Stoked?

General Discussion
1

This morning I was out surfing some pretty marginal waves. I was kind of frustrated, you know the kind- where you just never have quite enough juice to fly.

At a certain point I was paddling out and three dolphins were torpedoing towards me in the oncoming wave. I was scared that I might collide with one of them when I duck dove the wave. As I dove under I could immediately hear their squeeks/whistles under water. It was the first time I’ve ever heard dolphins under water. My immediate impression was that they were hooting with joy, shreiking with laughter, having a good old time.

After that I had to readjust my mental state and get over my frustration. The dolphins stayed by me. There were really little ones that kept jumping out of the water. That kept me smiling- just thinking they were like little toddlers, full of exuberance.

Anyways, I just had to share that with you all, maybe it’ll help you through a funk or some bad surf frustrations.

ps. I forgot to mention. I put the question mark because the little red devil on my other shoulder was saying that the dolphin’s whistles probably translated to, “Get out of the way you land lubbing kook!”

pps. I’m going to make my donation. http://www.seashepherd.org/

2

very nice.

3

i was out friday on a really small day , when a pod of 6 dolphins swam around

of course i didn’t have the camera with me …

but it was a stoker boker from north avoca [hi josh !!] for me

cheers

ben

the overcast , glassy winter days and or sunny warm small glassy summer early mornings are the ones we seem to get dolphins here … is it the same for you guys ??

4

Thanks for the great story!

spread the stoke!

Eef

5

i’ve had a similar experience, noticing their sound underwater. They don’t have to be that close for you to hear them either. My best experience was having a HUGE bottlenose (i assume) swim straight under me in really clear water. He was probably a good 5 ft below me but don’t think i didn’t lift my legs just a little. And seriously this thing was a good 10ft long.

6

i had it happen outside atlantic city NJ. during hurricane hannah swells. welloverhead and semi clean. i was paddling out and here come this full size dolphin riding and jumping out of a wave!

bout crapped my wetsuit.

7

Couple years ago I surfing in Mission Beach and there a pod of dolphines jumping in the waves. I looked to my left and there was a guy on a wave and a dolphine jumped out of the water right in front of him. So I went back to looking out to sea waiting for the next set when I felt something over my left shoulder. When I looked I saw the biggest dolphine I have ever seen jumping over my shoulder. Scared the crap out of me. Was a unreal experience for sure.

8

saw a pod of adults trying to teach a youngun how to ride the waves once. It was too funny to see this baby dolphin tumbling through the whitewater cause he hasnt learned when to kick out yet. I dont think my buddy and I caught more than 2 or 3 waves that session, no lack of waves, we were just sitting there watching the dolphins - for like two hours.

9

sorry to disapoint you buy they weren’t whistling…

they were complaining – not enough juice… we want to fly – :slight_smile:

nice story ,

I had the same situation today with a nilon bag and a log ;>)

10

Such an awesome feeling when they’re around. One day we had about 30 of them just cruising around in groups of 3 or 4, and one came right next to me, i could’ve patted its back, but didn’t want to freak it/them out. Makes your surf that much more special. On the same day as i was paddling back out, i saw a “party” wave, where 3 of them were surfing, looked unreal as the sun was behind the wave, and it would’ve been a brilliant photo.

Cheers

11

It’s one of the special things about being a surfer that interaction with nature.

Our regular pod will bring the babies past to show them off.

Two days ago we had THE whale show to end them all, acrobatic humpbacks outside the lineup just going off !!

Cheers

Mooneemick

12

Two weekends ago

while sitting about 50 yards outside everyone in windblown muddy water

I had my “flipper” come visit me

except he has a pointed nose and striped skin

I couldn’t tell how big but since he was coming straight at me and his fin was pointing straight up like a submarine

but he appeared to be over 3 feet wide since he was in clear water I could see what he was up to very clearly

I knew it wasn’t my friends the hammerheads or the slim reefs that zoom by us all the time riding waves

looked like something straight out of jaws

never had one come straight in like that and not even riding a wave to boot

no waves so I turned and paddled in as much as I could

and turned back to face

what I thought was my destiny…

I asked it if was my it was any of my passed on family

and if they could intervene on my behalf if it wasn’t

luckily it entered the where the water was murky and I couldn’t see it anymore

and then a turtle popped up a little closer to me so I felt better

that there was another option available for dinner

so I kept paddling in till I got within 10 yards of the next guy

and when I got close enough to tell him about it

he confirmed that he saw it too and it was abnormally big and of a species we don’t usually run into

we stayed out only for another few waves

and decided it just wasn’t worth the risk and called it a day

even though the waves were pretty good.

We joked of what it would’ve been like if we had been surfing

all alone like we both normally do way outside at another more lonely spot

and had something like that come torpedoing straight in at us like that

with no one around. We both knew the feeling of helplessness

Eventhough I’d take flipper anyday

my “friends” do make me value

what I have just a little bit more

each time they come calling to say “hello”

13

Quite a few years ago I was paddling for a wave at Woolamai. Beautiful day, sunny, clear water, 3 to 5 foot.

Just as I was about to get to my feet two small dolphins, 4 or 5 foot long, in unison, jumped across right in front of my face, eye to eye contact. They scared shit out of me, they were that close the water coming off them wet me!

It took me a fraction of a second to take it in, as I then sat there in amazement, watching from behind as they carved the wave , in unison, down the line.

They seemed to make no hesitation in outrageously cutting me off… I was dropping in on them after all. They knew the rules, and they definitely knew what they were doing.

14

Amakua, Bernie!!!

Ya brudda!!

If anybody has felt Oneula’s aloha, you would know

that nothing would ever bite him…

Over here on the mainland, we have regulars in the

lineup and when a loved one passes, we sometimes feel

that the new born might be related… (not the grey flannels)

On another note I had a newborn come up behind me

in the early fall (late birthing period) and nose into my leg

as if he was trying to nurse. I fowled my wetsuit thinking

he was someone else trying to take my leg!!! LOL

One of the cool things about surfing is that we become part

of the real world when we enter the water…

Just a thought…

BKB

15

So true…step into the water and you are stepping into the wilderness. So many people don’t seem to comprehend this fact. That’ why in surfing, in a primal sense, there is localism, local knowledge, and experience dictating who gets which waves on any given day.

Several non-surfers have asked me if I was crazy going surfing where there are sharks, yet they drive on busy roads every day without a thought.

Bears in the woods, lions in the savanna, snakes in the bush, tigers in the jungle…sharks in the ocean. Take your chances when you enter the wilderness…it’s their domain.

16

Several years ago on T-day morning at Sand Dollar (BS)…there were literally hundreds of dolphin surfing, jumping out the back, and generally freaking…I’m used to the occasional pod, but this was a downright dolphin be-in…right in the middle of the lineup…The punch line is that looking back from the pt between Jade Cove and Sand Dollar, there was a rainbow over the Sta. Lucias…Ok, that’s why we live in CA…Sometimes you have to remind yourself…

17

yes i’m STOKED !! …

STOKED to be able to get in the water

i reckon we are incredibly privileged / blessed / ‘lucky’ to even be able to go surfing , at all !

maybe we need to never forget this fact , or take it for granted , or whinge .

if a ‘flat ocean’ is the biggest problem we ever had to face in life , i reckon we would be pretty SPOILT really , don’t you ??

so

be THANKFUL ,

and …

try to SHARE your STOKE with others , please …

cheers !

ben

18

Like we say down south:

“Don’t swallow the white foam!”

We see it all here!