Author Topic: Jacksonville Beach SUP Vacation  (Read 4005 times)

Ichabod Spoonbill

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Jacksonville Beach SUP Vacation
« on: July 10, 2014, 11:09:44 AM »
I've been staying in Jacksonville Beach this week, getting the chance to surf every day. For a guy who lives almost two hours from any surfable beach, this is a serious treat.

I'm in the habit now of doing a dawn patrol session for an hour or so, then maybe going out again with my wife. Afternoons I spend at the beach with my whole family, wife and three kids. My ten year-old son Gabriel has gotten pretty good at boogie boarding and my six year-old girls are getting the hang of catching the waves on their mini boogie boards. The girls are so small they barely have to move for a wave to catch them. At one point we have the whole family on the same wave, which was spectacular.

I've been paddling my 2011 NSP 11' board. My wife has a 2008 Amundsen 11'3". I have the feeling I'm outgrowing my board. It's floaty as anything, tough, and very stable in the waves but also pretty heavy and slow. I'm by far a stronger paddler than my wife, but I have to make an effort to keep up while paddling with my wife on her ancient Amundsen. Plus, it's a bear to handle when the waves get bigger. I am getting better at the “surfboard shuffle”, walking up to the nose of the board when I'm catching a small wave then shuffling back after I've got it.

On the other hand, the Amundsen is an interesting beast. It's the best all-around board I've paddled. That thing practically surfs itself, at least in the small stuff. I barely had to paddle to catch a wave. Some day I'd like to enter it in a surfboard-class SUP race and see how it does.

I'm having fun though with my daily (or twice or thrice daily) surf sessions, and my waistline is getting thinner. I've been scouting out the schools of fish that gather near the shore hoping for a view of something bigger. Yesterday I was rewarded with seeing a small shark. I mean that sucker was maybe three feet longer. But a shark it was, so I can leave the vacation satisfied I accomplished that goal. The day after I saw a bigger one thrashing around a bait ball.

Lots of standup paddlers here, and no sense of any antagonism between paddlers and proners. Sometimes I see 5–6 SUPers up and down the beach, which is a lot. I give them friendly waves and occasionally chat. A couple of them seem quite good on the waves but mostly they're beginners. I see a lot of them not even holding the paddle correctly. I was able to correct one woman who I chatted with about a quarter of a mile from shore. She was on a Tower iSup and noticed I was holding my paddle in the opposite way she was, and also noticed I was paddling much faster than she was.

With the small waves, I'm amazed to see so many short boarders in the water. It looks like they're just sitting there while I'm getting ride after ride on my SUP. Even when they get a ride I'm seeing a lot of falling. If I have a surf vacation next year, I'm considering trading in my eleven-footer for something smaller. A local dealer pointed my towards the new NSP 9'8", which sounds like it might be the right choice: smaller, lighter, and still plenty stable.

All-in-all, I'm having a lot of fun!
Pau Hana 11' Big EZ Ricochet (Beluga)

abmatt

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Re: Jacksonville Beach SUP Vacation
« Reply #1 on: July 10, 2014, 11:57:36 AM »
Hey, I'm just a couple miles north of you in Atlantic Beach. We've got a good group of dawn patrollers up here, out in pretty much any tiny wave. Come join us if you like, tomorrow or over the weekend. Just park at the 10th Street Atlantic Beach access and you'll see me out. I've got a long-sleeve blue rash guard and a gray cap. Give me a wave. You can try my 8-11 Blair if you like! Have fun. And make sure you eat at Slider's in Neptune Beach before you go ... Matt

And of course the justifiably famous JD Motes is just south of you, and he's got tons of great Exocet boards ... JD?

Ichabod Spoonbill

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Re: Jacksonville Beach SUP Vacation
« Reply #2 on: July 10, 2014, 12:36:26 PM »
abmatt, I'm at South 14th Street. Perhaps I've seen you?
Pau Hana 11' Big EZ Ricochet (Beluga)

abmatt

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Re: Jacksonville Beach SUP Vacation
« Reply #3 on: July 10, 2014, 01:46:25 PM »
No, I haven't been down that far south. I'm perhaps 3 miles north -- go up A1A, hang a right on Atlantic, then go north on Ocean to 10th. Feel free to call, 904-305-8363, if you want some surf company. We should get these summertime little waves the next few days.

jdmotes

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Re: Jacksonville Beach SUP Vacation
« Reply #4 on: July 10, 2014, 04:10:55 PM »
 Ian; You must be staying at Ocean 14... Deb and I sometimes park right there at 13th Ave So and paddle right out front of where you are staying...
 Lately, the sand-bar in front of that location has NOT been working so we've been paddling up at the Pier or further north to the Poles at Hanna Park (best local spot for low-tide conditions). How long are you guys in town?    Paddle on,    JD
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Gramps

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Re: Jacksonville Beach SUP Vacation
« Reply #5 on: July 10, 2014, 07:15:42 PM »
You guys just sent me on a trip down memory lane.  I learned to surf at Jax beach in 1967.  I was stationed a NAS Jax for a few months and spent every free moment at the beach.  I'm afraid I haven't been back since; I need to to do that.

Ichabod Spoonbill

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Re: Jacksonville Beach SUP Vacation
« Reply #6 on: July 10, 2014, 07:15:57 PM »
We're just in town until Saturday. I'll hopefully get in a dawn patrol tomorrow.
Pau Hana 11' Big EZ Ricochet (Beluga)

abmatt

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Re: Jacksonville Beach SUP Vacation
« Reply #7 on: July 10, 2014, 08:17:46 PM »
Seemed to be a nice bump up in size this evening. Surfed long waist high lines til dark, 845, only one out as far as I could see. Hope that sticks around for you in the morning. Enjoy the rest of your trip. And get up to Sliders! Shrimp sausage and local Intuition ale!

Ichabod Spoonbill

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Re: Jacksonville Beach SUP Vacation
« Reply #8 on: July 13, 2014, 04:20:54 AM »
Sorry I wasn't able to meet up with anyone. My three kids (10,6,6) mean that it's hard to get out for more than an hour.

I had a couple of great sessions. During one I saw a splash nearby which turned into a dolphin, which was a mother dolphin and baby. I was totally charmed! I followed them for a little while then stopped when the beach patrol drove by (Marine Mammal Act!), but after they left I followed them for a little bit more. I ended up in a spot where the waves were better than before, but after a few good rides four dolphins came the other way. There was a baby in the group so it might have included the two I'd seen before. I followed them back to where I had been, getting some great looks at their heads and flukes. Two of the adults were keeping that baby locked between them, which I guessed meant I was making them a little uptight. With that, a I bid the dominos adieu, and got some more excellent rides.

My big board did perform well in the tiny waves. I'm glad about that, and I now can do a nice, slow frontside and backside turn. Plus, my middle is a lot less squooshy after that daily surfing!
Pau Hana 11' Big EZ Ricochet (Beluga)

 


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