A Dad Tries to Keep Up

By David Kearns

He's too fast. He catches everything and I have ceased to ride even half the waves I paddle for. This is what I noticed last weekend during our real first Northeasern swell of the season.
Lines were coming in but I wasn't cutting it compared to him. He was everywhere I told him to be. Doing everything I told him to do.
This was me to him, coming up on two years ago.
"Place yourself like a check-mark on the shoulder of the peak, just as the wave is getting ready to break, at the instant you go to stand up, relax and place your feet where they need to go, and don't be affraid. No fear. You'll be amazed how easy it is, how fast you outrun the breaking whitewater."
Saturday at Ponce De Leon Park in South Brevard County Florida was like a nightmare, for me anyway.
I have a Walden Magic 10.0 bought at Longboard House. But, for some reason I now weigh 247 pounds and the mathematics of my weight can't even be helped by Walden's Magic. Sean has a 4.7 Merrick fish, also from Longboard House, and he is just beginning to learn how to rip it up.
He's on a swim team East Coast. His coach is Pat Love. Between Pat working him in the pool for the past five years and me, working him in the surf, I now really don't have to worry for his safety as much as I did when we first started this quest for him to become Kelley Slater, or CJ Hobgood, or Damian, or Corey or Che Lopez, or ...on and on the list goes.
We have been paddling out together, steadily since 2004. Sean has surfed Cape Hatteras, in addition to Daytona Beach Shores, Cocoa Beach, and Sebastian Inlet.
I noticed something was amiss in my ability to keep up with my 13 year old this past summer at Cape Point Park, in Hatteras North Carolina.
Usually on a big day at the park, Sean stays on shore. But this time, he charged right out into the four to six foot chop well ahead of me, had caught two waves before I even made it out and rode one in during my struggle just to make sure I was okay!
I know that surfing requires the buddy system, just as Scuba diving does.
The fact we live inland, and not beachside means that for now, until he's old enough to drive, I am his surfing buddy.
My quest will be to document what it takes to get into the proper shape to become a suitable surfing partner for my son. Part travel-log, part thesis; it will also talk about the lengths I go to give him a shot, at least at gaining a standing in the amature ranks of the sport. I plan on sharing funny stories and the lessons I try to teach him about the philosophy of surfing as we go. I've got three more years to work with him, one-on-one. I plan on maximizing these years as well as cherishing them.

My current weight: 246lbs
Daily Excercise: 20 miles bicycle
Food: McDonald's egg sausage McMuffin, orange juice, small coffee. water, Gatoade. Dinner: Spaghetti, meat-balls

Sean's Weight: 130 lbs
Sean's height: 5'9"