SUP Surfing

30th Anniversary SUP

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Donna and I celebrated on the eve of our 30th.  We paddled around Hanalei Bay on the north shore of Kauai.  We rented 10-6 Laird Hamilton SUPS.  They are big and heavy, but I caught my share of waves at the reef and Donna paddled to the end of the Hanalei River.  I took a little break, ate a cookie, then paddled up the river to find her.  That’s what I do.  Find Donna.

There were fish, turtles, herons, egrets, flowers, rain, and DONNA.  I found her just below the bridge.  We paddled back in the rain to another stunning sunset.  Even caught a few outrigger canoe teams working their stuff.  Check out the scene with this 1 minute video.

30th Anniversary SUP from Tom Adams on Vimeo.

Solstice Sunset SUP Surfing

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My son, Matthew, and I surfed into sunset on summer solstice.  We used to do this every year, but I wasn’t surfing last year, or the seven preceding years for that matter.  But then I got into SUP.  Then SUP surfing.  So Matthew and I planned an outing for Tuesday evening, not realizing that the actual solstice was Monday, but hey, we were close.

We got in the water about 7:30, and got out just before 9.  The sun had set, and we had wide grins.  My wife, Donna, was there to greet her lads.  Matthew, by the way, had never surfed a SUP, but he’s a fitness trainer at Empowered Fitness, has great balance, used to surf a long board with grace and agility, and boy did he take to SUP Surfing like a duck to water.  Check it out.

 

SOLSTICE SUP SURFING from Tom Adams on Vimeo.

African SUP

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It’s been at least two weeks since I stepped foot in the surf.  The waves have been large and unruly but it rained which is good. My ten week workshop with the San Francisco Writers Studio has been fulfilling. This class ends Tuesday. I signed up for the next one which starts in two weeks. Between now and then I plan to publish some of the work I’ve done in the class.

Yesterday I got wet and it solidified the notion that SUP days are better than others.  Even though I lost my footing more than once, I caught waves and paddled the length of the beach. After an hour session I left the water with a clear head and sore muscles.

So why the title African SUP?  Watch the one minute video: It’s the music.

 

Dog Days

~ tomadaonline ~ 1 Comment

One of my Bay Area friends posted this clip on Facebook yesterday. It’s from a group called The Inertia. I watched it twice, then showed it to my wife. I’ll watch it again.

For one, the guy is so graceful, but the dogs. OMG the dogs are adorable. And the wave is way longer than the rides I usually get. Way longer.

My goal is to be as relaxed and balanced as this guy, but without the dogs.

 

Wild Ocean

~ tomadaonline ~ 5 Comments

The ocean is big today.  It was bigger yesterday.  The water is a good 10 degrees colder than it was in September.  Fall is here.  Winter is coming.  I’ve been fighting a bug which has kept me from the water.  But I still need a fix to overcome my hopeless addiction to the ocean’s charm.  Whether it’s a walk on the beach or making a short video of the current conditions, it’s all about the ocean, its size, its smell, its moods.

 

WhatSup with Blogging 101?

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It’s been a head’s down week at the WHAT SUP site.  Blogging instruction, blogging compatriots, blog posting, all to make a better blogging experience.  I even made a blavatar, which is the little square graphic that shows up in mysterious places, like the little N for Netflix.

So how do you end a week like this?  Stand Up Paddleboarding at sunset seemed so simple an answer, even though I spent a bit of time upside down.  Check it out.

Simple Steps

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Today I called my son’s girlfriend, Tori, to see if she wanted to hit the surf.  She did and we did and it was small but glassy and I got more waves in this session than in any other since starting paddleboarding all of three months ago.

AND I took my first steps toward the nose.  I couldn’t stop smiling.

Tori said I was shreadding, but you know, she may have exaggerated a tad.

But here we are, and boy can she smile.

Tom and Donna 29th-0798