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Diary   2018

 

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January  Sagres  2018.. Surf days 1228.
During new year Phillip and family came for a visit. That was a nice break in the daily routine. We managed to find some decent surf and  weather was reasonable with quite a bit of sun shine. We were lucky with some Westerly swell that entered Mareta.
I got to know some van people as well. Mike invited for a great Curry, then everybody took off for El Palmar, some with the intention to continue to Marocco.
During the period I was trying to place an order of a new surf board, first with Lufi in Lisbon, and when that failed I managed to get Barbossa in Arrifana to make me a board. That should be finished in end February.
I bought the surf guide "I love the seaside" . The authors are staying in our condo at the moment. I like this guide because apart from describing the surf beaches; not all of them, but enough, they also guide you to a lot of the surf accommodation and smaller guest houses etc.
Also I got a Quicksilver 4/3 winter suit, super stretch. very comfortable. I replaced my booties for some 3 mm neoprene socks. Works well, it gives a better feel with the board, only sometimes I "double" a toe. That hurts a fair bit.
 Also i started The 100, a more than 50 section 4 season Netflix series. So before I knew it January almost over.
1 st January 7.45 Mareta. A good start of the year.
 
Mareta  11 January
 
Luz 17 January 2018
 
Sagres 25 January
28 Jan
 
1  2  4  5  7  9  13  14  15  16  17  19  20  21  22  23
February 2018 Sagres and West Coast .. Surf Days 1243
February seem to be the month with a lot of action. I was surfing the Sagres beaches, but I went to Arrifana as well. That was too big waves however, but I did get into the water.
The next excursion was  to Sao Torpe near Sines. I got the tide wrong. Hw is the time to go. I did see a very nice wave between Sao Torpe and Porto Covo.
The hotel was ice cold, and nothing going on in town.

Back in Sagres I surfed some good waves in Zavial. Some waves I was using the home made easy pop up, and I could see some of the other surfers were a little impressed, because it was close to overhead,

Towards end of month I took a trip to Milfontes. To surf in the river estuary. I figured out that the safest time is Lw. At other times the current can be quite strong. First day was a mess. Current dragging me everywhere. Second day was a lot better. I really liked it there. Hotel had buffet dinner foe 16 Euro. The room was cold and the air con noisy. I brought my electrical blanket and a sleeping bag. However I found out that getting the arms into the sleeping bag as well can be dangerous, as I was about to roll over the side of the bed, with arms stuck inside the bag.
 
7 February. Sao Torpe area.
 
8 Feb. Milfontes
 
21 Feb. Milfontes estuary. Small point breaks. About 3 feet when they are best. I had 1 very long ride.
 
22 Feb. Beliche
 
22 Feb 20218 The end of "Old faithfull"
This is what happened: It was a day with biggish waves. Actually to big, so i decided to find a small wave to get me back to the beach. A suitable wave was arriving, but just before it got to me it hit some current and almost doubled in size. I did not like the sight of it, so decided to get one more deep breath, while paddling for it.

The speed was accelerating fast and next I was diving under water with mouth open. Lots of water entering my mouth, and felt like going into the throat before I got the mouth shut.

Next it was a lot of tumbling around into the now breaking wave. I tried to keep hold of the board. In a powerful breaking wave a lot of air bubbles are mixed in the water, and a surfer without a board will sink towards the bottom. But I lost hold of the board. The whole situation was just becoming too interesting for me.

Just then I could feet " Old faithful " was nudging itself under me, and next we were going full speed towards the shore pushed by a angry small white water wave.

Time for a good deal of sneering and coughing. Next the board, now with a broken back, so the fin did not cut into the sand and stop the board, ran way up on the beach and I was in safety.

I will admit that I was shedding a tear when I left  my old friend, now in 2 pieces, by the garbage bins. And I will admit that I was there the next morning to retrieve one half, with the plan to hang it on the wall in my home. But the collectors had been there, it was gone.

Maybe that was the best. Else It would have ended with me sitting having  long conversations with one half of a old broken surfboard, hanging on the wall, about  the sunny days and the good waves.
 
February 22 Mareta
Feb 27 Beliche By the end of the month the swell turned South West and increased.
 
 2  3  4  5  7  10  12
Marts 2018 Sagres and West Coast .. Surf Days 1250
02 Marthinal, using the Fatum 7 feet... 03 Mareta, big day. I was using the Fatum board, mainly lying on the board, but also standing up a little...04  First using 10 foot board. Then changed to Fatum, as I was loosing control af  the bigger board...05. Mareta again. Very windy...06. Mareta again on a rainy day...07. ! st day with new 9,2 feet board. So far pleasant surprise. Easy to catch wave even if board has very low rocker. And it is FAST...10. Meia in Lagos. First with long board later changing to Fatum. At the West Coast swell is 5 meters.  I am starting to become fond of my Duke...12. Meia again. Today only 3 feet, but no wind. Later the wind picked up and destroyed the waves.

Saturday 17 Marts I drove to Denia to get the ferry to Mallorca
 
Mareta 1 Marts
Mareta 03 of Marts. By the end of the month all the sand on the beach was gone
New board
08 Marts. The beach gone
11 Big storm again
11 Big storm again
11 Meia Beach surf able.
 
 
27  29  April - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 May
Sagres and West Coast .. Surf Days 1260
Back from Mallorca it did not take long to get  the board to the beach
27 Surfing Tonel in bumpy conditions 9.2 board
29 Beliche at 07.00 in the morning. 9.2 board
01 Amado. Nice swell of 1,5 meter. Many surf schools, but they stay close to the shore.
02 Amado again 2 to 3 feet.
03 Amado 1,7 meter. I kept in the North end where there were a big mellow wave. Difficult to get.
04 Tonel . Primary swell 2.1 meter  320 deg. Around low water. I paddled out very far and caught a few. Quite exiting. That is max limit for me. Using Torq board 9 feet. Strong rib going back in. Later I surfed Beliche.
05 Tonel again 4 to 6 feet in surf zone. Very nice swell.
06 Cordoama. A local surfer was getting on a 3 meter wave nearby. Impressive sight. He did vanish in a big breaking wave . Then I quit for the day.
08. Tonel. Primary swell 1,2 to 2 meter. Big peeling swell. I will say , we do not need bigger than this. 9.2 glass board. I only got one good wave. Lucky I was on a fast board. As a spectator described it. A overhead very foamy break chasing me.

This is the end of the winter season. We are in our best form after surfing all of the winter, often in difficult conditions. A  lot of the days has not been for for surfers without several years experience. We have been surfing in pairs most of the days, witch is giving extra safety. Apart for a few uncomfortable incidents, I do not recall any dangerous situations. So I guess we are all right.
Tonel 1 May
 
Time to start a trip to North Spain and France 10 of May 2018
 
14 an 15 May
Playa Aquilla Asturias . 15 km west of Avilles...Surf Days 1262
Playa Avilles is a smaller beach in very nice surroundings.  It is North facing and swell can be quite big at times. Mid tide was best. There are some rocky islands that make small point breaks. I was staying at a great small hotel 200 meter from the beach. The hotel had a ample parking where I could change and mess around with boards. Hotel had restaurant as well, so I did not need too do anything. Price for a 2 pers room was 50 Euro.  There is a surf school next to the hotel.
Small hotel 200 m from the beach
Parked at the beach. Bigger parking at the other end.
 
21 an 25 May
Playa Guerra Oyambre, Cantabria. 65 km West of Santander...Surf Days 1267
I was attending a 50 year plus surf course, meaning all people was more than 50 years old. It was arranges by www.surfnsoul.com
There was a small tv team covering  the course. It was named Torben w Andersen 70 year surf course. It is hereby official that I am now 70 years old. Oldest after me was Spanish 67 year Maite, who had done one surf course 8 years before. She had a mail about the course. Packed her bags and took the  bus 200 km  to Oyambre and walked to the beach every afternoon.
Hereby a big  thanks to Martin from surfnsoul and Elke from german-health-tv To help spread the knowledge , that surfing is a  sport for all ages.º
Yellow bird beach, where we spend part of the days
Guerra beach.
 
27 May to 1 June
St Girons Plage France...Surf Days 1271
An other nice week with old friends. This year In rented a small cabin. There was a discount and price was 38 Euro a day. very comfortable. The waves were a bit mixed with a few big days, actually too big for me. There was a bit chill in the air and we had a few showers as well.
After St Girons it was my plan to do a lot  more surfing along the North coast of Spain. The rainy  and cold weather did not invite to this. Time to drive back to Sagres
 
9 Juni..10..11..12..13..14..15 Juni
Surf Sagres area...Surf Days 1278
9...Zavial
10..Zavial
11..Tonel.. I was kicked off the Torq board 10 different ways. Even if I had fitted a bigger nose rider fin.
12..13..15.. Cordoama.. The start of some interesting days. Interesting because i was using the 9.2 glass board and we had  some big set. I got  myself on some great waves. Most times it went well, but I had some mega pearls as well. The board is great in big swell. Duck diving is easy. The board is not snapped out of your hands, and it has very little resistance because the nose is very  thin. The board is very stable in bumpy conditions. I am well pleased.
14...Amado.. Nice summer evening, but too late for the falling tide. Time to find the sea spec glasses. Sun down is hard stuff for the ayes.
Amado 14 June
Tonel 09 June
 
17 Juni..18..19..20..21..22..23 Juni
Surf Sagres area...Surf Days 1285
17..18..19..20..Tonel..In general good conditions. using the 9.2 longboard most days.
2.1..Castelejo..Here I was surfing with an other senior surfer. He is quite experienced. Time for the rest of us to learn some more.
22..23..Castelejo..Great conditions both days. Sardines for lunch and a walk to the top of the hill. Smart view from there.
West Coast 17 June
Mareta 20 June
Cordoama 23 June and Rota Vicentina. Fisherman trail.
 
Tuesday 26 I fly to Barcelona for a week.
 
04 July..05..06..07..08..09..10..11 Juli
Surf Sagres area...Surf Days 1293
04..05..Punta Riva..Long time since I have been there.
06..Cordoama..Somewhat bumpi, but big set noww and again. Quite exiting. I decide to use west next time. Not sure what situation would be after a bad wipe out.
07..Cordoama
08..Amado
09..Cordoama..
10..Cordoama
11..Cordoama..I have started to use my Jeff Clarke Quantum surf vest more. I blow a little air into it so I am floating with head above water with my lungs empty of air. It looks a bit odd with a soft top board and a big wave surf vest. Then a younger surfer asked to have a look, and he told that he would like one when he got older. So maybe not that odd after all.
Punta Riva
 
12 July..13..14..15..02 August..03..04..06..08..09..10..11..12..13..15..16..17..18..19 August
Surf Sagres area...Surf Days 1312
During this period I was trying to concentrate more , how to read the wave. How to take off on the "right" one. Where I only needed a few easy paddle strokes to get me started.
Also it is time to try to loosen up a bit. To change direction, and hopefully one day to be able to make a big sweeping turn and surf back up the wave, fly up in the air and land behind the wave.
I am surfing most days with my Torq soft top. It is crowded with summer guests. Difficult to find parking and we have had a fair share of heat waves and forest fires.
Cordoama evening.
Amado . Busy afternoon.
Mareta with swell 
 
20 August .. 10 Sept
Surf Sagres area... 16 Surf Days 1328
During this period I started to use my new glass board 9,2 feet. Also I had some very good days at Bordeira, a beach I have never surfed before.
Bordeira
 
16 September..to..27 September
Surf Oyambre area... 9 Surf Days 1337
I drove to Oyambre to join a surf course with www.surfnsoul.com .This is a special course for people over 50 years old. I brought my 9.2 feet glas board. This has been giving me some trouble , catching waves. The rocker is very low, so it tend to dive in. Then I moved further back, and could not get the board to start gliding down the wave front. Next you look for steeper waves. It does not help any.

Martin saw the problem at once, and next I am catching waves like never before, with this board.  Well, you never finish learning, and relearning.

The weather was very good. Indian summer , with temperatures above 25 deg some days.

Some days we had the finest silky swell. Some days more bumpy, but in general there is a lot of good swell to be found in this area.

During the drive back to Sagres I stopped the first night at a Balneario for a massage and thermal bath treat. In the last 50 days I have had 40 surf days.
 
01 Octobre..
Surf Sagres area... 1 Surf Days 1338
Octobre is one of the best month, if not the best. Bigger ocean swell starting. Wind is weaker.
Tonel on a good day.
 
 
01 Octobre..to..14 November
Surf Sagres area... 28 days.. Surf Days 1365
1/10-Cordoama. 2/10-Tonel. Saved a swimmer that was being pulled to sea by current and waves. I paddled in front of him so he could hold on to the board. 2/10-Tonel.  4/10-Bordeira. Primary swell 0,6.   5/10-Mareta.   6/10-Mareta  .......9/10-Bordeira. Waves overhead. i was doung white water surfing. Quite easy to get in and out by the rock headland. Primary swell 1.0. This beach get big fast.  10/10-Tonel, 1,4 meter prim swell. Difficult to get in and out near hi water. I was tumbled quite a bit. That is when I decided to look for a winter board....14/10-Mareta. 100 surfers. Prim swell 3.5 m.  ...  Beginning at Nov I found a second hand LUFI Magic Model. 9.1 23 x 2. 7/8  2 weeks later I was bonded to that board solidly. Stable yet maneuverable, low volume in the ends makes it easy to handle in bigger swell.
14 Oct
14 November..to..16 December
Surf Sagres area... 25 days.. Surf Days 1390
I was using the LUFI board every time I was in the water. During this month we started to surf more often at the beaches near Lagos. The primary North Westerly swell were often more than 3 meter.
It is still quite crowded. Beliche is almost impossible. So it is difficult to do proper surfing. We tried some mornings to get up very early. That helped some. But very early is 5.30. Then getting ready to do the dawn patrol at 7.30. Not every one thought this was a good idea. Our small surf group is now having 5 active members.
27 Nov Zavial
16 Dec Puerto Mos
 
17 December..to..31 December
Surf Sagres area... 29 days.. Surf Days 1404
17. Mareta SE wind...18 Sundown surf at Mareta..20 Mareta sun down surfing..21 Beliche. Very good..22 First Tonel, later Beliche..23 Mareta SE wind..24 Mareta, just big enough to surf.. 25 Tonel , very good, had some great take off.. 26.Castelejo. There was a very nice wave there..27 Cordoama. Nice silky waves. I was thrown around a bit, but also had some very nice waves.. 28 Bordeira. Big white, windy, sunny..29 Bordeira. Sunny day. Surf not so good..30 Mareta. Too big....31 Amado. Too windy.
 
Happy new year..
Surfed 194 days during this year. More days than any other year.
The reason for this are several. During the year a small group was created of fellow surfers. This way we could animate each other to go surfing.
In February I changed my diet to a Whole food. Plant based diet. With this diet I was recovering faster from exercise. I could surf every day without getting tired out. Especially towards the end of the year.
During November I purchased a LUFI longboard. The Magic Model 9,1 feet x 23 inch. This difference from my other boards was amazing. Especially during the drop in, that seemed more easy, and less frequent pearling. Better speed. Less volume, that made it easier to handle in bigger waves. A deep concave forward section, where as my other boards are v/section.
With this board, I was eager to surf as much as possible.
 
New board
West coast.
Tonel.
Bordeira is one of my favorite beaches
2018 ended with very fine weather and we could surf manny days on the West Coast which is very unusual.