Re-creating the connection...Advice please
Oh ye who seek our counsel.....
The elders have spoken regarding your dilemma.....
What ever your smokin......stop it now
I was actually thinking a similar type thing lately about how important it is to be so close to the ocean.
I live about 1km from the beach unfortunately no view of the ocean, but I have been working at a place with a view of a good wave, really made me realise how awesome just having that view of a wave/ocean is, you just feel so connected, instantly know what tide it is what the wind and swell is doing and just a snap shot of that every changing feel of the ocean that cant be described in words.
It's the same deal in Indo, IMHO if you are going to stay at a camp/resort you need a wave in eyesight to keep tabs on ideally just a short paddle away.
Sorry don't have too much advice to the OP, other than keeping at tab on the forecast and tabs on live winds and wave buoy etc
Thanks ID for understanding my conundrum. I really hope someone can shed some light on how maybe to best remedy or at least appease the situation. Stu's got kids and doesnt live on the beach does he? I wonder what he does to keep that sand between toes ocean connection feeling?
I understand that the hills may create some weird vortexes but can’t you set up a wind sock somewhere and deduce what’s what from paying attention to what direction it’s pointing after you’ve just scoped the ocean first hand ?
I've actually found windy to be quite good at predicting the intricacies of the local geography, at least at the spots I frequent anyway. It's certainly better than any of the other forecasting tools in that regard IMHO.
It's really good at picking how much the sea breeze will wrap when combined with different wind strengths - something which I've not seen from other tools thus far.
Spookypt, my comment was pure sarcasm, which is the lowest form of wit.....but....
Anyway, one's connection with the ocean is entirely personal and in your case it takes as much time to make a cup of tea as it does to drive to the beach...
Consider the fact that your 3 acres is your little nest away from the built up beach suburbia, which, at times is good to escape from....
I guess my original comment came from you mentioning you moved "inland" six years ago so you must have had time to come up with an ocean connection game plan......I reckon there is a large percentage of SN readers who would love to be in your position therefore your ocean connection may not be lost, it may just take a bit more effort to get the view.
I work in the offshore game for extended periods and when I get home, my little acreage 15 minutes west of Noosa was a peaceful, quiet and private recluse.....But the first new day at home, my trusty hound and me would be doing the early beach run....
Get into a routine mate....make a cuppa and head to your nearest beach carpark at 4.30 every morning and enjoy the sunrise while gauging what 'fruits" are there for the taking....no waves, have a body bash, or you will soon know what ocean mood is taking place....
Living on a small acreage not far from the coast is pretty bloody ideal mate...
As a final counsel, consider the hardcore lads who may work in some waveless or oceanless stinkin dusty NW town who think nothing of driving 10 hours to get their wave fix......
I hope you find a nice balance Matt
I live 3-5 minutes from my local point break, thankfully Swellnet has set up new cameras covering every angle of the break. I just wish they were solely for my use and not you lot.
I check the surf on the way home from work in the arvo, it should be the same tide in 12 hours and glassy.
Yeah, gotta agree with megzee. Everyone creates their own connection with the ocean. I know how you feel, Matt. I used to live right on the beach but then bought an acreage about five minutes drive from the coast. At first, I missed being able to see the ocean all day, but it wasn’t long before I started to appreciate living in the bush, which I now prefer due to the peace and quiet, and the privacy. I still go to the beach every morning for an early surf, walk or swim before work, and it’s the most special time of the day. I think my connection with the ocean is stronger than ever because I savour the few hours I spend there. In retrospect, perhaps I used to take living on the beach for granted. As the old saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder. I also think that people who can go to the beach every day are amongst the luckiest people in the world. We should be grateful!
Yeah SpookyPt, three kids and I live a km from the beach, though I've gone times in my life when I've lived right on the coast and could watch the ocean from sunrise to sunset.
I don't feel I'm missing anything substantial by not seeing the ocean every waking moment. What I find is that my notion of 'coastal living' is slightly broader for moving out of sight of the ocean.
A big thing is learning what the wind is doing by how it's behaving around local features when the ocean isn't visible. The main one for me is the escarpment. I can usually discern wind direction based on local influences, fog and cloud levels etc., particularly onshore winds. Offshore winds are a bit harder but I still challenge myself to get it right. Make a prediction before I check the obs. Was I right or was I wrong? Why..? Keep sharpening those skills.
Because of the kids I do a bit of driving around, but, and this drives the kids crazy, I make sure every road goes past the beach.
Pull into the carpark on the way to soccer.
Pull into the carpark on the way home from soccer.
Pull into the carpark on the way to the IGA.
Pull into the carpark on the way to school.
Pull into the carpark on the way to swimming.
etc etc etc
Now Im starting to get a better picture of my "predicament" which in fact may not really be one at all. The direction I was going was changing my external environment at significant cost to replicate what I have, whereas perhaps the real answer is changing my mindset at no real cost at all. I know Im very lucky...and I know many would be pretty stoked with what I have....but when something is missing, I guess with the help of those who understand, to source the root of the problem to attain the cure. So a special thanks to everyone for your help. Im going to do some research on the wind issue. Even when I lived on the beach I used the cranes on the buildings (Gold Coast) to determine wind change/direction. Here I live at the base of a mountain that is horse shoe shaped and the winds do crazy things.. That said overall, perhaps a change in approach and mindset will be far a greater outcome than moving a few k's east and owing the bank a small counties GDP. Its just never felt normal for me here...Perhaps a full mindset change and recalibration is my best solution! (Stu 3 kids!! Medals in the mail!)
Dude. I live 90km from the nearest surfable coastline and am lucky to actually see the ocean once a fortnight, and that's not going to change any time in the next decade, as far as I can see. My main connection to salt water is either via a screen (i.e. Swellnet), or by the very occasional half hour I can steal to sneak out to the shed and refine a rail on my latest board.
Not to downplay your situation - we all experience these things individually - but 5km (7 mins) really doesn't sound all that far to me.
I'm a bit like Stu, lived all over from absolute beachfront to an hour away from any rideable surf (Brissy, Western Sydney) but where we are now is pretty cool. Our house has an ocean view but I can't see the waves but I can get a pretty good idea of the conditions. We're about 5 mins drive from the closest surf spot and 15 mins from what I would class as my local. It's the jewel in the crown in my prefecture and very localised. Lot of varying spots north and south as well condition dependent.
I like it here, my house backs onto forest and k's and k's of walking tracks almost all the way to the Japanese Alps. Got a cracking view overlooking our city but only 3 mins drive to the centre. Anyway, I don't miss being beachfront, very happy where we are, close to everything but also surrounded by peace and quiet. I also have the added bonus of working mostly from home even prior to corona.
I check the surf most days and when we drive my wife gets the shits cause she likes to come or go the mountain way which is the nicer drive but I always go the coast way so I can see the ocean.
Spooky, being a few minutes away on acreage sounds sweet. I could think of a dozen people right now who would envy you.
I'm like Surfstarved and many other Adelaide surfers, grew up in the north-east so 45 mins away from a surfable wave and 80 mins from the reliable South Coast.
I've never lived on the beach or within eye sight of the ocean, but living one suburb in from Manly seems like the best compromise. Cheaper rent, great little street and suburb, parking and also a breather from always being down the beach and surfing.
I've never taken going for a surf for granted and I guess that's why I still enjoy grovelling what ever there is to surf as to be mere minutes away from the ocean is quite a dream from where I grew up.
Geez fellas I really respect and appreciate the time you have taken to reply and your comments have all been taken constructively. Even just from todays responses its feeling more and more like Ive been naval gazing it a bit too much. I have what many would think is the perfect set up with serenity (House shed pool) no debt happy wife and weeny and yet for some reason I think I need a location change to make myself feel more connected. Its definitely pointing more and more towards a change of focus and approach over a change of position.
That $500K you saved yourself will provide plenty of scope to visit amazing surf spots .
Amen to that Blowin!
Wow. I grew up in a Vic coastal town then went to boarding school an hour inland at 13, Melbourne for uni and work, Canberra move at 35 and have just made the coast change @45 8km+ from a plethora of spots. I feel like I'm living on the sand. Last night I could even hear the SE swell as the night stilled, beautiful!!
What Stu said about gauging winds. If there are trees/windsocks around and you can suss what that means on the coast, nice. The roof of our place gets an ocean view and so far I've been unsuccessful in persuading the Ms that a wall-attached ladder is a good addition to the hallway, to get to its upper windows.
Other than that, disguise a group of drones as honeyeaters and send them to the coast each morning... or drive to check the early?
We've always tried to live near the coast, only one rental looked directly over the sea (that was awesome, would do again, moved in during a crazy lightning storm). Used to take my eldest down the the beach and he slept in my arms to the sound, happy as a baby. Good memories. Currently we can walk to the surf if we have to.
What you see can make a difference in the amount you surf. In Geraldton, for eg, the prevailing vector of wind is from the south, and the SSE can make the ocean on the south side of town look onshore when it probably isn't, and you go 'Ah, flag it..' - wheras if you have views on the north side of town that same SSE looks offshore, so you go for a surf. My 2c anyway...
Geraldton seems to be a place where beach side living is still affordable compared to the east coast
https://www.realestate.com.au/property-residential+land-wa-greenough-202...
https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-tarcoola+beach-134628186
https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-west+end-134453538
https://www.realestate.com.au/property-residential+land-wa-glenfield-202...
Gero looks cheap as chips.
There ya go Spookypt.....Simply compare what you Do Have to what you Don't have and you should clearly realize your Do's are miles ahead mate.....
"Procrastination is the thief of time"
good luck Matt
Yep I have a soft spot for Gero.
Edit: the West End one, a different type of title? iirc?
Thats right VJ. West end buyers dont get a land title. The land is leased from the govt. who extended the lease to 2025 last time it came up. The whole area is low lying so one day when the lease comes up it may not be extended.
VJ, you didn't mention your eldest at the time was 14 and a bit pudgy?
Must have been a slog carrying that sleeping teen-ager around.
Hi everyone, please excuse my first world problem in a year that has created such angst and issue but I seek your counsel in any case.
Its been 6 years since I moved away from 25 years of direct beachside living. Always on the pulse, always watching the wind for change, the swell to rise, the ocean dynamics to create that little opportunity to get wet. Sometimes 3 surfs a day I managed to ride my pushy to the beach to enjoy the oceans ripe fruit!
Now I'm land locked, well not really landlocked, I live 5ks/7mins from the beach on 3 acres with my family all my worldly possessions finally under one roof and as spoilt as it sounds can surf any beach or rock shelf I want rather rather than just the one home bound dedicated beachy that served me so well.
But I feel my "connection" to the ocean is gone. Well not gone entirely gone but that Johnny on the spot feeling of getting it on when its on....that connection is gone. I cant tell the wind from where I live as the mountains make east blow west and north blow south and somewhere in between. If it wasnt for SN I'd be blind to whats happening 5 mins away. So what Im chasing, from those who dont live ON the beach and have a family and all the rest which comes with late 40's life, how do you maintain the connection with mother ocean.
Im considering moving back to the ocean beach side, but the way property has gone through the COVID roof with Viccos moving here it will work out to be roughly $100k per kilometer based on my being only 5ks from the water. So what do you guys do to stay connected to the ocean and not let inland life take over...
Any advice?
Matt