2013: My Year in Review

Eric Cedeno May 2013

At the end of 2011 I wasn’t feeling so good and I found one obvious reason, I hadn’t been surfing much. The more I surfed the happier I become. So I started tracking the days, surf locations, boards etc to remind myself of the good times I’ve had. It also served as a reminder to me to surf more often.  In 2013 my Total Days Surfed was  61. I will admit that 2013 was a good improvement over last year (2012) were my Total Days Surfed was only 44. I surf 81 times in 61 days during 2013, but mostly on the weekends.

January (Days Surfed 0)

I didn’t surf at all in January. Actually I had been sick since December and was still having a hard time recovering. I figured I should start eating healthier and hoped that would help turn things around for me. I wrote about it: How Bruce Lee Influenced My Hunger for Change... By Eric Cedeno

February (Days Surfed: 2)

Eric Cedeno February 2013

In late February I was trying to figure out what why I was so edgy and angry. It turns out the last time I had surfed was on 12-2-12. It was no wonder I was a wreck. I went back and looked at my notes for the year and tried to remember those good times out in the water that I felt like I was forgetting. I put in the effort and got two days in at my home break. It felt like a good start.

March (Days Surfed: 4)

Ave A, Redondo Beach 3-24-13 Photo By X-Man

I surfed on the first day March and then again towards the end of the month. I always dig it when X-Man takes pictures of me surfing. I always try and make the best out of whatever the surf has to offer and every once in a while I’ll get X-Man to capture a few pictures of me surfing.

April (Days Surfed: 8)

San Pedro 4-26-13 Photo By Eric Cedeno 

I got six days in at my home break and pretty much spend all the time riding my longboards. Looking back now it seems like I was gaining momentum by doubling the days I’d surfed each month. I even made a few trips down to San Pedro just to stack a few rocks.

May (31 days per month, Days Surfed: 15)

Eric Cedeno May 2013

Eric Cedeno May 2013

I surfed the most days of the year in May. I also surfed the most consecutive days in a row 10 days (5/24 thru 6/2). I know 10 days in a row doesn’t really sound that great, but it is a huge improvement from last year (2012) where most consecutive days surfed was only 3 days (5/1 thru 5/3). I spent most of time at my home break and rode a wide range of boards, I even did some bodysurfing.

June (Days Surfed: 6)

Sunset June 2013

I spend a lot of time at 26^th street on my 9’0” longboard and would sometimes ride my 6’10” mini log. On 6/21 I caught wave of the day and got 3 in and outs (almost 4) on same wave overhead wave off the drain. I also got a few big waves out at Sunset Cliffs with a few friends.

July (Days Surfed: 4)

Manhattan July 2013

I had 6 surf sessions in 4 days. It was good practice, but overall it just didn’t compare to the previous months.

August (Days Surfed: 10)

Eric Cedeno August 2013

I spend some time surfing the east coast. I was able to sample a good range of surf in Cocoa Beach, FL (4 points). I picked up my longboard at Core Surf Shop. I asked if they would buy it back at the end if my trip and the said yes (minus $100 bucks or so). I was really stoked to ride a board that I know very well. cocoa beach pier (south side) longboard 2-3+. I did a quick surf check at the pier and it looked really fun out, sunny not much wind yet and pretty good shape. I called up my friend Lisa and she agreed to take some pictures of me surfing and meet me down at the pier with her canon 7d and big lenses. I put 3 hours of quarters in the parking meter just in case I got caught up having fun and loose track if time. The water was still warm but not as hot as it had been and I paddled out next to pier and sat in the line up with the other two surfers. I caught a good left and ran the nose and was dialed in after my first wave. I spent the next two hours catching waves and paddling back out. It was the most fun I think I've had all trip. Lisa shot photos from the beach and along the side of the pier- Good times!

September (Days Surfed: 2)

I got 3 local surf sessions in just two days. I took a good look at Mode of Transportation for Surf Exploration and now I really want a VW T5 California Van.

October (Days Surfed: 6)

Eric Cedeno October 2013

I scored a pretty amazing trip to Hawaii. I think the last time I surfed Oahu was about 15 years ago so I was very excited to get back home to Hawaii. I’m not really from Hawaii, but every time I leave Hawaii I feel like I’m leaving home. Maybe one day I’ll just stay home, in Hawaii for as long as it takes. I hooked up with a few close friends and surfed a few spots that I didn’t know existed. Also
caught a few remarkable waves. It definitely ranks up there as one of the best trips to Hawaii I ever had.

November (Days Surfed: 1)

Eric Cedeno November 2013

It’s always hard to get back into cold water after surfing somewhere tropical like Hawaii. Plus a few of my friends were getting bumped by sharks and I don't like that idea at all. Then I got a call from a friend who got a call from his friend that passed the word on down the line about a wherehouse wetsuit sale on the last day of the sale. I lucked out a scored a few suits. I got a new Vapor 4/3 and didn’t mind testing it out in the small walled surf. Wearing a new wetsuit in the water for the first time is like being stuck in traffic in a brand new car with heated seats and a great stereo. Somehow it just makes the things that usually annoy you seem far off. I had a good time and I think this is probably the best wetsuit I’ve ever had, and I’ve had lots over the years!

December (Days Surfed: 3)

December seemed like I had to work pretty hard at making the best of what I had. I got a few local surf sessions in and had a pretty good time enjoying the unseasonably hot Christmas weather. I really do love the SouthBay, it’s one of the few places in the USA that hit 80 degrees (F) on Christmas day. The water even warmed up a little to 58 degrees (F). I did score some awesome surf gear that I'm sure will prepare me for the Zombie Apocalypse.

Kelly Slater Wave Co... New Wave Pool

This doughnut-shaped wave pool is the brainchild 

of a local surf champ By Jerry Hume, Brevard County Reporter (Via baynews9)

COCOA BEACH -- 

If a world famous surfer's vision catches on, you may soon be able to hang 
ten just about anywhere.

Kelly Slater, well known in Brevard County and around the world, wants to build an "endless 
wave pool" for surfing.

The Cocoa Beach native and 11-time surfing world champion's company, the 
Kelly Slater Wave Co., recently unveiled a new website, including renderings of what the 
doughnut-shaped wave pool would look like.

According to the website, the pool would produce guaranteed surfable waves, and would be the
center of a resort-type experience.

"Centered around an island created just for you is a place of leisure and escape to reconnect
with family, friends and yourself," the website teases. "This one-of-a-kind destination celebrates
the best of beach culture and the surf lifestyle and delivers an unparalleled wave riding experience
tailored to each guest. As surfer, spectator or beachgoer, you choose your experience."

If it sounds like the kind of attraction you'd love to see in Central Florida, you might have to wait
a little longer. It looks like Australia will be the first location to partner with Slater in this new
surfing experience.

Cocoa Beach Pier Super Surf Session 8-26-13... By Eric Cedeno

I picked up a longboard at Core Surf Shop in Cocoa Beach Florida at the end of August. I actually took a look at a few of other shops like Ron Jons and Cocoa Beach Surf company first, but didn't see anything that I couldn't live without. Plus I like the smaller surf shop vibe. I  asked the guy at Core Surf if he would buy the board back at the end of my trip and the said yes (minus $100 bucks or so). I still think it was meant to be, I mean it's not everyday that you can walk into a surf shop on the other side of the country and find the surfboard that you ride all time that's also about ten years old. I was really stoked to have the opportunity to ride the board that I know very well on the east coast.

About a week into my trip I ran into my friend Lisa who happens to be a great photographer and a pretty awesome ukulele jammer. I talked her into meeting me down by the Cocoa Beach pier for a quick afternoon photo shoot and was stoked to get some shots of me riding the pier. I think it was also the best surf of my entire trip so I lucked out there too. I keep telling people that Florida surf really isn't that bad all the time. It's like anything else, you just got to make the best of what's out there.

Back to Cocoa Beach

5-1-12: Tuesday

I made another trip back to Cocoa Beach. The surf looked ok for Florida, 1’-3’ and on the choppy side. It was the typical wind swell stuff, but was at least ridable. On my last trip out there I left my 7’10” surfboard with a friend. I called him up and he said I could pick up my board either that night after he got off work or the next day. Couldn’t sleep and ended up picked up my board at 1 am so that I could go surf the next day after work out in front of my hotel, the Hilton.

5-2-12: Wednesday

Went to work. After work surfed 2 hours then The water was much warmer than I thought it would be, around 76 to 78 degrees F. After surfing I went to a stuffy work party (showed up hour and a half late, but really didn’t miss anything). I was not in the mood to shake hands and kiss babies all night so I pulled a Houdini after eating some appetizers and a $5 beer. I’m pretty sure no one noticed I was gone.

5-3-12: Thursday

Went to work and got off early to watch the launch of the AEHF rocket. I could’ve gone with the rest of the guys from work but decided to watch it from the water while surfing in front of my hotel, the Hilton. The launch was scheduled to start around 2:45 and I paddled out early around 2pm. The current was running from south to north and I spend most of my time in between waves paddling to stay in front of my hotel. 

Every now and then another surfer of a few swimmers would come out and would drift down the beach after just a few waves. I surfed for three hours and got out only after I knew the launch window had closed. Got out from surfing and as I was walking across the sand to my hotel I saw my friend Dan from work who handed me a beer and said the guys were heading down to Sand Bar for drinks because the launch was now delayed a day. I thanked him for the beer and said I’d meet them down there.

I was starving hungry, because I had spent the last three hours surfing. I ordered some fish and chips and a soda and listened to the guys tell stories about traveling. Next thing I knew some people were setting up Karaoke equipment on the now cleared staged. I then learned that most of the people in our group had stage fright and didn’t want to sing karaoke. After a few more rounds of drinks we talked Dan’s chick into singing karaoke for the first time, ever. A bucket of money came around the table and I asked what it was for. They said put money in the bucket or sing. I said if I sing do I get the bucket or money and they said yes- so I put my name in and sang Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffet and got a good chunk of cash.

5-4-12: Friday

Surf died down to a shallow 1 foot which made it easier for me to decide to watch the rocket launch from on the base.

5-5-12: Saturday

Surf still shallow and super small. Figured I’d give my sun burns a chance to heal for and extra day and stayed inside most of the day. I did take a look at the moon later that night because it was the closest it would be to earth all year, it was big and bright just like they said it would be. I also learned that it's a $500 fine for shining a flashlight on the beach at night during turtle season. Luckily I didn't learn it the hard way.