#26 Moonlight Session

A couple full moons back I woke up a couple hours before dawn while my family lay comfortably in their dreams. I woke to live a dream. Making my way quietly down the stairwell to the lonely street I threw all of my gear in the car and navigated the concrete jungle to the untamed waters of Ocean Beach.

There, in the embrace of darkness I slithered into the black rubber suit making myself one with the night. With only my face and hands exposed I grabbed my surfboard and trekked across the low-tide big beach to the sparkling black sea. Tiny crystals of moonlight danced on every ripple.

The impaired vision of the darkness heightened all my senses. I was most amazed by my sense of touch. Walking into the water I was aware of the embrace of the ocean like never before. Every push, pull and swirl seem to hold me and welcome me. I felt safe. I felt truly connected to the ocean.

The moon was getting low providing a moonbeam trail through the surf. Following it over the black rolling water into into the vastness felt like a sacred act. I had to trust myself and the ocean in a different way. I actually surfed one other moonlight session 12 years earlier on Nias Island, Indonesia. I had just learned to surf and did not have the confidence to be able to relax in the dark right-handers peeling through. On this night I was able to just allow myself to be present for the experience and it was wonderful beyond my ability to express.

I've been struggling with this entry for just that reason. All l know is that my connection with the ocean changed that night. Paddling alone into those cold, dark waters was a spiritual awakening. I felt uplifted...high...for days after.

In retrospect, I realized that no fear ever arose during the experience, though I did get startled a couple times. Ocean Beaches true residents, the sea lions, had to come a lot closer to satisfy their curiosity. Instead of the usual ten to fifteen foot away I had two big guys pop up two feet away just to get a good look.

I highly encourage anyone who reads this to paddle out in the moonlight....at least once! Another hidden bonus is that I had the waves all to myself. As the sun made her appearance and guys began paddling out I headed back to the beach grinning from ear to ear!

#25 Love Defined

Okay, the other day I was doing my thing working on the computer as I do to pay the bills. I was due to get off in 15-minutes at 3:00. I had planned on playing with the groms in the afternoon before the official dinner/bath/bedtime routine was due to commence. My wife had to teach a pilates at 6:00 so I was on the solo creep. No complaints I definitely have a house-dad mentality. Just then as I was contemplating my afternoon the phone rang...it was my wife who was chillin' at her friends house for a bit.

She says, "You're almost off right?! I heard the waves are good...you should go surf! I'll be home in a few minutes!"

That's love y'all!

She came home. I charged it to the beach. It was sizey, fairly clean, but a bit fat on the outside due to the tide. I opted to grab my fins to bodysurf the inside. I had some fun, heaving barrels!!!

My wife really stoked me out with that gesture. For all of you other surfers out there I am sending you good vibes that the people in your lives recognize the positive influence surfing has on your life and supports your desire/need to get in the water! And for you non-surfers...thanks for the understanding!

#24 Passing it on...

I am a surfer, obviously. Surfing...the ocean...the sand...the sun...the sea creatures are an intimate part of who I am. Really we're all ONE thing but that's not the subject for today. I grew up in southern California by the beach. The beach became my definition of fun. My folks would take my Sister and I to the beach when we were young to play in the sand and explore the tide pools. A couple times a year my folks would have beach cookouts with their friends and my sister and I would bring our little crew along. Those were always special times because now not only did we have the beach, but we had a whole camp full of scrumptious food! My mom is an exquisite chef by hobby & her best friend is a exquisite chef by profession....I'm talking seafood smorgasbord! In junior high/high school my Friends and I would get ourselves to the beach to ride the waves, snorkel or just hang out in the sand. Going to the beach was always guaranteed to grant us a good time!

I am so thankful for my parents relocating our family from Ossining, NY to SoCal when I was 5. And I am thankful for all the beach time they granted me. I really owe my love of the ocean to them. Even though my Dad rarely went into the water and my Mom cannot swim they introduced me to beach. Once the relationship developed I explored it in different ways...

Now I am a father of two and, lo and behold, I take the girls to the beach ALL the time. The ocean has given me so much that I would love to pass on that gift for them to explore as they see fit.

And with that generosity of spirit in mind it gave me so much pleasure to watch as my 4 year old daughter eagerly & joyfully scraped all the old wax off my surfboard : )

#23 AQUA Surf Shop: Aaahhh, The Good Ol' Days

I can remember being 12 and my Dad taking me to the surf shop back in Carlsbad...WITT'S CARLSBAD PIPELINE! That was the spot. Going there became a ritual. Dad would patiently post up in the corner somewhere while I wandered, wide-eyed amongst the surf gear. Although I did want stuff and did buy tons of stuff over time, usually I would just be content to browse. It was like going to a museum. I would study the gear, caress the gear, hold the gear and when something was exceptional I would call to my Dad so that he too would be educated on the latest and greatest.

Witt was usually behind the counter and he would happily show me anything he saw me staring at. There was never a feeling of having to buy anything or having to rush out. It was a place to kick back. There would always be other surfers, big or small, just like me wandering around the shop.

On the occasions, of which there many, that I would acquire some goods Witt, or whoever was behind the counter, would always throw in a bar of wax or a sticker! I'm talking ALWAYS! Sometimes Witt would throw me a sticker after just browsing. As far as I knew that was just how surf shops worked. It was awesome! To this day, the Witt's logo is my favorite!

These memories came flooding back to me after a recent experience at AQUA SURF SHOP. I don't browse as much these days; I went in there to grab a new winter wetsuit. I knew exactly what I wanted, tried it on and was done. After purchasing it the owner Aleks just threw in 4 bars of wax!!!

In a flash, I was feeling that joy like that 12 year old kid again! In terms of monetary value the wax is worth pittance but to bring back the stoke of childhood is priceless! Thanks Aleks for keeping the old school alive!