Do you surf better? Does it enhance the experience? Do you ever see God?
Do you enjoy the surreal effects of marijuana? Do you inflate your lungs before a surf? Is it a regular thing?
I’ve never been one for weed. Looses all those demons that are happily shackled, revs up a paranoia that otherwise never shows. And everyone I knew at school who were zealots for green became, over time, dumb, sluggish and stupid.
But, some dig. Maybe you dig?
Earlier today, I fell into a message stream on reddit of surfers back and forthing on the subject of surfing while high. I had no idea it was still such a thing.
Here are some highlights.
I’m not sure if raising the topic of weed is going to be suicidal here. I just wanted to see if anyone else here is a fan of it in the context of surfing. Because sweet mother, it’s glorious! I’ve always felt connected to the ocean when surfing, but surfing while high is like making love to her. Everything flows so perfectly, and being able to play with that flow and be a part of it… it’s just straight up beautiful.
And yes, I would say that my performance is worse (in terms of how I’d score in a competition). But the criticality of a turn, or the depth of a barrel doesn’t matter when you’re high. All that matters is fitting into that flow perfectly, and riding the wave as it’s presenting itself to be ridden. And when you can do that, nothing feels better!
Yeah I dunno, I like to smoke sometimes on smaller days when it’s nice out, but not so much if its bigger or more hollow or cold and I have to concentrate more.
I’m with you on this one man. When it’s nice pleasant surf I’m all about having a cheeky toke beforehand. But yeah, if it’s big angry surf, I definitely prefer to have my reactions over my flow.
When i got high and surfed, you can feel the turns and the board beneath your feet. for me; i gave less shit about what people thought and just had flow with the wave. No effort needed to turn, no effort to snap or push or do floaters, it all just happened. people who saw me were like HOLY SHIT dude how the fuck did you get so good?! would try again
That’s exactly it man! It really does all just happen. And yeah, I think when it feels that good, it looks just as good. I’ve been getting compliments on my riding style since I started riding high too, which though I like to think I’m quite modest, is always nice to hear! Though some of the adjectives crack me up a bit… ‘groovy’ was used once haha.
The feeling of being underwater made me laugh uncontrollably for some awesome reason and the water literally glimmered like sparks were jumping across the waters surface. The set waves were really intimidating because I would focus on every little change that occurred as the wave came inland and I remember the sound of the waves tripped me the fuck out because I realized the sound was being generated solely by water crashing on itself.
Mixed reviews. Surfed on a solid double overhead day on a left-hand pointbreak after eating some brownies. Really awesome. I think I only caught four or five waves, but they were fun. It felt like everything happened very fast – start paddling for a wave, all of a sudden you’re in it getting ready to pop up, thinking to yourself “duhhhh how do I do this again?” but it just happens and then if you’re like me you grab the rail on anything remotely exciting on the backside. It felt like just sitting out back, you felt the energy and excitement of the ocean more, every little undulation of the swell and the way the wind played across the water.
On the other hand, after vaping, I surfed a break on a really small day with two random 12 year olds who couldn’t stop complaining about how bad the waves were. Harshed my mellow for a good ten minutes until I realized I should paddle away to another break.
I’m a fan of using drugs to help me see things that I have a hard time seeing otherwise. I also appreciate that folks might want to blaze then go splash around ’cause it’s fun, but in your post you’re talking about finding a connection to the ocean that you haven’t found without ganja.
Now that you’ve felt that, how could that happen again with you, your board and the ocean as the only ingredients? If I couldn’t answer that question, or didn’t want to answer that question, then the dope’s just a filler, not a tool.
I didn’t mean to sound preachy. I mean all this self reflection, not judgement. Blaze away.
I’m all for it. It’s magical. The session in the morning of 4/20 was one of the best I’ve had. I’ll never forget sitting on the board out the back, just bobbing gently, look over my left should to see one of my best mates and a rising sun, look over my right shoulder to see a beautiful full rainbow. It’s the first time I’ve ever truly regretted not having a GoPro.
So tell me: do you ever surf stoned? Is it a little, maybe half a J or a cone, or a whole lot?
Do you get better, does it enhance the experience? Do you see God?
Im not so passionate about boardsports. I won’t surf if it’s 4ft over head. But if I’m going surfing or skating or snowboarding, I’m gonna be stoned. If it’s a small day, I’m gonna be fried. If it’s a big day, or I really am in the mood to skate, I might just take a couple tokes to take the edge off, and help me feel the board more, but still have some reflexes
For me I feel that the adrenaline shot you get when surfing cancels out the high your getting from the THC. Doesn’t stop me from smoking before every surf tho smh.
I love surfing high, but skateboarding not so much lol I guess I’m just better surfing. Dropping in a 3ft concrete bowl while completely high kinda gets me anxious
if its solid an u have some hash hook me up. not head fucked just relaxed an ready to go..
i’ll second nick carroll on the coke deal. did a few lines before a surf last year in 3 ft waves an just couldn’t deal. never again..
mushrooms an acid can b great .. there’s a time an place for everything 😉
Thats interesting. For me, indica is just too heavy to surf after smoking. I’m a strictly sativa guy for surf sessions. On land, I’ll gladly swing both ways.
A small toke can take a C grade session to A++. Best not to make it a regular habit though, as the effect can become quickly normalised and you’re suddenly “that guy”.
2C-I on a small, sunny, turquoise water summer day at windansea….the boundary between myself and the water/reef was dissolved, one of the stranger things I’ve experienced. Loved it.
My best trips have been the ones in the ocean and I don’t think it’s a coincidence. With weed and psychedelics, all that time spent being introspective and possibly anxious on land can disappear when you are in the water focusing on surfing, away from it all. Big fan.
Dude…. I surfed way better when I was stoned back in college!
Man… I was just as good as all the hot pros… and in my mind, I was pulling off huge moves when I was surfing high!
I could feel it man… I was totally ripping!
Hey man… where’s my car?
A small toke works wonders on me, makes my mind more like a child’s. Did my first air in 10 years while surfing high for the first time. Too often though…seems to suck the life out of it, and out of life in general.
Nobody has mentioned hashish which is of course the only substance that one ought to consume pre surf. None of the paranoia or headiness just pure relaxation and zen like focus. Works well for bigger waves too.
Very small amounts of K can be euphoric. All that sloshing about in a wetsuit. I grinned like a cheshire cat whilst having a total blast on my own. Alcohol though… awful. Instant guilt and just no ability to do anything other than duck dive. And hate. So much hate. For everything. A few folks in northern Spain swear by a shit load of beers and a surf. I think it’s lost on me.
used to punch least 3 billies before every surf, good vicco hyge too.
so fucken bent. fun times.
i hope it was from a gato hidden in the dunes.
The only thing I miss about weed is it’s wave enhancing abilities…. 1ft dribble suddenly becomes a solid 1ft with a double up section built for airs on the inside.
The inverse is not true: don’t paddle out to a ledging, overhead, pipeline-like wave after consuming a super brownie . . . feels like you’re at jaws on a 6′ 0″.
Regardless of the individual experiences.
I’ve found that the more drugs that go in, the less I end up surfing… lowlight/highlight was not surfing for two years.
half a tab.
mull cookies for long paddles, and all day desert sessions.
paranoia on dry land, nice body-stone in the water. Far more likely to swing on one.
humanity has co-evolved with drugs, fact. Thats why we have extraordinary neural pathways and chemical messengers that respond to them.
I want a full essay on the last two sentences, please.
For me I think surfing stoned must once have been pretty fun but quickly became the norm, and eventually a boring letdown. Then I just fucked it off. Surfing on acid has been fucken epic every time, but then again I’ve only surfed on acid in amazing waves, so that is a bit unfair. Surfing on cocaine felt like a waste of good cocaine. Surfing drunk felt stupid and un-co-ordinated. Surfing doesn’t need the additives in my opinion. Nothing does actually. The world is quite enough on its own.
Most memorable sesh of my life was on acid. Never did it again.
Your experience for the most part corroborates my thesis above. Thank you.
I’m qualified to teach an undergraduate course on this topic. What drugs do you want to know about?
Weed: Pretty ordinary – it takes away your desire to paddle over to the right spot.
Speed: Excellent.
Acid: It’s difficult to know whether this goes well or not. Seems good at the time.
Shrooms: see Acid.
Cocaine: see Speed.
Alcohol: Amazing confidence. Win every paddle battle and take every late drop with ease. Some coordination issues as you push it further.
Ketamine: Fucked, never again.
Pain killers: Weird. Coordination is extremely disabled and you take pleasure in refusing to duck dive in the face of 6ft of white water. I’d imagine a lower dose is dandy.
If we wanna start talking combinations let me know.
Fuck how did I forget the love of my life!!!
Ecstasy: Best feeling on Earth.
Doing mushrooms and then attempting to surf overhead and oh-so-fun Puerto Escondido seemed like one of my better ideas. The enlightenment followed by total gripping fear being stuck in a rip is not one I’d wish upon anyone.
I paddled out at ‘fun’ puerto by myself the afternoon I arrived in the town. No one out. Got exfoliated on the seabed.
Thanks for the application, sir, but I’m afraid there was a superior candidate.
Congratulations, Mr Parker.
Tried once, nearly drowned … Never again.
I almost drowned I paddled so far down the beach into an ever enlarging close-out under the cliffs to escape the madding crowd after half a joint.