And that's coming from me, the harshest spotter of trite on this site.
You are a truly fine word-crafter, Mike, you've evoked so strongly all the sensory impressions and some of the feelings of this memory. Therein lies my crit, you evoke well the sensory impressions, perhaps not so well the feelings... hmm, I'm not sure about that crit, it evoked the feelings for me but maybe not for those who haven't experienced it, I'd like to hear a landlocked person's response to this.

Another conditional crit is the inversion of grammar for rhyme in the lines
Chest high into the surf I wade
my body on the breakers glides
that's a pet peeve of mine. Yodaism.

Your complex irregularities in meter are fine, even positively effective, nothing jars to my ear, even in the last stanza.

Bloody fine work, mate.
I'd like to record this poem on Soundcloud and post the link here. May I also post it to Facebook or would you rather wait till you have revised?

I can walk into this poem. I can see, hear and smell the day. The last three, short lines are clever.
Sorry, not much of a critique, but I can't find anything wrong with it.
Like Jess, I'm not hugely fond of the inversion of grammar to force a rhyme, but if he hadn't mentioned it, you might have got away with it :-)
Jx

I grew up in a city by the ocean. Almost every Sunday, I was there in the ocean, rain or shine. I left my hometown at the age 18. I never get a chance to go back, except for three visits. The last visit was in 1977.

Your poem reflects the cherished memories of my childhood. Lovely.

I like Yoda speak...
we should all talk like that at his tender age..
made Luke Listen
I liked the Hmmmph
I got a lot of that from the elders

great writing....poetry rhyme
descript of the waves is awesome
natural cadence and beat
rythym
ha..spell not me as shit!
hmmph

Try...U musht try..
Okay..Hey my coffee cups
is just about...her....
a little more.
"Honey!" shit..
glad its a travel plastic mug!!
"Can U come up and cook
the pork chops!"
"Be right up baby"

duty calls...
excellent poem!!

like the bird reference
and ending works

thank U!

At work, not a lot of time.
This one's very good. Atmosphere and imagery are spot on, invocation of feelings are great.
I stumbled on stanza 1 line 3, I think because of "tumbles towards", it makes the line a little choppy. Perhaps "rolls towards" instead? Sounds smoother to me, and the one less syllable matches more closely the preceding lines.
Last three lines: an excellent choice, nice and abrupt, they reinforce the imagery and emotion.
Good stuff man, keep it coming!

I love this
I too spent much of my childhood and teenage years at the beach - body surfing my favourite occupation....

I do think a few verses (lines) are a tad lengthy, messing with your rhythm ... I stress that this is imo only.... but

just as it curls and tumbles toward the land.... (drop 'and tumbles')
until I stop on sea weed littered sand.... (Drop 'sea')

reaching out as far as they can span ....(drop 'out'),
who hide themselves again in fluid sand... (drop 'themselves)

and plop down on a tattered family quilt.... (this is also too long, but I think you might get away with it)

one I’ve been anticipating,.... (I think 'it's ' at the beginning of this verse (line) might help the rhythm)

Fourth stanza, great

The last stanza has lengthy lines as well, but somehow they work ok....

Again, I stress, this is imo only
love judy
xxx

Just click on the Edit button above the title.

I swim astride and hitch a ride,
my body on the breakers glides
is worth the yodaism, it reads beautifully.
Astride sounds like something you do with your legs, maybe 'and glide'?
Then perhaps 'breaker slides'. Just some thoughts.

that I might capture one and ride it to the land
if you lost 'it' it would scan better, I think.