Surfer Madness

'Surfer Madness'

This was the tease headline preceding a story on the CBS radio news about surfers in New Smyrna Beach Florida, who continue to ignore the warnings and beach closings to go out in shark infested waters. The New Smyrna Beach Beach Patrol has gotten police to ticket several young guys who've brazenly paddled out into surf where sharks have been sighted. Though someone was just bitten yesterday, the surfers seem to think the waves are worth the risk. They must be damned good waves, or damned crazy surfers.

-Foon - 'They must be damned good waves, or damned crazy surfers.'

The way I see it, good waves produce damned crazy surfers. I love the feeling when there's a swell, I almost go into a hypnotic state, well lets call it focused........one thing on my mind, tunnel vision. Good waves are a lure that cause me to think differently and when people think differently they MAY be considered crazy in our society.

But, I draw the line when the waters are filled with danger that I can control....pollution, sharks, sting ray flows..ect. I like the idea of surfing another day and another swell.

Triton

'Surfer Madness'

This was the tease headline preceding a story on the CBS radio news about surfers in New Smyrna Beach Florida, who continue to ignore the warnings and beach closings to go out in shark infested waters. The New Smyrna Beach Beach Patrol has gotten police to ticket several young guys who've brazenly paddled out into surf where sharks have been sighted. Though someone was just bitten yesterday, the surfers seem to think the waves are worth the risk. They must be damned good waves, or damned crazy surfers.

They're Australian for mosquito.

I saw the waves. Must have been damned crazy surfers.... or just making the best of a bad situation (bad waves, not bad sharks).

are you going anywhere with this dried up east coast bashing, or are you just being your 'normal witty self'?

is this the part where we're supposed to remark how great and sly you are?

_FleK(and then you woke up)

I think that's when Santa Keener is due.

(Insert sound of incredibly wave-horny hound dog panting as though he'd just galumphed 700 miles through the desert to find a giant bag of puppy chow and a sweet chihuahua wearing a pink ribbon.)

Tom Keener

<snip material about little sharks in little waves>

The media are having a field day with this and I say keep it up.

Some people here in Rhode Island have remarked about how relatively uncrowded the summer surf has been this year. That's remarkable in part because it's been relatively good for summer (waist- to head-high+ and clean almost once per week since mid-July).

Between the media feeding frenzy on the sharks in FL, and the possible end of the lets-try-surfing boom of the 90s, hopefully this winter we'll see even more empty line-ups.

-jw (i love winter)

Sorry, I forgot smilies on this and my other posts this morning about people talking about developing storms (the fool I was referring to was myself).

Then again, sometimes smilies don't even help.

-jw (time for a break...)

As you no doubt know, Bruce, you can surf with snow on the ground in Rhode Island too!

I've always found it kind of trippy to be out there after trudging across a snowy beach, and looking back at land from out in the water and seeing snow on the ground.

You have posted this before and I think Surff did too. I've seen fireworks go off out there, but this would be an amazing sight.

That sounds like a good idea. How about a hot water bottle under your wetsuit?

I've found that a 5/4 hooded Billabong wetsuit, 5mil O'Neill gloves and 7mil O'Neill boots, coupled with thermal fleece rashgaurd, keep me relatively comfortable for up to an hour in 38 F water and down to 25 F air (if it's sunny). I've done longer sessions than that in adverse conditions (sleet, snow, wind), but when it's sunny I can stay out up to 2.5 - 3 hours like that.

I don't mind mentioning the brands because they work, in my experience.