TYBEE BEACHCOMBER | AUG 2018 7
By Allie Hayser
WHAT TO DO WHEN IT’S FLAT…
Yep … Lake Tybee ... salt pool ... vast flat glassy horizon. It’s just
another beautiful mood and motion of Mother Ocean. You don’t have to
be surfing 3ft consistent dreamy waves every day to stay in surf shape.
Here’s a few ideas for when you are aching to be out there and on it,
but there’s no “it”:
Skateboarding/Balance-boarding: These are both amazing for
balance, focus, and controlling your body movements on the board.
Any type of skateboarding, whether you’re at a skate park or riding
a longboard, will help you get some inspiration with your movements
and adjusting your technique or outlook on how to go about turning/
carving/kicking along the pavement. Your legs and booty will feel it!
Skating helps with commitment (huge difference falling on pavement
vs water) and also muscle memory through repetition.
Indo-boarding or any type of balance boards involve a rubber, PVC, or
cardboard-like roller with a board made from wood to stand and move
on. You stand on it and shift your weight forward-back or side-side.
Cross train with some lunges to tighten your core. Try stepping along
the board to work on weight distribution, or work on your form and
focus by keeping good posture and your eyes from looking down at
your feet.
Yoga/Stretching: After a long day of sitting down at the office, running
around like a crazy nut in the restaurant, or Netflix chillin, yoga can
help with your flexibility, focus, circulation, releasing tension from tired
muscles, and recenter your thoughts. Stretching after a surf will help
you break up the lactic acid that accumulates in your muscles. Yoga is
a great way to work on your postures, balance and form, tighten your
core, breathing techniques, and even strengthen your pop ups. Just go
on over to DDY Tybee where Jessie Gulliver can take this convo over
from here and thank me later!
SUP/Kayaking: Get some saltwater in your veins and work on your
core and arms by paddling the creeks and islands. You could even
try to paddle yourself into some waves off of the south end and near
Little Tybee. Spending more time with the ocean helps you feel more
connected and knowledgeable about the current conditions, tides, and
reports. Hit up AOK Watersports to get out on some SUPs with Morgan,
she rocks. For kayaks, head over to North Island Surf and Kayak with
Shane and the family, to set out on your excursion for the day.
Workout/Gym: This one is self-explanatory, but get into the weight
room, do some cardio, or participate in a workout class. Things I like
to do are practice pop-ups or make them into burpees, spin class, boot
camps, squats with weights, and boxing workouts to tone up your arm
muscles with high reps. Support your local YMCA!
Hikes & Bikes (...and Running): On Tybee, we have so many back
roads that are perfect for all of these activities. Hop over to McQueens
Trail, the one along Tybee road, or out to Fort Pulaski. Try to bike or
walk everywhere until you have to use your car to leave the island. For
those in town, Forsyth and Daffin parks have nice paths right in town,
or head to Wormsloe Plantation for a hike through history and pines, as
well as Skidaway State Park and Oatland Island. Also running (my least
of a “go-to” activity but…) sure as hell keeps your body and lungs in
cardio-shape!)
Don’t forget to utilize the dry time to fix all of those lil dings on your
board, call a local shaper and learn something, or macgyver the board
up yourself. Build something to help you get to the beach ... like a surf
wagon to pull behind your bike or attach a surfboard rack to the side
of your bike. Generate love and karma for your surf community, do
some beach sweepin, sea turtle program events, save the sand dollars
and hermits, and keep an eye out for upcoming Surfers for Autism this
September 15th!
So don’t let the lack of waves keep you down or on the couch, get
busy and time flies ... before long you’ll have a tropical storm or swell
on the way! See y’all out there soon!