All I want to do is windsurf now... But responsibility!!??

[Derikthin]

Bumming because of work and my beautiful children and wife are keeping me too busy to get back the wonder and improve my windsurfing from "sucking" to just "bad".

At any rate, hope you all are having a blast. Wind around here has seemed to be not so awesome lately though... So there is that.[/img]

[braden]

Once upon a time, windsurfing was an addiction. Then it cooled down to just an obsession. Now it's just something I like to do.

Come to think of it, I could say the same thing about sex.

So, age brings relative calm. But I have no short cuts for you!

[WaterKook]

Sex.... the best thing goin when the wind ain't blowin!
Well surfing is better than sex as well.

[isobars]

SEARCH or Google "Windsday Sailing" for ideas in how to break free.
There are a few versions floating around. One version, from this forum, is at
http://www.iwindsurf.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=248064&highlight=windsday+sailing#248064

In Google you'll find Part I and Part 2.

It was published in Northwest Sailboard ~ 20 years ago, and the only changes for me have been that retirement eliminated many of these impediments and I'm not as eager to spend months on the road driving to hell and back chasing forecasts. WSing remains my top priority. Empty comment? Nope; I just emailed the Mayo Clinic yesterday that unless they can find a specific tumor to excise, my next cancer scan and any debilitating treatment can damned well wait until November (they wanted to scan now).

I realize you have kids, but that hasn't stopped many of my buds. I've seen one woman shredding a month before and a month after her daughter's birth. The kid grew up parked beside many bodies of water from Washington state to Texas. Others manage to juggle WSing and career and non-sailing wife (or husband) and kids just fine. It's more dependent on attitude and effort than on one's career.

A big factor is wind. All those folks, and I, lived in and/or moved to windy areas so their efforts paid off big time.

[scargo]

Regarding your observation that the wind has been "not so awesome lately," and just so you're not under any misimpressions, that's what we generally get around here.

If we're lucky, we get a couple of "Bermuda highs" during the summer, which bring long stretches of strong SW winds. And there's usually some prolonged storm systems in the other seasons. But by and large, the wind patterns are frontal, and fleeting.

I used to want to be able to plane at all costs, whenever I showed up at the beach, which led me to buy a 9.5, a formula-esqe board, etc. etc. But as I mentioned in a prior thread, I've come to believe that the better (and far cheaper) approach--for this area--is to simplify your quiver. Getting to & from the spots is a huge time commitment, and if the wind isn't going to pan out, I'd rather take a long run or spend time with my family.

All that said, I share your stoke for the sport itself, and always will. That's why you'll catch me sailing in December, January, and February, dodging the salt ice that forms in the bays.

[rswabsin]

Well you're in good company - most of us are going through that or have gone through that period of work/family commitments mixed with sailing surfing, etc. The trick is to watch the weather and pick your days that look promising and try to schedule around them if possible. If the wind ain't blowing - try surfing, SUPing, biking - NJ has some great surfing in the spring and fall. Sometimes just an hour on the water is all you need to keep you happy. Once your kids hit their teens and become more independent - you'll have a lot more free time and begin to miss their younger days so enjoy it while it lasts.

Rob

[cgoudie1]

Hey Derik, bumming isn't productive, so I recommend you give that up.
If you think you're driven now, just wait until you're planing consistently.

I managed to raise a family with 2 children while windsurfing. A
Volkswagen pop-top camper (actually 2 of them) really helped,
and there were a few ugly moments between the misses and I
(I once found my favorite board under the covers in bed with a
negligee on, which is pretty funny........now). But, by and large
my wife recognized that my mental and physical health actually
improved if I got to sail. And, the kids always enjoyed the beach,
even if the fire to windsurf never caught hold. The truth is, I'd rather
spend time with my family (and now my grandkids), than windsurf,
but with a little planning you can enjoy both (and I do, in fact, my kids
and their kids come out to Hood River and visit the wife and I every
summer). Does it mean I'm an addict if I buy a place to live where it's windy ;*)

I definitely took a hit in my career over the years, precisely because
I would use my vacation (all of it), which of course led to me not being
the company man that a management position required. I never
regretted that decision and I still don't (I'll be in the Gorge most of the
summer). I can often resolve work related problems from the beach, and
I've made it clear that work has access to me (and my traveling laptop or
smart phone) when I'm on vacation, but not on the water. That has
been surprisingly effective for getting my vacation when I want it. Consider
your final moments on this plane, will you be saying, yeh, I wish I could
have gotten in one last hardware design?

As Mike says, search the archives here on this subject, you'll find plenty
of information.


-Craig

[Derikthin]

I'm not really bummed I have my wife and kids =), I'm just excited about the sport and have other things right now I must do. Work schedule is pretty lax but I suspect maybe in the summer it will be easier to get out as my wife has off from teaching and it's more fun for everyone to be on the beach when the weather is nicer.

I will get the hang of how to work this into my lifestyle with a little more time.

Iso man I hope your ok. I don't like the sound of that treatment your going to be getting =(.

[isobars]

I appreciate the concern; somebody besides my wife needs to worry about it, as I'm too pragmatic to do so. $#!+ happens, we deal with it, then at some point the $#!+ wins. My point was not that I have medical issues; it was, instead, that there are usually ways to fit WSing into just about any potential distractions.

[DelCarpenter]

I always practiced getting back home when I said I would. That helped my wife deal with my absence. If I was going to be late by even 5 minutes I called to let her know.