August 5 – Surfing....again!

Suited up and ready to go!

Waiting for the "right" wave

Nice form Ryan!

Up you go Katie!

The two thrill-seekers of the family, Ryan and Katie, wanted more time on the surfboard.  Trevor, had he not come close to meeting his maker the day before, would likely have joined in.  The three of us headed over to the west coast to the surf beach Amado.  Katie and Ryan got their rental wetsuits and boards and into the pounding surf they went.  The waves were a bit stronger than yesterday and initially they were getting shredded pretty good.  After a bit they got their “surf legs” and started getting up and riding the waves a bit

It’s quite a scene at Amado.  Farther out, where the waves first start to break, are the pros.  These guys are zipping back and forth across the face of the wave and the best are doing tricks like 360’s.  Closer to the beach are the rookies who content themselves with the ‘leftovers,” or waves that have already broken and are a roiling mass of frothy whitewater.  These provide plenty of power and are good to practice on.  The better rookies are able to get up and ride these waves in to the beach.  After a few hours Ryan and Katie had their fill and we packed it in.  Surfing can quickly fatigue even the most fit.  The steady procession of waves pound at you as you fight your way out to the zone.  The difficulty is increased by having to lug a board that is bigger than you through the relentless surf.  Make the mistake of getting the board in between you and the wave and you pay by having the board slam in to you, knocking you off your feet, and you and the board are rent asunder by the churning surf.  All this becomes a small price to pay when you’re actually up and riding a wave, your inner Beach Boy smiles. 

Salema is situated on the southern coast and is protected from the winds and heavy surf.  The water temperature is quite pleasant.  Carrapateira, where Praia Amado is located, is on the west coast and appears to have constant wind and surf.  The colder water forces every surfer into a wet suit.  This disparity in two beaches that are only a 30 minute drive apart. 

Back in Salema we spent the afternoon at the beach.  We saw the same people sitting in the same spots sunning the same body parts.  It appears that many of these folks are here for the sun only and either are unaware or don’t care that grotto boat tours or surfing are quite close.  We rented the paddle boat/slide contraption again and went out only to discover that the offshore winds greatly increased as you got further out.  No wonder the rental dude said “have fun in Africa” as we shoved off.  We stayed close to shore and enjoyed splashing in the clear waters. 

The weather has been picture perfect.  Warm days with temperatures in the mid 80’s and pleasant evenings, some requiring a jacket.  I saw my first clouds in the Algarve today, three barely perceptible wisps of white in the southern sky. 

Tom