A Surfer’s Notebook: notes from a life optimized for waves
Podcast
Available on all major podcast platforms:
RSS Feed: https://anchor.fm/s/10438cb9c/podcast/rss
The Latest Notes
Get the weekly stoke delivered to your inbox each Wednesday:
-
Central American Summer Pt. 1 – Venturing Beyond The Bubble
There it was, the silver Sony handheld camera – a little bigger than my fist, state of the art in the early 2000s. It had a flip-out side screen and it stored memories, somehow mysteriously, on a black strip of tape wound up in mini plastic cassettes. There were several of these cassettes in the…
-
Under The Influence
Oceanographers are good at predicting how a wave will break—or at least explaining why a wave behaves the way it does after the fact. They understand a wave is shaped by external forces: swell size, bathymetry, tides, and wind. What, then, explains my behavior in the water?
-
Who is God?
I’ve spent too much time contemplating religion and the existence of God. No matter where I look or how hard I try to let it be as is, the questions always come back. But this time… I think I’m on to something!
-
My Set Wave Mantra
Here’s a typical situation: I’m out with the bros at our local beach break. The waves are the perfect size for a fun, playful session, and the sets are just big enough to make me a little nervous on the takeoffs. Exactly what I love! A set wave comes right to me. Yep, it’s clearly
-
Falling In Love Again (and Changing My Mind)
This week’s note is a follow up to note #11 My First Real Barrel. If you haven’t yet, reading that note will provide a little context (but isn’t required). This note started the way most of my journaling starts… with a question: How had I found myself alone in Africa with a backpack and board
-
Head vs Heart
Since I’m experimenting with living in a van for the first time, this note, written a few years ago while I was in Morocco, is my pick for this week. Here it is: Head vs Heart Something deep inside of me wants to do everything I know I shouldn’t. It feels like my heart is
-
The Vibe
Since I started keeping a log of all my sessions, I’ve realized it’s not just the wave quality or quantity that gets me stoked. I thought that if I tracked the swell, wind, tide, and crowds, then there would be a clear correlation between conditions and my level of stoke. Then I’d be able to
-
Beat it Predator!
Hey, yoo, I’ve been out of the water for a few weeks. Recording these notes doesn’t help my froth, but it does remind me how nice it is to be able to travel and surf new breaks with low crowds. So I’m thankful for that. After last week’s note about surfing with the bros, I
-
Going Loko
I was sitting there, reflecting back on how stupid the Four Loko Challenge was. Then I started laughing out loud for a good two seconds before I caught myself, realizing that I probably looked crazy. How could the thought of something so trivial bring me such a hit of pleasure? Then things got serious. Woah…
-
The Nias Hustle
I’ve traveled extensively and thought I had seen all variations of hustling that arise when relatively wealthy tourists enter poor areas. I’ve seen the full spectrum of deepest poverty in India, Central America, and Africa. I’ve witnessed shameful scamming throughout Asia. I’ve even been offered money to marry. And I’ve been impressed with the integrity