What's your longest break from surfing?

[ajohnsen]

And I don't mean between the morning and arvo sessions.

In my late twenties I moved from the northern beaches to the inner west, stopped awhile, then kept going until I landed in Melbourne. I did it for music and other artistic pursuits. And I gave up surfing. Completely rejected surf culture. For fifteen years. I think I gave up wearing shorts, too. Yeah, I probably became a pretentious prick. That's what I'm told, nicely.

Here's the thing: I had surfed since I was a tacker. I was obsessed. Poorly drawn A-frames on pencil cases. Posters on my wall. Exercise books covered with Mike Purpus, Reno, Peter Townend, Rabbit, MR et al. I used to leave my board under an old lady's place at Collaroy, next door to what was Kerslake's Cake Shop. Forget double biology, PE and school sports, I was on the bus, across the golf course and into Super Tubes at Longy. Even went surfing instead of attending my Mum's wake when I was eighteen.

So why give up something I was so passionate about?

That's what my Scottish-born missus kept asking. She was intrigued. I tried to explain that surfing is a high maintenance sport. If you don't attend to it regularly, you'll struggle to be as good as you can be. And, because I was pursuing other interests, I just couldn't get in the water very often. Which led to me losing interest. So, she said, you let your ego get in the way? Fair call. If I couldn't surf as well as I knew I could, then I wouldn't surf at all.

She kept asking why until, one day, I bought a board - a 6'4" Warner. I was pretty crap for a bit, but not as bad as I expected to be. The hardest thing was getting my ribs up to speed without the bruising.

Anyway, I fell in love all over again, only to be reminded what a tough mistress surfing is. I could kick myself for missing out on fifteen years of surfing. On the upside, a break of that long sure brought it home to me just how far equipment has come. I think I surf better than those days, or maybe just different.

What's the longest you've spent out of the water?

[Trev]

Wow. 15 years. Not sure I can top that but I'll go close.
Started in 1962 and kept it up until 1969.
Then got into rally cars and sold my boards.
Retired from rallying in 1984. Did very little for a year then got hold of a board and took it up again.
So 16 years. I win.
I won't stop again until I can't paddle out any more.

[DV8]

Nope cannot beat either of those efforts.
10 years I put the ocean away for . From 13yo to 23yo . Was obsessed with all things surfing as spent every weekend at the beach since I could crawl while the old man was on Surf Lifesaving duties .
Then got seriously into Basketball and then golf before I realised the pro career avenue required more than just natural ability
Quit both cold turkey and went on a around Australia surf trip for 3 months with mates and never looked back .

[Karlos]

Even went surfing instead of attending my Mum's wake when I was eighteen.

You must've been popular 'round the place for that one.

A couple of 6+ month spells when I was overseas skiing. Probably a few other similarly short periods when I was over it, or when I had other things to occupy my time. Always come back to it, no matter what, & seem to be more enthusiastic these days than when I was a grom.

[contorx]

jeez and i complain when i dont surf for a week...

[Trev]

Even went surfing instead of attending my Mum's wake when I was eighteen.

Reminds me of that story about the guy at the sold out footy (insert favourite code here) match, with the only vacant seat in the stadium next to him...............

[Paul Brown]

Hello,

I think i have never have longest break from surfing. I Like to surf very much

Thanks
Paul Brown

[diggerdickson]

surfed from the age of about 14, yup I was a late starter to about 38, then took the wife home to Mudgee and bought a house in gulgong as was sick of life in the city and did not want to raise my kids there, family more important than surf. After 2 years was offered a job in Noosa, thought about for I minute then said yes, we all agreed that because of very little work it was not worth struggling in the bush, started surfing agian straight away and hopefully wont move away from the beach again.

I have to admit though that my family will always come first, and if I need to move away I could, as nothing is more important than my family.

[bc]

Currently on my back with a badly busted disk in my back (L5/S1 - the old favourite)
Been 2 months so far, at least another month to go.
Can't even sit up on a chair or stand in the pub let alone go for a surf.

[alakaboo]

hang in there mate
i've had a number of potentially very serious back and neck injuries, they aren't fun

you'll have to do management for life, but if you take the rest and rehab seriously you will see the light eventually.

[matt...]

ouch. back's hurt sometimes.

i was off the board for 5 weeks in April/May of 2007 with a torn medial in my left knee. tore it on a surf trip to sumatra & surrounding areas.

before that it was before i started surfing all year round as a kid. so from easter weekends to the end of the footy season pre-1981.

[Grooter]

Probably about 5 years between the ages of 19 and 24.

[ajohnsen]

Even went surfing instead of attending my Mum's wake when I was eighteen.

You must've been popular 'round the place for that one.

Nah, they were cool - was just a bunch of adults standing around, getting pissed and seemingly having a good time. I didn't understand laughter in that context at that age.

[Kunji]

Surfed from ages 11-30 with only 3 months out during a flat spell.

I dont quit things.

[Davros]

surfed from the age of about 14, yup I was a late starter to about 38, then took the wife home to Mudgee and bought a house in gulgong as was sick of life in the city and did not want to raise my kids there, family more important than surf. After 2 years was offered a job in Noosa, thought about for I minute then said yes, we all agreed that because of very little work it was not worth struggling in the bush, started surfing agian straight away and hopefully wont move away from the beach again.

I have to admit though that my family will always come first, and if I need to move away I could, as nothing is more important than my family.

[black duck]

Had a break from mid 20's to mid 30's where i only surfed once or twice a year. Life got in the way.

What did i miss out on?
Lets break it down:
Say 10 waves per surf
Say 2 surfs per week
That's 1,040 waves per year
and 10,400 regrets over 10 years

Never catch up now.

[chrisb]

Had a break from mid 20's to mid 30's where i only surfed once or twice a year. Life got in the way.

Similar thing here. Married life, then house renovating, and then children tend to take over. After about a 10 year break, I recommenced as a booger (the board fitted into the car's boot and I could play with the kids on it too) for about 5 years then back to standup.

Injuries, illnesses and foreign holidays from my mid '20's precipitated breaks of up to 6 months at a time.

[RickyG]

Had a break from mid 20's to mid 30's where i only surfed once or twice a year. Life got in the way.

I've been resisting that with all my effort over the last 5 years or so - moving house, kids x 2, renovation & home maintenance, a wife who doesn't understand the gravitational pull of the surf . Sometimes I wonder if it's all worth it. The most I can hope for really is a 1hr surf once a week, more likely every two on average. As a result I'm realistic about what I can hope to achieve.

In some ways it would be easier to pack it in for a few years like a few of the guys above have but I think in the long run it'll pay off - eg easier than getting back into it later and hopefuly I'll be able to go surfing with my kids at some stage. Besides, I get a bit cranky when I haven't been for a surf in a while