Anyone else get some today...?

[Piggity]

^Geez, why you gotta do that to me? I wake up expecting waves but it's flat and now I see this. At least someone is scoring.

[jtran10]

Looks like fairly strong S wind throughout the day today. Haven't really seen that yet around here.

[Piggity]

Well if that swell will ever fill in then there's this perfect south Wind spot that will be on fire. Wind was off shore down here until about an hour ago, damn small waves

[supermodel159]

^Geez, why you gotta do that to me? I wake up expecting waves but it's flat and now I see this. At least someone is scoring.

I went almost all summer with no waves, so that was my reward...

[Piggity]

I have absolutely no idea where that is but for some reason I get this feeling of baja. 7 sisters area? Looks fun mang, glad you scored.

[jtran10]

Unrelated, but do any of the SD-area mags go up to Mammoth semi-regularly, both on weekends and storm chasing? Thinking about pulling the trigger on the $729 MVP pass (already got the Mt Baldy pass for my gf and I). We've got an instructor friend and a lifty friend so I've got a place to stay, but still looking for a carpool type option before I drop a lot of money. Especially with gas prices this month.

[shera]

Unrelated, but do any of the SD-area mags go up to Mammoth semi-regularly, both on weekends and storm chasing? Thinking about pulling the trigger on the $729 MVP pass (already got the Mt Baldy pass for my gf and I). We've got an instructor friend and a lifty friend so I've got a place to stay, but still looking for a carpool type option before I drop a lot of money. Especially with gas prices this month.

I see $4.50, can I get a $5? Going, going....

[Ottime]

$4.50. Damn, life is cheap in SoCal. We are up above $4.70 in these parts. I'm gonna start having to surf within biking distance of the home if this keeps up. Seriously, prices like that might keep me from doing any day trips to the mountains this year. Overnighters only.

On another note (say surf related) holy cow was it oily glassy out there this afternoon. Spent a few hours within spitting distance of San Mateo county, and while we had to wait for the sets, it was brilliant. I love that bowl when it works. Chest to slightly OH and fun.

Piggity, this swell is pretty small scale, so i would not hold your breath. We are seeing mostly 4.5@15s right now, so up on the open coast that is topping out at about 6-7' faces. In town is more like chest high. I imagine anywhere past Pt C is pretty small. Maybe the next round will fill in more.

[icelanticskier]

holy shit gas is expensive out there! 3.67 here and i thought that was bad!

^^^^^^^the black oily bowl sounds devine. nothin here today, but next week could be very active.

rog

[shera]

It is raining hard in Point Loma right now, first time I ever saw it. Do you guys stay out of the ocean because of pollution or get after it because it's glassy?

[Piggity]

If you're talking about surfing the beaches in OB then I wouldn't advise it, especially if you havent had your hep shots. Dog beach jetty has direct flow from the river and is one of the more polluted places in SD after it rains.

As for surfing other spots, usually the first rain of the season like this seems to produce more runoff. I usually try to pick a spot away from river mouths and storm drains. I used to not care but I'm a little more cautious these days. My buddy surfed in a sewage spill in Cbad the other day and he found out afterward but didn't care. Everyone has their own level of tolerance for surfing polluted water. My threshold tends to go sky high on surf trips or when the surf is firing. I don't even want to know what was in the water in El Salvy

[supermodel159]

Another one from my trip. Yes, I know, that is not a makeable wave.

[Ottime]

sick shot. love the sand.

As for paddling out after a storm, I tend to stay north of town, especially early in the season. This last one did not really make much flow up here, so a lot is still sitting in lagoons, festering and brewing. The first time those break through, it gets a bit nasty, especially from Cowells through the Point. Up north, it is mostly agri run off, which, while nasty, is not as nasty as city shit.

I am pretty sure I picked something up from a minor red tide. I never saw it, but I hear it was bad along West Cliff, and I was only a few miles northwest. Not enough to make me not surf though. Just a bit stuffed and uncomfortable, but the waves have been fun. I would not paddle out into thick muck or floaties, but if the surf looks good, then you make some concessions. As Piggity said, there as some spots you just avoid.

[Piggity]

Does all of California get a 72 hour water advisory?

There are only a few places that I'll wait 72 hours before surfing - OB jetty, IB are top on the list. Not saying I haven't before but it was years ago. Other places I'll surfing mid-storm without 2nd thoughts. In my eyes IB is the measuring stick for pollution in SD, everything you can possibly imagine is found in the TJ river. That said, I've surfed it 24-48 hours after a rain and a few guys I know will surf there during the rain. One of my friends woke up one day with a mystery rash from head to toe and he thinks it was from surfing IB. I started becoming more cautious after that, it was so bad that I wouldn't even shake the dude's hand when I saw him. He agreed.

[Piggity]

Actually I'm wrong, the first time I started becoming more cautious was years before when I was surfing baja a bunch. The raw sewage emptying into the lineup down there seems to be some of the dirtier conditions I've seen. I had the sewage pipe empty on me at San Miguel mid session and it not only smelled but looked extremely bad, I wanted to puke. Instead I went home that night and got the worst case of pink eye I've ever seen. I woke up with my eyes dried shut and immediately went to the doc. Another time I was walking down the cliff at Calafia about to score some disgusting overhead and empty conditions on a perfectly sunny day. We passed the sewage pipe and I saw how much was emptying into the lineup, ridiculous amounts. I sat there for 15 minutes but I couldn't paddle out cause most times you don't see the pipe emptying, it just happens and you're surfing. All those experiences making surfing dirty water in SD seem minor, time to go surf


Nice photo SM. Is that a sand avalanche I see?

[icelanticskier]

Does all of California get a 72 hour water advisory?

There are only a few places that I'll wait 72 hours before surfing - OB jetty, IB are top on the list. Not saying I haven't before but it was years ago. Other places I'll surfing mid-storm without 2nd thoughts. In my eyes IB is the measuring stick for pollution in SD, everything you can possibly imagine is found in the TJ river. That said, I've surfed it 24-48 hours after a rain and a few guys I know will surf there during the rain. One of my friends woke up one day with a mystery rash from head to toe and he thinks it was from surfing IB. I started becoming more cautious after that, it was so bad that I wouldn't even shake the dude's hand when I saw him. He agreed.

fuck i love new england. that is all.

rog

[Piggity]

I'm pretty sure you'd be surprised if you guys tested more spots and more often. You have a lot of golf courses and cow pastures near rivers and the coastline. Last I heard we test our water more regularly than back east, so obviously more results will bring more beach closures. It is generally cleaner back there but don't be fooled thinking it doesn't ever have contaminants

[icelanticskier]

i'm sure we get our fair share. just you hardly ever hear about it. i have had some ear infections that i'm sure had somethin to do with yucky stuff. i certainly expose myself to it enuff surfing so much.

rog

[PowerWhore7]

East coast surf mags, I need some help. I will be in NJ, specifically the Ortley Beach/Seaside Heights area Wednesday & Thursday 10/17 & 10/18 without a board! It looks like there will be some head high to overhead surf from a tropical storm on those days and I am not sure what to do about a board. I called Right Coast surf shop & Brave New World but the only thing they are interested in renting me is a foam Costco board, if anyone works in a surf shop or knows of place that will rent me a fiberglass/epoxy board I would be much appreciative.

I would bring my own boards but it’s going to cost a fortune (because of all the other shit we are bringing) and I would then have to bring them to VT with me and I’m not sure how much surfing is going to happen at Ullrfest. Anyway, I am bringing many things from CA that would make for a nice gift to whoever can help me out, thanks in advance.

[Ottime]

If you can't find anything else, ride the foamy. They really are not horrible.

[PowerWhore7]

If you can't find anything else, ride the foamy. They really are not horrible.

Right on, I have never surfed one before but I trust your recommendation 100%, thanks. Hopefully someone can help me out but if not, I am bringing my wetsuit and flippers so body whomping sessions will be going down for sure and beggars can’t be choosers so the foamy might have to do.

[jtran10]

Didn't head out yesterday but waves looked pretty fun but small. Waist + max, but some fairly clean corners. Super windy though from the west.

Family's in town so won't be out today, but if this SSW kicks in will get out in the next few days.

[Ottime]

Right on, I have never surfed one before but I trust your recommendation 100%, thanks. Hopefully someone can help me out but if not, I am bringing my wetsuit and flippers so body whomping sessions will be going down for sure and beggars can’t be choosers so the foamy might have to do.

I've never surfed one, but bought one the other day to take my son out on. We paddled around for like five minutes before he got pissed that I would not let go of him (no PFD or real swim skills yet). That is the limit of my personal experience. Obviously, the flex will be way softer than anything fiberglass, but it was not bad. I do know of one guy who rode one for a few seasons. He had nothing else. I've seen him surf, and rip, head high ledge-y nw swells on it. He had no other board, but he took that thing out into everything from waist high (I don't think he bothers to surf anything less) through DOH+. Another friend had one to ride on 'whatever" days, and always enjoyed it. It is no shortboard, by any means, but is better than sitting on the beach and watching. But you are going to have fins, so that won't be an issue. Worth trying for a day, anyway. BTW, never trust me. I'm an idiot about these things. I enjoy surfing almost anything.

Swell has been staying solid up here. Small, but solid. About head high yesterday. A few a little OH. Surfed with three others for about an hour. Super fun. A few barrels. Vertical faces. Fast. Then two got out. It was glassy until I got out around 1PM. Because I got a knot in my upper back after hitting the lip awkwardly. About ten minutes after I realized there were only two of us sharing so many waves. Bummer. Been nursing it, and hoping to be able to paddle back out this evening. Or tomorrow at the very least, as small nw ground swell moves in. We've been hanging around 3.5@15, but I think the fact that there are several swells coming in at that size, that the better sets are the combos, otherwise, I don't see how 3.5 converts into occasional 7', especially because I was at semi-protected break. Brilliant waves those. Oil glass replaced by mirror glass. The sun was out.

Hell, if I can't surf, maybe I bring a beer and camera with me this afternoon. Its not like I can dig that French drain now.

[Ottime]

PW7, just took the Costco WaveStorm out for a try. Figured my back is still tight, no point in tweaking it again in smaller surf. Pulled up to Manresa, found glass, chest high plus beach break. Not awesome for a short board, but decent enough. Still, here is my review of the WaveStorm. It rode decent enough and I had a blast. Catches waves super easy. I pulled into and out of one cover up, so handled the steep wall well. Made turns where is was supposed to. Sure, it is a big 8" piece of foam, but plenty fun to ride.

Now, after that test, I think i is back to the short board for a reef break session in the morning.

[Piggity]

PW, you could search the local NJ craigslist and buy the cheapest POS for $100 or less then resell it for $50+\- on the last day. It will still be cheaper than bringing a board


Buddy that moved to Switzerland is in town so brought the fam to the beach with his fam. Waist to chest NW winds well and really glassy through lunch time. Afterward pushed my daughter into a couple inside ones and she belly road about 25ft, she loved it! Couple years ago it was a little too scary and cold for her liking, not this time. My son loved the water too, have to do that more often