These are what waves are supposed to look like. Long clean lines. This photo was taken way up on Boyes Drive above Kalk Bay. Just up the road is Muizenburg, my favorite local surf spot here outside Cape Town. Muizenburg looks like this from above. 

Hundreds of surfers looking like bugs from here! 

There are a group of men who sit up here during the day looking for Great White Sharks in the water below. The Shark Spotters. They keep is safe from these guys!

Yes, they are out there, and yes, they are huge! Just around the corner is Seal Island where they film a lot of these guys breaching with a mouthful of seal. 

They often reach 7 meters in length and can weigh up to 1100 Kg. That is more than 10 of me!

I surf on longboard. For two reasons. One, I’m old and two, I look less like a seal than a young shortboarder. (I go in the water when there are lots of shortboarders out there)

I am a New Jersey American surfer since 1962, when I rode my first wave. We very rarely see waves like I get to see and ride in South Africa. 

We NEVER see anything as frightening as a White Shark in our water. The worst thing we experience are crabs pinching our toes or an occasional Jellyfish sting. (which you should pee on immediately, by the way)

I was driving by Kalk Bay one day a few years ago and there was some kind of commotion down at the beach.  

Rescue personal were out training and one of the men acting as a victim, was pulled under. He surfaced, was hauled into the boat minus a left foot! Seems a hungry Great White took it clean off!

For some reason, I’m not afraid when I’m in the water. I’m too  busy not drowning to think about predators.

I’ve made some serious commitments to myself this week. I need to keep surfing. If I stop it means I’ve given up trying to be fit enough. Can’t do that. Too young. 

 I need to play golf so I can beat my friend Betsey. You know who you are. I’m coming for you. 👣😊

Surfing this year has been like the end of my drinking. I keep thinking it’s going to be great and it’s not. I can’t have that. I can get fit enough again. 

I WILL get fit enough again. 

My diet WILL improve. I WILLstart eating like a 66 yr old adult should eat. 

It’s 0125.  I seem to sleep recently with an “awake break” in the middle. I read somewhere that we used to do that as a regular thing year’s ago. I kinda like it. 

GITW