Solo Surfer Guy

the weekend review

2008-01-27T11:30:00.000-08:00

1/26/08 - got up super early, sun was out... offshore, brisk, close outs but the tide was rising, so there was hope. got in around 6:30am, surfed till 9am. at first most waves were closing out, but some were rideable, had to pick and choose. by 8am it was actually good. got lots of waves, all to myself too. another fun day. *** 3 out of 5.

1/27/08 - this was my 3rd day surfing in polluted waters, so far i'm not sick, i've been taking my chances though. wasn't going to go out, but checked it anyways. brought my smallest board again. went to a bad spot, don't know why. i did more dodging of set waves that were closing out rather than catching waves. got a small handful of waves, nothing worth mentioning. surfed an hour at most. *1 1/2 out of 5.

i had to go in

2008-01-26T06:10:00.000-08:00

1/25/08 - so it dumped rain yesterday, lots and lots of rain. thinking it was over, went to work. after work, went for a check anyhow (w/out board) saw that it was actually offshore, and glassy around 3pm. ran home, grabbed my new board and headed back down. it was fun. hopefully i won't get sick, i usually don't, only once in the last 10 years. about 7 others out as well. small, maybe waist high at most, but conditions made it worthwhile.

starting to get a good feel for my new board, sometimes it takes me a bit to adjust. *** 3 out of 5.

MLK

2008-01-23T17:57:00.000-08:00

MLK day 1/21/08 - it was small, no one out, onshore, just bad conditions. just got my new board, it's tiny. but, despite the conditions, i had a blast. there's nothing like trying out a new board where everything is unfamiliar to you. it's almost like learning how to surf again. (well, not really but kind of). no one out around me, got lots of waves, i was surprised. mind you, they were little ones, barely waist high at most, mainly knee high, the tide was very high.
** 2 out of 5, 3 1/2 out of 5 on the fun factor.

dry

2008-01-20T11:28:00.000-08:00

1/12/08 - been dry since sat. 1/12/08. too much stuff goin on to be able to get a session. when i do have the time, the swell disappears... oh well
on this day, went to the closest spot to my pad, got some good ones with only 4 others out. 2 hours plus, lefts mostly... kind of closing out on the sets, i sat wide from the others to make the sections. *** 3 out of 5.

hopefully this new swell with pick up by later today/tomorrow morning.

took a few days off

2008-01-05T14:38:00.000-08:00

surf wasn't very good the last few days so i didn't go in. but, i did go in friday 1/4/07. it was small, and the tide was high. there was a sandbar with small lefts close to shore. i kept my expectations low and actually had fun. out for about 2 hours. ** 2 out of 5.

1/5/07 - swell picked up considerably. waited for low tide to approach, got in around 12:15pm, surfed till 2pm. head high on sets, about 6 guys out. all lefts, it was good, not great, some walls. nothing to special to write about. a bit chilly. *** 3 out of 5.

a day of rights

2007-12-31T21:17:00.000-08:00

12/31/07 - a good way to end the year. surf was in the chest to shoulder high range this morning. got in around 7:15am. surfed till 9:45am. seemed like a straight west swell, lots of closeouts but lots of barrels too. mainly rights where i was at, people were getting barreled, for me, not quite, but got some good ones. a couple knuckleheads in the water blowin' waves and bailing their boards. not cool. tide dropped as i got to the end of my session, more closeouts so i took one in. (quite a crowd by then too) **** 4 out of 5.

12/30/07

2007-12-31T06:28:00.000-08:00

12/30/07 - another brisk day, man it's chilly. got out around 7:45am, tide was slowly dropping. nice and offshore. not big really, but really clean, conditions were really nice. saw a dude swimming bareback, polar bear club style... crazy. got a waist high barrel, even came out of it. (a left) got a couple set waves too. if there was more swell it would of been that much better, but overall a fun day. **** 4 out of 5.

12/28/07

2007-12-29T06:41:00.000-08:00

12/28/07 - got in around 8am, went to the same spot again, the last 3 days have been completely different days. 12/26 was pumping, big, 12/27 was small/blown out, but cleaned up mid-morning, and this day was super off-shore, not that big but good the first hour. the wind swell from yesterday possibly groomed the nice sandbars perhaps? got two really good rights, just about barreled, but couldn't get around the section as it closed out. chilly again, someone said the water was 52? as the tide rose it started getting mushy, the best part of the session was the first hour for sure. was in way to long again, got out around 11:45am. *** 3 1/2 out of 5.

windy day

2007-12-27T16:46:00.001-08:00

12/27/07 - 6:45am... woke up to the wind blowing hard onshore, i knew it was over. or was it? checked the reports, every report gave a "no" on today. i decided to wait it out, and see what happens. around 10am i head down, looks like the wind died down but the ocean was still a bit choppy. but, with the tide rising and the wind dying down it made it rideable. i suit up and get in. only 4 guys out and they were way north of me. it would've been better on a longboard but i don't really surf bigger boards anymore, i'm just not used to too much foam. got a few decent ones, but the best thing was there were hardly anyone out. yesterday it was so much better, but there were also lots out. surfed maybe an hour or so, glad to have gotten in.

i didn't realize how long i surfed yesterday, i got in around 7:45am, got out almost 11:45am, no wonder i was so tired last night....

*** 3out of 5.

12/26/07

2007-12-26T15:21:00.000-08:00

12/26/07 - got in around 7:45am, beaches were pumping, especially at one particular spot. way too crowded though, i ventured a bit south where there were only 4 out. got many, many rights, a bit of a lull inbetween sets, not to mention the super high tide approaching. there was enough swell in the water though. stuck it out as the tide topped off, when it started going down it really started picking up. not huge, but head high, 1 foot overhead on the sets. by this time it was 11am, and my arms were worked. stuck around for a few more waves, blew one really good wave (a right) and i just couldn't get past the section. i was too slow, probably from my tired arms. oh well. **** 4 out of 5.

merry xmas

2007-12-25T11:31:00.001-08:00

12/25/07 - merry christmas everyone, got in around 6:45am, surprising there were waves despite the approaching high tide. went to a particular spot, 4 guys out when i got in. (including a professional surfer) sat on a right, got some really good ones, got barreled on a right but also got stuffed. ate it on a few as well, it was comin too fast and i was positioned too deep. as the tide grew higher the waves slowly disappeared, although few were still rideable. i hope to go back out later today when the tide drops, im back to my normal weight and i'm feeling stronger in my arms after 4 days of surfing. *** 3 1/2 out of 5.

3rd day in a row

2007-12-23T13:30:00.000-08:00

12/23/07 - third day out in a row, that's a record for me these days. checked it 7am, not breaking at all. tide was even higher than yesterday, less swell as well. went home, checked it again around 10:30am, breaking but definitely smaller than yesterday. what a difference a day makes. got mostly rights this morning, fairly crowded...

what i'm wondering is why was yesterday so much better? i know there was more swell in the water yesterday, but was it also possibly because there was a pulse coming in that morning that was short-lived? or was it because of a full moon, along with the high tide creating waves where normally it wouldn't break, but did? hmmm...
** 2 1/2 out of 5.

12/21/07, 12/22/07

2007-12-22T15:08:00.000-08:00

12/21/07 - was able to get off work early, just in time for low tide for this one spot. it was breaking, not big, but empty. one other guy out. he was good, but mellow, so we were trading off waves my whole session. got lots of waves. i'm still out of shape, my arms were burning. i've got two weeks off though so i'll be in the water every day. glad to be surfing more often lately.
*** 3 /12 out of 5.

12/22/07 - got in around 7:45am, despite the super high tide there were waves. and not just waves, chest/shoulder high sets coming in. i was very surprised. lots were out, and they were good. somehow i managed to keep up with the pack, although i was huffin a bit. got lots of waves again. mushy, but definitely rideable. saw some barrels, didn't get any today though. surfed almost 2 hours, my arms started burning again. fun day. **** 4 out of 5.

december update

2007-12-17T16:44:00.000-08:00

december update - ok, so i haven't been keeping up with my blog. just too busy and haven't been in the water as much as i used to. i guess that's what happens when you're working too much. anyhow, got in tues. 12/4/07, the day before big wednesday, and 12/6/07, the day after. tuesday was surprisingly fun. i thought it wasn't gonna be that good but some swell started showing. got an hour and a half in before i went to work. *** 3 1/2 out of 5.

i thought the wed. swell was going to be too big for me but there were a few spots that i could of managed. i ended up taking work off on thursday, and it was significantly smaller. oh well. got some good surf in still. 3 1/2 out of 5.

back in the water 12/15/07 and 12/16/07. they were very similiar days; cold, small, low tide, but pretty good sandbars from the last big swell. sat on a right, it was barely waist high, but enough to push me. had fun, but sittin around made me too cold. lasted almost 2 hours. ** 2 out of 5. i have two weeks off of work this friday, i realy hope there's some swell, gonna get in the water at least once a day. (i hope)

still kinda out of shape, need to train my arms and get back into it.

finally

2007-11-12T19:15:00.000-08:00

11/12/07
there's finally some surf in my area, long lull... haven't surfed (again) for over two weeks. stepped on the scale, i gained 10 lbs. i'm out of shape. got in around 6:30am, surfed about two hours. swell was showing but tide was getting pretty high, by the end of my session tide topped off and was backwashing. got some good ones though, also ate it a few times. i'm slow these days, need to get back into surfing on a regular basis. gonna surf all this week though, buoys are showing a nw swell coming in. ** two of of five.

the weekend review

2007-10-21T13:57:00.000-07:00

10/20/07 - windswell in effect, i got in around 6:45am, not much was happening, lots of closeouts. stuck it through and luckily it picked up. getting chest high at times, had lots of fun. still kind of out of shape but slowly getting there. *** 3 1/2 out of 5

10/21/07 - hoping that nw groundswell was going to be good, but it just wasn't. maybe the angle was off for where i was. tide was high too, waves were backing off or breaking late and closing out fast. ate it on a few waves, too slow on the takeoff. would've been a good barrel too. oh well. ** 2 out of 5.

finally some good surf

2007-10-10T17:14:00.000-07:00

10/4 through 10/7, 2007 -
surfed the last few days, it's been good. Satruday being the biggest of the days, it was head high, and definitely fun. the two days prior were much smaller. thursday was small but clean, friday, it was a mess, but i went out anyways. got some waves to my surprise but it was work, and i'm out of shape. saturday was just a good day, kinda crowded though. sunday, it dropped in size but still fun, until the high tide maxed out. ate it on one that backwashed on me, swallowed a little salt water. looking forward to this winter, i hope i don't have another 2 month dry spell...

wow

2007-09-17T14:26:00.000-07:00

9/17/07 - wow, it's been way too long. mainly because i haven't surfed in a while... all of august to be exact, well i surfed twice in august, that's it. i've been so busy with other projects and switching jobs, my schedule is now 8-6pm, so now i can do a 1 hr. session mornings, that's about it. i hope to get in the water sometime this week, will post soon.

not bad for july

2007-07-31T20:45:00.000-07:00

7/31/07 - not bad for july, got in around 8:45am, waited till the tide rose a bit, it was just too low and dumpy for dawn patrol. quite a crowd out, but fun. go a few nice ones, water was nice and warm. im planning to go out again in the morning, hopefully there will still be a little swell.

i actually went out about 4 days ago but didn't bother posting because it was so crappy, but just for reference i went out around july 26th, 2007.... ** 2 1/2 out of 5.

got one more in

2007-07-18T10:32:00.000-07:00

7/17/07 - got one more day in, surf was still pretty good, got in around 8am. surfed almost two hours. water was still a bit chilly, the same guys i saw yesterday now had on spring suits, some even had full suits on. (still think it's unecessary). i was a bit cold barebacking it, still had fun though. overall july has been good to us. august is going to suck, flatness for a whole month or more so i'm glad i got my time in now. ** 2 out of 5. (fun factor *** 3)

7/15 - 7/16/07

2007-07-16T10:29:00.000-07:00

7/15 - 7/16 - got a couple more days in. sunday was the bigger of the two, low tide, but kind of peaky, with a thick crowd. found a nice little bar, nothing big or fancy but i got a few fun ones. today was a little smaller, with less of a crowd. same ordeal, the water was a bit colder, i only lasted 1 1/2 hours due to it. ** 2 out of 5.

one week off

2007-07-13T11:38:00.000-07:00

7/13/07 - took a week off after a flat spell, not to mention my shoulder blade was killing me after my last session. somehow i hyperextended my arm and tweaked my back, with pain coming up to my neck. good thing there was no swell. it's better now, just need to take it easy for a lil bit. surf was small but rideable and fun. water was so warm, i don't know why people still use full wetsuits in the summer, (saw a bunch today) it really isn't necessary and so much better without them. enjoy the warm water while it lasts eh? ** 2 out of 5.

7/5 - 7/6 2007

2007-07-06T16:05:00.001-07:00

7/5 - 7/6 2007
didn't go out on the 4th, i heard it was pretty good but i really didn't want to deal with the crowds. went out on the 5th though, swell wasn't that great and it was onshore and dumpy. no crowd though, so that was good. surfed only 45 min. it was overcast and i was a bit cold. (must be in my mind) ** 2 out of 5

went out this morning, surfed almost 2 hours. a small crowd again but the surf was much better. it was onshore when i walked down but when i got in the water the wind completely died down. dumpy again, but bigger, and rideable. got some fun lefts, a few fun rights, i was moving constantly. got a creek in my neck, it's killing me now. don't know what i did but i pulled something. gonna take a couple days off, had fun though. *** 3 out of 5.

7/2 - 7/3

2007-07-04T09:22:00.000-07:00

7/2 - 7/3 - back in the game, finally some surf in my area, been out 4 or 5 days straight. talk about crowded, i was in the water by 7am and the lineup was pretty full. got my share of some waves, sat on the inside. nothing too great but for this time of year it's pretty decent.

i was gonna surf today (4th of july) but i know it's gonna be super crowded, i don't mind takng a day off, i'll probably go out tomorrow morning, hopefully everyone will be surfed out and too hungover...? *** 3 out of 5

not too bad

2007-07-02T11:58:00.000-07:00

6/30 - 7/1, 2007 - got in around 7:30am, surfed for 2 hrs. not too bad, got out of my slump and got in the water 3 days straight. tide was low, slowly rising and it was pretty decent. not big at all, but fun little summer waves. leashless and barebacking it, it makes it all worthwhile. today was the biggest of all 3 days, even if it was only chest high on a rare set. lots and lots more people out these days, gotta get in earlier to avoid the crowds. 2 1/2 out of 5.

at least it's warmer

2007-06-21T12:10:00.000-07:00

6/15/07 - actually got in the water again, i've hardly been surfing and i have so much free time. i'm just too lazy to travel for some good surf, it's been so bad around my place lately. anyways, got in and got some small ones. it was decent, always good to get in the water. nothing spectacular except that fact that it's warming up. no need for a wetsuit anymore. 2 out of 5.

6/18/07 same scenario, more people out now that kids are out of school, less waves. hmmmm.
1 1/2 out of 5.

it's been a long time

2007-06-07T14:51:00.001-07:00

6/6/07 - ok, it's been a while, finally got in the water after another 3 weeks of being dry. some NW swell came in, a bit windy as well. got in late, around 8:30am, i bet it was a lot cleaner earlier in the morning. was able to get some fun ones, a bit dumpy... i'm out of shape, been lazy, non-motivated, i hope at least a little swell continues otherwise i might not get back into my norm. surfed about an hour... *** 3 out of 5.

6/7/07 - heard it was gonna be pretty good again, and it was. a little cleaner, not as windy this time at around 8:30am. otherwise it was pretty similar to yesterday. on one left i milked the wave a little too long, it closed out on me, my board flipped over and i practically fell on my board. luckily it wasn't square on but i felt it... no worries, it's my older beat up board... *** 3 out of 5

may 14, 2007

2007-05-14T11:12:00.000-07:00

5/14/07 - it's been over 2 weeks since i was in the water, i almost turned around and went home but i said might as well, it's been too long. waves were super weak and barely breaking. brought my bigger shortboard. oh well.. surfed maybe 45 min. i actually got a few waves. knee high waves but it felt good to get wet. i'm out of shape, i need to bring my longboard and paddle this week... ** 2 out of 5.

april 27, & 28, 2007

2007-04-30T08:38:00.000-07:00

4/27/07 - kind of a repeat of yesterday, a tad smaller and quite a few more guys out... started off at a sandbar with a right, got some waves but it got crowded... ended up drifting south a bit to get away. found another peak that opened up as the tide changed, kind of closed out but got a few fun ones. rolly & backwashy is how i would explain that bar. other than that i don't really remember too much of the day. *** 3 out of 5.

4/28/07 - surf dropped quite a bit, headed a little north of where i normally surf. tide was high and the weekend crowd was out, including a few fisherman. stayed in for about 45 min. there were waves further down but i was over it... ** 2 out of 5...

4/25, 4/26, 2007

2007-04-26T14:44:00.000-07:00

4/25/07 - swell picked up a tad, i haven't surfed in about a week. my arms are kinda weak and i'm kinda out of sync... been lazy not wanting to go out unless it's pretty decent, normally i'm not like that. got some fun ones, nothing spectacular on my part this morning, surfed about 1 1/2 hours. *** 3 out of 5.

4/26/07 - swell picked up even more, i've been only getting about 4 hours of sleep the last few days so i'm kinda tired. it's almost may and the water is still pretty chilly... got some nice rights on a sandbar, plus this one left that really opened up. too bad i was too slow on the takeoff... dropped in, made the drop but slipped, i even waxed my board up before i went out. i made the drop but my feet weren't planted where i wanted them to be, it was such a nice wave that i felt like it was a waste not being able to do anything but trying not to fall. oh well, it happens every now and then. overall a really fun session... surfed till it went onshore. about 2 hours...
**** 4 out of 5.

windswell 4/19/07

2007-04-21T06:56:00.000-07:00

4/19/07 - after a few days of an onshore mess thursday was a bit of a switch. it was finally offshore and kind of clean. windswell was comin in, a few chest high hollow waves. got in at 8am, right off the bat i got two really nice hollow rights. i was kind of slow so i didn't do much. got more of the same the next two hours. by then the tide was filling in, i thought it would be help but negative. turned sideshore for 15 min., then onshore. quite a few out where i was but i still got a bunch of waves. *** 3 1/2 out of 5.

back to offshore

2007-04-17T07:33:00.000-07:00

4/16/07 - went out of town after i surfed on thursday morning, came back sunday night to showers and winds. was it onshore the whole weekend? i hope i didn't miss much. got in this morning around 8am, much to my surprise there was swell, shoulder high on the sets. high tide was approaching, so i got in quick, got a few nice waves right when i entered.

it seemed that the lineup was further out, so alot of insiders were being passed up. when i saw the first real set i saw why the lineup was further out. good waves this morning, nice and offshore. good sandbars too, sat on a left, got a few rights out of it too. also got two really nice set waves, i was in the perfect position. one was a right, it really opened up but was breaking too fast for me, couldn't too much with it but set my line and try and get some speed to pass to the next section. didn't quite barrel but it was a good wave. the other was a left and it was a one set wave, so others were watching. they were both about head high.

i was out of shape for this type of day. too many buffets on my vacation, not enough sleep. on two occasions after i took a couple to shore i had a tough time getting back out to the lineup. i duck dove over 15 waves, my arms just got too tired. plus, after paddling out i look back after 10 minutes and see that i've barely gotten anywhere. all in all it was a good day to surf, it seems like the surf the last week or so has been better than some of the winter swells this year huh?

**** 4 out of 5.

onshore, but rideable

2007-04-12T11:09:00.000-07:00

4/12/07 - just got back from another session, winds were blowing but surprisingly there were waves that were rideable. went to the spot again this morning, no one out. one other showed up about 45 min. into my session but still got plenty of waves. the tide was high but sets were still coming through due to the leftover nw swell and the stronger onshore. took maybe two paddles and i was in. pretty tired from the last 4 days, especially yesterday; it took a lot of out of me. surfed from 8am to 10:15am, i would surf an onshore day with no one out over a cleaner weekend session with 20 heads out anyday. *** 3 1/2 out of 5.

good nw swell

2007-04-11T17:08:00.000-07:00

4/11/07 - this morning was fun, the nw swell came in, i'm glad i had the morning off. went to my favorite spot, but the swell was just too much for it. no channels, easy head high and bigger on the sets. it was a tough paddle out. endless duck dives, got tired quick. made it out, got a few good ones but the work was just too much trying to get back to the lineup, and keeping your spot. moved to another spot, not as big, but still good. got some really fun lefts, ate it a few times as well. surfed a good 3 hours, got out when the tide started draining and the onshores began. **** 4 out of 5.

gettin back in

2007-04-10T12:34:00.000-07:00

4/8/07 - been getting back in the water more often this week, finally some NW swell. a bit of a crowd, got in around 8am, i really don't remember much of this day, so i guess it wasn't anything to exciting.

4/9/07 - swell picked up a tad, tide was low but wasn't changing much. there were a lot of closeouts but if you set yourself up right it was fun. saw a sandbar with rights, but when i got out i was getting lefts more often. sneaker set came through, a good head high set and i got caught in the lip. had to hold on tight cuz i was leashless, bear hugged my board and made it through. out for about 3 hours, tired. 3 1/2 out of 5.

4/10/07 - picked up even more, not too many people out either. had tons of fun, head high on the sets. got a few rights where i would've gotten barreled but didn't stall enough, nice drop though and lots of snaps. the beginning of the session was much better than the latter, i guess when the tide started going out so did the shape and swell... kinda sucked the life out of the session. it was a good 2 1/2 hour session though so i'm not complaining. going out first thing in the morning again, gotta enjoy the swell while it's here.... 3 1/2 out of 5.

been lazy

2007-04-06T12:25:00.000-07:00

4/6/07 - been lazy this week, with the south swell in effect i didn't really get to it, not into driving more than 25 min. to get to a good spot. so, i didn't surf all this week except for today, and i was in for maybe 30 min. not much out there (at least where i was) and not very motivated. brought my twin for the first time in months, i wasn't used to it at all. got to get into it cuz summer's comin up.

hope this NW on monday fills in nicely... 1 1/2 out of 5

pic

2007-03-29T12:45:00.000-07:00

this pic was from last week, march 23, 2007 i think. low tide, tide started rising and it started to open up a bit. a fun day.

3/28/07 - didn't think i'd go out but i saw some potential within the mixed up currents and blown out conditions. got in around 8am, only one other guy out. sat for a while (in kelp) and got some lefts. wasn't great or anything but it's always worth gettin wet. i actually checked this spot yesterday when the winds were blowin 40+, i saw some waves comin through but it looked like a tiring paddle with all the currents and endless duck dives. *** 3 out of 5.

3/29/07 - alot of the wind died down and was now offshore, but the swell left too. tide was pretty high, waited as long as i could, but got in around 8:30isham. went to a spot that is pretty well known, but only 3 were out at the time. got some good rights when the tide started dropping. was surfing a little conservatively because i was leashless. got a really nice right that lined up well, i was in the perfect spot. didn't quite barrel. 3 1/2 out of 5.

3/22 & 3/23 2007

2007-03-25T20:02:00.000-07:00

3/22/07 - got in around 8am, should've waited till the tide started rising but i went in anyhow, didn't have time to wait. tide was pretty low and it was dumping chest high sets. a corner would pop up every now and then but most rides were just dropping in, that's about it. it started getting better as my session went along. got some fun ones... heard it got real good around 10:30am till 1pm, but i had other stuff to do. *** 3 out of 5.

3/23/07 - waited around a little longer this time, got in about 9:3oam, tide was still low, but i waited it out even more, took it easy on the shore, got in finally, it was smaller than yesterday but rolly, real smooth waves coming in. surfed almost 3 hours, the sun was out, got a little burned, water felt warmer too? *** 3 out of 5.

3/20 & 3/21 2007

2007-03-21T11:33:00.000-07:00

3/20/07 - surfed the usual spot, man was it small. i almost turned around and headed home but i figured i better get in otherwise i'm gonna be unproductive the rest of the morning. got some tiny/tiny waves that were breaking right onshore. 1 1/2 out of 5.

3/21/07 - overnight i heard the wind and some rain, but i knew some swell was comin in. winds were onshore and pretty much blown out but i head down to check the surf anyways. it was pretty blown out but i did see some windswell waves. choppy and disorganized i went out anyways, surprisingly i got some fun ones. no one out too. as the tide rose the one spot i was at wasn't cooperating so i slowly drift north to some other peaks. it got fun, the surface even calmed down for about 40 minutes. took one over the falls as well, i was leashless, didn't lose my board but my right leg banged right onto the nose, got a little spidercrack that i need to fix up.

overall it was surprisingly fun, especially the fact that no one was out.
*** 3 out of 5.

ground score

2007-03-19T06:28:00.000-07:00

3/17/07 - went out around 7amish, more swell than i thought. chest high on the sets, long lulls, and kinda closed out. got a few fun ones, but then the tide got too high it became shorebreak. after i took a couple that took me right to the sand i decided to call it a day, didn't want to hurt myself again, my knee is feeling nice and strong again. surfed almost 2 hours. *** 3 out of 5.

after my session i was running errands and whatnot, on my way home i see in the corner of my eye part of a board sitting in a trash bin. i was thinking it was a broken board, but i flip a u-turn, pull over and check the board out. turns out the board was fine, just old with some dings and some delam. nothing that can't be fixed with some resin and cloth. it's not a type of board i would normally ride but hey it's a free board. if anything the fins are saveable... ground score...

no one out

2007-03-16T11:29:00.000-07:00

3/12 to 3/16, 2007 - the last 4 days i've been goin out, same spot, same time. it's all been one big blur... all about the same conditions. tide's been high and slowly dropping, surf wasn't too big, pretty long lulls. got a few fun ones even though it's been small. (i should've driven a bit further but i drive too much these days) at least no one's been out. thursday 3/15 was probably the best of the 4 days, the tide was dropping and it was super clean. i found a nice sandbar, rights all morning...

i like my new work schedule, i have all morning up until 1pm to surf, so the new time change doesn't affect me at all. i can wait for the tide to rise or drop, still have a hot shower, late breakfast and make it to work on time. nice...
*** 3 out of 5. ***** 5 out of 5 for my new work schedule...

weak

2007-03-12T07:49:00.000-07:00

3/9/07 - found a sandbar on a weak windswell, barely able to push me. i've been out of the water for over a week so i was happy to get in. overall weak but glad to get in. * 1 1/2 out of 5...

3/10/07 - the biggest of the three days, maybe waist/occasional chest high. a lot of people out since there hasn't been any surf in the last week or so. (totally flat) got some decent waves, still a bit out of shape. *** 3 out of 5

3/11/07 - small again, tide was low, a couple decent ones but not much. 1 * out of 5.

i still have a new board i had shaped in december that i haven't surfed. it's the same dimensions as my current board. 6'3 x 18 1/2 x 2 1/2. guess i'll wait till springtime sandbars...

little peaks

2007-03-03T07:24:00.000-08:00

3/2/07 - got in around 9:45am, there were tiny little peaks, hardly anyone out for good reason. i didn't care how small it was though, i haven't surfed in over a week, been too busy lately. found a little sandbar, got mostly rights all morning. luckily the tide was dropping so it got a little better, then the wind turned onshore. got a good hour or so.

is winter over already? it didn't feel like much of a season, granted i was out of town two weeks over holiday break and i was out from my knee for another two, but it seems like there weren't any really good swells this winter...

** 2 out of 5.

bleh

2007-02-23T06:31:00.000-08:00

wed 2/21/07 - a little bit of a disappointment after that fun swell on tuesday. swell dropped considerably, almost turned around and went home, but decided to go in. barely waist high, low tide. a sandbar on the inside was breaking but i felt like i was in a little rip that kept shoving me out of it. got a few decent ones but nothing great. ** 2 out of 5.

3 different scenarios

2007-02-21T07:19:00.000-08:00

2/20/07- there were 3 different scenarios when i surfed yesterday. almost like surfing three different sessions. when i first got in, it was low tide, dumpy, a little closed out on the sets but if you wait it out on the inside there were a few waves, kinda fun too.

after an hour the tide started rising, and quick, it was like a whole different morning. bigger sets, a little more closed out, but a few good ones would come in. got a really nice right where i had to grab onto my rail so i wouldn't go over the falls. pulled it off and got a few licks in there.

the last hour or so it started to mellow out on the walls after the water filled in some, it was a quick rising tide. got really peaky and fun. by then i was too tired and hungry. gonna go check it right now, hopefully there's still some windswell left. *** 3 1/2 out of 5.

back in

2007-02-16T15:20:00.000-08:00

2/11/07 - i decided to take a chance and get back in the water. my knee feels much better, i thought it was going to take at least a month, but luckily most of the pain has gone away.
i put ice on it constantly, heat packs, icy/hot patches, walked up and down steps. i was told the more you exercise the muscles, the quicker the healing process....

sunday was fun, got some good lefts at a spot. took it easy and surfed conservatively though. taking a break is sometimes good because when you surf for the first time in a while it seems so much better. (remember the first time you caught your first "real" wave?"
*** 3 out of 5

2/15/07 - high tide, had some bad memories of the last high tide day i surfed. i was extra cautious on not milking a wave to the shore, that how i hurt my knee. it was pretty small and the tide was super high, but it was a good day for me to exercise my knee and surf a few waves. ** 2

2/16/07 - the tide got even higher than yesterday, but for some reason there were more waves, maybe i was in a good spot. got some fun ones, although it was still small. not bad though, ** 2

i'm screwed

2007-02-01T11:16:00.000-08:00

2/1/07 - it's done for me... went in this morning, new swell showing up, tide was high but waves were still coming in. excited to get in the water since i haven't surfed in 6 days. suited up, got in, found a nice peak, took my first wave. it was mushy, so i tried to ride it out and get to the inside. well, i went too far inside, it was shorepounding. i tried to kick out but it still took me over. my knee was in a weird position and the shorebreak pounded me in waist high water right onto my board. my board was fine, but i didn't care about that. i felt an instant pain in my knee when i got slammed. i took a break and went back out to see how it felt. i couldn't get into any waves. too much pain, it was lame to pass off a bunch of waves so i somehow took one in and got out of there.

before i started this blog i hurt my other knee, back in 2004. i was out for a good month, not to mention my knee had some pain for the next 6-8 months. this time it doesn't feel as bad but still it hurts. i'm guessing i'm out for at least a few weeks. i'm gonna see how it feels in the next couple days. 0 out of 5....

1/26 and 1/27 2007

2007-01-29T09:18:00.000-08:00

1/26/07 - went in friday morning, swell was starting to show and quite a few went in the same time i did. there were waves but the tide was dropping quick and it was already closing out. got a few fun rights, nothing spectacular but it was decent. paddled north a bit in hopes of getting a better sandbar, but all i got was some major backwash. this one wave that was going to barrel hit some backwash, it threw me right off my board. i was even tucking in holding onto my rail, i just popped off. kinda funny actually, i would've chuckled if i saw it happening. ** 2 1/2 out of 5.

1/27/07 - i'm really glad i went in on saturday morning, i had to leave town and jump on a plane by 11 am, so i got in, first one in at 6:25am. swell was showing and it was kinda closed out but the tide was high enough that there were some good waves coming in, just had to be picky. lots of people out around me. got a really good right, shoulder high and barreling, probably the best barrel i've gotten in 2 years. other guys in the lineup were trying to get into it but i was right in the peak and positioned for it.... it was really clean and opened up, i looked up and water was throwing over me, i didn't feel like i had to rush to pop out of it, it was just lined up really nice and i set myself up well. (normally i'm not too good at barrels) it was a good 2 seconds, popped out of it, did one more snap and kicked out. 4 1/2 out of 5.

last few days

2007-01-25T10:03:00.000-08:00

1/22/07 – went to the same spot from the previous days. It seems like it’s the only spot in my area that is actually breaking. Everything is flat except for this one sandbar. (pretty long stretch though) it seemed small but when the tide started rising, it turned on. Fun rights, and they were all rights. Got some fun set waves, maybe shoulder high, fast and hollow. Even got a left that was pretty thick, got barreled on two waves; one I pulled out of, the other I got stuffed. Towards the end of my session I got a few waves that turned on me, I should’ve gone in when I was ahead. Ate it on a couple. Surfed about 3 hours. Overall a fun session. **** 4 out of 5.

1/23/07 – kind of a repeat of yesterday, I thought it was a bit smaller but it started turning on again when the tide started rising. I started off further south, then moved up to where the peaks were. A little bit of a crowd so I stayed a little south of them. Still got some fun rights, a couple barrels that I didn’t make it out of too. Meanwhile I saw one guy I knew getting full on barreled, and coming out of it. Probably 3 in a row. Another guy on a longboard took his chances and got barreled as well. I wanted to move into the peak but I was cordless and didn’t have enough confidence, oh well. Still really fun though. Surfed 3 ½ hours. 4 out of 5.

1/24/07 – surfed really died out today. Surfed my usual spot, really small. Surprisingly I got a couple tiny waves that actually moved me. Only surfed an hour at most, I should’ve brought my fish. 1 ½ out of 5.

1/21/07

2007-01-22T07:48:00.000-08:00

1/21/07 - so i went out sunday morning, and i was glad that the swell was still around over the weekend. i had committments saturday from 12-5pm, but i checked it in the morning and it looked really nice and offshore. on my way home i checked it again and i couldn't believe it was still offshore and there were waves.

it was chest high, maybe a little bigger and people were getting barreled. it didn't look big inbetween sets but it was fun. not real long rides but pitchy and hollow. got one set wave (a right) that i probably could've surfed better but still fun. weekend crowd was out, but not your regualar weekend warriors, there were shortboarders all around me that were really good. paddled a little south to get some isolation, overall a good 2 hr. session.
*** 3 out of 5.

waiting

2007-01-19T08:37:00.000-08:00

1/18/07 - so i waited and waited, didn't surf for over a week. yesterday i finally went out, the tide was really high in the early morning so i waited until about 10am. still high but it was slowly dropping. water wasn't that cold for me, the sun was shining by then and the wind was calm. it was small but rideable, and actually a little bit fun. only one was out and he was further down the way. water was nice and clear, i could see the bottom, kinda cool to see the sand swish around after a wave passes by you. took one wave all the way to shore, a little scary though cuz when i kicked out i slipped just a lil and jumped off my board. i was ankle high in the water, could've broken my fins easy. (or me if i fell wrong)
** 2 stars.

looking back

2007-01-17T10:01:00.000-08:00

1/17/07 - looking back at last year around this time i remember being surfed out after getting in the water 2 weeks straight on solid head high surf. it got to the point where there was so much surf spots were becoming empty because everyone was satisfied. it's been so cold and so flat lately (at least where i go) that it's been quite a disappointment. i did go out a couple times a few days ago when there was a tiny tiny swell but it wasn't anything to even write about, except i nearly got frostbite on my feet. (no booties) maybe next week? maybe in the spring when the sandbars are all nicely formed? hmmmm

3rd day almost in a row

2007-01-12T09:09:00.000-08:00

1/11/07 - was able to get back in the water again. it was a repeat of the last two days, but i didn't care cuz i've been itchin to surf this week. the same sandbar was working and only 3-4 guys out. plenty of room to work with. that same left was there, so i was on it. brought out my thicker 6'3, had fun. *** 3 out of 5.

another repeat

2007-01-10T10:04:00.000-08:00

1/9/07 - today was just like yesterday, small but rideable. sandbars are definitely there, but the swell was just too small. there was a left that was pretty consistent, set my marks and stayed there for a good 2 hours. my fish it made it fun, got some nice rides. i cut my ankle on my fin twice, one right next to each other. those fins are sharp...
** 2 out of 5.

glad to be back

2007-01-08T21:54:00.000-08:00

1/8/06 - so i've been gone for a week or so, it's good to be back, been landlocked. looks like i missed a swell, just in time for some weak waves. but hey, i still had fun. went out even though it was just about flat. took out my fish, i didn't care i was just happy to get wet. got a few small ones, i had fun. my feet were actually cold, they usually don't. might drive a bit further to try and get some better waves in the morning... ** 2 out of 5.

where'd it go?

2006-12-29T11:32:00.000-08:00

12/29/06 - the surf dropped considerably, yesterday it was head high easy, (but choppy) this morning it was barely waist high, maybe chest high a couple sets. the water always feels colder when there's no waves... got a few fun ones but the tide was high and it was creating a backwash on the inside. not a bad day, but after a bigger session the previous day it's not as inspiring.
** 2 1/2 out of 5.

i'm out of town for the next week or so, landlocked. ehhhhh

The leftovers from the wind

2006-12-28T10:42:00.000-08:00

12/28/06 - The leftover winds and swell made the conditions less than favorable. it was choppy, disorganized, and currents were shifty. water was dirty too, which meant no one out. i was the first one in at the spot at 7:45am, surfed a good 30 min before one other person came out. surfed with just him, we traded off waves. it was worth it. got some head high waves, not very clean waves but definitely rideable and didn't have to dodge people on my way down. when the tide started going out i thought it was gonna get better but it got worse. maybe the swell is on it's way out. got a few more and took one in. my last wave had a crossed up wave connecting with my wave and made it quite interesting. the two waves connected which created a fairly big whitewash splash right over me. it was weird. it was kind of like the feeling of getting barreled but not. the splash went right over me as i was coming to a stop. overall a good morning. **** 4 out of 5.

new swell

2006-12-27T06:32:00.000-08:00

a new swell started to come in, but so did the rain and winds. really windy actually...
yesterday - 12/26/06 - sets were coming in inconsistently, and when they did come in it would just close out. after a waiting period of about an hour, it got decent. a sandbar opened up and a left was forming rather consistently inbetween the sets. decided to sit inside and pick off the smaller waves since the sets were still closing out. it was fun. it was predictable and the left lasted for at least an hour before the tide rose further and buried the sandbar. occasionally there would be a right but it was rare and it was breaking too fast. i pulled into one and lost my board. (leashless this session) overall a pretty fun day. *** 3 out of 5.

i'm looking outside my window and it doesn't look good. maybe i'll check it anyways...

12/22-12/23, 2006

2006-12-24T10:24:00.000-08:00

after 3 or 4 days out of the water i finally get in.
12/22/06 - it was raining when i got in my car, kept raining till i got in the water. hardly anyone out by 6:45am. it was fun. tide was high, but swell was pickin up. i thought it was gonna be blown out but luckily it was blowing offshore. got a sandbar producing rights. got stuffed on one closeout barrel. after two hours wind turned sideshore. strong too. after 15 minutes it turn hard onshore, messed everything up. it was a good run though. traded waves with a guy i knew... 3 1/2 out of 5.

12/23/06 - saturday crowd. 6:45am there were at least a dozen out already. (that's too many for me already) swell picked up even more. got a few head high waves, super fun. tide came in but so did the swell... i took some pix after my session. i'll post em up soon. got out by 9:30am. i could've surfed longer but my arm was kind of hurting from the past two weeks.... 4 out of 5.

taking a day off

2006-12-19T07:42:00.000-08:00

taking a day off from surfing, (not work) my arms need a rest. i feel like i've gone to the gym and worked out my upperbody a week straight, that can't be good for me. looks like i surfed 10 days, not quite in a row but pretty close. it's been a good run.

12/18/06 - tide was pretty high, but there was still some swell in the water. not crowded at my favorite spot, it was nice. got lots and lots of waves, lefts, rights, even a nice shoulder high barrel that stuffed me. it was good. when the tide started dropping it got even better. most people don't like the high tide. i like it when there's enough swell in the water to make the wave full bodied. i feel that it gives more to work with. i'm a fan of low tide barrels as well, just my preference. **** 4 out of 5.

bizarro surf

2006-12-17T17:40:00.000-08:00

12/17/06 - so the forecasts said it was gonna be hard onshore winds, but it was just the opposite. somewhat clean as well... happily got in the water around 9am, surfed a good 45 min. with only 3-4 guys out. got some fun ones, still tired from the previous days. when people were checking the surf and saw that it was good, the number of people tripled in a matter of 15 min. took one in... while changing on land i saw at least two run ins by someone dropping in on another. i'm glad i got out of there. 3 out of 5 on the fun factor, 0 out of 5 for the vibe in the lineup...

wind chop swell

2006-12-16T17:40:00.000-08:00

12/16/06 - quite an interesting day. waited till low tide, around 1 or 2pm. 5 guys out. pretty choppy but definitely rideable and surprisingly it was fun. the tide was on it's way up and the swell was kickin in. got a bunch of lefts, one after the other. 2 of the guys were sitting wide, off of the peak, so i was trading off waves with just a few others. surfed 2 1/2 hours +, i hope tomorrow it won't be too blown out from the weather. *** 3 1/2 out of 5.

new swell coming in

2006-12-16T05:51:00.000-08:00

12/15/06 - you can tell in the water that a new swell was coming in. tide was pretty high, but sets were rolling through. it was a little closed out but if you sat inside you'd be able to catch more waves, but you'd also have to duck dive and miss the bigger sets. (that weren't holding up anyhow) got one long left that at first i didn't think i was gonna clear the section, but made it and took me into the inside where it was doubling up.

it's been a good week in the water overall, and i'm planning to surf this weekend if the weather and winds cooperate. *** 3 1/2 out of 5.

Catchin up

2006-12-14T11:17:00.000-08:00

haven't had time to post lately, here's a quick re-cap.

12/7/06 - small, but kinda fun for what is was worth. i really can't remember much of that day except that i was alone for the most part. **2 stars

12/8/06 - the nw swell started showing but still not really that big. had fun though on a few drops, chest high on average on the sets.

couldn't surf on saturday, man i missed a good swell...

was gonna surf on sunday, but when i stepped outside the winds were just howling, the wrong way. oh well...

12/11/06 - surfed for an hour and a half, swell was still around and it was definitely fun. still quite a few people in the water but i got my share. *** 3 1/2

12/12/06 - swell was dyin out but got a few fun ones. ** 2

12/13/06 - recap of 12/12/06, ** 2

12/14/06 - swell dropped in size but beachbreaks were managable with the tide. got some really fun ones, a nice bowly right that held up, nothing barreling though. *** 3 1/2.

my arms need a break....

bummers

2006-12-05T08:53:00.000-08:00

12/06/06 - haven't surfed in about 5-6 days, i'm hurtin for a session. worse thing is, i have company in town all this weekend so it looks like i'll be dry again when this new swell comes in. the next time i get wet may be friday, if the swell should come in early, otherwise it's not till next tuesday.. ouch....

brisky morning

2006-11-29T09:41:00.000-08:00

11/29/06 - fun morning, some north/northwest windswell, not super clean conditions but still fun. quite a few people out as well. man the air has gotten chilly, it's actually warmer in the water. i hope i don't get sick. got a bunch of rights, more so than lefts. dropped into one wave where i was too late on the drop, made the drop but just ate it as it closed out on me. tumbled underwater a bit, when i surfaced my board smacked me right on my right temple. not to mention i swallowed a gulp of water. got covered on a couple waves, fun morning. (i need to get back into shape too)

i'll be very thankful if i don't get sick. *** 3 1/2 out of 5.

windchop

2006-11-28T09:57:00.000-08:00

11/28/06 - yes, i was one of the very few out this morning, call me crazy, call me stupid, yup. i've been out of town the last 5 days so i was really itchin for a surf. looks like i missed some good swells ya? someone fill me in please. this morning the air was brisk, water was actually kinda warm, but super dirty and choppy. we'll see if i get sick over this. surfed for only 30 min. though, not really worth getting in. got 4 waves total. on one wave i slipped and ate it, too fast of a wave for me... overall it wasn't really worth it but it still felt good to surf a lil bit. ** 2 out 5 stars.

fishy

2006-11-21T10:52:00.000-08:00

11/20/06 - swell dropped, tide was high, good call on the fish. brought it out for this morning's session. i don't think i would've had fun at all if i was on my shortboard. got a few fun drops, but it really was small for the most part. low expectations, so i had fun. ** 2 out of 5.

last 3 days

2006-11-18T14:23:00.000-08:00

11/16 & 11/17/06 - not much swell out there, decided to go out anyways... probably shouldn't of though since i was under the weather. went to a fairly well known spot in my area, although there wasn't much to surf. nothing notable. * 1 1/2 out of 5 stars.

11/18/06 - still a little sick, but surf was good this morning. tide was pretty high, but sets were still coming in. my arms felt very boggy, i think i've been surfing too much and not taking a break. i guess that's a good thing that i can surf almost every day. got a couple nice lefts that took me way down the line. i hope the swell sticks around till tomorrow morning. got covered up on one but didn't quite make it out. **** 4 out of 5 stars...

11/14 - 11/15

2006-11-16T11:12:00.000-08:00

11/14/06 - swell dropped a bit from yesterday, but was still fun. tuesday's swell was way more consistent and and had chest high peaks, maybe even a head high set every now and then. today it was more waist high + waves, but a lot cleaner. surfed a good 3 hours again, the first part of my session was the best. clean, small, but peaky waves. nothing fancy here, just a fun day. *** 4 out of 5 stars.

11/15/06 - swell dropped even more today, barely rideable. i was watching it from a top for a while, but still decided to go in anyways. the tide was way too high for this lack of swell.... clean though. surfed maybe 30 min..... it was just too small. plus, the water always feels colder when there's n waves and you're just sittin there. maybe tomorrow though?
* 1 1/2 out of 5 stars....

windswell

2006-11-14T10:52:00.000-08:00

11/14/06 - got some windswell in the water right now, it was fun. got in around 6:30am, surfed till 9:30am, a good three hours. probably could've surfed a little more but i was getting hungry, and it looked like the winds were turning onshore. almost brought my bigger board, glad i didn't, today's conditions were perfect for my small 6'3. nice and peaky, not too heavy out there, just fun playful waves. on one wave i made a pretty late drop, managed to make it. i was sliding into the wave (a right), once i made it a lost my balance and ate it. fun drop though. another set wave i knew i was gonna eat it when i was paddling for it, i dunno, i guess i just wanted to get slammed. there was no shoulder, just a big closeout. almost got to my feet but the wave just hurled me over. wasn't underwater that long, but it was kind of funny. a few people around me saw it, they must've been gigglin on the inside. no worries though, i established myself in the lineup by getting a lot of good set waves. it was definitely fun. **** 4 out of 5 stars...

that was quick

2006-11-11T11:18:00.000-08:00

11/10/06 - that swell dropped so quick, good thing i got a piece of it while i could. went to a spot that was getting slammed the day before, but it was now breaking. much smaller, but rideable. got a few fun ones, nothing too memorable. maybe i should've gone to a more exposed spot....
** 2 1/2 out of 5 stars.

11/11/06 - with low expectations, i had fun this morning. sets weren't too big but rideable on my 6'3. got one nice set wave, but someone paddling back out got in my way so i had to race through the section to pass him, by then i missed the good part of the wave and popped out of the other side. no worries. winds turned onshore after an hour, and quick... conditions deteriorated, took one in. ** 2 out of 5 stars...

first of the season

2006-11-09T17:41:00.000-08:00

is it safe to say first swell of the season? i think so.
11/08/06 - swell has been slowly picking up, in the morning there was some size but later in the day it got bigger and bigger. got in the water around 6:30am, surfed a good 3 hours. did two sessions actually. the first session i got some pretty decent shaped waves, not huge or anything but some really good shoulders. on one wave i pulled into the barrel, got slammed, chattered my teeth and swallowed a gulp of water, yuck.... took a 20 min. break.

second session pretty much sucked. the tide rose really high and sandbars were gettin buried. got a few more waves and called it a day.

in the afternoon i checked a different spot, looked rideable, but when i got down there it wasn't as good. i sat and watched the break for a while, (about an hour) turned around and went back home. it was almost a 3 session surf day. *** 3 1/2 out of 5 stars....

11/09/06 - surf picked up even more than yesterday. head high on sets, even bigger on a few. one spot was slammed with guys out, hey it was good. i haven't seen a bunch of spots break since last season. went to another spot nearby, still pretty good, not as crowded, but the tide kinda killed it. the first hour or so was fun though. got a closeout barrel but got slammed once again. if i would've fallen the wrong way i think i would've broken something, it was pretty powerful. i hope the surf sticks around by morning, i'm still itchin' to surf. **** 4 out of 5 stars....

11/06./06

2006-11-07T15:24:00.000-08:00

11/06/06 - swell sized down from the weekend, but it was still super fun. crowds weren't there, people were back at work, and there were some clean sandbars to work with. got in around 6:30am, surfed till 9:30am. stiff offshores, a handful out but by mid-morning people left. the tide comin in actually helped the surf. never would've thought that a 6-7foot high tide would help things out. got a ton of waves, even got a barrel that i came out of. got another closeout barrel where i just got stuffed, fun wave though. looking forward to tomorrow's NW swell, it's been a while, may be the first big swell of winter. here come the crowds...
**** fun factor 4 1/2 out of 5 stars...

11/03 , 11/05

2006-11-05T18:21:00.000-08:00

11/03 - went to a spot i normally don't go to, it's was pretty steep, but rideable. wasn't very motivted, only surfed an hour. ** 2 out of 5 stars.

11/05 - i should've gone out the day before on saturday, i heard it was really fun. i was out late friday night so by the next day i just wasn't up for a surf. got plenty of sleep on sat. night so i got up by 5:30am, got in the water by 6am. surfed till about 9am. fun morning, a little walled but there were some corners. the tide was getting even higher by 7-8am, but it didn't seem to matter. waves didn't get shut down. (i would say chest high on sets) got stuffed once on a set wave where it was just too fast for me. dropped in and tucked inside the barrel while holding on the my rail, but it broke right on my head and i just couldn't make it out of there. it would've been a cool pic though. goin out again tomorrow morning, hopefully it'll still have that wind swell.... **** fun factor 4 out of 5 stars....

micro lines

2006-11-01T16:15:00.000-08:00

11/01 - haven't surfed in 5-6 days, been out of town. the water felt a bit colder than usual, maybe because i haven't been surfin that much lately. warmed up though, and got some tiny little clean lines for about an hour. it looked unsurfable from a distance, but when i got in it was rideable on my fish. once again my fish saved me from an unridable day. ** a fun factor 2 1/2 out of 5 stars.

10/26/06

2006-10-25T18:04:00.000-07:00

10/26/06 - after getting only 4 hours sleep, i decided to get up and surf, and it paid off. pretty walled up but with the rising tide it softened up a bit, a few corners opened up and it was fun. got quite a few barrels (closeouts), it was maybe chest to head high on the sets, not too many people out either. brought my main shortboard, i hope to surf sometime tomorrow as well... *** 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.

10/22, 10/24

2006-10-24T11:11:00.000-07:00

10/22 - swell showing, but super walled and thick shorebreak, not much to speak of other than i went to a bad spot. too lazy to drive any further, oh well.

10/24 - some swell still showing, nice and glassy. actually got a few fun ones. surfed about an hour and a half, ** 2 1/2 out of 5 stars....

clean conditions

2006-10-18T17:40:00.000-07:00

a nice little waist high barrel
put on the e-brake....
footprints...

10/18/06 - got in by 7:45am, surfed till about 10:45am, a good three hours although the last 45 min. i was sitting around due to the backwashing high tide. i thought it was going to peak today, it was definitely smaller than yesterday, although cleaner. my first wave was a closeout barrel, lost my board already, oh well. quite a few people out compared to yesterday, word must of gotten out. here's a few pix.

pretty good surf, pretty bad surfer

2006-10-17T18:38:00.000-07:00

10/17/06 - was out of town this past weekend so i haven't surfed in 4-5 days. got back just in time for this junky swell. it was mixed up but there were waves, chest high on the sets. too bad i was blowing it half the time. the beginning of the session i got a few fun ones, then ended up sitting in kind of a "no man's land" area, i was sittin around for quite a while. on one wave i dropped in a little too late and just ate it, first time i've fallen in a while on the drop in. the center of my stomp pad lost it's stickiness and it fell off, so my backfoot was feeling weird, i was placing my backfoot in wrong spots and not really getting good rides.

towards the end of the session i got a few more fun ones, i'm a lil' out of shape but still had fun. goin tomorrow morning for sure. *** 3 1/2 out of 5.

this past weekend

2006-10-10T16:07:00.000-07:00

10/7/06 - got in the water by 6:15am, still kinda dark out. luckily a lil nw swell was showing, i had alot of fun getting into a few chest high waves, but mostly waist highers. was alone for a good hour or so, when others showed up they were down a ways, so it wasn't that bad. i found a nice sandbar that was throwing a left, and it paid off. surprisingly (while the tide was low but on the rise) a set wave came and when i pulled into it i knew it was going to barrel so i tuck in and actually came out of it. i was pretty shocked. 10 min. later same thing happened but it was a right this time. pulled in, but didn't make it out that time. surfed for a good 3 hours, by mid-morning the tide got pretty high, i was surfed out anyways.... ***** 4 1/2 out of 5 stars. (only because i got that barrel)

10/8/06 - similar conditions as yesterday but quite a bit smaller. still rideable though, had fun but after yesterday i wasn't as motivated. still surfed a good 2 hours. i guess word got around that the previous day was a blast so there were way more people out even though it wasn't as good. *** 3 out of 5 stars.

10/9/06 - surf was pretty non-existant, took the fish out and stuck close to shore. after 25 min. i bailed the board, left it on the shore and bodysurfed the mini waves for a few min. * 1 1/2 out of 5 stars...

a lil windswell

2006-10-06T12:19:00.000-07:00

10/6/06 - there was a nice little windswell that i wasn't expecting this morning. surfline says it was 1-2 with poor conditions. sometimes they're just wrong. yes, it was 1-2ft, but it was more of a mushy/peaky session that was definitely rideable, and somewhat fun. i shoud've brought one of my 6'3 shortboards but i wasn't expecting anything, so i brought my 70's fish. i had a hard time at first just cuz i'm not used to riding that board. it's only been my 3rd time on it. the first 2 waves i lost my board, couldn't find the sweet spot. after 5-6 waves i got the hang of it and had some fun. one wave had this huge backwash and i felt it comin, it knocked me off my board and i kinda flew off to the side, really weird. took the go pro camera down again but i can't seem to get any good pix. tomorrow morning i'm gonna use my shortboard, hopefully that little windswell will stick around till the morning. *** 3 out of 5 stars.

The Go Pro

2006-10-05T17:35:00.000-07:00

10/5/06 - So I got a go pro hero underwater digital camera, the one's you see on surfline.com ad's... it's pretty cool, i just need to learn how to use it effectively in the lineup. it was a small day this morning, so it gave me a chance to try it out. setting the camera up to take a picture is tricky, you gotta push a couple buttons while at the same time getting into position for the wave. if there were others around me it would be quite a task.

after taking 100 pictures, only 10 came out decent enough. you have to be very still, which is hard when you're sitting on your board bobbing up and down. also, forget about taking video of yourself while riding a wave, it just doesn't work. gonna have to get a buddy and switch off taking pics and vid's of each other. after a while i got dizzy taking pictures... oh ya, if you standby the camera too long it will shut off, which is kind of annoying, but it saves the battery. overall it's pretty cool for $70.
here's a pic from the session, that wave is actually only waist high at most....

9/29, 10/1, 10/3

2006-10-03T16:37:00.000-07:00

9/29/06 - it's been over 3 years since i took out my 70's fish. i think i've used it one other time since then. this is an old fish from the seventies that i bought so long ago, i never really used it. it doesn't have a lil' rope where you can attach your leash, so you are forced to go leashless. (i'm assuming it was shaped before the leash was invented) well, i guess you can drill a hole in the fin and add rope but it's a makeshift fin. (read on) it is from the east coast and it has one of the early prototypes of a removable fin system. i forget what it's called but the fins are hard to find. the first time i used it the center fin wasn't locked in place (it has a zig zagged locking system, if anyone can remember the type could you please tell me?) and i lost it, it's sitting somewhere on the bottom of the sea floor! oh well.

i couldn't find a replacement fin so i bought fcs fins and set them in place and poured resin into the locking system. if it was rare and valuable it just lost it's value. years go by and i haven't used it until today. at first i was having a hard time balancing on it, but after 5 or so waves i got the hang of the board and found the sweet spots. i had a blast. i was a little worried that i set the fins in wrong cuz i'm not a shaper by any means, but it worked. it was small surf but still rideable. this board is about 3 inches thick, if you don't duck dive it a certain way you won't be able to get through the wave. i'm gonna be bringing this board out more often, only paid $90 for it too. *** a fun factor 3 out of 5 stars...

10/1 - 10/3 - small onshore days, the first day i surfed maybe 25 min. it just wasn't fun. 10/3 i had more fun cuz i brought my retro fish. nothing spectacular except for the beautiful morning. ** 2 out of 5 stars....

9/27

2006-09-29T06:42:00.000-07:00

my fish saw the water once again, it was pretty small so it fit the day. i really should be longboarding it but i just cant handle all that board, i've been surfing shortboards for so long now i don't know what to do with all that extra board.... clean conditions, nice and glassy, but small... at least it was empty out there, maybe 5 guys out, and spread out. not much to speak of, nice morning though. 1 1/2 out of 5 stars....

saturday crowds

2006-09-23T17:38:00.000-07:00

9/23/06 - got in the water by 8:15am or so, size dropped significantly but there were still a few rides to be had. it got better as the tide rose, maybe chest high on the sets, as well as some backwash. nothing too fancy here, beautfiul day though, i managed to take a couple pix after my session. ** 2/12 out of 5 stars.

wow

2006-09-22T12:25:00.000-07:00

9/22/06 - wow, i couldn't believe it. had a great day in the water. at first when i pulled up i saw that it was smaller than yesterday. i brought my smallest shortboard so i was a little bummed about that. but when i got down i saw how clean it was (despite the winds at my house before i left), it was offshore at 8:30am, and stayed offshore while i was leaving at 11:15am. i would've stayed longer but i was starving and my arms were turning into jello from all the waves that i caught. when i first got in i immediately flipped around and caught a nicely formed left and almost got covered. paddled back out and did the same thing again. not too many people out, maybe a dozen in my area. around 10am the tide started rising pretty high but for some reason waves were still comin in, nice. paddled south a few yards and caught about a dozen lefts on a peak that nobody was on. finally, the tide came up to the point of it creating a backwash, (almost ate it on this weirdly formed wave with backwash) by then i was too tired and hungry. definitely a fun morning and the first time i've surfed for more than 1 hour. (surfed about 3 + hours)
**** 4 out of 5 stars....

thick shorebreak

2006-09-21T15:27:00.000-07:00

The last 3 or 4 days i've been goin out, it's been pretty dumpy but there's some size to it. I would say chest high or so on the sets, and a couple bigger sets in between. not too many people out either, maybe they've travelled further to get some better waves. for me though this is good enough for me, don't like driving much.... i've been waiting till around 9am or so since low tide was at dawn and was creating a heavy shorebreak, pretty much impossible to catch anything. almost got a barrel that i didn't pull off, but it was fun gettin slammed after not making it. quite a few others where i had lots of room to work with and get quite a few snaps. glad to be out of august and into the fall now, hopefully we'll have a good winter like last year. *** 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.

nobody out

2006-09-13T17:04:00.000-07:00

9/12 - 9/13 - no one's out the past couple days. well, maybe 2 or 3 people out, mainly because there's not much to surf. with my morning's free this week i plan to take full advantage of it because i know when that first swell of winter season hits it's gonna be a madhouse. most of the time i will surf a different break or peak at the beach just to get away from the madness, most people do... anyhow, surf was semi-decent, it was rideable on my shortboard at least. ** 2 out of 5 stars....

shorebreak

2006-09-11T17:53:00.000-07:00

9/11/06 - a remembrance to those who lost their lives on this tragic day 5 years ago.

surf was on the low tide-ish, shorebreak side. would've been fun if there was some shape, but at least there were only 3 guys out compared to sunday's 20 guys out. (and little surf to speak of)
as of now i'm trying to rearrange my work schedule so i can surf from dawn to 9:30am, how nice that would be! we'll see what happens... * 1 1/2 out of 5 stars....

another 4 days of posting

2006-09-10T17:39:00.000-07:00

so i've been back in the water alot these days, although it's not much to speak of. there's some SW in the water, it seems that the water temp. keeps goin down. i was barebacking it up until 2 days ago, there's just not enough insulation on me to keep me warm. there was a shorebreak due to the low tide and full moon the other day, but i got a few fun ones. this morning i waited until about 9:30am, even pulled into a closeout barrel. (didn't make it out) hopefully this week that NW will be coming in, i'm planning on goin out all this week... ** 2 1/2 out of 5 stars.

the last 4 or so days

2006-09-07T17:34:00.000-07:00

the last 4 days or so have been small, maybe up to waist high or so, but clean and rideable. i brought my thick 6'3 out, still leashless and wetsuit-less, havin' fun while all the kiddies are back in school. for some reason i'm surfing more aggressive than usual, been gettin some good lefts and rights. this morning only 3 guys were out around me, was able to snag a rare chest high wave that i pulled into, got covered, but didn't make it out and almost lost my board.

gonna go out again tomorrow morning, i'm assuming it's going to be the same as the previous days. can't wait for the first big swell to come. *** 3 out of 5 stars.

Fall's comin

2006-09-02T09:24:00.000-07:00

9/2/06 - So i've surfed a few times since my last post but didn't log it in because i've been pretty busy, plus it's been very similar days. went out yesterday and today and to my surprise it was fun. i brought my fish out both days, the reports have been saying it's been small in my area, but i somehow managed to get a few waist high waves. i only surfed for about 45 min. but i was satisfied. i'm also a bit out of shape even though i've lost weight, time to bulk up for this winter.... ** 2 1/2 out of 5 stars...

a typical august morning

2006-08-15T16:48:00.000-07:00

8/15/06 - so happy to be back, was out of town for a few weeks... finally got down to the beach, it's been way too long. brought my 9'0 longboard out, first time i used it in over a year. the waves were non-existent, but somehow i was able to ride something to the shore. the water was super clear, no one was out (for good reason) but i had a fun morning. i must be happy to just get in the water... 1 1/2 out of 5 stars...

busy

2006-08-07T13:07:00.000-07:00

been busy doing family stuff and travelling, gonna be gone for another week or so. (landlocked, eh...) by then august will be in the full swing of things with toe-high mackers. looking forward to it....

7/24

2006-07-25T18:01:00.000-07:00

7/24/06 - i knew the low tide was gonna make it absolutely non-rideable this morning so i waited till 9am, which is really late for me. by the time i got in the water it was onshore, and pretty hard considering there was a fog bank hovering around the horizon. got some tiny waves in, called it a day after 45 min. (water's still warm though) * 1 1/2 out of 5 stars.

a fun weekend

2006-07-23T11:26:00.000-07:00

7/22/06 - saturday was surprisingly fun, wasn't expecting much, i get down there and see some rideable waves, maybe waist high.... much better than it has been before. brought my thicker 6'3, haven't ridden it in 4-5 months. surfed an hour and a half *** 3 out of 5 stars.

7/23/06 - another fun day, a little smaller and a little more onshore but still kinda fun. brought my thick 6'3 again, water's nice and warm. weird weather too i might add... feels like hawai'i, minus the waves..... surfed 2 1/2 hours...** 2 out of 5 stars.

uhhhhhhh

2006-07-21T10:57:00.000-07:00

7/20/06 - just another typical summer day, tiny surf, warm water.... surfed maybe 45 minutes. took my fish again, towards the end of my session i was having a hard time surfing it for some reason. maybe i was getting lazy, or maybe i was placing my back foot in the wrong spot. whatever the case i had a hard time controlling it, like it had a mind of it's own. i was probably thinking i was on my tri-fin and tried to pull quick snaps. * 1 1/2 out of 5 stars....

two guys out

2006-07-19T17:39:00.000-07:00

7/19/06 - only two guys out as far as i can see if both directions, one of them was me, and with good reason. it was basically flat. got some tiny ones for about a half an hour, not much to say. * 1 out of 5 stars.

i'm back

2006-07-18T16:38:00.000-07:00

7/18/06 - went out of town for a week or so, looks like i didn't miss much. same ole same ole'. no worries, got in for about 45 min. and surfed some small low tide closeouts. i didn't stay in too long cuz it was lookin like a fin breaker day. got some small ones. * 1 1/2 out of 5 stars....