Living the Dream and Loving the Surf

Retirement has been about my bucket list, and in that, I'm living my dream.  Two kayak camping trips to Everglades National Park this past Jan and Feb, and of course March's Everglades Challenge.  And some more great expeditions coming up this year including weeks on the Roanoke River, Isle Royale, the Apostle Islands, down east Maine, and possibly Anglessy Wales.  I'm always about the expedition.

Locally though, it's about the surfing.  I'll complete my ACA L4 Open Water Instructor Certification in a couple weeks.  I passed the IDW/ICE last Fall pending my giving a navigation class (I'd spent too much time with a GPS).  Preparing for that L4, a lot of my focus has been on surf skills, and rough water.  As an expedition paddler, I've spent many years getting good at not surfing in my loaded boat.  Now I'm working on the finesse and enjoyment of just riding the big waves.

What's new about that you say.  I've posted about surfing before, and I've been kayak surfing for many years.  But this past year and this year, it's serious, and I'm playing in the big stuff with the big boys.  Wanting the best instruction one gets in the South, I'm being mentored by Dale Williams (kayak surfer extraordinaire), taking group and private lessons as I'm available.

Last year while training for my upcoming L4 class, I participated in a 2 day surf camp taught by Dale and run out of Sea Kayak Carolina.  One of the participants stuck his GoPro camera on my kayak and put together a really fun video for me.  The surf wasn't really very big that day, it was my first day paddling with Babs (my Big Ass Blade for Surf), but we all had a ball.

And my dreams and journeys continues....