Welcome to the boiling point of our year, when the ocean hits an itchy bathwater temperature, tastes like sunscreen and crowds line up at the lifeguard stand to get sprayed for jellyfish stings. The sweaty south is no place for a weenie in the summertime. The swells in our water have been small, illusive, and on shore, but we have the ocean and a shadow of a wave, so it is still good and fun. Surfing in the summer here consists of jumping and weaving and rolling and flapping around heads, floaties and beer-handed human obstacles. The shallow, coastal waters of Tybee pose some unique challenges for our surfing population in the summer time. The crowd in the midsummer gets pretty thick, the surfers and the swimmers have to learn to share the waves, and we all know that a frothy surfer will accept almost any obstacle to drop in on a good wave. This requires a few extra skills when paddling out to catch some swell. Surfers here have acquired extra sensitive swimmer radar, like the sonar on a submarine. A 360 degree duty to keep track of the swimmer, whom is either right in the line of the wave or can be skirted successfully by, this always feels like a tantalizing game of timing and control. Only Timeshare on the Coast of Georgia 34 TYBEE BEACHCOMBER | AUG 2017 By Joy Davis Surfing in a crowd is great practice in assessing one’s surroundings, while also boosting ones maneuverability skills 10x faster with living obstacles. The radical sharing of wave space on this small shore break keeps us all paying close attention; if not, it can result in some colossal collisions, board bumping, leash entanglements, and fin strikes. Sounds eerily similar to many a marine mammal stranding. This is mostly avoidable, however, because the summer surf crowd is always a good representation of Tybee Island’s community. The kids are out of school and able to make any wave ridable on their well anticipated surf break. They are seasoned weavers, finding holes and alley ways, cutting through crowds. Their energy and growth every year is a force to be reckoned with in the water. The community and break here has been a nurturing ground for some amazing water athletes, and the sharing aspect of wave riding is a huge part of that. The will to let a wave go for another is a great lesson to be exposed to. But the best sessions are when the right tide hits super early in the morning and the swell is clean and clear of beach goers. These times are when the surf community comes together, waves a good wave morning and enjoys an entanglement free session with no worries of having to keep track of the other water lovers in the swell. If you see a board zooming towards you, stay put or take a breath and dunk in deep to avoid a 6” fin and long leash skimming through the water. If you don’t want to risk it, take note of where people are surfing and steer clear. Surfers are looking out for swimmers and are not trying to scalp anybody, but sometimes their radar glitches and they don’t see ya. The most important lesson is to share, because none of us own the waves, we are all out there to enjoy them. So keep an eye out for your fellow water lover and keep in mind that The Ocean shares with all of us, the best we can do is enjoy together and respect the opportunity to be in the water. Run into you in the water! Located Behind the Pier & Pavillion Amenities ������������������������������������������������������������������������������ ���������������������������������������������������������������� All Condos Include ���������������������������������������������������������� �������������������������������������������������������������������������� ������������������������ ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 912-447-5080 Tybrisa.com Own a Timeshare at the Beach Today!
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