangers of this though is your leash breaking or your board hitting the dude behind you. So, always be aware where your mates are otherwise you might turn into one of their ex-mates. You are going to be pulled backwards when you do this, but it is still better than ending up with a broken back or broken board. If the set is too big, don't try and get back on your board and start fighting the waves again. Hang around and chill until the set has passed.

5) Although it is easier to learn surfing on a bigger board, it is harder to duck-dive. Make sure that you have enough weight and strenght to push the board down. Remember, one duck-dive is probably equivalent to five push-ups. Conserving your energy is very important. The best time to do the duck-dive is just before the waves peak going through the face of the wave. This way you are basically sucked in by the waves and propelled through to the back. Not much effort required.

7) Know your local break. There is usually the bowl or impact zone area where the waves break and an area where the water channels back. It is easier to paddle in the channel. If the are rocks or a pier, it is easier to paddle alongt those and then move over to the bowl once you are in. Never paddle straight to the line-up where the guys are taking the waves, you will either end up in front of them or get bopped out faster than what you've paddled in.

8) When you are paddling in and you are going to be met by a surfer on the face of the wave, stay calm and in one place. The surfer obvioulsy has mastered the art of surfing already and can manoevre around you. If you start splashing this way and that way a collison is inevitable. This is the time where you hang on to your board for dear life and forget about the option I've mentioned in point 4. It is better to be sworn at afterwards than to be hit by a surfboard, to damage two boards in the process and then to be sworn at. Oh, and if you were in the way, there is no harm is saying sorry.

So these are some of the basics to make duck-diving easier. But what about the actual duck-dive itself? There are many ways to skin a cat and probably many way to duck a wave, but this is what works for me.

1) One thing you have to remember is that when you push down your board in the wave it reacts like a ironing board in a wind tunnel. You have to keep it straight into the flow and allow the water to pass. If you don't do that the wave will push you back and spit you out. The best way to do this is to keep the board in line with the water flow; push it too deep and you will topple forward, keep too upright and you will be pushed back along with the board.

2) There are two ways to help you getting the board down. You can either use your one knee or you foot if the board is long enough, while lifting your upper body up as if you are going to do a push-up. Use your other leg to keep your body in line with the board, like an aircrafts back fin. You will see in the pictures on my previous post that everyone has a leg in the air, except for that last pic of the girl on the bodyboard. We'll excuse her this time.

3) Once you are under the water, your body will separate from your board. Just hold onto it allowing the water to flow past. This part is like learning to ride a bicycle. It takes practice. As you reach the surface again, your board will move towards your body again.

I hope some of what I said can help you. In the end practice is all you need. Just don't give up. Unfortunately for everything nice there is a part that we need to do that we don't like. For me, besides having to put on a wetsuit because of the cold water, duck-diving is probably it. I am sure there are many more sites on the Internet to teach you the basics, but in the end you have to go down there and do it. Have fun!

Exit and entry

What an awesome exit of 2010 and entry to 2011. Since my arrival back from Mossel Bay on Tuesday the wind has been pumping around the peninsula. Even the smaller kites at Kite Beach were too big and had to be folded and packed away. Then yesterday the wind died down slightly and I had one of my best kiting sessions for a long time. Well, three weeks since my last "best session ever",  but this was definitely the best one after that one. Last night it was perfect weather for that new Year's Eve Braai and even though I did not manage to see 12 o' clock, I am sure many people out there were celebrating until dawn.

This morning most Capetonians must've been surprized to be woken up by rain on their roofs and thunder. Yes, thunder is something we hardly ever hear in the Western Cape, but this morning it was raining softly with the occasional thunder roars somewhere in the background. I thought it was going to be a wet New Year's Day. I was hoping of spending the day at the beach, so I had no plan B ready. While my wife made breakfast (the best budget breakfast EVER), I took the camera and took a couple of snaps in the garden. Under an umbrella of course.

 At around noon it stopped raining so we headed down to the beach to see if there were other people around. When I reached the beach I immediately turned around to come and fetch my surfboard. The waves were not big, but the sea was glassy and the waves just mellow and right. The sun was also starting to come out and the water was crystal clear. I could see the bottom of the ocean and at times thought that the water might be clearer than my pool's water at this stage. Mother Nature must've emptied a few bottles of her own Blue52 in the sea last night. I took a couple of waves in water that was colder than the water in my fridge. It was freezing, I guess around 13 degrees Celsius. But starting my new year with a surf session after finishing last year of with a kite session was just what I was hoping for. After the surf session I went to the beach with my family and got sun burnt just for the fun of it. (Yeah, I know about skin cancer and all that stuff).

The weather over the past two days were awesome. If this is an indication of things to come in 2011, I am sure that this is going to be a fun ride year. The best for 2011, may the skies be blue, the waves keep rolling and the sun keep tickling your back like a kinky lover with a pink ostrich feather.

The Duck Dive

If you want to learn how to surf, then there is one very important tecqnique you have to master long before you even get to the point of catching a wave and standing up. This is called the duck dive. If you cannot do the a proper duck dive, then you will never be able to reach the line-up to catch your first wave. The sea will spit you out with each and every wave that hits you, and the duck dive is your only ticket to get pass the waves. But have you ever wondered what it looks like underneath the water when you actually do a duck-dive?  I was actually looking for wetsuits on the Internet when I saw some of these pictures* that I would like to share with you. They are sometimes more stunning than pictures of surfers catching tubes....

And of course, when well executed, the duck dive can even look good from the surface...

* Unfortunately I cannot take credit for any of these pictures

One man's trash is another's treasure

The environmentalists and aestheticians might be up in arms over the stranded Seli 1 at Kite Beach. Some claim that it "contaminates" the beautiful view of Table Mountain. Even though most surfer's are usually also very aware of the protection of the environment and coastlines, as much as the beauty thereof, they cannot deny that the Seli 1 is bringing them more pleasure than pain at the moment. For a spot where surfing was never really done due to the inconsistency of waves and the poor shape of the waves, for a day where the rest of the ocean was for all practical reasons unsurfable, this was not too bad. This has also become a favourite spot for SUP's (stand up paddle boards). Behind the protection of the ship they can basically paddle in without having to dodge any waves and then just move over to the side where they can catch some really long mellow rides.