Post-Quake Christchurch, New Zealand ...

Well what can I say ... it's been a long break (not a surf joke) from this blog. I have returned from travelling overseas and am once again living in Christchurch, earthquake city of the New Zealand. Man, the landscape has changed significantly. Central Christchurch is destroyed, roads are munted and houses and buildings are being pulled down everywhere.

And in case you are interested I think I still hold the trophy of being the world's worst surfer. I am struggling to stand up on my short board which sucks. Recently, I have been out to South Beach, New Brighton, North Beach and Waimairi Beach for a few sessions. These beaches are all very close to one another.

With summer approaching the water has warmed slightly and there have been some great conditions. Today, Sunday 11 November, 2012, was brilliant. There were a lot of  experienced surfers out and about. I sneaked to a more quiet part of South New Brighton - out of the public eye. I can't wait to get my longboard out of storage and give surfing a proper go again.


Although, not a lot of media attention has been paid to beaches and the coast line post earthquake, it is amazing how all beaches have significantly changed. Shorelines are much smaller now. It does illustrate how important the sand dunes are. It is cool to see the North Beach Surf Club has been painted and is looking in good shape. It is great to see that people care. Sadly, the New Brighton shops don't look so good - the area is very depressed. There is still a pretty good community vibe with some exciting temporary projects happening. I hope local and national governments will assist in revitalising this part of Christchurch.

Well, more posts to come. Just wanted to say I am pleased to be back in Christchurch waters and the City in general despite many people asking why I returned. My goal this summer is to become a far better surfer. Even getting my wetsuit to do up has been a recent challenge .... haha (I may need to lose a few kilos too)

Well happy surfing everyone!

Surfing in Britain

It has been a cracker of a weekend here in London. It has been bliss in the warm, all day sunshine. Let’s hope it will be one of the hottest summer’s ever recorded as has been forecast.

It was awesome to pick up a free copy of TNT magazine at a tube station and to see the cover story was on surfing in Britain. Check out Catching Waves, Hit The Surf in Britain. It is a really well written story with helpful advice on where and when to go surfing.

I envy those who have close access to the beach.

Happy surfing!

Wipe outs

Hello from the United Kingdom! After two long flights I finally made it to old London town.

I had to laugh when I looked at my blog on arrival to see I had been ripped off by another blogger. I don’t care if my blog does suck. It is mine so I can do what I want. I think that dude needs to chill out. I don’t care that I am a bad surfer. I admit I am not great but at least I give it a go.

Anyway, to get over my jet lag I have been checking out some wipe out videos on YouTube.

I liked Jaws Wipeout as the sound is awesome even if it has been added later. It is a pretty big wave.

I also liked the following video courtesy of Deep Water Film. You do wonder what the consequence of this high speed wipe out was.

In Surviving A Big Wipe Out video by Disovery Earth, big wave surfer Garrett “G-Mac” McNamara claims he enjoys wiping out on giant waves in deep water. That is just crazy! He talks about arms being only held on by the skin after a wipe out …. haha, madness.

Finally the Style Evolution Wipeout Project video captures old wipe outs. No doubt these will long continue into the future.

Happy surfing everyone! Enjoy those waves.

Mother Nature - If you respect her will she look after you?

No surfer can deny that a delight of surfing is becoming part of nature. There is something really special about being out in the ocean on your board. Surfing can be a real stress reliever and a time to unwind from life's chaos. Alternatively, it can be an absolute adrenalin rush for those who like to surf big waves. I guess there is a different mindset between long boarders and big wave surfers. You are lucky if you can ace both surfing styles.

I saw this quote by the legendary Kelly Slater ~

"Not to sound too deep or weird, but I think that the times when you really appreciate surfing are the times you're really sort of becoming one with nature. Surfing's as raw of a sport as it gets.”

I think Slater’s quote illustrates what a great surfer he is. He becomes part of the wave. Clearly, it is important to respect Mother Nature and you just hope she will return the favour and not punish you … hehe. I learnt this the hard way with a gashed head and a sprained neck. All joking aside it is important to know your skill level.

The great thing about surfing is the respect for nature doesn’t just end in the water with the waves. There is the beach itself, marine life and often spectacular sunrises and sunsets to appreciate. I think a lot of surfers acknowledge this by becoming avid environmentalists and photographers. Clearly, there is a case to argued for surfing to be recognised as a religion.

Short boarding tips / help

As you know I am a poor surfer even on a long board therefore I was horrendously bad on my new short board. I clearly made the transition to a short board too fast. Despite this I am going to persist with both boards. Ideally, I will one day be able to perform the graceful art of long boarding and also the modern tricks of short boarding.

I did some research on how to be a better short boarder. Here are some tips which will hopefully help me and others who may also be learning:

1. Practice, practice and practice! Surf as often as possible. Clearly, I need to get my ass off surfing the internet and on to the waves. Catch as many waves as you can and don't beat yourself up or worry too much about your mistakes. Good things take time.

2. Fitness is important – both upper body muscles and legs. This is required for paddling power and getting to your feet. I need to definitely improve on my fitness.

3. Although, a bit embarrassing it is not a bad idea to practice the standing up position out of the water. Lie in a paddle like position then push up and spring your legs under into the standing stance.

4. Balance is important so when in the water practice lying flat and sitting up on your board. Also practice swinging around 180 degrees pulling yourself into position ready for the incoming wave. Being able to accelerate quickly into position is essential so also practice short / fast paddling.

5. Put your chin up and look where you are going, not at your feet. Have your arms out stretched a bit, your knees bent a little and stay calm and focused.

6. Learn to read the waves and understand how it is going to wall, section or fat out. I am still learning to master this skill.

Hope this is some help. Happy surfing everyone.

It was like trying to surf a match stick!

Last week I bought a second hand short board. I thought it was time to move from a long board and learn the art of short boarding. More manoeuvrability has always appealed to me. I want to learn how to perform high speed turns.

Then, today, I went surfing to try out my new board. Standing on the dunes at the beach I knew it was not going to be a great day as the waves were small. It was a rubbish day weather wise, drizzle and 13 degrees (so much for summer) but I didn’t care. The weather proved the least of my problems … haha.

Carrying the 6’6’’ board to the water was a piece of cake in comparison to my 9’2” long board. There is nothing worse than fighting the wind with your board on the way to the water. I found the centre of the board easy enough when paddling out but standing was a different story. The waves were not steep and every time I tried to stand I fell off. Balancing was a real problem. Even if the waves had been better I know I still would have struggled.

My long board is so much easier to surf. It is like standing on a barge, compared to the match stick sized short board. After two hours the waves were getting even smaller so I called it a day. I learnt gradual process from a bigger board to a shorter narrow board certainly takes practice. Reading the wave patterns is also more important when using a short board.

Greetings everyone!

Right, let's do this! This blog is all about surfing . As you may gather from its title I am a really, really bad surfer. In just a few months I have had a sprained neck, gashed head and a countless number of bruises. However, I love the sport / hobby. As long as you are having fun who cares how good or bad you are. I am a Kiwi and have been surfing for a couple of years now. My local beaches are New Brighton, North Beach & Waimari in Christchurch, New Zealand.

This blog is for everyone - the global surfing community, beginners to advanced, short and long boarders. Everything surfing and surfing related will be discussed. Please feel free to contribute and offer advice to this poor surfer. Enjoy the waves, Brendon