Anyone else get some today...?

[Ottime]

It has been pretty non stop up here since early January. Some days have been fantastic, and others interesting. Nothing dull. But I want some more snow.

[ate'em]

I so enjoy surf stories. It's great when you're the one living it.
Took a fun little drive down the coast yesterday to camp for the night at San Elijo.

I had looked at the cam in the morning from Ventura, saw a DO set come down the point that burned itself into my eyes- offshore rainbows streaming off the back of a 200 yard long wall of glassy water- it was so beautiful. Nostalgic place for me, where surfing finally came together in my life. I was a little sad not to be heading up there, but excited to see how it would hit San Diego.

Heading down the 5, the two second view of Church from the bridge was epic. Best wave I've ever seen there, love again at first sight. We were like 'oh dang' maybe we blew it not pulling off to surf here... But 80 mph Southbound and no u-turn for miles.

Grabbed burritos in O Side, shoutout to homemade tortillas off the grill, unexpected but appreciated. Got down to Encinitas and wanted to show my kid Swami's. Spot opened up right as we pulled in the little lot, so we watched for a bit.

Funny how waves change in your imagination as you progress in level. Swami's used to be my dream wave, just out of reach. Today it was on all accounts firing. 6-8 foot and clean. But it looked kinda boring in all honesty. Lumpy and not much down the line. So we passed, again.

Got to the campground, pull in to the lucky last minute cancellation beachfront view site. Hippy shit show in full flow next door, they have two old VW buses and three dogs and the dead sounds like its going to play all night. It did. By nine that night my sixteen year old daughter turns to me and says, you know, I like the Dead. Definitely didn't force that one on her.

Run to check the surf and its a mess. Wind is really getting at it, surprisingly more than just up the cove at Swami's. Flags are flying straight ahead. I'm over it. It looks cold, and choppy, and a disorganized mess. I play hacky sack instead. Sunset from the bluff was a treat. I made the right choice.

Surf's pounding all night, most swell I remember seeing in my years of camping here. There's the faintest Santa Ana flow so the stars are out, and I'm feeling really optimistic about the morning. We burn bowls by the fire, BBQ steak to eat with the tortillas and salsa, and jam some music. Jerry wasn't going to slow down so we tried to just vibe in, but the bamboo flutes blended strange with the jams. Late night rally to Seaside to grab snacks and then the coals of the fire finally gave out.

Booming lullaby of crashing waves all night lulled me to sleep nicely. Woke up feeling fresh, palm trees are leaning offshore, and the sun is shining. 5-7 foot and offshore glass. Some mornings are coffee only but today was 'just get in the water'. Food can wait.

I was stoked to surf this mini-simmons 'wegner' shaped out of Encinitas by John Wegner. My lady found it between the furniture at the local thrift store, with a busted leash plug and a bargain price. I brought it down to Terry Senate's shop and he fixed the plug (another story about that character and the san clemente surf ghetto). Surfing makes some real people, that's for sure. I admire the guys who found their little niche making boards and fueling the dream.

So the Wegner got to paddle out back in its home water, easy paddle out through the lines, almost a bit of a channel working on the reef, which is surprising with the size swell. Weird day for wildlife with tons of gulls and pelicans crashing everywhere, so much feeding going on you could smell the fish in the air from the lineup.

Conditions were pristine. Nice ramps into steep walls, just fun easy living surfing. The mini-simmons rips up and down the face, little pumps generating speed everywhere without losing flow. Got a few gooooooood long ones, long enough where the paddle back up top gives you time to soak it all in.

It was cold. I know, not SC cold, but my wetsuit is more flexible than warm and the 57 degree water stung. I surfed till I was shivering all over. Rode one in all the way to the beach, stepped off into ankle deep water. A beautiful lady had steak and eggs with hot coffee ready to go for me at the top of the stairs. Magic.

Surfing is Rad.

[Lee Murian]

^^^That was a great read, thanks for posting! I love San Elijo, and it's played a big part in my surf journey. Sounds like such a great time and it has me wishing for a visit.

We all probably have a few waves that stick out in our memory banks. One of mine is from a sunset solo session there several years ago...

Driving home from 2 months in Baja, while waiting in the border line at Tecate, (there is wifi available in line). Pull up forecast for Cardiff and see that the waves are looking good but the sun is dropping fast on this December day. As a somewhat seasonal surfer I was still frothing for water time before settling in for winter ski season.

The border line creeped and I finally breezed through while estimating I would have about 30 minutes in the water if it worked out. The drive along 94 is slow and winding and I raced through SoCal traffic hoping to make it. I parked and suited quickly for the last rays of light and paddled out while the 2 remaining surfers rode their last waves in.

The sun dropped and the sky, clouds, and water went through the most amazing pastel color scene I ever witnessed. I caught 3 waves that were electric purple and pink that pushed silently across the reef. It pretty much blew my mind. With the darkness, it was hard to see the approaching lumps, and as a struggling intermediate, the head high+ waves were at my skill and comfort level at the time. As the waves stood they picked up the remaining light and made for an amazing end to my surf session and season, I finally felt a little more confident and it pushed me to my next level.

Finish that with a trip to Seaside Market for some Cardiff crack and a cold beverage from the well stocked cooler and it's as good as it gets.

Back to the present, the surf in NorCal and the bars at our normally shitty beach break are in pretty decent shape right now. Head high consistently with light wind and nice temps. Upper 50's, would be a warm day here! Water has been 50-52 and pretty nice overall...I was hoping to go this week, today looks fantastic but I'm going to ski textured winter corn instead...

[soul_skier]

OB in SF has been firing so far this month, more good days than bad. I most definitely have gotten some over the last 3 days.

[Long duc dong]

Friday morning was fun north of the HB pier.

It was walled, but there were some nice corners if you could line them up. It was about shoulder high and clean.

I have not been surfing a ton over the last couple of months, so I feel a bit off, this being conditional on the fact that I suck when I'm on anyway. I was able to line up a few, but I can't count how many sections I just couldn't quite get around.

Mid-day today was similar, but a bit smaller. Some fun corners if you could line them up.

Here are a few shots from Friday.

[Ottime]

Another good week up here last week. Clean last Mon through Sat with a range in size from head high to DOH+. My favorite day was Saturday morning. Head high to a touch overhead and lined up nicely on the ledge. So ripple and plenty of juice. Bigger days were fun, but more survival as it got bigger.

Inclement weather around today, so went for a bike ride. Should get decent by Thurs/Fri again, and then we are off to ski Mammoth for a week. February was a great month of surf. Been really good since around Jan 10th. What a run.

[Long duc dong]

A really fun late morning session today in Newport.

I surfed 32nd street, I was in the water for around an hour and a half, starting around 945.

It was chest high, sometimes a bit bigger. The tide was slowing things down, but it was clean and the shape was decent. I brought out a 6'8" funshape, and was glad for the extra paddling. A bit soft, but fun if you had some volume.

I'm hoping to get out tomorrow around the same time. The crowd was pretty light.

The weather was nice, very light wind, but the water is cold for down here, 55-57.

These sleeper sessions are great. I paddled out just wanting to get in the water, but even though it was a bit soft some of them really lined up. With extra volume you could really get in early and glide.

[jackstraw]

I'm in Ricon. Paddling like crazy with current and wind. Chest to head which is really too big for me. Took a beating and did not catch shit! Man I suck and surfing is exhausting and just hard for a kook like me! Currently soaking my toes cause I caught a sea urchin.

[tellybele]

What are you soaking your toes in?

[jackstraw]

Hot water. Think I need to try some vinegar. Bit of a pia for sure.

[Ottime]

I'm in Ricon. Paddling like crazy with current and wind. Chest to head which is really too big for me. Took a beating and did not catch shit! Man I suck and surfing is exhausting and just hard for a kook like me! Currently soaking my toes cause I caught a sea urchin.

I think you should rent my house for a year and practice surfing daily less than a mile away, In a thick wetsuit. And bike on the few shitty days.

Stormy up here the past few days. Monday was big-ish and nice and clean. Afternoons in town has been looking good, but I can't really get out after 11am. Oh well, next week perhaps. Some light rain today making that dirt look nice tomorrow.

[jackstraw]

I think you should rent my house for a year and practice surfing daily less than a mile away, In a thick wetsuit. And bike on the few shitty days.

Stormy up here the past few days. Monday was big-ish and nice and clean. Afternoons in town has been looking good, but I can't really get out after 11am. Oh well, next week perhaps. Some light rain today making that dirt look nice tomorrow.

We look at SC daily. In time possibly.

My kid sent me this clip. The movie was quite popular at my house in 2007.
Surfs up

https://youtu.be/9b4dU_cGayE

[Long duc dong]

A fun morning at 32nd street today.

I got in the water around 830, as the tide was coming up, surfed until about 1030. The rising tide did slow things down a bit, and the shape was a bit wonky, but there were still some really fun ones. It was about shoulder high, possibly head high on the sets and lined up they were fun. I did find myself pumping for an inside section that never came a few times, but all-in-all a very fun session. Only a few people in the water, and we were all spread out.

Surfline said the water was 57, but it felt warmer than that. I really love that zone in Newport when it gets swell. I had thought of driving up to HB, but I'm glad I didn't.

[Long duc dong]

Yesterday, Friday, morning was almost a carbon copy of Thursday. The swell had dropped a tiny bit, but the shape was better so the surf was also a tiny bit better. Lets of fun and a limited crowd. I love 32nd street when it gets good.

It looks like things dropped off a bit today. HB looks good though, I might give it a bit more tide.

[VTskibum]

First surf session of ‘22 last night in OBX. Had to hop in before sunset after long drive. Clean 2’ out by myself in a 3/2 + boots bc I didn’t feel like bundling up too much. Still prefer bikes and especially skiing, but catching a wave, even small one is a great rush


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[VTskibum]

Spent kids spring break working remotely
in Outer Banks, but was hoping for some Dawn patrol sessions. Unfortunately was really flat all week, few waves Sat night when I got there, otherwise nothing. Fortunately after frustration/desperation last night was redeemed a bit this morning w 2-3’ on wrong/high tide, but no wind. Out solo and shortly surrounded by pretty good size dolphin pod, got a few good rides in before heading home.


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[Ottime]

The pods always rule.

Sounds like a great spring break, or WFH option. OBX is my favorite in the spring and fall. Fuck summer.

I'm starting to get the biking part, and love skiing, but surf was my first hook. When the surf is good (as in the right size for you, the right crowd for you, on the right board, and in the right kind of shape) - it is hard to beat.

As I moving to Singapore for a year, skiing might not happen at all, or as a single mid winter trip to Japow. The MTB on the island is limited, but might be fine for work outs. No surf in the country, but Bali is just a short, cheap flight away. Thinking surf is the only fix I will be getting next year. Best be in shape.

[VTskibum]

Wish I'd gotten started surfing earlier, starting in my late 30s has put me at a severe disadvantage and living ~2 hours from any breaks. Compared to skiing and MTB pretty seriously on/off for nearly 30 years. Despite that the combo of those items you mention does align sometimes and keeps me coming back for more. Objectively it's such a crapshoot, soo much work for so little pay-off timewise. In an hour with no competition for waves, I was probably actually only surfing total for a minute. Try to look at it as a great workout with some fun thrown in.

Good luck in Singapore, that'll be a cool experience even w/o bikes or skiing. JaPow and Indo trips do sound like a good to great way to scratch the itch, especially for only a year. Maybe SUP or something in Singapore to get out some in between.

[Ottime]

I get the whole pay off vs time thing. There can be a lot of sitting and waiting. I do prefer consistency in the surf, and like spots with longer paddle backs. If I can minimize the waiting time at the peak, then it all comes into play. I've had days were I get four, five, six waves in a row without every stopping to wait, and suddenly I NEED a break.

Biking and skiing are not too different than that. I think about how much time I sit on lifts, skin up hill or bike up hill compared to my time going down. I skied Mammoth last week, and their ap tracks your day. Most of my lift rides ranged from 3-8 minutes, with a few longer ones thrown in. Most of my down hill lasted 1-3 minutes. I know I ski super duper fast, but was shocked at how little time actually elapses when skiing down.

Anyway, the dolphin and whales keep getting me back. And the rush of a really fine wave.

I think I'll get back into yoga next year. And started looking at inflatable SUP set ups recently. Or even tarmac biking.

[Long duc dong]

I had my first Trestles session of the year yesterday.

I had a morning meeting, and thus couldn't head down super early. Uppers looked insane on the cam. By the time I got down there, around 11, it was a bit bumpy, but still shoulder to head high+ and okay looking. I was bummed, but decided to make the best of it.

It ended up being a lot more fun than I expected. As the tide dropped it stood up a bit more, and while there was some bump it was really not too bad. There was sometimes a bit of bump on the takeoff, but the faces were clean if that makes sense. Some of the lefts were really lined up with fun sections, same with the rights. You could make a couple of cut backs, then the inside would have a couple of fun sections to bounce off the lip after a few pumps. I surfed the Barbedwires area, between Uppers and Cottons, and it was my best session in a long time. The usual crew was out. The water was colder than I'm used to in that area, around 60, but it was still insanely fun. When I have not surfed that zone in a while I always forget how easy it is to surf. Even a kook like me can feel like he is actually driving a bottom turn instead of navigating through one. Sometimes great sessions happen in good waves, when you go expecting great but end up with good, uncrowded, and easy to surf.

Honestly, some of the lefts were exactly what I would draw up if I had a wave pool where I wanted good, but not world class waves. Nothing off the charts, but if you got to surf 8-10 lefts like that every day you would have nothing to complain about. The rights were fun too.

I saw some people surfing Cottons, but it was a bit soft.

I was in the water for about 3 hours and ended up pretty spent.

[jtran10]

Last week in Mex

My surf photographers got bored and didn't attempt to take pictures of any good waves

[Long duc dong]

Don't pay the photog

That does look like a nice shot though. A fun looking, cruisy left in warm water. Give that wave another foot and it might be really fun. It also might well be bigger than it looks, that's usually the way it is with surf photos.

Regardless of the size, that looks like a fun wave for a long board or funshape.

Where were you in Mexico?

[Long duc dong]

Sometimes you just get lucky.

I had a meeting yesterday morning, but was pretty much free to head to Trestles for the rest of the day. I knew I wouldn't be able to get there before 1130, so I was worried the wind might ruin things, as it was supposed to come up. Still, it wasn't supposed to get too bad, so I figured at worst it would be a fun Cottons/Barbedwires session with just a bit of bump. It was head high with the occasional overhead set, so certainly a worthwhile gamble.

It turned out to be the best day I've had in a very long time. All things considered that zone really does not get much better.

It was clean when I arrived. The tide was slightly low and building, but building slowly. I would call the peaks A-frames, but they were A-frames with very long shoulders, a gradual A as opposed to a narrow A if that makes sense. The best ones were actually the in-between ones which were about head high. Some of the bigger sets closed out, but the good ones just line up all the way to Cottons. I was getting fun, easy to surf 100 yard lefts. A nice easy A-frame for the takeoff, bottom turn into cutback/to turn, then a beautiful wall to pump and build some speed before a couple of end session lip bounce sections. The rights were fun too, although as a goofy I prefer going left.

Amazingly enough, instead of the wind coming up it actually got cleaner. And the crowd was non-existent, just some people spread out. Typically I had a peak with just 1 or two guys and plenty of waves on tap. I had figured I would stay in the water for about 2 hours, but it was just so good that I couldn't get out. I was in the water from around 1145 to around 315. It was good enough, and the crowd thin enough, that you could really pick and choose which of the set waves you wanted. This zone is just so much fun and so easy to surf.

I had gambled that yesterday would be good and today windy, so I'm getting the work I was going to do yesterday afternoon done today. That was my best session since sometime last fall. I honestly don't remember the last day I had that was this good.

A couple of us were joking that we intended to go in, but when you get that spot that good and that uncrowded you just have to stay out. Everything about that zone yesterday was easy and fun. Easy takeoffs, line-up walls after the takeoff for some speed. Just enough of a channel that the paddle back out was never all that bad. The sun came out.

Those are the days you remember. I'm glad Surfline got the wind coming up wrong.

[jtran10]

Don't pay the photog

That does look like a nice shot though. A fun looking, cruisy left in warm water. Give that wave another foot and it might be really fun. It also might well be bigger than it looks, that's usually the way it is with surf photos.

Regardless of the size, that looks like a fun wave for a long board or funshape.

Where were you in Mexico?

la lancha

[Long duc dong]

la lancha

Thought it might be in that area!

I love that zone. I did have a good time at La Lancha, even though it was not all that big. I would love to go back to that area on a big swell.