A hardcore dad seeks advice

I am concerned. Very concerned. The surf has pumped for weeks lately. I've missed a couple of days because of work, but have surfed as much as ever. In fact, with 14 sessions under my belt already this year, I'm well on course for 200+ surfs by the end of 2009.

But my resilient approach to a mere chill in the air is not shared by my son, Harry. Regular readers, and those who know the pair of us here in West Penwith, will know that Harry is my sidekick just about every time I go for surf. Or, as he might put it, I am his kook of a dad, whenever he's out there ripping. But regardless of the terminology, we are an item. We surf together constantly.

Or rather, we used to surf together constantly. The cold weather has put Harry off. He hasn't been in the water for about three weeks, and the last time was under sufferance. I point out that this disparity makes me hardcore to his not so hardcore showing - indeed, it's a reversal of roles - but it makes no difference. "Dad, you've got lots of fat on you so you don't feel the cold," he says, with some accuracy. He points out that he's skating all the time, pulling off Smith Grinds, 50:50s and Disasters at Mt Hawke and getting better every time he turns up there. He says that this will serve his ambition to make it as a surfer better than freezing half to death.

He might be right. He's at an age when a couple of months out of the water won't do him any harm at all. He'll pick up surfing again - not least when we're in Costa Rica in April - and, in a couple of days, be blitzing it.

But I'm lonely. I love paddling out with Harry and getting a few waves. I'm not so keen on one of his regular tricks - dropping in deliberately and ruining my rides - but, damn it, I miss going for a surf with him.

Can anyone tell me how to get Harry back into the water?

Pictured courtesy of Greg Martin: Harry Wade, formerly a regular in West Penwith line-ups.

Comments

[allie]

tell him not to, bar him from surfin, call him a girl ( I myself have been in about 14 times too, a couple with out gloves and i'm just a girl) sayin that one less shortboarder sittin on my inside stealing waves ain't all that bad.

[Mark T]

4 ideas:

Take him surfing anywhere along our East Coast (I can'tlast more than an hour in the water at the mo!).

Get him to read the next issue of wavelength (181) which features an article about Timmy Turners (yes THAT Timmy Turner)latest surf exploration trip/film to Vancouver Island in NW, Canada. Incredibly he invited Iain Battrick and Tim Nunn along as well, perhaps because of their camping trip to the north shore of Iceland last year (simply fantastic to see Iain Battrick and Tim Nunn getting recognition of this level!)

Get him to go on coldwatersouls.com which documents Chris Nelsons latest project to document the planets cold water surfing pioneers and their communities.

And get him to watch Hawaiians Garret McNamara and Kealii Mamala doing some ground breaking Glacier surfing in Alaska, at http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=mKRR9RMmcIQ.

After which casually point out that Cornwall aint actually that cold!

[Mark T]

oh yeah Timmy Turners film of the expedition is going to be called 'cold thoughts' and a 6min trailer of it can be found here.
http://www.shredordie.com/videos/c058161e68/cold-thoughts-from-pete_rocky

Awesome stuff! Kind of like Into the Wild with surfing and a lot happier ending!:

[Graham]

DON"T WORRY ABOUT IT...They all do this even the Buchorskis and Smarts of this world. Youngster hate cold water. They want to go out and have fun and rip. Fun is not ice cream headaches and pasta thumbs, fun is not another dunking in icy water. Youngsters do feel the cold and layers of rubber rather than warming to them are constrictive. Be patient relish the peace and the uncluttered waves it will no doubt take Harry half an hour to get back on form, which will just piss you off even more.... I know, I have been where you are now......

[Alex Wade]

That's good advice. Graham is undoubtedly 100% right. Mark is right but not so practical - if I take Harry surfing on the east coast at this time of year, he'll be scarred for life (though yes, he will realise that Cornwall is quite warm, relative to the rest of the UK, anyway). Thanks too for the Timmy Turner heads up.

But Allie, you might have got him back in the water. He says that shortboarders rule and says he's heading back to the beach to torment you...

[allie]

Result !! do i get a prize

[Alex Wade]

Allie, the hailstones today took us back to Square One. I got in, Harry played his guitar. C'est la vie.
See you in the water... but probably not with H...
Alex

[allie]

he's a big girls blouse thats being shown up for dedication and stamina by a girl and (sorry but the end justifies the means i hope) an old man or his old man to be more precise. ( you no i don't think your old don't you alex?please say you do)The suns out today what will be his excuse, School I suspect, ok he got me on that one.

[Martin Woollatt (woll)]

You wait till he gets a serious girlfriend!

Living where we do (for now) close to the Lincs coast, we've always suffered from opportunity, given the fickle nature of the waves. Throw into the mix how cold it can get from Nov-Mar in particular, and my usual paddle out chum tended not to suit up and get in.

Come spring and all the way through till autmn and the story was different, much different; particularly on our jaunts west. He'd be suited up and in even before the T25 had been switched off!

So we'd spend a lot of time in the lineups together (which can be read about at swellchaser.co.uk/barrel) and to coin a phrase, have some quality time bonding.

Now, boy (Ben) has got himself hooked to a really nice lass both of whom are 18. Back in July we headed over to our local coast where a really enticing swell had built only for him to stay in the van and not even consider getting wet and impressing the bird.

On a 2 week surfari west in September, without lass superglued to gob; and there was still some residual lethargy. Although to be fair when he did get in (often enough but not as in the past), he soon got into the rhythmn and exited the sea with big grins as per norm.

He'll grow out of it no doubt and then hopefully normal service can be resumed...although I realise it'll never be quite the same again as during his earlier teens.

Great blog btw!
Martin

[juan]

get him a good wetsuit...
if that fails get him a hull!

[Harry]

dad u are a retard

harry

:)