I must admit a certain spark for surfing dimmed for me around October last year when I was sitting in my local lineup which pre covid was relatively uncrowded with 50 to 60 other punters, Im still trying to get it back....

Great Article - as something I can relate to, being 58, locked down and working in Melbourne with fitness and reactions becoming dull. All the running and exercise in the world doesn't replace a good surf, with the peace and relaxation it gives the mind. Not time to give up yet, and I don't think it ever will be.

Really interesting thoughts FR.

Like you mentioned, surfing is hard.

In addition to the points you’ve made I’d like to point out that most people ‘quit’ all physical pursuits as they have more birthdays.

Shoulders get too sore for tennis, once you’re 30 you generally can’t afford to be doing an ACL from footy. Unless you are a tragic, you get tired of spending every Sunday and two nights a week at the cricket oval.

I don’t really see surfing as that much different?

Is it really true most people quit? I’m not sure.

Will be interesting to see how long VAL’s surf for??

I live in a surf town. My kids are into it but if it wasn’t for me I’m not sure if they would. Very few of their peers surf and most of my surfing friend’s kids don’t surf. Most local sessions are predominantly shared with 20 -50 y.o

When you stop surfing you are breaking up with the ocean.

The older I get, the less tolerant to crowds I get. Therefore I surf less and the less I surf the more unfit I get. Then, because I am unfit I cannot get the waves I want and it it makes me even more frustrated. Hard to get out of this vicious circle....

I'm 57 now and been surfing pretty well my whole life since double digits.

I paddled out into decent waves at my local this morning which was packed. From the time I got out there I was thinking I'm just gunna get a couple of good ones and go in.

No way I would've had that mindset in good surf in years gone by. I would have been out there until I was knackered but then the experience would have been way better because there would have been a lot less people out.

Back to this morning: after 4 waves, 2 of which were good set waves including my last one, I came in. Took me the best part of an hour to achieve that, partly due to an uneven 4-6ft swell and constant sweep, but mainly due to sheer numbers.

Ever increasing crowds EVERYWHERE you go will be the reason I quit, not physical limitations.

I joined my local golf club a few years ago and it's good, reliable fun partly for reasons FR outlined above.

Great article - thanks. I turned 70 this year and am still surfing at my local break and loving it, maybe more than ever, because hey, I might not be able to do this tomorrow, for whatever reason. It helps that my wife loves surfing too, so we often go out together if the schedule allows (she is 60+ as well). I find that I only need to get two or three good waves every time to keep the stoke going. Why give up something I really enjoy just because I've reached retirement age?

A non surfing friend said surfing was my church, I said no it's more like the pub, good times with like minded mates just the beers come afterwards.

quit and go buy a bike, very cool

Thought when my sons grew up we would all be surfing together...one was getting into it but got a board to the head and went boogie boarding....didnt 'love' it... liked it. The other likes the beach and body surfing but dosent 'love' it like i did.Getting old with injuries cropping up all the time ,get over one and 12 months later something else rears its head,always something around the corner.....used to be the keenest guy around ,paddling out in the dark to beat the crowd or just to get a few before work,lunchtimes near the surf were spent ..surfing...and this went on for 30 years or so .But now its a struggle...have a couple new boards unwaed just sitting there waiting for the latest rehab on the knee to finish but the flame is weakening slowly getting snuffed out by covid and its endless crowds and now on top of that more shark attacks.....see im the guy who sits on his own away from the crowds but they follow me like sheep ....and the dark thoughts of a possible white pointer near by keeps me looking for shadows and not concentrating on surfing..........not sure if those boards will get waed up in a couple months or not but im forever grateful to surfing cause it was the love of my life for 50 years ......

Diminishing returns - Grew up on the South Coast NSW and surf amazing waves with no crowds. Fast forward a few years (decades) and the GC crowds become a huge barrier to me and consistent surf. I don't do crowds. I'll play a round of golf before I paddle out rainbow de janeiro. The open beaches offer enough to stay sane but then being surf fit and overall ability take a hit. Fishing is becoming another means to get a fix in or by the water.

I'm turning fifty early next year and noticed a few changes recently.

The first was I bought a mid-length and actually kept it in the back of the car next to my shorty. Had an epiphany at the traffic lights near Coles, looked behind me and saw the bulbous, double-ended thing sitting there and said to myself: "Fuck...I ride a mid-length".

The image of myself shattered, I sat there in near-silence - broken only by the faint sound of beeping horns.

I also ordered a new shorty and, in hushed tones, told DP to fill it out across and through the middle. Just a quarter-inch each way. Felt like some small defeat.

I always thought that when I got older and the magic slipped away I'd connect with the ocean by keeping fins in the car and bodybashing every morning, but I realise that won't be as easy as I thought. I'm fairly addicted to the rush of surfing, particularly shortboard performance or bigger waves when possible, and I realise an readjustment is in order if simply bodybashing is to fill my cup. I'll have to be content with simple connections with nature, being up early, observing the rhythms of the coast etc etc.

I imagine rockfishing would be great for that.

I also found a good proxy for surfing in enduro mountain biking, and most of the crew I ride with are surfers of similar age. We've got lots of beautiful, steep bushland to build trails, nice blue flow trails to surf the bush, and heaps of the kids from the beach are also getting into it. Not uncommon on flat days to see them in groups of ten or twenty party train the tracks or session a jump.

MTB feels like the methadone to surfing's heroin - though deep down I know which one will win out.

Injuries don't help MTB's cause. I'm currently on crutches for six weeks after overcooking a gap and fracturing a tibia and tearing my meniscus. Last two years I've had more downtime from MTB injuries then in forty years of surfing.

at 50 plus, working in Melbourne, i just love the water so swim n the ocean when surfing time is limited... i mostly only surf now in good conditions, i get a few 4-6 waves and i am happy. then i press repeat, even if its a month or 3 between surfs... Great Article and Thoughts!

66 and retired, still surf. My last trip to Indo was in 2018, still have vivid memories of my last wave of the trip, at Kuta Reef in the late afternoon, and as I flicked off at the end of the ride my jukung pulled up alongside me. When I returned home I just didn't get the shortboard love after that because of crap waves and less water time. This dimmed my enthusiasm and I began to question my ability; or was I just too old? Longboard only these days, but that is no cop out, as I still surf! One thing I ensure that I do during down time is to keep moving - walking, stretching, weights and floor exercises on most days. Flexibility and mobility keep the muscle memory alive I reckon. Stay salty!

Spent the first half of my life surfing, never gave it up. Just moved inland, get to the coast a couple of times a year, only need a couple of good waves and life is bliss. have'nt had a good barrel for a long time but there's a couple burned into the memory. It would be a bit too crowded if we all surfed as often as we used to,see you in the tube!

Great article sheep, well described and factual for most people I know

I surf almost every day and have been playing in the ocean for over 50 years and no matter what has happened it always drags me back in like the healthy drug it is but it is getting harder with injuries and wear and tear. Do yoga every day, core work and stretch to maintain it all as long as I can and I am at an age where no person has ever lived to in my previous generations so every surf is treated like my last

Interesting thoughts recently about if I cant get up on my shortboard at some point what would I do, I hate all mal riders with a passion so that is out, I think boogie board if the back allows it or body surfer if the shoulders allow it would have to be the evolution but it is a question that one day will have to be answered

And when that day comes the real problem is how do you deal with it mentally especially if its the only real joy left in your life (apart from family) and its what you devote all your time thinking about, researching new toys, checking spots and forecasts etc

Do you accept you have had a great run and retire with the memories or does it eat at you and you turn inwards and looking for the highs in other deadlier ways?

Hopefully I and many others here wont have to answer that question but it is an ever present threat looking on the horizon like an stiff onshore wind

Yep, most give up, I’m banking on it. Covid lockdowns has created a thousand new surfers just around here. My thinking is that many won’t stick with it, but some will. While they do the older boomer cohort are getting to the stage where it’s just too much.

The last 3 years of really hard work led to retrenchment. Now I’ve got time on my hands but I’m locked down. Was making good use of my time before but we had a lot of not so good days.

Now, from lockdown, I’m fitter, stronger, but my surfing fitness is poor. Been out for some short surfs but it’s not like the old days. 2 hour standard is now more like 45 minutes.

But I’m hopeful and more determined now and waiting for my chance. Body is otherwise good, just have to get that fitness and confidence back.

It’s a tough sport, you can’t have weeks and months off without it taking you backwards a long way, but there’s still some fire in the belly. On the plus side the two guys I surf with most are 5 years younger and 18 years younger. Surfing with mates in an out of the way spot is just the best. Loonnngggg weekend surf trips a high point. Looking forward to maintaining the short board rage for a while yet.

By the way, started around 30, soon to be 60.

In 2019, after 25 odd years of chasing waves gypsy style, I ended up more or less full time here on the East coast in a nice little zone. But after surfing in WA and Indo for the preceding decades I soon found myself losing interest in the surf. I’d go down the beach and crew would be frothing, telling me that the day before was like Mundaka or Kirra or G land. I’d always remain quiet and pleasant but behind my sunnies my eyes were just about rolling out of my head.

No, this beachbreak is not like Mundaka or Kirra or G land and it never will be, I’d think. I started getting depressed and stopped surfing consistently. I went weeks without getting wet. Every time I’d go look at the waves and see smiling punters emerging from sun drenched 3 feet windswell I’d reinforce my belief that surfing here was 90 percent dribble and 10 percent excellent. For some reason ran with this vibe. Perhaps a combination of being forced to remain in an area against my own desires ( We started caring full time for someone) and finally having my wings clipped after years of spontaneous swell chasing.

It was easily the worst year of my life. I drank more and got pretty unfit. This compounded the feelings I was experiencing. I felt confined and imprisoned. Out of thin air I contemplated joining the Navy….yep, that idea is probably even more surprising to myself than it is to you.

I got away here and there before making a consecutive few trips to Indo totalling a few moths to rejuvenate the spirit. This allowed me to refocus on the joy of surfing by being around good waves again. I got fit and quit drinking. Then Covid hit and I was forced back to the East coast.

This time was different though. I came into it with low expectations, my eyes wide open to what would unfold and a commitment to make the most of what was on offer. This positive attitude found me surfing all the time and finding the joy in whatever was on offer. The Covid lockdown was a golden age. The surf pumped and continued to pump without anyone around.

I soon realised that the entire time in 2019 when I’d been gazing inwards and being negative that there would’ve been good waves fairly often if I’d chased them locally. The best move was to start appreciating the good waves instead of feeling cheated cause they weren’t great.

Now it’s next level and I listen to the tales from others who live here on the East coast and realise that the waves I consider just pretty good would often be Best Evers at their breaks. Like an able bodied person who gets down because they can’t run 100 metres under ten seconds, it only takes an encounter with a person confined to a wheelchair to get you to stop your whining and get grateful quickly.

Now I’m stoked out of my mind and can’t wait to get out there everyday. Just like Occy in Bunyip Dreaming even Noahs couldn’t scare me off. Surfing is a necessity in my life. Quitting isn’t an option if I want to avoid going down the rabbit hole of depression. It keeps me fit and stoked, makes my Partner’s life better cause I’m not walking around like the kid with a shit filled nappy.

Don’t stop. Never stop. Don’t even think about it.

I remember Nick Carroll opining on the old real surf forums about guys he knew who were good to really good surfers who just gave it away, and how he couldn’t fathom it.

Young family years are hard to get through. Long work hours especially in your 40s and 50s as you climb the ladder are so difficult too. Now it’s the crowds and the inability to just get away, even for a day trip.

Fishing has filled the gap for me, mostly due to family commitments. I can go by myself or with a brother or close mate, it's time away from the routine of work and home, it's in nature and quite rewarding when the family see something on the table more times than not.

With planning and preparation, travel to the spot as well as post-trip clean up it would take up far more hours than a quick trip to the beach for a 1-2 hour surf. I'm trying to even up the surfing/fishing balance more recently but i can see why people quit.

You do this stuff well - SS and SN both. Thank you.

Still a frother at 58 minus one month, and I surf as much as I can. Cut down my working hours significantly about 10 years ago, and it's been a blessing. Harder to pay for things, but fewer things to pay for.

Recently moved to another region, one with much more frequent quality waves, and more quality surfers. Won't be getting lots of solo surfs, but have already found myself alone a few times in totally rippable waves.

Looking forward to not feeling forced to go out whenever it's surfable, though, taking time to go fishing, hiking, or cycling windy backroads.

Yep, boards are getting bigger, both by choice, necessity and accident. Had a shit year with a few form slumps, gained 3kgs a few times, and lost them again etc. Bought a Chilli Mid Strength to leave in the old town as a do-it-all board, but have ridden it a lot up here, and it's been excellent. As SS once said, "they don't fuck your shred".

Long story short: It's worked for me to keep changing things a bit; to keep surfing on a daily basis; to not be too hard on yourself when you falter.

Nearly 50.

Im happy if some want to give up as it means less people in the line up. But Im still seeing a lot of old fella's in the water so in not experiencing the decline in numbers.

Any idea what % drop off ?

Great article FR.

I quit when I was about 20. It wasn't that I wanted to quit, it was because of distance from surf and the fact that I needed to start earning money in a career that I was interested in. Pretty much for the next 20 years I barely surfed at all. It had faded from my everyday thoughts like any habit does over time.

Fortunately about 10 years ago an old mate from way back who lived a lot closer to the ocean than I do was able to convince me to have another crack. It really is like riding a bike. Maybe not a MTB though...

My enthusiasm for surfing has been re-ignited and continues to this day, and I am forever grateful.

I'd be happy to quit, but I can't.

Whenever I watch a movie or TV show and the ocean is in the background, I forget the plot and scan the water for possible surf. Remember that woman, who stole millions from people, went missing and her foot washed up down around Mollymook? When the reporter was on the beach, all I was doing was seeing what the surf was like in the background.

I can't quit because it'll always dog me. I'll mind surf every wave I see. I'll continue to check the cams, to watch vids and every time I'm at the beach and there's a nice little runner, I'll wish I had my board.

Yet, the crowds piss me off and I often leave feeling frustrated. I also know that if I'm away somewhere and the surf is pumping, then those shitty, frustrating surfs at my local are my foundation and if I don't do them, then the few good opportunities will also be frustrating.

The lady's not for turning, sure, but also, damned if you, damned if you don't.

But how many Bruce Browns can there be? There is a built-in trouble with age segregation. Eventually one does reach the horror age of 25, the horror dividing line… Leonard was 18 and Donna was 21 – 21! – god, for a girl in the Pump House gang that is almost the horror line right there…they didn’t say anything, they weren’t angry over anything… they… went a few feet down the sidewalk… and… blam! blam! – these two shots… Donna and Leon thought they had lived the life as far as it would go…

TomWolfe
The Pump House Gang 1968

Crowds and the bulge.
Crowds came first - I remember a quote from MR years ago and he said no matter how bad the surf is you feel better afterwards.
I used to agree until the crowds became so bad that I'd come in after a surf more stressed than before I went in.

This one's for you Blowin:

63 now.
Stopped surfing from age 35 to 45 to grow a business.
Huge regret in surfing terms - good choice financially.
Now retired and surf as often as i can with a holiday home near my surf beach south of Adelaide.
Fitness declines with age and old injuries (back-neck-hips) that recur more
often.
I ride a mid length with volume to compensate and sometimes think about SUP (and hate myself).
Struggle to get high wave counts these days but love being out there.
That 10 years I sacrificed will haunt my to my grave.
If i had my time over

When I wasn younger, at uni and unable to live right on the coast, I found myself skiving out of a lecture chasing a fun arvo swell.

I got talking to this middle aged local. He said to me, ‘if you don’t end up living at the coast it’ll be very hard to keep surfing. You’ll get a job, married, kids etc and eventually your go outs will be very few and far between’’.

I always remember this. Not sure his words informed later decisions but sure enough after uni I moved straight to the coast and apart from a some OS travel have lived a coastal lifestyle ever since.

Can definitely see how surfing could be put in the too hard basket as life ticks on.

I keep it real simple. Surf local 99% of the time, when it’s small get the kids out, avoid crowds and every couple of months chase a swell down the coast. Keeps me more than stoked and no doubt will for a long time yet.

"If you don't like something change it, if you can't change it, deal with it"

Given the above statement, if I couldn't change my situation by getting out of the country, I'd quit for sure. For the following reasons:

When COVID hit, the crowds came even stronger but never really left. They're here to stay! Wahhhhhh you might say. Well, surfing is incredibly fickle relying on tide, swell, swell direction, sand banks, time of day (early surfs on the east coast anyone? Trying to look for the incoming sets whilst seemlingly staring into the blinding sun), wind and a million other variables. Then when they do align, the crowds multiply even more!

Compare this to skating where you rock up early to the skatepark, it's free from kids because they tend to rise after 9am and all you gotta do is do a quick clean of the park from ciggy butts, beer bottles and death pebbles. If you do that, you get a perfect setup everytime! All to yourself! Want to work on a trick? Go nuts! Compare that to me working on my forehand cutback at the moment; I need the right wave, to go the right direction, to be in the spot to catch the wave and in a given session, maybe I get a few attempts. Not to mention all the other things I want to work on with surfing.

A not openly discussed thing is that you need the reps to get better at anything! With surfing, if you're dealing with a sea of humans as well as the ocean, you'll be a forever kook. To this day as a regular footer I still probably feel more comfortable going left due to spending half a year in Peru. When I do a hobby if I feel I'm not progressing, or progressing as I should given the time put in, it gets a bit stale. The fact that sometimes you literally can't surf because there sometimes is no waves, it's hard to stay surf fit as well. I'm no slob and stay at within 1kg of my fighting weight at all times but you'll never be surf fit, even if you can bang out 100 burpees; you gotta surf to be surf fit. ​Not to mention the injuries, some can be very serious, like losing an eye or you know, getting maimed by a shark.

I'm going to keep going until I can't but only because I'm moving away from Australia ASAP. Surfing on the GC these days isn't a kumbaya fun time, it's usually war with everyone that's the hero of their own movie and there's no shortages of heroes here. Hopefully in a couple of years, you'll find me in the Americas, getting shacked on the reg or surfing leg burning points with consistent offshores and consistent long period swell. Don't look for videos, I'm not going to take them and even if I did, I don't have social media.

The only surf I've had in the past 2 years is a novelty splash, mid-winter boardy session during the biggest swell of the year.. A little 3-4 foot thing that was handling the 11m pump.

I had other breaks since first paddled 28 years ago, mainly when I was working in the North West, but this is by far the biggest stretch. Can't really explain it. A combination of moving back to the shit coast, becoming a father, my shaper passing away and a new passion of drone racing. Over a dozen boards collecting dust.

When my boy gets a bit older i'll sell a few, get a softie and ride again, but the ball of pain in my gut I used to get when the offshore was blowing and for whatever reason I couldn't go to the beach is completely gone. ¯\_㋡_/¯

I'm 35. Tore quad tendon at patella (not fully) July 2020 (at 34). After 10 months rehab I had two months back in the water this year, before re-tearing again in July. 8 weeks into rehab again, seeing a psych (yep, mental health since last year august has taken a massive blow). And all the while I'm trying to convince myself to quit. But something inside me is trying to find any light, to believe I can rehab this thing. Tried bodyboarding. It doesn't quite do it.

But looking back, in that two months.. bumped into so many 'mates' (just locals at the breaks I surf who i chat to). Many thought I moved away. Funny how much joy you get just being out there and bumping jnto people you only ever communicate with in the water.

Shout out to Craig- you caught me on one of those surfs off the pipe.

Ps I've spent literally thousands on medical field. All to get me back in the water. Whatever it takes. Anybody know a knee specialist who might be able to give me a consult pro bono (lost my job from covid lockdowns doesn't help!!)..

I am 56 and have been surfing for over 30 years but during the last 3-5 years have been really struggling to get many waves. partly due to increased crowds, partly age and partly loss of confidence. 4 years ago I went to the Maldives for 10 days and caught just one wave.

It was heartbreaking and expensive!

I usually surf at least 3-4 times a week but 9/10 times I surf i never catch a single proper wave. I have tried different boards, improved my fitness, watched countless training videos, and have even been to a shrink but nothing has changed the result. Many, many times I have broken down and cried, not able to understand how and why I can't get my fair share of waves. I see much older surfers in the 70's catching waves in front of me every day, young kids under 10, and even absolute beginners.

I am surf fit and a strong paddler, and usually can surf in waves 3ft-6ft at my local point break, or down the beach on larger, faster waves. But there is always someone deeper on the inside, or I just can't seem to position myself in the right spot, or I stuff up the pop-up, or I make the drop and someone is in front of me so I have to bail. The result is I never get any proper waves, but then once a while, sometimes weeks or even months apart I will get a cracker and it keeps me going. Then the cycle repeats.

But every day I go back out and try again, hoping that my luck might change.

I think the downward spiral starts the day you realise you can't cut the heavy stuff anymore. After copping a life altering pummelling a few years back I realised my body will one day let me down for good and the adrenaline sessions should probably end. It just takes a huge part out of the equation and leaves you feeling a bit dissatisfied, when you do go out on a big day, and are more nervous than frothing.

I've hit the kids/age/injury/time poor scenario. Still check the surf report everyday!

Great article Steve, and clearly pertinent given the number of responses already.
With the kids being old enough to do their own thing, the last 10 years has seen my interest and stoke return to what it was when I was younger, possibly more so. Trying different types of boards has kept me interested as age has seen fitness and skill levels plateau, and in the past 2 or so years, start to decline.
I am currently out of the water given our lockdown conditions here in Vic. These interruptions, last year and this year, have made getting back more and more difficult. Each lockdown brings with it the fear that I will take another step backwards. Still, I am hanging out to get back and doing whatever shit I can to keep fit enough to at least give it a crack. Cant imagine giving up (yet) but I guess I can see a future when it just will not be possible anymore. Makes me sad.

I have a young family, a full time job and am nudging 40 so am right in the zone of having to work hard for surfs. But I think having to work hard to get smaller windows has made me enjoy it even more. I'd be fucked without being able to get a few, mostly shitty waves. Having said that, I've quit pretty much everything else that's not related to being a parent or work, or having a surf. But I have seen so many mates give up and then drinking becomes their hobby. I'd way prefer to surf. It takes effort, but is so much more rewarding.

I totally understand the many reasons why people quit (early, middle or late in life) and we should all be deeply thankful they do. Crowds would be unbearable everyday otherwise. The more quitting the better.

Leave it to the connoisseurs who really value it.

Quote from Bob Brown, 77 years young, to me, 63 years old and waning ...
" Foam is your friend sonny"

Good read so true. I'm not the greatest surfer and I've never really set performance based goals surfing except the 1 goal I've set is to still catching waves in my 80s still got a good 30years to go bring it on

"the best surfer is the one with the biggest smile" (whomever owns that quote is a good one)

I find that shit waves make me depressed; partly because of all the good ones in my memory.

About 10 years ago (when I turned 50) I re-purposed my surfing into swimming training and other prep (yoga, exercise physiology) for when the waves are good. Planning and preping for trips away, to less crowded and more dynamic wave cut platforms. Fantaising about new boards for the trips etc - all adds to these internal perspectives.

When the waves are good, I try and get a few without any other humans paddling near me. If there are unavoidably lots of humans, sometimes I"ll yell out things like "that girl hasn't got many waves - I've given her one - who else is going to give her one?" or "I dont mind if you keep paddling inside of me - so long as you make the wave?" (mostly people look away..probs think I'm an old nutter..but the way I see it I'm out there passing on knowledge that "sharing is caring, surfings not like AFL or any other land-locked activity - if you try a little bit harder you can make it that way for all of us today too".

If you stay trapped in surfing as an ego pursuit; then the inevitable decay of your body and consequently your performance will drive you to quit. You've got to find a lateral way to progress.

The above are strategies that keep me interested and in love with surfing; now and forever.

Net, net give a wave away to a less talented surfer today - it feels good.

Ive never quit as such but my mindset is now different, as a grommet surfing was everything and i had to surf all the time as much as i could, now i dont mind having breaks from surfing weeks even months mostly over winter as hate the cold, im also a lot more fussy about the quality of waves i surf and how many guys are surfing.

All the guys i grew up surfing with, all the ones that were really into it, 90% of them still surf and most still surf a lot pretty much all my good friends as a grommet still surf, the ones that use to hang out with us but it was more for the partying etc, pretty much all of them dont surf anymore, but they never really had the bug, it was more a scene for them.

Anyway i wish more surfers would quit.

57 now started at 17. Grew up in Western NSW. It's not just crowds that frustrate me but the surf where I live just isn't as good as even 5 years ago. 20 or so in a spot with only a few set waves you have to be lucky, then throw in the angry ants (usually guys with no hair). To get my 10 waves I try to every surf takes longer these days.
Have a 18 year old daughter that is surf mad now so go out alot with her where I probably wouldn't by myself. Can surf everyday as I have worked for myself for 30 years, but getting a bit fussy, has to be 3ft and offshore or I don't bother.
Have always been fit used to do gym/triathlons as well as surf in my younger days, but now just surf and walk the dog 4-6k's most days.
Will keep going till I can't.
Having someone taken by a shark nearby recently doesn't help. Went for a paddle yesterday and felt very uneasy.

I've been extremely lucky in my surfing life to have friends whom I've known since my teen years that I continue to surf and socialise with. There's always been a friendly rivalry between us and usually once a year, we take a long weekend trip to get on the beers and talk shit. I remember when we were younger we'd rock up to Winki and watch this old bloke on the thickest Strapper thruster take off from uppers, pop re-entries and make sections all the way to the valley. We'd watch him and go "that'll be us one day." Well, now it is. I don't surf as much as I used to, but still keen. Still interested. I know he's not with us anymore, I don't even know how old he was when he stopped surfing. He never even really knew me, but I know he surfed until he physically couldn't anymore. I wish I had a chance to tell him how he motivated our crew to keep surfing. Good on ya Jungle Jim - hope there are endless walls up there for you to cruise around on.

So being an sa surfer of 30years iv had the pleasure of extremely uncrowded world class waves. Having smashed out god only knows how many millions of kms in the relentless chase of conditions for the particular brakes I can truly say iv been blessed over the years. The heavy locals and wild life have over the years kept chaos out of the line ups meaning even the average punter who made the effort and showed respect got a shot at getting some truely life changing waves. However!! The uprise of surfing popularity , media, and of course my generation introducing our young to the sport has resulted In both ability level increase and crowds. This was always going to happen as I knew in my heart. What I wasn’t prepared for the the rise of the selfish arss hole. You know the one guy that paddles out into a friendly line up of guys taking fair turns at waves depending on positioning wave count ect .now this guy or girl can surf surf slightly or more above the level of the average punter but this isn’t the problem. The problem is they are so fuelled by ego , the look at me I rip factor they believe they are entitled to as many waves as they seam fit to take just because they can. This turns what’s supposed to be a fun rewarding brake from every day bull shit into a total infuriating shit fight as the friendly crowd no go’s into fend for your self mode without even thinking about it. Surf =ruined. This used to be a occasional problem but now seams to be the regular thing . I used to surf to clear the mind to step out of the daily grind of selfish arss holes on the road at the shops at work. When they flooded the water it was the end for me after 30 years. Don’t get me wrong I still think about it every day but getting frustrated and angry because of others selfish behaviour is not why I surfed.

I basically quit to photograph surfing professionally. I'm back though, thanks spicy cough.

So why quite. I am 68 and still like to get out in the waves. so why would people quite?
1. Life takes over your time, and when you do get back to it you aint surfing as well as you used to or imagined you did.
2. Putting on too much weight. sucks getting old
3. not a surf fit as you used to be
4. illness, as Lennard Cohen once said "Well, my friends are gone and my hair is grey,
I ache in the places where I used to play"

surf or die

Nice one FR. A lot of great comments, clearly there is a lot of joy and frustration in the surfing lifestyle. One thing I've noted for devoted surfers of all abilities, is that the ocean always finds a way to humble you. As a surfer who started during adulthood I've committed to the cause and am very slowly working my way up the pecking order for the joy of surfing good waves.

Just yesterday though I had one such humbling experience at the crowded f-grade beach which I'm stuck with in my 5km radius (luckier than some I suppose). Came in feeling like I was back at square one with my progress, amateur hour. Looking forward to the lockdown ending and finding a remote stretch of coast to find some solitude and feel the freedom of the ocean once again, and will use this thread as a reminder that the ocean brings us all back down to Earth every now and then.

Better to have loved and ........... It sounds like we all at least have that.

I'm loving the comments as much as I enjoyed the article.

I'm almost 54, surfed since my early teens and have been in love with the ocean forever- be it surfing, fishing, sailing, beachcombing whatever. I've never really had a break from surfing but the last few years have been a struggle. I used to be a pretty decent surfer and could always get around a lineup. Fitness, work etc. have taken its toll and for a time I was getting frustrated, really frustrated- missing waves, blowing takeoffs. I think it's been mentioned above but I think to continue surfing into your twilight years, you have to remove the ego and lower your expectations. You have to adjust your equipment too. My shortboarding days sadly are gone. I'm riding a crappy funboard which I refer to as my midlength twin i.e I just removed the centre fin. I'm just loving catching waves and getting my glide on again. I have other interests too especially snowboarding but that's a seasonal thing and I love trekking. I try and climb at least one new mountain every year. Try and exercise every day, push-ups, sit-ups, burpees and I walk the dog morning and evening. Surf as often as I can.

Anyway, my two cents, just hope I can keep going for as long as possible.

64 years of age, having first stood on a board at 9.....there's a simple permutation that is an ongoing reference point for me - the muscle mass and strength diminishes as weight sits on the body far too easily...less strength to get more weight up and into the right possie...there's a lifestyle choice to be made and its not always easy, especially when the family's body type is 'stocky'. It's a significant commitment to keep surfing at a reasonable level.....Have forsaken the better, often crowded waves for hunting increasingly remote surf - a new challenge complete with surprises and let downs......I'll surf a mat before i even think about giving up.

Do it while it's fun and when it's not, do it anyway:-)

Good on ya FR, finally someone has put it on the table. I've been at it since '75 and am still loving it. I miss my old surfing mates, but there's heaps of replacements any day of the week, Sometimes I spend more time talking in the carparks than out in the water and I realised years ago that the enjoyment of surfing is a lot to do with interacting with both people and the ocean, not to mention being at the beach whether at home or somebody else's home beach.
Giving up crosses the mind occasionally but I enjoy sitting in the line up catching waves and in deep thought about whatever is bugging me, only to tell myself to focus on the job, and I always feel better for going out. That's hard to beat.
The mid length thing that Stu mentioned has been dogging me as well, I look at it and sigh some times thinking, is this it? But it's getting me 3 times the waves in a place that can be hard to catch waves on a shorty, and that's got to be a good thing ( for me ) and it's opened up another type of surfing to keep me interested and to try and surf it right, which is not like a short board.
All I gotta do now is retire and spend more time at the beach.

In the past year I’ve broken my leg, had my first baby, renovating a 70s asbestos house and started upskilling at work. (This sounds very egotistical but it’s the honest truth). The covid crowds are hectic as well. Surfing has been hard at times and the waves I usually want to surf are put back. However I ain’t quitting. Ever

Like Stunet, I have turned to two wheels, the bush and like-minded mates. As I mentioned a week or so back, Covid crowds at my local are off chops, so when we are allowed, my surfing proxy is my 2-stroke enduro bike. It keeps you as fit as surfing if you ride tech terrain, it’s always offshore, never crowded, the tide’s always right and the swell’s always from the right direction.
I just turned 53 and surfed a big wave spot 100m from my house for the first time yesterday - only one out - and am hanging for a mate’s 50th trip to the Telos in 2023 - so the fire isn’t out yet and I doubt I’ll ever stop loving and participating in surfing.
“Been surfing much, Matt?” “Nah, only when it’s necessary..”. Big Wednesday. Sums it up for me.

Great stories, would also add that having a partner who loves the beach makes a big difference. I push her into a few on the boogie board in the shorey and then head out the back to get a few but that's all a bit of a bonus as I'm more stoked by the waves she gets - my expectations for quality waves and my own performance have dropped significantly but I feel in less danger of stopping than I did 10 years ago so I think that's a better direction. Every moment in the ocean is a gift.

Surely the question is: what are similarities of surfers who don't quit?
By answering that, maybe we'll get closer to the truth of what being a surfer and surfing really is...

Who said Surfing a Midlength has to be just Cruisy Flow...Surf it like your Shorty - Man Up give it all you got put it on Rail !

https://www.mulliganbrother.com/single-post/2019/11/28/207-inspirational...

Thanks for the article FR, that was beautifully written. This is close to home for a lot of us I'm certain. Living on the coast can help, but from my own experience I got fussy, bored with the waves on offer & questioned what was I doing there. Was I getting too old, I said to myself maybe yes I am. Am I irresponsible by living this sort of lifestyle, I think so, no love here anymore. I moved back to the city to reinvent myself & basically being a city boy I probably couldn't cut the mustard down the coast. The show down the coast was over for me & surfing was something I used to do. It took about five years for me to get back in the water. A harsh lesson ensued, this ain't no bike to hop back on, I got stuck in a rip on my way to Tasmania at a rapid rate. Arms were spaghetti & asked another surfer in the rip if he would paddle with me as I was out of gas, he kindly obliged. (I was 30)
I felt done & dusted after that event, this was watershed moment #1.
I recalled the archives of what swimming had achieved for me in the repatriation of a broken leg some years before. Since then I haven't stopped swimming apart having a couple of work accidents, where both shoulders were done. While still healing a swimmer from the pool asked me when I was returning? He said when you do I'll give you a few lessons. I said what for I know how to swim!
"Sorry what you're doing is not swimming, keep doing that & you'll be back on the surgeon's table!" Watershed moment #2. Swimmers with bad technique are candidates for shoulder problems. If you like swimming read up on total immersion swimming, it's all about form in the water. I takes a long time to develop proper stroke form in the water, but once you do swimming becomes relaxing & enjoyable.
Being a tradie, up & down ladders with tools also has its rewards. Being hunched all over a keyboard & stagnant, you're not opening your chest. After writing this my upper back/neck is already cramped up. ay
If anyone saw Compass on ABC last Sunday, that was worth watching!
His name was Dexter, lived well past 111. He spoke about his yoga & breathing,
Surfing gives us reason, I'm now in for the long haul, maybe not that long!

Safe to say you hit a nerve here, Steve - meaning this is something we've obviously all been thinking about.

Great to see so many good and interesting responses.

Surfing waves that are not world class no longer interest me, will only paddle out if perfect waves. The beginning of the end?

Fairly recent pic from a sequence of a 72 year old guy called Larry at G-Land for any of the veterans that need inspiration

Full sequence here https://www.facebook.com/groups/674651796547906/posts/789830361696715/

I went from surifng daily or near enough for 20 years, to maybe surfing every couple of months over the last 2 years. Full on addict, to non-plussed.

Job, child, surfing friends kind of disappeared or got busy, got in a negative headspace with the crowds.

Now I look at surfing as extremely self indulgent, somewhat adolescent, and entirely too wasteful for someone milking every last minute out of the day.

That having been said, it has opened doorways to other interests. I push myself to lift weights and run, and have found them to be oddly addictive and challenging. Yet they don't seem to take up hours and hours, and where surfing would leave me braindead and looking for carbs and a lie down, they seem to give me more energy.

I always tell myself I'll get back into it once the boy is older and the job is more settled, but I also wonder if I'm ready to give it away and move on and grow in other ways,

Also Harry Nightingale 71 yrs Lover of G-Land

The vicious spiral hey - muscle strength, flexibility and stamina are increasingly challenging to maintain with age, and can be seriously compromised by any number of things, as several crew have noted, from other commitments of work, family ..., to crowding, to injury, to various combinations therein. At 65 and having surfed for more than 50 years (60 if you count surf-o-planes) I still surf occasionally, after more than a year out of the water with back injuries (disks and spondylolisthesis). Having managed to get back into it, I avoid the really solid days and crowded, well-known breaks, and surf longer boards, because you're not surfing if you're not catching waves, and then frustration sets in and that too can be a vicious spiral. Fortunately this area has (had) quite a few lesser known breaks, although the local council and board riders clubs are doing their best to stuff those, putting all known breaks on maps etc. And like most places there are lots more surfers with time on their hands these days, and a new crew on SUPs that are a legitimate menace when they turn up. But the joy of being in the ocean, alone or with one or two friends, doesn't really fade. It's just becoming more challenging to find

I can relate to a lot of the comments being made. after 37 years of surfing and playing numerous sports over this time the body is finally telling me to slow down. I have injured my shoulder three times this year and can feel the end is near. play some social tennis, fuck up the shoulder. play some social basketball fuck up the back. go running fuck up the knees. I went to order a new board but have been holding off to see what the future holds. my upside is my best surfing mate still froths like he is still 16 and his energy is addictive and generally gets me going. he has laid down plans for a trip to indo in about 12 months so his energy and the promise of warm barrells will hopefully keep me going for another 12 months. always tell the kids no fun getting old when it comes to the body

Nat young is 73 I think and he is always out the point on the biggest day but I guess he’s started from a high base
And I know stu has been plagued by injuries but last time I saw him he was holding his own in solid waves

I don't think I'm far enough along to qualify why I would quit. Still getting lots of delight in the boards, the waves and what I can improve. It's been beautiful sharing the experience with nieces/nephews/children and surfing friends. The yearly (sans: kung flu) catch up trip has been a really good thing to look forward to.

Being forced out for a while through life threatening situation only made that 1st wave that passed walking back out into 1.5ft clear surf more magical. Growing up in terrible conditions leads to an appreciation of all surf and I can attain satisfaction in little waves, with the right equipment.

Spending time around the shaping bays of true craftsmen when young also leads to a depth and appreciation to surfing. Making my own boards leads to an intellectual dimension to the surfing where you keep going back to improve and learn.

I found this has been useful:

https://www.amazon.com.au/Ancient-Secret-Fountain-Youth/dp/0753540053

To all older surfers buy yourself a theragun massage gun
Great for those sore tired and knotted muscles

Great article. 52, still try to surf as much as I can. Lived in Bali for over a decade, so moving back to Sunny Coast made me approach surfing differently. Hard adjustment at first, it's a lot harder to surf grovel than Ulu etc .. mindset has to change which took a few years.
Saying that my local has a good regular crew and I enjoy the paddle now as much for a little conversation as hopefully getting a few.
Hope to keep going if can stay injury free.
Was in Gland a few years back and met Harry Nightingale and Sloth... Frothing more than groms. Inspirational.

Diversify. +1 for MTB, Gravel Racing, trail running and long distance swimming (in the ocean of course - swimming by a couple of dozen surfers who are waiting for a 2 ft wave and hanging at the top of the pack makes them look ridiculous in my mind). Keep the stoke, find new places and windows to surf ... the search. I'm over 50 and will never give up, just do it differently...

Great topic Steve and like your last article has got a huge response.
I first stood up on surfboard 50 years ago age 18 and have been hooked ever since despite long periods away from the ocean during that time .
Cannot think of any other pastime that gives so much in terms of physical and mental health benefits and stoke when you get it right. Also much hard work both in the practice and keeping the body working. Its a metaphor for life.
I recall Blindboy once posting that he would quit if he couldn't ride a shortboard anymore and was thinking there's so much more to this caper than reflecting on what once was and throwing the towel in, however that's just one of the reasons stated above.
Not for me.

Missed out an all time day round here yesterday due to parenting duties. Work and parenting make lining up the epic sesh difficult. Now i'm happy if i can just get wet regularly, and i'll let the ocean surprise me.

Similar story to many of the above. Career, family and other commitments have curtailed time in the water however have never given it away.

My lightbulb moments:

Riding one of VelocityJohnno's boards up the coast and gave me some perspective on changing boards as I get older.
Staying fit and exercising during the week, particularly in winter, when I might not get a wave for 2 weeks.
Trying to keep the stoke alive, sometimes one wave in a 15 minute session is all it takes.

And also trying to learn something new to keep it fresh. On the same trip where I rode one of VJ's boards, he taught me a new technique to smooth out my cutback. Simple instructions but a revelation. VJ - Deliver the pizza!

mate - get a dictionary and look up 'paraphrase'. and then look up 'quote'.

and what sort of fuckwit thinks to quote or even paraphrase Thatcher. I'm pretty sure you're old enough to remember what that evil cunt did. maybe not.

I know your remit was to get people off the shark attack story, but seriously.

Realising I am quite sick. I mean, I keep chasing swells and forecast websites permanently open. I account for 50% of all such website clicks. If there are waves I go surf them. 40 years in and still a kook too, so it's not like I am improving. I have diversified my surfing portfolio though - mats, bodysurfing, shortboards, longboards, midlengths, kites, sea kayaking, and the list goes on. So, it's only getting worth.

Will Ivermectin cure me?

I surf less and less. The main reason is the magic has been wrecked. I was attracted to surfing due to its almost mystical qualities, its anti mainstream position. Now we have coal powered wave pools, mass produced crap from Chinese slaves. Sites like swellnet scientifically dissect every approaching swell- paradox. No mystery. No wonderment. I despise what surfing has become. I used to proudly bring up the fact I'm a surfer to new people I'd meet. I'm embarrassed now to even admit it.
Then of course there's ageing. I can't rip like when I was 30. So it snowballs. I sit out the back on my chinese blank, wearing my chinese made wettie, my chinese leggy, or is it leash now?
Then I twinge a hammy ripping it off the top.
So I go home and watch UFC. Even they have to stop fighting one day.

One thing that scares me about the day I stop surfing is that I'll just be another old bloke from that point on.

While I can still get good waves on shortboards, go on surf trips with my mates and deal with a proper flogging in chunky waves I'll never feel like or think I'm old.

Being a dedicated surfer definitely keeps you young and is a real life fountain of youth.

I have been surfing now for over half of my life and my surfing killer has been discovering freediving and spearfishing. I will bring balance back into the mix eventually, but now all I can think about is spending time under the water not above. Maybe next year, ill invest in a really good wetsuit and new high volume surfboard and rekindle the love. Had a few sessions off my boat while i wait for the tide to come in that have been absolutely awesome.

Loving the thread.

Been surfing since early teens. Catching the bus then the train to the beach breaks, then trips down south with mates when I had a car. Just love it but always been crap. Always been better at the wind.

Done it all - windsurf, kite surf, goat boating for a while which I was really good at, snowboarding when living overseas, then dropped back to the body board as just easier when family and work commitments made it harder to get out consistently. Crap waves in Perth don't help.

Been on a small SUP for a while now which has been lots of fun. However, noticed last couple of years that I seem to have lost a bit of balance and the SUP stopped being fun. Age, I guess, now 60.

So, currently on a knee board and next step is a soft top 8' mini-mal. Will keep on doing something until I can't, crowds and crap waves notwithstanding.

Oh, seriously thinking about wing foiling this summer but quite a big investment to get started. Can't fault Perth winds.

Just need that ocean in some form, can't live without it.

I found since having kids my surf froth has gone up. Before kids it was work, then hit the piss and other things and it took me till Wednesday to recover then do it all again. During that period my surfing took a real dive. Now with a more balance life you just make time for surfing whilst still keeping up with your work commitments, and family life. Now the kids are frothing over 1 to 2ft waves and watching them have fun is awesome. Make time keep a bit of fitness up and hopefully surf for a lot longer.

Great story fr but how ironic that a story about quitting is written at a time of exponential crowd growth.

Surf till u die...could never give it up...53 yrs and still frothing. I have half the amount of energy though, and gee its hard to get out sometimes but nothing beats the feeling, nothing comes close......

Only a surfer knows the feeling, so cliche but so true. I find my body and fitness levels slipping and I don't chase or surf the waves I used to, however, days like today restore the fire and keep the stoke flowing. An epic Day.
The greatest thing about surfing for me now is the ability to share a love of the ocean with my 14-year-old daughter. It's sharing a gift with her that will help her fulfill a life of adventure, travel, fitness, foth, excitement, calmness, and clarity along with a healthy respect for the ocean. From pushing her into whitewater to introducing her to reefs with nice solid 3-4ft groundswell and watching her handle herself in conditions that challenge her is inspiring. Teaching her how to read weather maps and understand nature. Her time to love surfing is now and my time will slowly end( long way to go though!!) and at the end of it, I will be a one truly stoked bloke.

I think a surfer killer is coastal property prices. When you reach adulthood you need the coin to live near the beach, you need a full commitment job to make the coin, work commitment kills surf commitment. Also video games, geez have they come a long way!

I think a surfer killer is coastal property prices. When you reach adulthood you need the coin to live near the beach, you need a full commitment job to make the coin, work commitment kills surf commitment. Also video games, geez have they come a long way!

Great Thread
just turned 68 and still working and been surfing 55 years and still ride a shortboard but volume is my friend.
Didn't ever think I would be surfing at this age but I am still passionate and surf 2- 3 times a week. All my mates ( bar one) that I surfed with in my 20s dropped out of surfing which I couldn't believe as they were much better surfers than I was.
Longest period I didn't surf was about 18 months in 79-80 when I was travelling and living in London
I went through a period when I set up and was running my own business when I only surfed once or twice a week at most but now I am working for someone else it allows me a more flexibility to surf before or after work.
The sessions may be shorter than they were but as long as I get at least 3 decent waves a session I am happy
Just invested in a new steamer so I am optimistic about still surfing for a while yet but may have to add more volume to my next board

"if you used to surf you never did"

For me Steve Pezman said it best in an early Kidman film.

I can't remember his exact words but it was along the lines of as he ages that the sum of all the parts of his physical and mental surfing experience remain the same but his joy from that experience is increasing becoming a mental one.

I don't see myself ever quitting, it's too ingrained.

28 Year old Kook here, Matê gave me a mini mal first surf ever paddled out from the Burleigh point rocks, fell in love from that day, now ride his 6 Hypto 36l short board and have improved a lot but still cannot stand up for long and duck diving needs a lot of work. Have the drive and passion for it even tho they say it’s a 10 year sport, I aimfor the sky and won’t limit myself with this decade theory, always happy when I am in and exit the water even tho I am only A few hours in my career.

I paddled out in the biggest swell I have seen before at the Start of May at Tugun where I live,, made it out the back but I have a fear of paddling into larger waves, I was in awe of some of the bombs rolling through, and there was only a handful of surfers out, I way way out of my depth but just getting out in big swell is a effort in itself.

How do I overcome the fear and lock into bigger waves

Skip Frye 80 today ~~~~~~ Legend

Good Big Wednesday reference, Steve.
John Milius said, mirroring his own life, that one of the main points of Big Wednesday was that, as wonderful as the surfing life is, there was a melancholy internal ticking clock that said you had to seriously reduce your surfing as adult responsibilities kicked in.
A bit different these days. More flexible working hours and much better and diverse surfboard options for the ageing surfer.
Of course, if you fall victim to the middle age spread, a natural occurrence, it is pretty much all over.
Then there are SUPs, which have offered a whole new late surfer adoptee entry point.

Thank you, and what a reflective article. This that proves why you were returned to the SwellNet team. I think this piece racks up some editorial kudos.

This is a life conundrum. Why are some people always excited about life and some more intersted in the ills and the woes? (Glass half-full, or glass a little bit fuller!) I will do because I enjoy 'v' I can find reasons not to.

Thanks FR for opening up for us all our biggest Pandora's Box. I find great inspiration in all these comments because I thought I was just about done. I've just turned 68, with 53 years of surfing behind me. My biggest break was at 24; seven years living in London and NYC and travelling a lot. Just past 30 and moving to Bondi, the sets came again. Tama and Maccas my local.
But in three years I've had the triple whammy - routine op gone wrong, run over by a big fella 46 years my junior, destroying my right eye, then covid; not crowding me out but isolating me on my wave-rich island paradise, family 1000 kliks away for nearly a year. So I'm turning a corner ...
I introduced my eldest son to his life-long love of surfing and his turning point came aged 10. It was way too big, killer sweep and he lost his board but Spechy caught it and paddled it back out to him and urged him on. At 29, he works very hard but surfs nearly every day and has done his whole life, all around the world.
Son #2 was one of the best natural stylists I've ever seen. Aged seven on a 7'2" it was magic to watch him barrel crouch like an Hawaiian, tanned as leather without a gram of fat. They both have done a lot of screen and desk time but those childhood years in the waves do not let them go. I look at them and think, this is the wheel of life.
I can't see a tennis ball much any more, or read the snow but the worst is being out of position because my one-eyed distance perception is shot. I miss a tonne of waves, going too early or too late and feel a deep frustration having my greatest love so impaired. I was going to toss it in and just go sailing.
But I'm not, mostly because of what I have just read. I'm paddling out tomorrow on the tide before some work drudgery. I might not even get a wave but the water is clean and warm, those who know me give me space (I warn 'em all about my blind spot) and the greatest peace I have ever felt in the natural world is floating about in the line up in anticipation of the long swoop turn. In November a big crew from 72 are congregating on the NSW south coast at a place of our many watery triumphs. There'll be tall tales and taller boards but we'll be 18 again, at our favourite point, nights around the camp fire and paddling into the summer dawn, and won't it feel good.

Better get some sleep.

Getting close to 50 now .. still run up the sand dune each morning like a grommet .. even after checking the morning reports surf cams etc ..I’ll surf absolute rubbish most days just to keep fit for the good days.. heaps of the boys used to laugh .. nothing beats surfing fitness.. I still cross train but surfing fitness is a totally different fitness.. I loved it , boys nicknamed my mangrom.. I keep going till I can’t go any more...

You forgot to mention that some of us are just so adictted to surfing we keep going through to retirement age so have lots of time to chase waves again, ....... can then plan your week dependent on the surf forecast.
Pity about people working from home now though, midweek crowds have gone nuts, even in Southern Tassie!

For how much interest this article has piqued, would it be fair to say the major demographic of surfers who visit this site are 50-65 y.o ?

Would anyone give up if doing so actually felt BAD? Being a hopeless surf addict,I've had to forcibly kick the habit at times over the years. And you know what? I felt liberated. Everyone should try it ,ASAP

Mid fifties and still frothing. Will surf whatever craft until physically I can't.

from observation the main reason older surfers quit is they get fat. sorry, there's no other way to put it. no amount of foam compensates for the extra weight. there's nowhere to hide in a wetsuit or without. even putting on the rubber gets too hard with the big gut. let alone the vanity aspect. I can't speak to the stu type scenario of once being the alpha dog/hardest charger in the pack, but as a moderate surfer in his 60's , if you keep the weight down you can surf pretty close to your peak.
my other observation is you are either a longboard type or you aren't. I'm not. I have noticed that not infrequently better surfers get onto longboards etc, I think it may be because they seem more concerned with wave count and remembering the days they would dominate the pack.

As a surfer of over 45 years I am considering quitting.
In my 50's,still fit and rip as hard as ever.
Problem is I never grew up.
The lifetime devoted to the waves has left me devoid of quality relationships, education and career. It's so out of step that it's almost depressing going surfing.
When this covert thing allows me to leave the coast, I will, most likely never to return.
More waves for all you guys, a lot more, I do get way too many waves in a session than most due to ability, experience and fitness (not greed, I give away a ton of waves, not set waves though haha).

This thread has been super interesting to read. People leaning into deep philosophical questions with no easy answers. Why do I surf? How does surfing define me? What have I given up to be a surfer? What is the meaning of my life without surfing? Who am I if I can't surf?

Also, it is apparent that our requirement to be in great physical shape to enjoy our passion focuses our thoughts on facing our own mortality (possibly quicker than others). Unfortunately nothing lasts forever. Our surfing journeys will all end. The question is just how? Lose our passion? Distracted by life? Injuries? Ageing body? Die? No one has worked out yet how to surf forever. Our time is limited and that realisation is hard to accept. However, humans have an amazing ability to tell ourselves stories to distract us from that reality.

Why does surfing keep luring us all back? Why is it so addictive? Many reasons, but one of the most important is that state of 'flow'. When we are in the ocean chasing waves we are forced to live in the present. You need to be focused. Your mind doesn't wander as much to the past or the future. There is too much happening in the water that requires our immediate attention. Depending on your ability and experiences we need different conditions to get that total immersion (fully focused, for a beginner this may be 1ft slop, for someone else it may be 6ft Pipeline). This distraction, is a temporary escape from the realities of life. It allows us to rest our minds. It allows us to find an inner peace we can't find on land.

Without surfing we would need to face those inner demons more frequently and without distraction? Now that is a scary proposition.

The sheer volume of responses shows what an interesting topic you have raised Stu. I have, like quite a few others, reached a definite crossroad with my surfing. 57, I am struggling to beat an egg timer when it comes to getting to my feet. Paddling starting to wane as well. The circle of life ie birth (living within a very small universe), school (learning your place in the world), work (building assets to hopefully enjoy life) then death (horizons again reduced to one room) seems to be applicable to my surfing. Learning to surf, falling a lot, timing off, slow paddler. Getting good, horizons expand, searching for challenging waves, travelling. Then getting older and the quick beachies and slabs become too much of a challenge for lots of reasons and the horizons begin to contract. Back to falling off a lot.
I heard a young surfer girl laughing in the surf recently that someone had nicknamed her "speed hump". I loved that she was laughing about it, but it made me realise that I am rapidly regressing to a speed hump myself. I now avoid crowds even more due to the embarrassment of paddling for waves I no longer catch, or kooking the take off transition due to slowness. I can't embrace a longboard, I rightly or wrongly see it as giving up. And I watch perfectly reasonable humans become obnoxious wave pigs once they get on one. Even worse with SUPs. Once they start the "circle" of catching a wave every set regardless of crowd size, it's game over. I can't compete with younger and/or fitter people on shortboards, let alone a hipster on his 9 footer. Had to laugh recently after paddling out on a pretty good day. I caught a couple of decent leftovers straight up, then spent the next couple of hours getting snaked by everybody. 2 x SUPs doing the circle, then every other person in the line up kept paddling to my inside. I had not surfed this spot before so was trying to do the right thing and wait my turn which never came. Ultimately surfing is a very selfish sport. Our icons are largely epically selfish people who may be awesome to watch, but a nightmare to surf with (KS, MF, TC etc). Lost count of the amount of good conversations I have had in the car park with people who have just ruined a session for others, or are just about to.
Anyhow I am rambling, but the surf is up, so time to put my rapidly voluming up shortie in the car. The transition from 30 to 40 litres sure was quick. Hard to imagine life without surfing though. As someone said, like a golf course which is different every day. Hopefully today I won't be sub par.
Lastly, take a second to think whether you are "hogging". The most generous thing you can do is skip a wave every now and then. Just because you can catch every set, doesn't mean you should. You never know how much difference it could be making to someone's day/month/year/surfing career.

Sorry forgot to day, the laugh part of the session came when a guy they know started towing on a foil through the break. Threats yelled, general abuse. The wave hogs were not happy about being out hogged. Is there any other sport where inferior equipment gives you such an advantage? It's like a F1 race where trucks are also in the event, and they get a rolling head start.

I watched some free surfing footage of Trestles last night with Connor Coffin and Medina out in the crowd preparing for the finals day. The number of waves Medina caught was just amazing. It was as though the break was empty. He was always in the spot, on the inside takeoff or on the peak for the big ones and confident in any take off position to make it onto the face around big sections. Also, the X factor aura of being Medina and super competent meant the crowd just gave way to him.

He could of been more generous but that is not the point of my comment.

What was so interesting was how it highlighted the massive contrast between the alpha surfer's experience and the average surfer in waves caught in a crowded session. Maybe thirty waves for Medina and five for joe average.

The wind down in fitness and ability if you don't surf a lot and / or as you age creates a vicious cycle in crowded or difficult waves that can push you out the door pretty fast. You have to work to stay in the game.

I'm 49 and this SYD lockdown has really screwed with my mojo - i am outside the 5km zone so haven't surfed in 10 weeks, have thought about doing the sneaky a lot of times and then always think about how we need to do the right thing, don't want a 1000 buck fine etc, then on top waters cold, crowds are gonna be feral - doesn't take much and can already see how easy it is to slip away.......

@55 and with 47 years in the water. Still riding a selection of shortboards. Still Fit. I will never give up.

I feel good.
Looks like everyone was quitting in their 50's.
I stopped when I was 66. I am a photographer and when I bought a water housing, I now get my ocean fix with a camera rather than a board. The best thing is I now don't have to hassle with anyone and I get so much more enjoyment from the ocean again.

Been surfing a bit in the lockdown with my daughters boyfriend and family, instant crowd of 8 but they usually go down the beach so ok.
The girls get in the way a bit or drop in lol, the boys that are good surfers are like ants all over the joint, get 6 to my 2 waves.
Have been teaching my daughter if you get a good one when you paddle back out if you are on the inside don't just take the next one, share.
Doesn't work for the boys, if they try it on me I just drop in on them, only way to teach them lol.
Can't complain too much, am surfing more and keeping fit.
Lockdown finishes tomorrow night now so hopefully they all go back to work, school, uni etc.
Back to just the normal crowd :)

Unreal article Steve, what a thread too! Congratulations to all of you legends commenting, it's really awesome to hear all of your stories.

I'm 55 this year, I still surf whenever I can, probably 6-8 times a month. I did the whole mountain bike thing around 10 years ago, which resulted in a torn supraspinatus tendon, 6 months of rehab and steroid injections and ages out of the water - thus the MTB was sold and the former owner scolded for ever thinking that MTB was an option for fitness. BTW that torn supraspinatus is now fully ruptured and I go under the knife in November - the only reason I'm having surgery is so that I can surf for the rest of my life.

I got to a stage about 5 years ago, on a trip to the Ments where the waves were under 4 foot all week. I had traveled thousands of miles to catch fuck all waves - my wave count wouldn't have topped 15 for the whole trip - and it took this to show me that my equipment was nowhere near satisfactory for a 50 year old.

That trip changed me. I went straight to a new shaper, who worked with me to develop a new quiver and now my shortest board is a 6'10 squash tail thruster that tops out around 58L. I also have a 7'6" fish, an 8'4" fun board and my 9'6" gun to complete the set. My surfing improved over a few months and learning to ride all the different shapes keeps me on my toes. The range of conditions I can surf in has dramatically changed too.

The other thing I changed was my expectations. Now for me surfing has become mental freedom and stress relief. I can still get out the back, with the ocean and wildlife around me and nobody can get to me for anything unless they paddle out to me. Here's my mantra; 1 good wave will do me, 2 good waves and I'm blessed, 3 or more good waves has been an epic session.

Surf on forever legends.

Haven't read thru all the comments not sure if kitesurfing mentioned, have found this the better antidote between dreaded lycra cycling (mtb = broken bones, no thanks) or long drives to the coast, living by an enourmous bay. Closest feeling to surfing if you can dial into right waves and wind. Even our bay gets OH on occasion. It has possibly improved my surfing to the point where I think I'm better than I was when I was mid 20 (now 52). Know plenty of surfers who shred on a board and kite, and do both.

I would go years without surfing and fall in love with it again as have many others it seems recently. But it's something you've just gotta keep doing obviously no so easy in lockdown.

58 Years old, five months till 59. I have been surfing since I was fifteen.
For some of the 44 years I surfed daily, most of it weekly or fortnightly, and for about ten years about once a year. I was always only ok at it, able to hold my own at the local during the hero era of your twenties but I surfed bugger all in my 30s and have been working it around career and family ever since. I haven’t minded missing days, weeks, and sometimes years between surfs. This has probably kept my joints and muscles together for longer so I am only just starting to have wear and tear issues on my shoulders now. The rest of me is pretty good but from the mid 50s holy shit its got harder to stay at a level. That level being the level you want to be at, whatever that is.
There are many things that are different about surfing now. Until they invented surf cams if you weren’t at the beach you could only guess what you were missing out on. Now days you know it’s pumping when you are at work or at a family barbecue or whatever. There is a world of difference between being told, “you should have been here yesterday” and seeing Snapper or The Pass reel off in real time.
But you know for me that is ok too. Surfing has always been more a complete experience for me than just paddling on to and performing on a wave. Even now I would rather surf chest high picture perfect than twice as big onshore.
Surfing does have something for everyone, those that want to compete, the chargers, the travelers and the ones like me who just want to feel that special magic that surfing has.

Now days I don’t even care so much if I don’t live right at the beach. I read a comment from another older surfer well into his 70s. He said that it is better not to have waves across the road from your door. You appreciate more what you have to work for, you are not so picky and perhaps your sense of entitlement is not so developed. I don’t think any monoculture is good for you, even one based around something as inherently sublime and healthy as surfing.
Lately though, some strange thoughts have been coming to mind.

Nobody likes crowded surf. Actually that is not true. I think there is a certain kind of surfer who enjoys the gladiatorial battle of catching waves and surfing well in big packs like you see at Noosa. But I doubt many of them are over the age of 45.
What makes it worse for the older surfer is not just the physical, mental or philosophical difficulties but also the sheer force of memory. The memories of surfing at these locations when there was far less hassle, plenty of waves and of course far less bodies in the water.
After all you can’t surf forever, sooner or later the day will come. Is it better to pass on the diminishing returns and instead go out with a bang? Sure beachies are fun and in some parts of the world consistently good for months at a time but what if where you live they aren’t and what if where you surf the best banks get crowded as well. Obviously even for a cruiser like me what I will be able to do on a wave will become less and less. What if “just for the fun of it” isn’t enough anymore?
For example what would you do if you could have four hours at your favourite spot, maybe Kirra or Crescent, Narrabeen or Winki, in what you see as perfect conditions with a guarantee that any wave you want is yours? Throw in a jet ski to take you back out the back, two buddies, beers and a photographer to capture the moment as well.
Yep, I know you could do all of this on a boat charter to Indo or the Maldives and people do, but for my generation a lot of great memories are tied up with spots here in Australia. I also know there are now wave pools but I have not tried one so I don’t know how it feels as to how it looks.
I think it’s a bit like being in a rock band. Would you rather go out with a bang in a massive stadium tour or fade away playing the same songs year after year to punters sipping chardonnay on winery lawns?
So would you take the offer, knowing that when you paddle in you have to leave your board on the beach, walk away and call it quits for good?
And if you could, when would you do it? Now, at the peak of your remaining powers or maybe you would wait till a set age, say at 65 or 70?
Would you take it?

maybe you missed one factor FR, and from a skim of the above comments I didnt see specific mention of it - illness, having your passion ripped away from you at your prime. That's my story (its complex, largely related to a photosensitivity issue, and other muscular pain). But I never broke up with the ocean (as someone above commented must happen if you quit). I did eventually move away from it, in part to avoid the relentless disappointment of seeing or knowing it was pumping and not being able to get amongst it, but was still visiting on occasion to much joy. But now I am blessed with the opportunity to revisit and stay at the beach for a few days at a time on a regular basis, and I must say this more intense reconnection with the ocean has been amazing for the soul. And its also rekindling the idea that I can actually get back amongst it, in a much reduced capacity (short pre-dawn stints), so that is my medium-term plan. I even bought a new springsuit. I've never lost the knowledge of how good a dawn oily glassy solo session is for my wellbeing...

Great comments befitting a great article...Well written Freeride....
We probably all shared the same waves at one point 20, 30 or 45 years ago....
I haven't quit and probably never will voluntarily......But I have certainly slowed the pace......My vertical re-entry is now more of a slow arcing top turn and my figure 8 cutty is nothing but a mild change of direction......
I guess whatever path takes you too, or away from surfing, the memories, stoke, lessons and visions will always remain...
Geez, If I'm standing on a river bank and a boat goes past, I am instantly grommetized by the perfect 2 or 3 inch left hander that reels along the sand.....Same with standing on the deck of a boat watching the never ending handers from the prop wash.......
Waves are mesmerizing and deeply ingrained in all of us.
I am now living in a part of the world not traditionally known as a wave haven, but it does have it's glory days........More often than not, I'm having a body wedge and searching that little bit of tube vision.........The barrel is only big enough for my boof head, but it instantly takes me back to my stand up pit days in the West when I was younger.......
A couple of months ago, there was a long weekend holiday and tens of thousands of holiday makers came to town from Saigon and the waves were clean but smallish at around three to four foot on the sets, along a stretch of beach about 5 k's long...
There was literally 10 -15 thousand people on the beach and only one surfer in the water.......me.......I felt kinda special, because i was looking at the masses on the sand and enjoying something no one else even realized was there.....
We are all lucky, lucky bastards.......
Board volume and age withheld....but plenty and plenty of both...

A great thread and inspiring reading about surfers over 70 . I am 62 . I have never lost the passion for surfing just the fitness .

In Melb , working , don't like cold water and have kids .

Bought a Mal 30 years ago to get waves at Curl Curl . It helped a lot sitting 10 meters out from the pack waiting for the odd bigger wave . Most other surfers hate mal riders but I don't care . I will not do stand up boarding ( yet ) .

Have taken the Mals to Indo and at 90kg have no trouble throwing them around . Riding waves are easy , catching them and popping up are the hard bits . Paddling is easy to get fit for ( tie my leggy around a tree and jump in the pool ) but popping up is my problem .

Unfortunately , due to circumstances , I have had very few surfs in the last 5 years . Especially in the last 3 years due to not going on a trip when I get my wave count up .

I always look forward to getting back into the surf and am prepared to do the hard yards to get surfing fit . It is a shame I loose it so quickly .

funny how this thread is like a therapy session......right up there with the most contributions in the forum i can remember......

You know Simba..... you are right mate.....
I was laying on a long leather couch when I wrote my spiel.......I feel so much better now......The wonders of Therapy..
Freeride76 should be the new SN counsellor....Looking forward to next weeks appointment already....

I wonder how many surfers quit after getting surfers ear and developing a hideous, high pitched ringing noise that never goes away

Spent 10 days in Krui around Easter 2019. It pumped the whole time, with super fun sessions at the Peak and the bowl. But the last two days we had Mandiri 4ft+ and perfect all day with maybe 10 guys out. That was something else. Bathwater beach break pits for days. Doesn't get better. Got back home and didn't get back in the water for a good 6 months. My mate calls me a champagne surfer now. Also doesn't help having my local 6km from home...

Wow, the comments, stories, insights, inner reflections and advice above are great.

I grew up in the North Eastern suburbs of Adelaide (closer to the Barossa than surf), some 1hr 20min drive to Victor Harbor where there's reliable, consistent surf, but nothing overly pumping. The Mid Coast was 45mins away and I was introduced to the ocean by yearly summer holidays down to Port Elliot when I was very young.

Pulling into shories on the boog at Port Elliot, then Boomers and sometimes, if we were up for it Knights into my teenage years.

Then one trip I remember seeing the surfers off Middleton and mentally going, I want to do that. It was my first year of Uni (18 yrs old) and just before summer holidays I remember looking in the classifieds and there was a second hand board going in the next suburb over from me. What were the odds? I bought it, drove myself down to Middleton and taught myself to surf on this shockingly thin banana short board. I probably wouldn't even be able to ride it these days!

I started getting to my feet and then our annual, two week summer holiday trip arrived. I went 3x a day, totally addicted and seeing improvement every surf. I remember when starting seeing people sitting out the back in the calm sea beyond the breakers, and all I wanted to do was paddle out back and sit with them, not being smashed by the constant whitewash. Anyone who knows Middleton knows that even at 2ft there's 200 duck dives to be had to get out there.

Well by the end of the two weeks I could get out back, trim and do slow cutbacks and even pulled off this floater I still remember to this day. That was it, and I've not looked back since!

The main point of my story is I feel the majority that stick with it are those who didn't grow up by the coast (and also started a bit later in the their teenage years/early 20's), not being able to surf before or after school of whenever they wished. I don't take it for granted and never will and that keeps my stoke going.

Driving for hours on end to trips further west also makes having surf only a few minutes away from home now a novelty which I'm very thankful for.

I'll never stop and will just adjust my boards as I age but surfing every kind of craft, suitable to the conditions keeps it fresh. Also road trips and missions to lesser known breaks keeps the adventure and stoke alive.

I lived life in reverse. First "boys" surf trip to PNG aged 59. Now 66 and have averaged 1 surf trip to various places every year (except 2021). Still as keen as trying to catch up for all the missed years. Went to school in Lithgow and worked away from the coast. So also started having holiday surfs late in life and moved to the coast when I was 59.

It’s worth noting that in the 70s it was almost unheard of to surf past your late twenties. Most blokes just considered themselves too old for it and ended up at the pub/ TAB…true story. Now the average surfer is probably in their late thirties.

Some really interesting comments, especially from those of you a few decades older (I'm 35). I've been really aware how easy it is for surfing to slip away, so I remain pretty disciplined staying flexible and not too unfit.

Like others a mixture of crowds and lackluster waves can be a real downer. I've spoiled myself with a decade of good Indo memories in great waves, and the last few years pushing myself into bigger waves and that has really given life to my surfing. I've lost none of the stoke with not being able to get to Indo, but my surfing life has fewer intense peaks at the moment that's for sure. I will be doing Indo trips of 2-8 months long for as long as life will let me once it opens back up. At home I'm riding a mix of boards, and will surf for 8 hours a day on good days because I know there'll be weeks with nothing to phone home about in between.

One thing that might steer me away from surf for a long period that I haven't seen mentioned is that you just miss out on so much by being so connected to the sea. At the moment I'm 7 weeks into a 10 week long stint working in remote Aboriginal communities across APY and Ngaanyatjarra Lands and I haven't seen any body of water bigger than a dunny bowl for two months. But I've had the most wonderful time in years. I've learned so much and just grown so much personally over that time, and have had to be pretty careful to not take up one of the half dozen job offers I've had to spend a few years here in the desert. There's so much to learn, to experience, and with a background in linguistics and anthropology my mind is positively racing out here. I've more or less told myself I'll do a 1-2 year stint out here before I am 45. Another mate was going to come, but couldn't face the 10 weeks away from waves and stayed home. We chat most weeks and can't believe what each other is missing out on.

I quit surfing at least 3 times a week. I've also retired from commercial fishing every year for the last seven years. Tomorrow I'm giving up drinking beer .

Hey Tubeshooter....if you need support on the beer give up thingy.....let me know...
I gave up an hour ago....we can get through this mate....
Cheers
Oops......regards Megzee