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!

Surf, surf you have gone away. Please come back another day!

Today, I went surfing with a mate out at Waimari Beach, Christchurch. Unfortunately, the waves weren’t great. They were small and really choppy meaning there wasn't a lot of opportunities to stand. The poor conditions explained why there were only a couple of surfers out there. The few good waves were again breaking really close to shore so you had to be careful when abandoning your board in the shallow water as you could easily injure yourself when you hit the ocean floor. It was still a couple of hours of good fun. What better way is there to spend a Saturday evening? The small waves definitely suited longboarding.


It was cool to see a mum and her older daughter out having a go. Mum was boogie boarding and her daughter was surfing. They appeared to be having fun too. It made me think how awesome it would be to have come from a surfing family. I wish others in my family surfed. Other than us beginners floundering in these poor waves there were no other surfers. Hopefully, the surf will improve in the next couple of weeks, especially before summer disappears. Even, in these mild conditions, it amazes me how tiring surfing is on your body. I felt so sleepy once home. Also, it wasn’t great rolling my ankle when I came off my board. Hmm, I really am a bad surfer.

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.

Paddling out – Feel the burn!

Nothing beats the feeling of standing up the first time when learning to surf. It is a huge sense of achievement. I am sure many surfers can remember this moment fondly. I couldn’t get the smile off my face. In order to catch a wave you must learn the unglamorous but essential skill of paddling out. If you aren’t incredibly fit (like me haha) don’t buy a really heavy surfboard, although beginners are best to learn on long boards. A soft top board is ideal if you are starting out. These reduce the number bruises you will get.

Before you begin paddling out it is a good idea to stand on the beach and look to see if there is a lull in the waves. If there is this is the best place to paddle. You save your energy when you don’t have to fight the waves. However, often conditions will dictate and there isn’t a lull.

I always walk out with my board until the water is just over my waist. This allows me to adjust to the cooler water temperature down here in New Zealand and also to note whether there is a drag at the beach and the direction it is pulling.

When you lay on the deck of your board the aim of paddling is to find the best trim position that provides the least resistance. Cup your hands to improve your pull. Lift your chest slightly when being hit by incoming waves. When your board moves smoothly through the water you have found the best paddling position. Most boards you try will be slightly different.

Today I went surfing for 2 hours in a 3 metre swell. I couldn’t paddle out as far as I would have liked. My arms began to ache. The more I paddled the more I got pushed back. I ended out being absolutely punished. It is amazing what odd angles your body can end up in when you are wiped out by big waves ... haha. It’s always fun to catch the smaller waves closer to the shore. They are also good to practice paddling out. But, one day I will hopefully be able to surf bigger waves.