So 2 days of September left and we are in the middle of a tropical storm so with 100% chance of rain the next 2 days I thought I'd use my bowl time to type this final update.

Missed a total of 3 days of training this month. 1 was supposed to be a surf lesson that never happen. 1 was a trip to the urgent care with my wife and 1 was today cause the park is flooded and the tropical storm has the waves this morning too wild to make a short surf session worth it.

Results:

1. My paddle strength/endurance is probably the greatest improvement in the month. Between the strength exercises and the extra paddling around the line up I have been able to surf extra long sessions without fatigue. I am 46 year Old and while I did not consider myself out of shape, the extra attention to boosting my paddle endurance as helped greatly. Not just for the fact that I catch more waves or surf for 3 hours without shoulder or low back burn but it has also greatly improved my pop up. Now popping up at the end of sessions is as good as it is in the beginning of sessions. This has translated to more rides, longer rides, the ability to stop worrying about that pop up and focus instead on progressing in other areas.

2. Much more comfortable on my board in general. Weight placement, the ability to move and shift my back foot around, staying on and balanced in sections where before I probably would have fallen. Working on my compression and extension, all of it felt miles ahead of where I started.

3. My outlook on boards has changed. Where before I put an unnecessary pressure on myself to ride smaller boards and do more on the waves. I now am shopping for a good mid length. This came about from forcing myself to paddle out on smaller days where before I may not have gone and from riding the 7'0 soft tip I bought for my daughter's to learn on. The glide into waves, the paddle power, the easy of popping up has all helped my to realize that I have a lot more fun riding something that fits the situation a little better than trying to ride/surf the way others around me are surfing. Honestly I've just been having more fun on that pink soft top that I probably would have trying to grovel on a 5'10" shortboard. At the moment the Firewire Revo Max is the board I have my eye on. Watching reviews and planning my next purchase in thr next few weeks.

4. Just being more comfortable and relaxed in the lineup. As Clayton says when you play and have fun that's where the learning happens and I can say that is true in my case.

I do plan to continue this into October. Now that I've started I have not desire to stop. The training will continue. I have a lot further that I want to progress and surf coaching lessons lined up to give me an outside perspective on where and what I need to improve.

Hopefully I can start to get some water footage to share with Y'all.

Yeewww

Michiel van Gerven I can. I'll get a photo or video this afternoon during my workout to share.

I happen to own a squat rack that has cable pulleys on it that I use. But the idea came from this:

https://surfbasis.com/products/basis-paddle-trainer?srsltid=AfmBOor4mHBW0HjXELf8dcZGM-lkZoMZoTV_OFbUcpGvxZUFEmdfskjI

I just happen to have equipment that cam some what replicate that same movement pattern.

Haven't updated in a while. Still going strong. I have missed 2 days since I've started. Miss 1: was the day I had to take my wife for x-rays after our puppy knocked her on her butt. Miss 2: was actually supposed to be a surf coaching day but the waves never improved and we never actually got the session done.

This far into the month I have noticed 2 major improvements. No. 1: I am definitely more more comfortable on the board... pop ups, moving around, making it through crumbling sections I probably would have fallen in the past.

No 2: Doing my paddle exercises and extra paddling around the line up has made a huge difference. Surfed extra long this morning with none of the shoulder or low back burning I normally experience on longer sessions. Been using my new full rack, laying on the bench in front of it and using the cable part of the machine to paddle for a minute at a time basically until I don't think I can paddle anymore. I am for sure keeping this is my daily routine because I could feel the difference today. I caught everything, arms and shoulders never got tired, popping up at end of session was as clean and quick as in beginning of the session.

Still have lots to work on... but feels good seeing/feeling my own improvements.

Michiel van Gerven https://gnarwall.co/collections/gnarwall/products/surfboard-hanger-hanger-futures

Went to bowl again this morning to work on this. Was definitely feeling like I was getting higher on the transition by straightening up more.

Days 10-12: Surfed day 10, quick session after work before picking the kids up from school.

Day 11: unfortunately missed this day. The dog took my wife's legs right out from under her and she landed right on her tailbone, which landed us in urgent care getting x-rays and pain meds, nothing broken thankfully. Spent the rest of the day helping my wife, who could barely walk, and building my new home gym.

Day 12: Surfed 2.5 hrs on tiny little waves riding the 7'0 soft top again. Really has me wanting an honest midlength... looking at the Firewire revo Max and Sunday models. Really been enjoying twin fins lately.

Also got a full workout in on the new equipment. I'm sure I'll be sore tomorrow.

Little bit of a funny add on to my surf training. I mentioned before I was going to have a local surfer coach me up. He has never seen me surf, as our 1st lessons isn't till next week. He said he was going to send me a video of the pop-up and how it should be done the correct way for me to practice before our 1st time out.

He just sent me the link to Clayton's pop up series 1: check your head youtube video.

I thought that was hilarious

Day 9: more bowl before work. FINALLY got back to getting my cutback turns in. Can't believe it took me this many days to do them again after not really skating most of summer because of the heat and crowds. It's coming back to me now though.

Did have a minor issue in that the kingpin nut on my front C5 truck comes loose after every session. Even with having it cranked down to the locker thread. Gonna call carver today and see if I can order new kingpin and nut to prevent that from happening.

Bringing my softtop to work tomorrow to get some in before and after work.

Yeeewwww

Me posting/ commenting on my own post is really more for me than you guys/gals to be honest. I said I was gonna do something and coming here to post keeps me honest.

Another day another update.

7 days in a row so far...

Went to the bowl this morning before work to get my leg burn in.

Also talked to a local sponsored surfer that will be giving me in person lessons with the 1st one being 9/13. Decided to go this route for a few reasons: 1. I had credit for lessons my girls didn't use or want to use so I decided I'd use it. 2. The main reason is simply because I can't video myself to tell what I'm doing wrong. The surfline cams at my local spot are too far away to show me as anything but a spec in the ocean, I can't take a camera or tripod cause I'd would be stolen before my feet even got wet. So I'll have this Duder out there with me to give me some ideas of what I'm doing wrong and how to go about fixing it.

I'm going to get good at this if it is the last thing I do.

Maximum effort!