Surf Quiver

Looking around

2012-02-04T02:17:00.000-08:00

This Thursday I decided to see where else might have good waves when conditions are good. The wind was light from the east and the swell was about 6@17 from 285. I drove out to Park Shit (funny name for a surf spot) thinking low tide was optimum, but I had all day to watch. I arrived around 10:00 and saw waves that looked alright from the rocks. That's too far to tell size, and it doesn't show the inner most part of the wave, but I think it's the best vantage point to check it. I want to the cafe, and the sand, and felt like I couldn't see as well from those spots. The waves were sectiony, and semi-hollow. Not the perfect hollow waves I've seen a photo or two of. As I sat and watched the wind turned to more NW and I got the feeling that offshore wind was vital for it to be surfable. I never saw anyone out surfing it except a SUP who kept to the inside. From that the waves looked SH to HH on the sets, perfectly do-able if I had someone else to surf with.
With the day not over and the wind on the rise I decided to continue exploring and check Drestero. From what I gathered the walk down requires getting your feet wet, or less than 2.5 feet of tide. I walked down around low of 1.5 and the sand was wet and flat. On the way down I saw three guys with gear heading back. I couldn't tell if they surfed or not, and I didn't ask. When I got there the wind was offshore, the sun was warm, and nobody was out. Also, the waves looked terrible. As I learned at Park Shit, checking the waves from the sand sucks, but I still think nothing was going on out there. It must want a larger swell, or something more direct because it looked waist high. In fact, the parking lot looked about as good as the Drestero proper.
The tide had bottomed out and the clock was ticking. I chose to skip the last chance wave and instead race rush-hour traffic home. I took the quicker route and was glad to get home in a reasonable amount of time. All in all a beautiful day outside and at the beach, but no secrets unlocked and no surfing done.
I'm considering going back today…

New Camera

2012-01-19T09:24:00.000-08:00

I got a GoPro as a gift. It's not the newest, it's a 960 I think it what it's called. Anyway, JZ has suggested we go for a surf with one person shooting from the water while the other surfs, then switch. I'm down for it, and I'll get by swimfins ready to go. So, with a break in the rain, expect some seriously distorted fish eye images appearing soon on this very blog.

Irony

2012-01-19T09:15:00.001-08:00

Last year around this time I was spending too much time at work. I'd get full of anxious energy and when the surf was good I would charge. Well, I would try to charge, but because I was spending my days at a desk I wouldn't get far. Still, I had the full intention of getting myself into some big, gnarly waves, it was all I wanted when the beach cleaned up on a weekend day. This year I have been hitting the gym to get into shape to track down the big waves. I've taken an extra day off each week and surfed that morning. I've gotten into some good sized waves and for the most part handled myself. Now here's the irony; because I've been getting exercise, I really don't feel the need to charge big waves. The exercise that puts me into a position to achive the goal also makes me feel more satisfied in life and less in need of that excitement.
The good news is I can handle 8-10' OB, and anything smaller. I can go out and pick the size range I want to surf (even if it's not the biggest I can see) and go enjoy myself. Last weekend I chose 6' range breaking kinda soft. After I got a few I began working my way towards the size until I found some waves that were exciting enough without being too punishing. There was more size down the beach, and it was breaking hard enough down there that there weren't many takers. Those that were on it were getting great rides. And today is my day off and I've decided not to make the drive out to the beach, although it's perfectly surf-able. I'm gonna do some housework and pay some bills and try to take care of home life.

Would you rather...

2012-01-13T20:37:00.000-08:00

The problem with not being rich is that I have to choose between a surf tour of Oaxaca and a new surfboard. Too bad I've convinced myself that I need a new board for the waves I dream of getting on this surf tour.
We've had an extended run of better than usual surf up at OB. Combined with my extra day off work and between surf exercise, I've been getting some pretty good waves lately. It's too the point that I'm starting to feel satisfied, which is good because there is change in the air. There is a storm forecast for next Thursday so I may not get surf. Looking at the extra long forecast, it kinda looks like after a few storms things will go back to sunny and offshore.
JZ is slipping. He was a hardcore addict of his Stoneman fish shape, having surfed through several of them in the past 5+ years. On the last one he ordered he ventured away from the proven shape and tried something a bit different, and was disappointed. Meanwhile I was going through my Pacheco purchase and trying to convince him that if he got the Stoneman fish shape done by Hess (i.e. Kunkle fish) then he would still be surfing the same board. His argument is one of short term finances, which is understandable, but my argument of long term savings still holds true as well. He's had a few sessions on boards Danny loaded me (barreled), on my Pacheco which he enjoyed, and just this weekend Danny let him borrow a 5'11" Pacheco of his own that he's ready to sell. We've got a nibble, I hope we can set the hook and get JZ to buy this board from Danny.
Yesterday JZ and I had a nice morning session. Things started more exciting and actually softened as the tide dropped. Waves got more inconsistent, but I persistently held position waiting for a particular bowl. It paid off with a smooth narrel. I was too deep so I paddled across to the peak as it came in. Nobody was around and I held back the drop and took a high line a bit behind the peak. I semi-side-slipped smoothly down the face as the lip came over, my hand dragging vertically downward as the wave grew upward. In an instant it was over with only a brief glimpse of lip over my head, but not between me and the beach. It felt great, but each time I replay it I think I could have held the line from deeper and think I should have not paddled so far across it. I'll try again!

Body (injury) Count

2012-01-04T12:39:00.001-08:00

Since pushing my limits for better waves, I've suffered the following which are still noticable or painfull.

Hyper-extended elbow from doing bar dips at the gym. (Mostly healed)

Persistant (5+weeks) cough after a 2.5 hour session in good waves.
Pulled stomach muscles from coughing so hard. (Still bothers me.)

Upper shoulder/back strain from a long surf session in good waves. (50% healed)

Minor whiplash from Saturday session. (Getting better everyday.)

This is mostly due to the string of great surf we've been having. I've been pushing myself to get as much out of every session as I can, and I've been paying the price. Tomorrow we're due for a Big swell that will light up SC John St. area. I can go, it would be possible, but I'm so beat down I'm thinking I wont make it. I think it's time to rehabilitate myself. Maybe some light work at the gym and walking around for simple exercise, but mostly letting my upper body heal. (Not to mention the stomach flu, which seems like it will be a 12-24 hour kind, because I'm much better already.)

The learning process

2012-01-04T12:31:00.000-08:00

On Saturday the wind was offshore and the waves were in the 8' range at mid-beach. I considered going north for less size, but ended up going out into the heaviest spot I'd seen that morning. I brought out the 7'5" thinking I could get into the waves earlier and handle the pitching lips that way. Once I got out there I found out that the waves were rolling along, not catchable, until hitting the bar and throwning over with heavy force. I had the most intense half-hour of surfing since Puerto at about the same size. The only difference is I was making waves in Puerto, OB was kicking my ass. It was too the point to make me worry about my health and I only stayed out for an hour, which was two waves made and many more getting drilled.
The next day I returned to similar condiitons but around 6' on most waves. I made the decision to go with the Quintara, the smallest board I own, and was glad I did. What I think is that the smaller board has less force pulling it up the face of the wave and so drops more easily when the waves are sucking out suddenly. I ended up making all my waves, and almost getting barreled. (JZ did better than almost, as did a few other guys out there.)
So next time it's 8' and throwing I'll go out on the small board and see what it will do for me. I am getting into better shape so I can handle the paddling better.

The thing about Hess boards is...

2011-12-28T18:07:00.001-08:00

So I've got myself a solid quiver of Hess boards. If I could I would fill in the spot between the 6' Quintara and the 7'5" Noriega with a 6'10"-ish Quintara or Lola. For those days when the smaller boards would leave me drifting with the current, but the 7'5" is more than is needed.
So except that, I don't really have an excuse to go board shopping. I have retained the habit of watching the web for Hess boards and there is a board for sale in Southern California that is very similar to my Pacheco, and for a great price $650! I want to buy it just because it's a great price, and if I could expect the other Pacheco to fall apart in a few years I would make arrangements for the "back-up" board. But I can't fool myself that these Hess boards will be falling apart any time this decade, or ever under my feet. I can imagine giving these boards away to someone who hasn't even been born yet, some kid who I help learn to surf.
So I will hold off on this other Pacheco and keep an eye out for a 6'10"-ish board with slimmer hips than the Pacheco but more paddle than my Quintara. In fact if anyone is out there, I'd trade my 6'1" Quintara for a 6'6" to 7' Lola or Quintara. Please!

Catch-up on events

2011-12-21T11:49:00.001-08:00

Surfed Blacks 2 ft fun warm sunny, not classic Blacks.

Bought a new wetsuit. Went with the same model as last time (oneil mutant) because it fit perfectly. This one is 5/4 and has a better chest closing system. I was complaining about the old one and how it would come loose and the guy at the shop said, "That hasn't happened since the first year they made those suits." We talked more and I found out the suit I'd been wearing was 4+ years old. Not a bad run! With the new suit being thicker and not leaking water I'm sitting out there overheated sometimes. Nice.

Surfed OB several times in December, size range 6-10'. Got the Noriega semi-gun in the water and made some bigger drops, pulled into smaller tubes, paddled against the current and succeeded! Reminded myself that when the waves are 8'+ you have to paddle down the face a few extra strokes. Offshore winds and sunny days!

Picked up a nagging cough that has been sapping my energy making the 6-8' days at OB more of a struggle than they should be. Still fighting it, and hitting the gym, gonna surf tomorrow if it looks good.

Surfed John St. in SC. Not classic, or even very good. More people than should have been out for the conditions. The swell was too north, and the next cove up was 8'+ with a small, scattered crowd. Would have been the call and I might have survived even with the low energy from this cough. Maybe not...

At some point at the gym I hyper-extended my elbow. I should let it rest, but I'm still doing everything I normally do, but at least I'm not doing bar dips, which is when it happened. I'm also adding bicep curls to my workout to try to prevent it from happening again. I also realized that just cardio at the gym isn't enough for a surf workout. I need to do strength/endurance work on my arms, and a bit of strength training on my legs and core. If I start going regularly I should consider making a plan/schedule of what/when/how much.

Spending the poor quality surf days on the smallest board would also be a good idea, as would bodysurfing if conditions dictate.

Wanderlust

2011-11-16T06:45:00.000-08:00

I found an excuse to travel to San Diego in November, and here I sit in the La Jolla coffee shop typing about the lack of surf. Actually, let's flip it and talk instead about the drive. I left home after work, dinner, and a quick nap. I drove through the night listening to WTF podcasts to stay awake and arrived in the pre-dawn at Blacks. I don't know the best access, but in the morning light I was able to figure out one. This means that it's entirely possible to make a strike on Blacks with only a single day off of work required. If I see an opportunity I want to capitalize on I can be here by dawn, surf once or twice, sleep the rest of the day and reverse the overnight drive and be back to work a day later. I'm not sure I'd be of much use that day at work, but with my new limited work schedule and the double day field days that I sometimes do in winter, I may not need to do much work if things work out just right.
Furthermore, Blacks is the furthest south spot I would drive that far for, with a few in between I'd like to surf as well, mostly bunched around Santa Barbara.
As for the present surf conditions, the CDIP buoy for Southern California shows 7'@12s from 315deg. I've been told Blacks is my best bet, and I can't really tell from the cliff angle/distance, but to me it looks waist high at best. The shape doesn't look appealing either with rangy walls that close out. I wonder if I was even looking at the right stretch of beach.
And since this is the only time I'll probably ever have a segway between surfing and a podcast, I want to talk about the WTF podcast. It is funny and deep and always entertaining. There is a stereotype of stand-up comics having tortured histories. The host of WTF, Marc Maron, is no exception and he speaks to my own frustrated with everything/nothing dark side. His interviews often try to bring out dark experiences of the comics he interviews. Sometimes he uncovers some deep dark shit, but because the stories are coming from comics they are layered with humor to break the tension. Other times the guest on the show will be a light hearted person without any dark side to uncover, but Marc still finds what makes them tick, what makes them special. With his comic style you might expect him to ridicule the guests softer side (or any side) but he always conducts the interviews with compassion, which helps the guest open up. Unlike a typical interviewer Marc interjects his own experiences as they relate to the topic, sometimes stepping on his guests stories. I thought this was irritating but I now believe it makes the show more conversational, and because Marc is opening up the guest opens up too. If I had the opportunity to talk to Marc about his interruptions I would say, "Keep it up, don't change a thing."
Anyway, this is what happens when I drive all night then have a capichino for breakfast, only to discover free WiFi and nothing else to do.

Heart Rate Monitor

2011-11-13T08:14:00.000-08:00

During some great days last winter I found myself so out of shape I couldn't even make it to the peak. I spend whole sessions on the shoulder trying to paddle against the current and not catching waves. I have since taken action to get into better shape, and one part of that is cardio fitness. I joined a gym (climbing gym with weights and bikes, etc.) and started riding the stationary bikes. Those bikes have heart rate monitors built in and I got curious about my HR during other exercises. I bought myself a Polar FT60 and began playing with it.
I'm going to skip all the functions and featurs discussion and hit at the *heart of the matter. When surfing my HR goes from low 100s when sitting to ~175 when paddling for a wave, or back out with duckdives. When paddling for position or through a rip I'm in the upper 150s. After I'm done paddling my heart rate gets back down into the low 120s in about a minute.
Biking to work in traffic with stoplights, etc. gives me a very similar workout.
Here's the thing, the HRM wants me to spend the largest amount of time in the 135-145range but I don't really know if that's right for me. Surfing seems to be sprint and rest, so shouldn't my workouts be sprint and rest? For now I'm just exercising however as often as I can motivate.
*About using the HRM in the ocean. The HRM isn't perfect and doesn't always pick up my heart rate even on dry land. I tried to use it in Maui while swiming in the ocean and that didn't ever work for me. I have been able to get it to work while surfing, although inconsistantly. I think what's happening is that the wetsuit keeps most of the water off my chest so when I'm not duck-diving the HRM works. If I get washed and my suit flushes the HRM stops working until the water runs out. Or, if the HRM shifts around and slides down then it's shot for the session. One more thing, the HRM is a pod that attaches to a strap and is worn on your sternum. This doesn't work for surfing (paddling problems) but the thing works for me when I put the pod on my back.
I've been doing cardio with some weights for a few months now, inconsistantly, but I've found anything I do to stay in shape for surfing helps, and I think I'll keep doing what I can to keep improving. Can't get barreled if I can't get the wave.

November offshore

2011-11-13T08:04:00.000-08:00

This November has been a good one for OB with regular offshore wind and consistent waves in the manageable size range. Some have even been saying it's been some of the best run of good conditions ever, but I think that's more related to the surf contest that was in town and seeing the same old spot through the eyes of a pro surfer. I don't have any use for surf contests, but it was inspiring to see how well the pros made use of the waves and made me think the waves look better than I would have before.
I've gotten out a few of the days and have had some fun. Nothing epic, but much better than the miserable summer we had. The low tides have been after noon and I've been surfing the better morning wind, so mostly I've been getting offshore groomed but mushy waves (with some juice mixed in to keep me on my toes.)
I've been surfing the Pacheco which has been a good all around board with float to catch soft waves but able to handle the juice when it comes. Yesterday I took out the Quintara and didn't feel like I missed the extra float of the Pacheco. I had one morning a few weeks ago that I would have felt good about the Noriega. I surfed 6-8' Tarval with strong offshores, two other guys out. I would have like to have been able to track down the rangy peaks better, and get in a bit earlier since the lips were throwing wide.
As part of the great waves I've been working on fitness so I can be better prepared for winter this year. I'll expand in a later post.

Swell of the summer

2011-10-13T16:19:00.000-07:00

It was a buzzer beater arriving in September, but before the 21st so still technically summer. I surfed in town Thursday and found Mitchel's overhead on the sets. I surfed a few on the outside of my usual take-off spot but the crowd filled in and I dealt with it by paddling further out and around the corner. I also had thoughts in my head of finding some barrels on the Getchel section like I saw guys do earlier in the summer. It turned out that the drop on the outside was too late and the shoulder to fast and I didn't make it to the bottom on most, and those that I did I didn't make it back up the face. I might have been more successfull on something other than the Pacheco, but it was fun to try.
Next day I did 3mile with JA. The size was causing the 2nd peak to break on the sets, closing out the 1st peak. The 2nd peak was not exciting after the drop, so I dealt with the sets on the head and took smaller waves at the 1st peak. These were tons of fun, even though they didn't really look like it. JA kept guard at 2nd peak and made it over the top of most of the sets, but not into any of them.
Third morning in a row, back to 3mile. Being Saturday morning the crowd was new, wide-eyed and mostly unprepared for the winter like size. I returned to 1st peak for more of the same and had plenty of fun. The Pacheco goes great in those conditions, even though the size was HH+, the softer walls were still plenty of energy to get the wide board running fast.

Terrible summer continues

2011-08-23T12:33:00.000-07:00

It's been a terrible summer at OB. Somewhere it is less windy and set-up to handle this constant small south swell that's been around all summer, but the wind and chop has made it unridable most of the time at OB. I hear comments about surfable mid-day 1 hour windows now and then, but I'm in no position to take advantage. There have been few bumps in the south swell that justify the drive to less windy and south facing places known to everyone. This is the kind of summer that makes a person compleatly unprepared for the great surf that comes in the fall.

Not me, not this year. I've been exercising a bit trying to maintain sanity and readiness. It's worked, somewhat. I know this because I got in the water for the first time in a few weeks last weekend and my arms weren't compleatly worthless! The waves were, and my feet weren't as solid and all that, but at least I could paddle. Surfing remains the best exercise for staying in shape for surfing, but I've been doing a variaty of arms and cardio to try to stay in shape while staying dry.

Noriega, day 1

2011-07-30T18:13:00.000-07:00

I headed south before dawn today on a misguided mission. As I looked at the reef in the 5:00 darkness I realized that this spot doesn't like the negative tide. I headed into town for the spot that Does like that tide and the south that was here, but there wasn't enough swell. I futzed around town, considered going rock climbing, but ended up surfing. I went out to Scotts, which isn't a south swell spot. It was high tide and the waves were 4' and the reminded me of sewers. Peaky bowls with the rare wall but mostly technical drops into zero shoulders.
The board felt good under me. It has float between the wheelwright and buttons so I could chase waves but still do a decent duckdive. I think it will work for me, but I have work to do too. I could feel that I'm weak and couldn't paddle continuously for very long. I thought about which gym exercises I'll do to strengthen for surfing. Let's see if that really happens.
I know I'll appreciate it if I do, and regret it if I don't.

Making space

2011-07-25T13:01:00.000-07:00

I got the Wheelwright sold, I'm giving away the kneeboard, and I'm still trying to sell the Buttons. All this is an effort to clear out the closet a bit and refocus my surfing efforts to those boards I regularly ride, and add one to fill in a gap. If I'm going to continue to surf OB throughout the year, then I need to add a board that paddles better than my Pacheco, but still duck-dives well. And it should have a narrower tail while I'm at it. There are days out at OB that are big, but not scary big, just exciting big. I've tried the Haut2 but didn't have the paddle to stay in position, let alone get to the peak. I tried the Buttons is the same situation and had the same problem.
So, as I'm writting this I go over to the Hess blog to link a picture of a Noriega, which is a board I think would fit this gap, and here's what I find. "Monday, July 25, 2011Personal Noriega semi-gun For sale" WTF? It's kismet for sure! I already sent the "I'll take it!" email, let's hope that nobody already offered him for it, since it was first posted 5 hours ago.

Jetty Memories Session

2011-07-22T15:16:00.000-07:00

Last week I had work on the coast and kept an eye on conditions. It was more than breezy but not blown out. There was a south swell in the water. I called JZ and his suggestion was the Jetty. It's been a very, very long time since I've surfed there. That was the first place I rode waves when I was in 5th grade (or there-abouts) just riding whitewater strait into the sand. The beach has changed with sand migrating out and no harbor dredging replenishing it. Even so it still has days when the rebound wedge is working and it's surfable. This was one of those days and even though there were 10 people in the water, I still figured I'd get some waves. I caught several, and JZ even shared a peak with me that was my best wave of the day. My balance at the take-off tipped me so that my shoulder was right in the pocket, kinda stuck in that position as the wave reeled along and my board kept pace. It felt good. It ended up being a relativly short session, but with better waves than I've ridden in awhile and playfull fun. I rode the Pacheco and it felt fine, despite still only having basecoat wax on it. JZ gave me a few scraps of sticky wax so hopefully the next session will be solid.
Forecast for this weekend doesn't look too good.

Double-dip = 1/2 Session

2011-07-12T17:43:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I got up at 3:15AM to arrive at Ona before first light. Waxed up the new board and followed Darrel down the beach. He and I surfed for an hour or two with no other takers. I got one sorta good wave and a lot of typical Ona crapa. I headed into Davenport and had a wonderfull breakfast and enough coffee to motivate me for a second session. At 10AM the north coast was still clean and I jumped on the first surfable spot I found, which was the rights at the south end of Davenport Landing. What I saw from the beach was peaky/bowls with some long walls to run and nobody out. What I saw from the water was shifty sucking ledges with steps coming up the face on the take-off. A few near freefall drops with no shoulders to run, but mostly paddling back and forth, in and out and never landing a winner.
I think I've cured myself of the dawn at Ona tendancy. I think nobody else came because there were waves at all the other spots. I expected wind but instead it was clean. I think the call would have been Waddell Reefs...

Pacheco

2011-07-08T10:02:00.000-07:00

I almost drove out to the beach this morning for a surf, even though the conditions are bad up here. On the surf report webpage there was a link to a report on the carbon footprint of surfing. As I know, driving to the beach is the largest CO2 emitting action surfers take. I decided to save my CO2 for a day with better chances of being fun. I was considering biking to work to offset my "surfing carbon", but got lazy and ran out of time and went to my car. It wouldn't start, so I biked to work anyway! Being a scientist with an atmospheric background I feel guilt for being wasteful in any way because I know how these things contribute to the problems our society has. It gets to the point that I feel guilty about everything, then I snap and feel no guilt and the process starts over again.

I picked up the new Hess Pacheco a few weekends ago. The surf that day was going from bad to worse and by the time I picked up the board there was no way I was surfing. The next weekend I had plans with the wife and, even though we went to Santa Cruz, I did not surf. It's getting to the point that I need to just get wet, and with no signs of improvement in the forecast, that may be just what I do. Now, thinking about the CO2 footprint and all that, and since I only biked to work twice this week (not enough to offset the trip to the beach) I'm considering trying for the bus to beach again.

The photo is the new Pacheco on the left and the Quintara on the right. I think the aged and sun-darkened Quintara looks nicer than the fresh Pacheco. This photo also shows the difference in the templates very well. In person, at a more perpendicular angle the Pacheco looks like the wide point is forward of center and the Quintara looks like the wide point is back from center.

I pulled out my fin collection and found some interesting things. First, the original Haut fins are different than what I had on the Haut2. The front fins were similar, but the rear fins of the Haut were smaller, and set and the back of the box as compared to the Haut2.

When I bought the Quintara, the guy gave me two sets of fins. The ones that came with the board are more similar to the Haut fins, but the other set that I used are more similar to the Haut2 fins. I've decided that I'm going with the smaller rear set on both Hess boards and I'll see how they feel. (I probably can't tell the difference!)

What I need (and have needed for a long time) is a week of surfing where I can surf more than 2 hours in a day and really get the feeling of surfing again. It's been too long with marginal waves and short rides. Working in Berkeley inhibits surfing good waves.

New Spot

2011-06-06T09:03:00.001-07:00

Beach access around Moss Landing is difficult. The reason for this is because much of the area is state park or nature reserve. The result is that it's hard to check the whole stretch of beach break, but also if you find something away from a main parking lot you'll probably surf alone. This is in contrast to Ocean Beach where there is continuous access to the full 4 mile stretch.
Yesterday my work took me to Watsonville and, after a check with the guy at Manresa to verify that was not worth surfing, I went to Moss. Moss had one peak that was actually crowded, which was a surprise to see that many people surfing there. There were several bars along the beach but only that one had surfable waves with all the rest creating shifty close-outs. The sun was peaking from behind the clouds and the wind was offshore, so I really wanted to get some waves. I decided to drive further south because the direction of the wind would make it more offshore than side shore in that direction.
I ended up at Monterey Dunes where I found a crowded parking lot but only a few fisherman on the beach. There was a peak working right at the end of the trail and I got a few waves there before the tide filled in and made that particular bar soft. When I came in the bar down the beach was no longer closing out and looked good, but I had other things to do that day and my shoulders were tired anyway.
Overall it was a good day at a new spot I'd never even checked before. The waves were fun, but smaller than Moss. I also wish I knew what Pajaro Rivermouth looked like. And I'm also curious how hard it would be to get to the Salinas Rivermouth. Perhaps that's where some of the owners of the cars in the lot were. I swear some of those trucks belonged to surfers and not just fisherman, but I never saw anyone that looked like a surfer walk by.

Hesitation

2011-05-30T07:36:00.001-07:00

I've got a $1400 board on the way, and I'm getting into climbing, and it's been a terrible spring for surfing. All these things have combined in my head and I was ready to sell off a few surfboards. I say was, because as I was scraping wax and composing my craigslist addvert in my head, the story I was telling made me think I want to hold onto these boards a bit longer.
I was considering selling the Buttons and the Wheelright. These are two single fin boards in the shape of the 70's transition shapes. I've learned from riding these boards that they work well in hollow waves when all I want to do is sit deep. The narrow tails stall back into the pocket without as much up the face twisting as wider tailed boards. The wide point forward helps them drop into waves, but the rocker makes it hard to make late drops because they are longer but flat and don't handle the transition at the bottom of the wave. Something about the tail or rails makes it hard to take the late drop more sideways, like I can do on my Haut2.
But, when things come together the Buttons feels so good in hollow waves. It's just not floaty enough to be a bigger wave board at OB. I've taken it out on bigger days and the current was too much for me to move around. The Wheelright would probably have enough paddle, but it's a bit to big to duckdive solidly. I feel like I'd like to have a board that is in the middle, but until then, maybe I should keep them both...
No hesitation on giving up the kneeboard. I should probably gift it to someone on the kneeboarding website. I had some great waves on that board, but the last time I surfed it the feeling was so foreign that I didn't want to be riding it.
So I need to get my head strait and then get to posting on craigslist. I should also to a bit of lurking first to see what I should charge for these boards. My sense is that used boards aren't selling for as much because the economy is still slow.

A new kind of quiver

2011-05-24T10:55:00.000-07:00

When climbing the rock faces like those at Yosemite, a lead climber puts devices into cracks in the rock, and then connects the rope to the devices. These devices are intended to catch a falling climber. There are different shapes and styles of these devices, and just as many companies that make these different devices. Every climber that wants to do this kind of climbing needs to buy many of these devices and the climber's collection is called their "rack."

Why am I talking about this? Well, on my 35th birthday my wife organized a trip to the local climbing gym. I was hooked right away because it offered consistent hours, convenient location, and physical challenges, among other things. Last weekend I took a two day class to learn the skills to climb outside. Now it's time to build my own rack. For the price of a new surfboard I can have a decent starter rack that would get me outside. That's still around $500, which isn't money I can throw around, so I'm considering selling off some of my quiver to build my rack. My goal is a multi-pitch single day climb in Yosemite, and it may happen this summer or next. After that I'll be able to re-asses my interest in the sport. My concern is that the rock doesn't change so after doing a particular climb a few times it may become boring. In that case to find more excitement you have to go find a different rock somewhere. The advantage to surfing is that once you find a surf spot, every day and every wave is a bit different. Ocean Beach is the extreme example of this.

At the moment I'm more interested in buying the climbing gear than selling some surf gear, but I think both should happen. I'm ready to clear out the kneeboard, the spare 70's backyard board, and the Buttons board. That would leave me the flexspoon project, the GeeBee, the Haut2, the QQ Hess and the Pacheco Hess which is on the way. I'd move the Haut2 to Santa Cruz to have in case I'm ever there without a board. I'd be willing to part with the QQ if I could get a reasonable offer, and the 4 board massive reduction in quiver size would help justify the purchase of a Hess SFOB semi-gun for those 8-12' heavy current days. I'm not sure if I would be able to handle those days even with the right board, but I'd like to be able to. Hopefully climbing will keep me in a bit better shape for surfing (as compared to doing nothing.)

No man is happy till he dies

2011-03-12T08:33:00.001-08:00

"No man's happy 'till he dies," - Tom Waits Misery's the River of the World
Which a paraphrase of, and possibly an alteration to the meaning of line in a play by Aeschylus, and ancient Greek playwright, which gives the concept age.
I sit at work or at home and wish I was at the beach surfing. It is completely in my power to go, yet I hold back for various reasons and dream of the situation being different. I imagine what I would do if I won the lottery. I try to build the confidence to take a month off work. But I doubt myself that is really what I want.
I've been reading "All for a Few Perfect Waves" by David Rensin. It's a biography of Miki Dora, and I've gotten through the 60's to the point in Miki's life that he is about to leave California. While in California Miki would cheat, lie, and steal; do anything to avoid real work and stay free to surf. He would also visit museums, poetry readings, and other more intellectual pursuits. I read this book and it kindles my feeling that I'm spending too much time working and not enough time seeking adventure and "living life." Miki once graphically charted the rise and fall of surfing. The chart contains a small dip during the rising phase which Miki simply called the "Willie House" tragedy. The author of the biography got the story from Willie House as follows (paraphrased.)
Willie House: There were actually three tragedies which combined. The first was having to move away from the beach to be the sole provider for my daughter. The second tragedy was having to quit my sandal shop and take more steady work as a gardener. The third was the result of the first two and everything else in life being that I don't surf much any more.
The "tragedy" is repeated constantly with other surfers. I knew about it and wanted to avoid it, yet I'm succumbing to it now. My plans were not set in stone and so they changed in ways I didn't want It seems like everyone else wants me to do things that pull me away from surfing, and I'm not strong enough to overcome them all.
Yet I know it's my choice. I'm slave to no one, there are no indentured servants. I'm not in jail, or on parole. So it is me who is holding myself back. Why?
Is it fear? Yes, I fear loosing my job if I take too long a vacation. If I loose my job I fear not finding another one that's as good. It's also fear of loosing my wife because I'm neglectful. It's fear of spending money now that I need later. It's fear of being uncomfortable (i.e. getting sick, cold, lost, robbed.)
Is it not what I really want? This I don't know the answer to. I think the reason has something to do with not having done it yet. I've taken surf trips and vacations and I always enjoy the experience, but would I still if I was alone and/or the time was longer than a week? How can I know until I try? What if I risk my life as it is and find out that what I had I want more than what I chased. What if I take two weeks and come home only to wonder if I'd be happier if I took a month? And that brings me back to the title of this entry. Will I always be chasing happiness?
But to go beyond that possibility, is the understanding that I will always be chasing happiness any reason to stop trying? When my wife and I were discussing moving back to the beach town she reminded me that even when we lived there I was unhappy at times. I got used to getting to surf and then complained about the surf not being good enough. My response was that if I was unhappy one less day a week, isn't that worth the effort to move back? Yet, given the power to make a compromise happen (move to a different beach) I balked. I had reasons, but it was my choice and I made it to stay in the situation I'm in.

The Choice

The intellect of man is forced to choose
perfection of the life, or of the work,
And if it take the second must refuse
A heavenly mansion, raging in the dark.
When all that story's finished, what's the news?
In luck or out the toil has left its mark:
That old perplexity an empty purse,
Or the day's vanity, the night's remorse.

William Butler Yeats

One concept that I've drawn from this poem is that to achive perfection in either life or work you give up most of the other. To me, the better path is the middle one, yet I look at the benifits of the extremes and wish I had those too.

No man is happy untill he dies, and maybe not even then.

Margins

2011-02-01T08:51:00.000-08:00

I've had a few good sessions that I've been hesitant to post because of the semi-secret nature of these spots. The fact that I know about them and surfed there means they are not real secrets, but they are definitely below the radar of most surfers, and are guarded by skilled and aggressive local crews. I am just barley skilled and aggressive, but I wanted to talk out how I make it work.

Margins. With the number of surfers these days if the conditions are good on a weekend then where ever it is good is also going to be crowded. The better it is, the harder it is for me to get waves, especially if I go to a point/reef spot with a narrow take-off zone. So I hit the margins. What I mean by margins could be a few things. It could mean that the weather isn't all that great like the winds is side-shore or light onshore, or it's raining, or very cold, but still surfable. It could mean that the tide isn't quite right. Either it's the part of the tide that isn't yet low/high enough or the tide wont get quite low enough for that spot to really do it's thing, etc. The point is that the local crew would look at the conditions and have reason to hesitate to go surf. That's when I surf.
I have two examples of this working for me. Both spots need big swells and low tides. Both times I paddled out before the tide was right and got waves before the crowd.
One because it takes 30min to get from where you park to the wave, so if you wait to see the first good set hit then it's 45min before you catch one. We didn't wait and caught a wave out of that first set, and then a few more before the crowd got to it.
The other because at the higher tide the wave catches backwash and doesn't have much shoulder. It was cold and rainy and there was junky wind on the ocean, I surfed for an hour and a half by myself and caught all kinds of "marginal" waves. It was getting better the whole time and the crowd filled in rather quickly, but I stayed out for another 30min until there was no more room for me to get waves.
Both sessions left me feeling satisfied even though I didn't get the best waves of the day.

One thing about the margins is that some "margins" have disappeared with more and more people surfing. It used to be that surfing at dawn in Santa Cruz was a margin, but now it's one of the most crowded times of the day! I used to surf a break that was rather crappy no shoulder backwashy nothing spot, a margin that I could get with very few others out. Now it is filled whenever a wave breaks out there.

Lastly, I consider margins different than seams. Seams are the better part of a day/tide/swell when for whatever reason there are fewer people in the water. I think about hitting the seam in the way a running back does, finding an opening among the crowd to get what I want. The morning after the Super Bowl, World Series, or whatever when so many people are sleeping off a hangover missing great waves is a seam. The 45 min between the dawn patrol crew and the later morning crew is a seam. The 4th day of a great swell when the waves are still really good but most people have gotten all the waves they want is a seam. The wave that swings wide/short and hits a different part of the reef/point from where everyone is sitting is a seam. Hitting the seam often requires being at the beach waiting, watching, and jumping when the seam opens. Seams can't be planned for, you just have to take advantage of the opportunity. Margins are more predictable but less rewarding in some ways.

Stop It

2011-01-22T11:20:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd reached a comfortable place with the surfboards I had. I've lost interest in Bonzers, realized that my Haut2 is a great board for me in most conditions, but I still have a few options to mix it up when I feel like it. Someh
how I converted that feeling into wanting a Hess version of the Haut2, "so I would have it always." At least that's the logic in my head. The thing is, I already have one I ride, and a cracked one in the rafters to model future ones after. When I realized I was chasing boards again I just said, "Stop IT!"
Now I realize the name I chose for this blog is "Surf Quiver," and now I'm talking about not expanding or rotating my quiver, but geeze, don't I already have enough? The logical answer is yes, the emotional answer is no, I want to keep playing. So here's the compromise I'm at with myself now.
1) If I find a used, < $1,000 Hess that is close in size/shape to the Haut2 I'll take it. The justification is that a new one is $1,400 or more so if I can score the right used one before I bust the Haut2 I will jump, otherwise I'll be getting a custom one sometime down the road.
2) Kneeboard. I still enjoy the kneeboard experience when I know the waves will be super hollow. I haven't ridden it in awhile, so I can't justify getting a new one until I bust the old one. And I mean 2 pieces or something similar that requires major repair. Until then I'll do crap patches and ride it once in awhile.
3) I already have a bunch of boards and lately I've only ridden two. I should ride the Hess I do have, come summer I'll ride the GeeBee, and I have the flex-spoon if I get it tuned and get into shape. Then there's the body surf and mat surf option that I haven't done recently.

Speaking of getting into shape, the wife and I joined a rock gym last night. I got kinda excited because I found a bouldering route I thought I could do but couldn't quite. I get bored "working out" but if I have a game or something to make it interesting I can rather easily get into shape. If my grip wasn't so weak today from 45min bouldering yesterday I'd go again tonight (I still might anyway) and hopefully this will be my non-surf exercise that will keep me from going soft between Saturday surfs.

Lincoln Lefts

2011-01-18T17:16:00.001-08:00

Three Sundays ago I headed out to the beach after hearing that the north end was < 8'. When I got there I saw it was more like +8' but there was a nice peak in front of VFWs and a rip 100 yards north that looked good. I had brought the Buttons and I jumped in the rip. I got out without much trouble, but then couldn't escape the rip in the direction of the peak I wanted. I paddled for 30min and made no progress, so I decided to paddle in while I still had strength. I paddled hard and got just inside the sandbar when a set came and cleaned up the rip. I took a few trips to the bottom on the first wave, and a few more trips on the next few waves. Nothing enough to hurt, but a bang on the sand is never fun. The following weekend looked much the same and I sat it out. But this last Saturday...
I got to the beach after breakfast, which was around 10am. JZ was amped to hit it because it was about head high and sunny with offshores. We went to Lincoln lefts where the outer bar was hitting, but the paddle around the north side of the peak was easy. I've been fighting a cold so it took me awhile to make it out since I didn't have much sprint. I did make it out, but was forced to take it easy and wait for waves, rather than chase around with JZ like I normaly do. I moved around only as much as I needed to to spread the minor crowd and stay in the general area of the shifty lefts. It turned out to work in my favor as several waves came to me. The best of the lefts were 6-8' walls that were holding up for longer rides. I even got a pigdog barrel that was witnessed (partially) by JZ. It felt good to get some waves without much punishment.
After an hour a rip replaced the peak I was at and JZ and I started paddling around trying to find what was working next. After I got a wave I saw his board floating on the inside. I spent what strength I had sprinting to it and got to it just as a bigger wave was about to send it another 20 yards in. I ditched my board to hang at the end of the leash while I held position on JZs board, ducking waves and trying to find the swimming head of my friend. By the time he got to me I realized I had cramped up my calf during the effort and I called it a day.

All in all a good day. I skipped it on Sunday even though it was probably much the same. Green mucus in the morning and plans for the evening lead me to believe sleeping most of the day would be a good idea.

Return

2010-12-31T10:22:00.000-08:00

Someone ran across this blog and found a board he had regretted selling. It was the bumblebee which I had just recently dropped of in Santa Cruz to sit and wait for me to visit. The board filled a space in my quiver that didn't need filling, somewhere between the Haut2 and the Buttons. He wanted it back and I'm happy to see it get used.
I asked him what he liked about the board and from his response the main thing I could identify with was that he said it didn't outrun the pocket like a fishy board is likely to do. That is why I got the Buttons, which takes a different approach to slowing the board down. The Buttons is narrow tailed while the bumble bee has an ass like a quad, just a bit narrower than a full on fish. I'm not sure what helps the bee stay in the pocket. The side fins could cause drag when away from the pocket, or maybe it's something about the rails or rocker that I didnt see. I'm fairly certain that a narrow tail like on the Buttons provides less resistance against the face of the wave. It's this resistance that provides lift and when leveraged by the fins and rider weight, forward movement. Less tail width reduces the forces at the source.
At least that's what I think is happening.

I did it.

2010-12-19T14:15:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I took public transportation to surf. JZ was having a party and KT was going to show up later, so I bussed and bussed out there, met JB and borrowed a board. The surf was good, the party was fun, and I rode home with KT at the end of the day. Riding the buses I made beginner mistakes like not having change and not knowing what options I had for buses. I had a $20 and I thought I could make change when I arrived in downtown SF. Turns out on a Sunday morning all the Starbucks (and the few other places around) are closed! So I walked in circles until I got down to the ferry building where I found a place open and a pile of buses parked. I asked a driver if his bus was the best way to the beach and he suggested another would be better. I took his word (since it match what my friend had suggested) and rode the 38. Turns out there's also a 38L and 38X. The L has limited stops and the X has even fewer stops. My bus stopped at almost every block (it felt like) and took an hour to cross the city. Next time I have change and try to land a faster bus.

Crowd wise I think there's enough room on the bus for me to bring a surfboard if I wanted. Next time I do this I'm gonna mat-surf or bodysurf, or borrow from JZ if he's around. I'm not quite ready to carry a board round trip yet.

Surfwise it was fun. I was on a 6'10" board shaped like a high performance noserider longboard. It had good float to catch waves easy and chase down the rangy peaks, but a narrow enough tail to stall and hang in the limited pockets that there were out there.

Looks like I'll be selling the Bee to someone who will enjoy it more than I did and will give it some use. Awesome! I don't think I'll be filling that space anytime soon and will instead concentrate on the surfboards I already have.

What is the minimum for happiness?

2010-11-23T09:58:00.000-08:00

I didn't do the bus thing last weekend because I "carpooled" to the beach with my wife. I still intend to give the bus a try, but later.
I got some waves this weekend but it was a drive then a drive south to Rockaway. Rockaway was waist to shoulder high with sw wind blowing offshore and the low tide helping the small waves hit the sandbar. The waves were about as good as it gets, but the crowd was at critical mass. I went out o. The buttons and had trouble getting waves. A combination of out of shape, off timing, and tight crowd made the session less than perfect, but still pleanty gun enough.

The crowds have me down. Not just in the water but traffic driving to work too. I need to remind myself what it is that I'm doing and why I'm doing it. My first though is, "How much of this can I purge and still be happy?" less stuff requires less work which means more free time. I need to ponder on this awhile

Public Transport

2010-11-16T13:28:00.000-08:00

This isn't meant to be a rant on what is wrong with public transportation, although it may sound like it. It's really a mark of where I'm at right now in figuring out how to make a "bus to beach" situation work.
The background to this is that I'm getting deeper into the science of climate change. In doing so I'm getting a look at what is projected to happen to our lives in the next 50-100 years. The news that is pushing me to action after a year or more of driving every day is this; ~5 years ago the IPCC created projections of CO2 emissions which included: decreased CO2 emissions, same rate CO2 emsisions, and increased rate of CO2 emissions. Most people figured we would be somewhere between less and same. As of now our CO2 is higher that what was considered a high estimate ~5 years ago. That is not a projection, that's the way it is with no room for argument.
So, what can I do? I don't think technology is the best answer, although it will be important for limiting climate change due to human actions. I think the best answer, one that hits all angles at the same time (and instantly, as in right now) is to reduce consumption. I could go on and on about this but I wont, and I'll now return to the more directly surf related talk.
So, how can I take public transport (PT) to the beach? Well, I've already purchased a drybag backpack for cleanly transporting my wet wetsuit. Next I've decided that at least at first I'll forego the surfboard and shoot for either bodysurf or matsurf. Lastly I've mapped out my path, which to be honest is surprisingly direct with only two busses to ride and less than a mile total walk required for a few surf spots. The downsides are many and obvious, but the one I have the most trouble with is the cost. It will be $6 each way, $12! In the car I figure it would be 1.5 gallon of gas @ $3.25 + bridge fare @ $5 so $9.90. Now, I still have a car so I'm still paying for insurance, and a bus takes you one place only. If the surf isn't good there then I'm kinda screwed. I've given up my freedom and paid extra for it!
(The one thing I havn't looked at is the bus transfer system. For no extra charge I can get one transfer ticket. So, perhaps I could take the bus to spot A, then decide to check spot B, which wouldn't cost any extra.)
Okay, that's enough for now. I'm hoping to get my mojo up and do this move this weekend.

Bonzer BumbleBee

2010-11-03T13:23:00.000-07:00

I have ridden the new Bonzer enough now to know it's not for me. It works with big shoulders and softer take-offs, but what board doesn't? I missed some runaway waves not because the board isn't fast enough but because I couldn't nail the late drop solid enough to start projecting across the face early enough to make it. The board may be fast once in the pocket, but if I can't get there then who cares? Float isn't the problem like the last Bonzer I had, and I wasn't struggling with burying the nose. It is really just a problem with hanging at the top and then not feeling solid once I got over the edge.
Ride wise I have nothing much good or bad to say about it. The good is that it doesn't automatically outrun the section. The bad is that it will release off the face if I get too steep and up on a rail. Mostly I found it to be rather blah. Combine that with the droping in problem and this one is being released.
I'm sure there are other waves and other surfers for which this would be a great board, but for me, where I surf, it doesn't fit the bill.

Bonzer BumbleBee Ride Report

2010-10-28T20:14:00.000-07:00

I ditched work yesterday to catch the offshore winds. I surfed VFWs for a few hours from around 7-10am. Waves were shoulder to head-high with offshore winds and beautiful partly cloudy skies. The air started cold at 7:00 but warmed up to t-shirt and shorts weather by 10am. I started by trying the Bee at Lincoln where the waves were barreling with some make-ables mixed in. After a blown take-off and missing the first section on another I was getting exhausted trying to paddle back out through the heavy waves. I gave up, deciding I felt more like riding more waves for longer rather than burning out in 45 min of pounding.

Moving up a peak was better for me and the board. The waves were breaking softer but still steep with the off-shores holding them up. Mixed in were short peaks and longer, softer walls, and a few hard breaking waves too. For the most part I was able to survive on the Bee without being excited by it. It feels looser than I would expect a single fin of that dims to be, but not much faster. It holds speeds through turns, as I said before, and feels alright once I found the right spot to stand. I picked a high line on one and then dug the rail trying to drop off the high line and down around the section. Pumping the high line felt like the board wasn't really responding with speed like a quad would. The board actually feels similar to what I remember of a thruster. I've heard the term "neutral handling" used to describe a board that only goes where you make it go, but will sit in one place on the wave if you don't tell it to go anywhere. I feel like this board is like that. I did stall a steep wall to see how it might feel in the barrel and it held comfortably. I also pulled into one closeout and it held a line for awhile without pulling too high, or maybe it's just me getting used to which line to pick.

The board has plenty of float but wasn't feeling all that great when trying to catch waves. It may have been the offshore winds, but I felt more struggle to drop in, and less control getting in later.

So I think I'll give this board a few more tries to see if I can find the right wave for it, but I would be willing to sell it if I could avoid a loss on the deal.

Review

2010-10-24T19:40:00.001-07:00

A rain day and I was on call for work. Yesterday during the warm frontal part of the storm I had work down the SM coast and on the drive I saw light side/off shore winds on easy waves. They looked better earlier when the tide was lower. Today I was on call for work and figured it was no matter because the storm was in full swing and OB was reported to be destroyed by the wind and huge swell that arrived. As it turned out I didn't get called to work, and JZ reported that the SM coast was still side/off shore. Reviewing the day in weather it seems that the storm stayed north dropping over 1/2" in Oakland and 0.0" in Fremont. The south winds to the south of the front didn't ruin the surf on the SM coast, mental note.
Missing it like that, and not feeling surf satisfied I pulled out my boards to look them over. Not in a repair sense, more in an admire them sense. The new Bonzer BumbleBee has similar dimensions to the Haut2 except that it is more hippy. They have nearly the same tail width and middle width, but the Bonzer gets there quicker. Then I pulled out the HessQQ to compare, and before you know it I had them all laid out. I decided to rephotograph them all to make a side by side comparison, but before I got around to resizing and cropping I found myself rereading every post on this blog. So what do I make of it?
My quads are for making turns and going fast. My singles are for feeling the wave and sitting in the pocket. Well, I'd consider the Bonzer a single, but I'm not sure how it will ride since I've only had one chance on it. I'll have to revisit that statement.
When will I next revisit it? Possibly tomorrow. I had planned to do some post storm work in Fremont, but there was no storm in Fremont so maybe I'll "go into the field" with a quick stop in Fremont and then continue south to SC where the west side will be big. Or, I could wrap up some work that needs to be done this week and take Wednesday or Thursday to surf. I guess I'll be checking the weather thoroughly tonight.
Back to the review, I seem to be riding a higher quality of wave lately. Ona, WR-BB section and some good days at VFWs all combine to make a picture of hollower waves than I used to settle for. That, and riding /not/ the quads which I prefer to ride in softer waves with shoulders to run around on. Anywhoo, let's see where I go next.

Another one added

2010-10-22T06:02:00.000-07:00

I went ahead and did it, I bought the Bonzer. I took it out immediately into 4-6' funky OB. My first impression of the board is that it feels a bit stiff, but that's coming off several sessions on the narrow tailed Buttons. The stiffness was felt when trying to initiate a railed bottom turn and the Bonzer, being wider in the tail, resists going on rail. However, that same width makes it easier to complete a cutback because the board maintains it's speed for longer through the turn. I managed a full change of direction on one wave which let me hit the foam ball (at which point my "plans" ended and I didn't know what to do the instant after I hit it.)
The most memorable moment from the session was a left that got steep as I was holding the rail. Perhaps my technique was off because I lost the fin and side slipped down the face. Because I was holding the rail the minor slip down the face caused no problem and I made the wave.
Overall I'm not thrilled with the board, but one funky session isn't enough to pass judgment. It paddles just fine and duck-dives well too so I'll be giving it another chance.

Single Fin Time

2010-10-19T16:22:00.000-07:00

After the success at WReefs on the Buttons single fin I was excited to give it a go at VFWs. The first run was a few weeks ago and the weather was great, waves were 4-6' and hollow. The crowd was out but it didn't completely shut me out because the Buttons has plenty of float to get in a bit early if I have to, but able to take later drops too. I was having a good time, but it got better when I walked south to Lincoln where there were fewer people and I could find my waves better. I even got something deeper than a narrel that I came out of. Later that day things fell apart but I went out with JZ to Balboa and the Cove. The quality had diminished, but we had a few fun ones. One the beach I had a guy want to get a better look at the Buttons and said he saw me pig-dog on a few lefts that looked good.

Skip forward to last Tuesday morning (or was it Wednesday?) The conditions were very similar with a bit more size. This time I stayed put right in front of VFWs and got my share of waves. A few memorable ones including a set wave that the guy at the peak decided at the last minute he was too deep. I was over and inside of him and went for it at the last second. Nearly a free fall drop where I landed right where I needed to be and hit a solid bottom turn that gave me the speed to make it down the line. After the session I stopped at Mollusk to look into a bigger fin.

See, the deal is that I am having trouble keeping the fin engaged at all times on the Buttons. I've had it release on a steep angled take-off more than once, and I had it release on me that day when the whitewater hit my feet. With the wide point so far forward, and not much rail in the tail I get my center of gravity too far forward which lets the fin release too easy. I figure the fin I have is 7-7.5" which is what is suggested, and when I put bigger fins in it they just looked wrong. I decided I would try the big flex fin off the GeeBee first to see what too much fin felt like, then I will ask around to see who has a fin in the 8-8.5" range that I could borrow. Maybe it's just a matter of technique.

Meanwhile, I took note of a 5'10" Bonzer Bumblebee (three fin) on the used rack at Mollusk. The price just dropped to $350 which looks like a steal to me. The hold up is that the template is closer to the GeeBee than the Buttons. The thing is short and fat! I'm not sure what it would be used for and I suspect it has a ride somewhere between the GeeBee and Haut2, and those to aren't very far apart. I'm not sure when I would choose it since I'm trying to find a way deeper into the pocket, but still...

A different part of the reef...

2010-09-22T16:09:00.000-07:00

Took a surf day off work to dodge the crowds and try to get a piece of the swell. I got a very small piece at WR at dawn. Lucky I got out at that time because I surfed warbled early south swell for about an hour before the wind picked up and made it un-surfable. I headed into town but the West Side wasn't working and the East Side was very crowded. I did nothing much for the rest of the day except watch the surf and visit a surf shop.
The next day I surfed with Jeffs back at the same spot. I started on the North corner, where I normally start, but Jeffs went south to the BB-shoulder section of the reef. I wasn't having much fun on the north end so I paddled down to see what they were doing. WOW! That is a great waves. The peaks bounce around a bit but when they came to me I was getting steep drops from behind the peek into a steep, but short shoulder. Very fun indeed. I was on my 6'6" Buttons Pipeliner, which was a good board choice. The extra float allowed me to get in a touch early and the narrow template let me stay close to the steep face. I had a really great time on the few waves I got. I pushed my luck on a few and got too angled on a take-0ff and the tail slipped around as I pulled under the lip. I did a similar thing a few waves later and decided I should let the wide ones go by.
Meanwhile, at the TRUE BB there was a crowd of rippers gathering. That take-off was just as critical but the wave after had a nice long shoulder. I stuck with my peak until the waves stopped coming and took one in.

That afternoon we tried the reef/beachy south of Scotts. It looked great so we stopped on the side of the road to watch. Several more waves of good quality filled in and we suited up and paddled out. We each got a few waves, then it all stopped. We went in and before we left saw only a few more good waves over there. Scotts and WFs was not doing anything good with the south.

The thing that made my weekend so great was I found a new part of WR that I plan on surfing again, hopefully soon, and I got a really good feeling from the Buttons board.

Right now the forecast is for a west swell and glassy conditions for the weekend. There will be 1' low tides in the evenings, so I think I'll surf OB in the morning, then again in the late afternoon/evening this coming Saturday.

September Mornings

2010-09-02T11:46:00.000-07:00

It's September, and if feels good.
Yesterday was warm, in Berkeley! I had lunch outside and we stayed for an hour or more soaking in the sun and arguing about Afganistan.
Today I surfed OB with SR. The waves were chest high and all mixed up and warbly, but it was sunny with no wind and just so pleasant we made the most of it anyway. 5' @ 9sec from NW with little to no S in the water.
Anyway, it's September which is the start of good waves and good weather around here. I'm spending the weekend in Aptos (wedding) and I hope to get some surfing done while I'm there.

MatMeet North

2010-08-27T17:06:00.000-07:00

On August 21st MatMeet North was held in honor of the main MatMeet which happened the following day at Cotton's Point. See 23breaths blog for the glorious details.

MatMeet North had one participant, me, but I shared some interesting waves with one friendly kneeboarder. We were at onA at very low tide with a small south and small NW windswell in the water. The kneeboarder, Darrel "in the Barrel," said the south was causing more close-outs and that the previous 6-weeks had been great at onA. (He enjoyed the small, shapely peaks and I witnessed one tube ride he handled well.) So, onA likes the small NW wind swell better than the south?

Anyway, while I was there the side wave worked a bit, the water was freezing, and I caught some exciting waves on my mat. Coulda maybe been narreled on one or two.

UDeeTs test ride. I used the bench-top belt grinder to remove material from the Large sized UDTs. The idea is to soften up the blade and reduce the resistance while kicking. The fins have proved too powerful for me in the past and caused foot cramps. I didn't feel like I took off very much, and I concentrated on the center spine which I probably reduced by half on both sides of the fin. Anyway, I surfed for an hour or more and never got a foot cramp, even though I was kicking most of the time. I think that is a positive result and I'll leave them like they are and try them out some more.

Well, not exactly as they are. I wore them without fin socks and I rubbed holes in my feel. My right foot on the bottom had a row of open blisters where the fin hits, and my left foot inside ankle was also blistered and open. So, if I want to wear these barefoot (which I do) I need to re/apply the wetsuit material to the fins, and/or redesign the straps.

After a leg cramp that wouldn't go away I switched to the Haut2. I only caught one decent wave and gave it up as the crowd was growing. I took my time and changed out of my wetsuit on the beach. I watched as the side wave was no longer working and the take-off was next to the rock. The tide had filled in to ~3.5ft or maybe a bit more. The waves were much more peaky and the rippers that had showed up were getting good rides, but not quite barrels. Anyway, the point is that low tide south swell is not the only combo for Ona, and maybe not even a good one.

Thinking about returning this weekend, but my feet still haven't heeled.

August

2010-08-04T08:25:00.000-07:00

It has been a terrible summer. Long streaches of onshore wind, little to no surf, and I've been working harder than I ever have. (Well, except that few months I worked two jobs.) My last two sessions were two weeks or more apart with a mat surf in crap waves more than a month ago and a fun but minor bodysurf session two weeks ago. Out of town this weekend.
Once I finish all this work I'll be looking to vacation somewhere surf related. Not sure where (or when) but hopefully this fall.
Options:
North up the coast would be interesting, less crowded, colder, camp-able = cheaper, but without any prime surf spots that I can think of.
South down the coast has many, many options that are well advertised. Once I round Point Conception the water is much warmer. Camp-able, but less so, especially without reservations. Crowds, but I could surf the not-longboard spots which I would guess are less crowded. I could also try to meet with other bloggers.
Mexico = warm waters and new territory. I still want to spend some time at Puerto Escondido and make a tube. I think I could do it if I had a week of 6-8ft surf. Puerto could end up giving me a week of 16-18ft surf, or break my boards and end up costing me mucho pesos in repair costs. Pleanty of other options down there, but for someone who speaks little spanish it's intimidating going it alone.
Hmmm....

The Three Bears of Hess

2010-04-21T17:55:00.001-07:00

I've ridden the HessQQ (Quinara Quad) three more times now. Once I ended up at overhead 3mile. It was big enough to make duckdiving hard and move enough water around that I got tired just trying to get to the take-off spot. At the same time it was breaking soft and hard to get into. Once in there wasn't enough power to get me going much, at least on the waves I caught. Blah, any other board I own would have been better, probably... Papa Bear, to much water moving.

The next time was a pre-work surf with work friends at Linda Mar. The north end did have some shoulder high waves with a bit of push at the start. Some even had shape on the inside. I got some good waves but would have been better served by the Haut2. But other than that it was sunny, warm, and glassy with few people in the water competing for waves... Mama Bear, to small and soft.

The next day I went to catch some south at Waddel Reefs. The tide was low and the swell was about head high, with a few bigger. It was great! Some steep ones and attempted barrels. One I'll count as a long narrel (not a barrel, nearly a barrel.) A few other guys out there were getting in the pit but for the most part I was holding my own, even though I was paddling all around never staying lined up for very long. Not that I was getting pushed off the reef, just that it felt crowded and I was trying to find waves uncontested. Overall that is the kind of wave I should be riding on the HessQQ... Baby bear, just right.

Trigger Pulled

2010-03-10T22:54:00.001-08:00

So, I bought the board. I tried to be thoughtful about it. I put the boards side by side on the grass, I compared dimensions, I tried to think of counter arguments... But in the end my excitement was too much and I bought the board in a fog of giddiness. I got it in the water that afternoon and right away felt that it was much smaller than I imagined it would be. I'm guessing that Hess doesn't dome the deck like the Haut2 is. And perhaps the wider template has more effect than I thought it would, and calculated.

I was able to catch waves and ride them, and it duckdives great because I sink it completely when I'm paddling. It made me feel very out of shape.

I had a board that was small, the mint Bonzer, and I had to let it go. The reason was that it didn't have enough float for me to catch waves early and it didn't drop in late very well, or at all. This Hess board drops in late just fine, so maybe I will be able to make it work. It just wont be my everyday board, more for good waves.

Big Island Little Waves

2010-03-03T10:50:00.001-08:00

Went looking for Shark Pit and found it HUGE. It was the day the Mavs contest was held, and they said it was some of the biggest surf ever paddled into for a contest. There was a car parked overlooking SP with two 10' full guns on the roof and the driver telling his friend it was just too big to surf, out of control. We took that as a good reason to go home, via a quick dip at Bolinas.

Bolinas was about head high and smaller. The bigger waves closed out and the smaller ones rolled along without much excitment, but it was wet.

The last week in Feb I was on vacation with my wife on the Big Island of Hawaii. There were waves out in the ocean somewhere, but all I ever found was some small wave bodysurfing at Hapuna Beach. It was warm, in clear water, and with not too many locals to make it unsurfable. The weekend did bring more boogers to the beach but we were on a schedule and didn't have much time anyway.

Now I'm several weeks since a decent session and I may be making up for it chasing down a used Hess board. I've wanted one for a long time, and this used one is a good price and is close to if not exactly what I would order if I was to buy a new one. I'll have to see how it works out, whether I pull the trigger or not. I'm leaning towards yes, especially since the wife is starting work and we'll be a two income household again. And she's been spending money doing her things, and we just had a cheap vacation, and the tax return is coming, and...

I'm probably gonna surf this weekend, good waves or not, just because I have friends in town and I'm getting desparate. Here's a photo of the board. It's 6'2" 19 3/4 and 2 9/16 thick.

Linda Mar

2009-12-18T12:19:00.001-08:00

I've been sick. Really sick, for a long time. It started with a flu that laid me out flat, home sick for 5 days. This was followed by a three weeks and counting of a nagging, sometimes exhausting cold. In that time I've surfed three sessions at Linda Mar that have been surprisingly satisfying. The first two were about the same of 4-6' in front of the bathrooms to TacoBell. Nice walls that were make-able, with some crowd. I've been on the Haut2 and it was the right board for the days. I even got a narrel on an inside peak. I caught it late and behind, stood up forward on the board and stayed low as the lip tried to toss over me.

Today was the third session in a row at Linda Mar. LM has fun, smaller, weaker waves than most of what is around here so it's perfect for someone still fighting a cold. Today was a bit smaller, but I had the GeeBee out and was doing fine on it. We surfed the same spot, but with the small size we got bored and paddled/walked north. There was a good bowl one peak short of the far north end. It was holding a bowl/wall up to 6' with good shape. The crowd was a hassle, but I got a few good ones anyway. I even got another narrel on a left. I dropped in at an angle, grabbed the rail and the lip hit my outside shoulder before the wave dissolved in the channel.

I feel okay, but tired so I think I'll have to go home early today :)

Big John Street

2009-11-11T09:44:00.001-08:00

Last Saturday I got out to John St. for some big NNW swell. The angle was about 298deg which is marginal for the west side, but the size was around 12' @ 16sec, or maybe bigger. There were surfable waves breaking with about 4' of high water over the reefs. I went out on the higher water to try out the Buttons in some speedy reef surf. I didn't think it would work because the Buttons has a narrow tail and wants to sit in the pocket. John St is a somewhat sectiony wave without a lot of hollow power to it. The way most people surf it is to make a mid-face turn on the drop and pump the wall until it closes. This is a perfect wave for the quad.
My first wave I rushed the bottom turn and fell over when the board turned slower than my body did. A few more wasted waves, mostly making the bottom turn only to find the wave already outran me. The waves were overhead on the sets and I was sitting up in the cove at John, hoping for a bowl I could make on the slower pintail. I finally found one I could make the shoulder on but when I can off the bottom I hit some kelp and the board stopped dead in the water. That was it and I ran up the cliff to switch boards.
I switched to the Haut2 which is a perfect board for John St. I caught a few from the bowl and was making waves but the tide was getting good and the crew was changing from the hesitant to the aggressive. Then the big set came.
I was just deep of the point and in good position for the first waves of the set. I turned on the second but got held up in the lip and muffed the drop. When I came up from under water I saw there was another one just like it, maybe a bit bigger. I tried to duckdive and lost the handle. I tried to just wait in the water and the next one washed me down. Each wave was a little bigger but I couldn't really tell how big because nobody was dropping in. They were at least 8' as I was getting worked across the section and around the corner of Mitchell's. I ended up out by the rip-rap past Mitchell's before the waves stopped. Even then there was so much current I had to paddle hard just to stay in place. Eventually the current abated and I was able to get to the beach at Mitchell's. (Mitchell's has less sand than I've ever see in there!)
I walked back up to the point and hit the water again, but with no reward. The crowd was aggressive and tightly packed. I had a few chances when someone deeper missed the wave, but it was always too close to call in time for me to catch the wave. I ended up paddling in without a wave.

First go out on the Buttons

2009-10-27T12:04:00.000-07:00

The forecast last Thursday was for big getting bigger, and my window of opportunity limited me to Ocean Beach. I hit VFWs before dawn and waited for the light to show me what was there. I took my time and thoroughly applied base coat to the Buttons board, carefully installed the fin in the box with the tip ~1/2" back from one fin base from the tail of the board, and tied the new leash string tight and short.
The paddle out wasn't easy but I made it. Compared to the Haut, this board is narrower, with more float, which gives it an unstable feel when paddling out, kinda like at the top of a round buoy. It duck dives under waves, but the float distribution is different and requires a few shifts in technique. By the time I made it out I had about 100 yards to paddle to get back to the peak I wanted.
There were about 4 others out, and we were all chasing waves and catching few. This board feels different when paddling for a wave. I need to be more in the longboard/single-fin mind-set of sitting a bit further out and paddling for the waves earlier. The board doesn't want to spin and drop, that's for sure.
I got into one and the board felt stiff, as expected, but solid and stable. I softly leaned on the rails and there was little to no response with the board wanting to hold it's line. The waves had some junk on them and were 6-8'. I caught 3 smaller ones before getting stuck inside for a long set. I decided to beach and walk back to a channel.
Once on the beach I walked back to where I had paddled out before and waited, and waited, and watched 2 other guys get washed in, and waited. There was never enough of a break in the ever increasing sets for me to think I could make it back out. I gave up.
By the time I was dressed there was only one guy out and I could hardly see him between waves. Everyone else had ended up the same as me, the waves were solid 8', and the junk in the water was making things look rough.
I look forward to better conditions and a session with more waves to give the board another try.

Buttons Pipeliner

2009-10-16T22:28:00.001-07:00

My new (used) Buttons Hawaii Pipeliner. According to the website: http://www.buttonshawaii.com/surfboards.asp.html

these are shaped by Owl Chapman. Now, I'm a bit jaded at this because ghost shapers are a big part of surfboard manufacturing. If anyone wants to tell me it wasn't shaped by Owl, I'm okay with that, since sometimes the ghost is having a better day than the name.

I haven't ridden it, but the plan is for it to be my bigger wave board. By my rough calculations it has more float than the Haut(s) do, but less than the Junod Daisy does. I hope I can get in early but still duckdive efficiently.

There are no numbers on the board so here is what I measure:

Length 6'7", Nose 13 1/2", Widepoint 20", Tail 12". I can't measure thickness, and the wide point is not the mid-point, as can be seen in the photos.

I hassled Prana over at 23breaths http://23breaths.blogspot.com/ to give me some info on the fin a very similar Brewer that he's got. It sounds like the fin that came with this board is appropriate for the style. This fin is 5 1/2" at the base with 7 1/4" of height.

Haut2

2009-10-16T22:07:00.001-07:00

So here is the new Haut, purchased to replace the old, nearly broken one. As is clear from the photos I've ridden it plenty and can safely say it does the job. For me this shape works really well because I tend toward the lower quality waves in an effort to get away from crowds. Dimensions as written on the board: Length 6'0", Thickness 2 3/8", Nose 15 1/2", Middle 20 1/2", Tail 16".

It came with plastic Vector II 438 quads. I'm happy with the plastic fins and may not ever bother putting in the glass ones off the original Haut.

I asked for a bit more glass and a stronger blank be used. I also got a slightly wider stringer, all to avoid this one from breaking. Doug was against it all because he said the performance would suffer. I insisted and I don't notice the performance as any different.

A trip to SC

2009-10-06T08:55:00.001-07:00

I made a trip to SC on Sunday and got down there around mid-day. The point of the trip was to check out a used board I saw on Craigslist, but I also wanted to take the opportunity to surf. I parked at Rockview because the tide was high and the wind was all over the North Coast. There were waves coming in but the tide was around 4.5' or so and Rockview wasn't working. Sewers, surprisingly, was. There was some south in the water and it was clear by the occasional long wall that swung into Sewers.

I had decided before I even saw the board that I wasn't going to pay the $375 asking price. The board is a Buttons Hawaii 6'8" Pipeliner model shaped by Owl Chapman. In my mind this will be a good board for hollow waves when I want to go slower and sit in the pocket, possibly in the tube. The only place I'd seen these boards online was at Icons of Surf, and when I checked to see what they cost new I saw they had dropped the prices on them to $470. The is dirt cheap for Icons, so I got the feeling that there was something wrong with these boards. That in mind I wanted to offer about $280. Once I saw the board and met the guy I could see that wasn't going to happen. This guy apparently grew up in SC and knew several of the guys hanging around the beach that day. He collects boards and was just trying to shuffle his collection a bit. I waffled about the board while everyone talked. Around the time he was ready to leave I told him I wanted to pay $300 for the board. He said "No" and I let him go. Not 10 min later he called and said he would settle for $325, and I told him so would I.

After that I stashed the board in the car and suited up. I needed to pee, there were a few waves at Sewers, and there were only three guys out there. I jumped off the rocks at Rockview, which was sketchy cause I don't do it very often and paddled over to Sewers. I got myself a handful of good waves around 4'. Nice drops with some shoulder to play with, which is something OB doesn't give me very often. The Haut felt great to me and I'm really getting comfortable on it. Or maybe that board is just MADE for SC waves.

It was either because the tide was starting to drop, or we were making it look too fun, but in the next 20min the crowd increased to 15 people. The waves were not that good, but I guess they were worse everywhere else. I paddled in.

So now I've got a new board, which deserves it's own post and description. I still haven't gotten photos of the new Haut up, so that is also on my list of to dos.

Sunday double

2009-09-28T13:12:00.000-07:00

After the punishment of Saturday I slept in and didn't get to the beach until 9am on Sunday. I caught up with JZ and convinced him to stick to the north end of the beach where the waves were smaller. It was head high or less and pitchy on some of them. Good waves, weather still holding, all pieces in place. I caught a peak with a lump of section on the shoulder and pulled in. I had an exit but the lip caught the edge of my board and I got pulled off balance and whaboom, down to the sand I went. Still, almost. Many other waves but that's the one I remember.

I came in and watched the 9ers loose a really close one to the vikings. Favre, I hate that Joe Montana wannabe. After the game JZ started working on me for a second session. The weather was still good, my body had no specific injury and the candy I ate gave me some confidence/sugar rush. I agreed to go mid-beach with him.

I made it out with only two powerful waves hitting me. Of course the first one impacted about 2' in front of me and I bailed the board to avoid injury (both to me and the board.) The second was setting up just the same so I just stayed in water until it passed. After, I made it out to see the waves were a bit better than Saturday morning when I was in nearly the same spot.

There were some big barrels coming through but I stayed away from that peak for the most part. I got caught inside and washed down to where the waves were just pounding on the bar. I turned around and rode whitewater to the beach, screaming obscenities at the ocean. I walked back up to the beach feeling sorry for myself and realized that JZ had the car keys. I could either wait on the beach or try to make it back out and wait in the lineup. I found the rip and a break in the waves and made it back out. I'm glad I did because I caught a few that were the best waves of my weekend. One vertical drop where I released then landed and ended up on a good spot on the board to make the bottom and run the wall. I would have like to have stalled a bit and maybe get in the barrel but that just doesn't happen in those late drop situations. I also got into a left early and hung at the bottom to lose speed and try to get into the pocket. The barrel didn't really open up and I caught the lip on my hip, but I still felt good about putting myself into the right place on the wave.

So that was three real sessions in two days and I'm not dead, I don't have any injuries and my arms didn't fall off. I don't think I've done that in years.

A Taste of Fall (or, Punished for What?)

2009-09-28T07:25:00.000-07:00

It all started Friday night. I was up late gaming because I thought the weekend surf was going to be ruined by all day high tides and wind. Around 11pm I checked the conditions and saw that the W swell was already showing itself, and the wind was mellow. I gave myself about 6 hours of sleep with a plan to get to the beach around dawn.

The next morning had the coast socked in with fog. I drove the beach, something I should do more often, and saw some waves around mid-beach. It looked small but fun with some shape and much cleaner than I could hope for. I parked there.

After suiting up I walked over the dunes and realized that what I had seen at the edge of the fog on the drive-by was just the inside. I paddled out blindly into the thick fog and must have timed it perfect. As soon as I was 10 yards off the beach a set came in and punished me. Why? What had I done? I fought with the ocean for at least 10 waves and wasn't getting anywhere. The waves were head high at least and were top to bottom at the peak, which was wherever I was. This lasted a bit longer and I was loosing steam. I finally gave up and decided to drive up the beach to where it should be a bit smaller. As I was looking for some whitewater to belly in I realized the set was letting up. The little bit of rest from sitting on the inside put strength back into my arms and I took the break in waves as a chance to paddle back out.

Like I said the waves were head high with some 8' sets. Top to bottom on some of them, and only 4 other guys out in the thick fog of an early Saturday morning. I ended up catching some poor quality waves and taking 3 more sets to the head. Each one lasted as long as the first and made me doubt that I would make it back out. The last and 5th set to nail me started out soft but got progressively bigger until I was bailing my board to dodge 2ft of lip landing right on me. I gave it up and rode some whitewater in.

What I needed more than anything was patience. Patience to wait for better waves because they were there and there weren't other people around to take them. I shoulda waited more for better waves to come to me.

Skipping it at Sunset

2009-09-24T14:53:00.000-07:00

The wife and I camped at Sunset State Beach last weekend. The weather was foggy all day, all night. There wasn't any swell in, just 3'-ish windswell hanging around. The early morning was glassy and low tide but uninspiring with the waves mostly closing out. Watching as much of the beach as I could see from the sand I would see a makable wave every once in awhile. Sometimes over there, sometimes over here. Not my idea of good times.

The local crew, men in their 40's-50's were hanging around and a handful went out and made the most of it. Among that group was Scotty Mac, the kneeboarder who sold me my kneeboard. He also posts on the KSUSA website and tends to be rather aggro when online. Looking at the waves and how weak they were (relative to what I saw later at Moss) makes me think he'd chill out some if he had a few ocean supplied smacks to the head. I know it works for me when I get out of hand.

We left to go take a hike around Elkhorn Slough and stopped in at Moss to take a look. Much better, good enough to surf for sure. The problem was we were on our way somewhere and there were more than enough surfers already on it. There were other peaks of less quality down the way but I didn't stay to surf.

Next day at Sunset was the same deal. It was nice to sleep outside (in a tent) but the surf was just blah. Not the best camp/surf spot because the walk from the camp to the beach is too far for a quick look at conditions, and the beach parking lot fills up with nowhere to park. Close enough to hike out and surf though. It's also a close drive to other surfspots like Manresa, which was smaller but better shaped by the way.

Taste of Fall

2009-09-12T10:56:00.000-07:00

OB was foggy with 6 @ 17 and a 4 foot tide. I surfed VFWs in the fog of the morning. The waves were rolling over the middle bar and hitting the inner bar pretty hard, although it didn't look like if from the beach. I got a few good ones, and blew a few take-offs when the wave hit the bar harder than expected and my world fell out from beneath me. Saw one guy getting into one too close to the bar and as he stood up he was muttering "Come on baby, come on." Which I thought was a perfect sentiment. (He didn't make the drop, by the way.)

I didn't stay out too long because a tropical system had brought lightning with it and I was getting a bit spooked about lightning hitting the ocean.

One cool thing, I was first out, except for a group of sea lions who were bodysurfing the bigger waves. They left as more people came out, but it was cool to see.

The replacement Haut was too fast to handle again. It made one kickout a flyaway when I wasn't planning it, but also made me outrun waves or simply loose control from the speed. I hope I learn to cope with it.

Gazos?

2009-09-09T14:28:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday had a tide near 0.5' at dawn with a small <1'> NW windswell of about 13sec. I had work to do on Gazos Creek and figured I'd bring my gear in case I could find some waves. I also slept in, thinking I wouldn't find any waves.

I checked San Greg to lower Gazos and didn't see much more than floppy mushy waves. I decided to take one last look at Gazos in front of the lot and was shocked! There were 3' waves throwing over a lip. These weren't peeling perfection, mostly closeouts on the sandbar. But every once in a long while one would peak in front of the rock and break before hitting the sandbar. This to me looked like a do-able wave and I figured if I could get up to speed before the wave hit the bar I could at least make a run at clearing the edge of the bar.

When I paddled out to the partially submerged rock that I was going to use as my takeoff marker I discovered that there were other rocks that were slightly underwater, but shallow enough to catch fins on a bottom turn. Or worse, punish a blown takeoff. I spent about an hour dancing around the rocks and getting short rides into the sandbar closeout. Fun enough to keep me chasing waves for awhile. I moved off the rocks to where headhigh waves were breaking and looked like they were makable around the sandbar. Then came the one I was waiting for, a head high peak right into the rocks with no wall that would close out. After getting closed on by so many of the wide swinging waves I stayed out of the critical and figured I'd shoulder hope the wave. Mistake, cause that one didn't have much shoulder, which was the WHOLE POINT. I missed it and watched it grind along the sandbar, makeable, all the way to the beach.

It had been and hour and that was the only one I saw break that way since first pulling into the lot and getting stoked by the other wave that broke that way. I rode a few more but could feel the tide rising and the waves rolling further, more of them not breaking until hitting the sandbar for a closeout. I went in.

Once back at my car I talked to two beginning (4 days total) surfers who had surfed before I got there. One of them said I would have liked it earlier because the tide was lower and the waves were breaking further out. I'm not sure if I trust his opinion of what makes a good wave, but nevertheless, I'm bummed to think I missed good waves.

Anyway, that's a new spot for me. I understand it a bit more and I think I will check it more often.

One last thing. There's a spot that a friend and I surfed with a sit on top kayak many years ago. That spot looked good too, but the trail to the beach was overgrown completely with blackberries and poison oak, to the point that there was no trail. I'm gonna GEarth it to see if there's another way in.

Sunday dawn

2009-08-31T13:27:00.000-07:00

I surfed 4 mile on Sunday around dawn. I walked down the path in foggy first light and was still the second one in the water. The tide was high and the waves were a bit warbly as expected, but the 6' wind swell was making waves on the inside. Some overhead sets with most in the 3-4' range. I caught many short peaks (to short to call it a wall) and rode too many dribbling shoulders all the way inside. I can't complain though, cause it's the only place I could think to surf given the all day high tide and the less than stellar swell, and my aching arms from pounding piezometers all day Thursday. It was better than many days from earlier this summer.

The fog took it's time to clear but there were 20 something guys in the water by the time I left after only 1 hour in the water.

The Haut worked well as I found myself catching waves early, late, or whatever. Only one biff when I kept with a wave I knew was breaking out from under me on the takeoff. No problem, 4-mile is mostly soft so no worries to let myself go over the falls.

Did see the older kneeboarder that I've surfed some north coast spots with. He got at least two complete cover-ups, small as they may be. I know where to get that at 4-mile, and mostly which waves to catch, I just don't know how to make it work for me.

Haut and About

2009-08-24T19:08:00.000-07:00

Because nobody is commenting on my blog, I'm assuming nobody is reading my blog. Therefore I will stop making the attempt to hide the identity of the locations surfed.

Surfed the reefs at Waddell on Saturday. The usual spot off the North edge. There was a small (2') south (190deg) at 17 seconds. There were some head high+ waves but most were smaller, chest-ish. The lefts weren't a problem on the new board, even the ocassional bowler. I did rely on the rail grab pig-dog more often than would be considered necissary by most people. At the low end of the 0.0 tide there were a few short rights around the chest to head size. Mostly I was sitting a bit deeper and getting bowls that didn't make it around the edge of the reef. Some sets were swinging to the edge -lower peak- and missing the upper part of the reef where I was.

Today I surfed the Waddell Lot. The surf was forecast to get bigger than Saturday but I don't think it was. The Monterrey buoy wasn't reporting the south through the morning, but at 2am it had 5.6' @ 16sec S. This should have been bigger than Saturday, and since I didn't surf the exact same spot, maybe it was, but I didn't feel it. Again there were a few head+ waves with most in the chest high range. The tide was dropping to 1.5' at 7:30am, so not much change there. The similarities of the lot to the edge of the reef are striking, with the reef having more umph. Otherwise both spots are predominately lefts, shifty, with more peaks deeper and some waves that swing wide and wrap around the edge.

I got one right that had so much speed that I couldn't control it. I ended up way on the shoulder before I felt I could cut back. I tried to do a roundhouse but had no idea what I was doing so I did not control it. Still, the new Haut gives me the confidence and opportunity to play around like that.

Picking up the new Haut

2009-08-12T08:15:00.000-07:00

The new Haut was ready and I picked it up last Sunday. I had to stop at a field sight afterwards and I didn't have much room in my car, and I didn't want to ride the board until it had "curred" a bit more, and I wanted to surf at dawn to dodge the crowds. All that added up to one more session on the surf mat. I went into town before sun-up and was surprised at how well the swell was making it in. I didn't check my favorite little cove cause it hasn't been good the last several times I checked it. What I saw in town wasn't exciting and I made an unusual call to pack up and hike into 3-mile. The fog was still thick and I knew I wouldn't be able to check it from the cliff. I hiked in with all my gear (a touch lighter than normal with my new Neofins) and went all the way down to the beach 1/2 way to the point. I still couldn't see the take-off zone through the fog, but I decided even the small insiders looked good enough for me, so I suited up and inflated the mat.

As the fog cleared and I got several waves I realized that it was a perfect day for the mat. The surfers in the water were not too aggressive and not too skilled, the paddle out was easy around the shoulder, and the waves were kinda wobbly blah. They would roll along, then jack up and flop over, then either die in the channel or occasionally roll along all the way to the inside. Weird. The whole time I was out there I only saw one guy get 2-3 waves that I would have liked to have ridden standing up (or kneeboard even.)

I moved off by myself deeper into the bowl and caught the medium (2-3ft) waves that would bowl and sometimes connect. I caught as many waves as were worth ridding and never had a problem with the minor crowd that developed. (Not even a crowd really, more like a group.)

After a fun session I headed into town to grab a bite to eat and pick up my board. Lester was working at the shop (haven't seen him in awhile) and we chatted a bit. He said the swell was making it into that cove that I didn't check. (DAM! I would have liked to surf there this morning because I've never tried it on the surf mat on a south.) The board looked good and I got a set of plastic Futures Vector II fins, a bit o' wax, and a new leash with the board. Now it's sitting in a bag and doing cycles in the passenger seat of my car to try to cure the glass. (Not too hot!)

I took some photos but they all are blurry. I'll have to set-up the hallway chair again and do a real board update like the others.

GeeBee facelift

2009-08-12T07:56:00.002-07:00

You can decide if the change was an improvement or not, but at least it's now unique.

I primed the surface with some light sanding with wet/dry paper that was about 300grit. After letting the water dry I started painting with acrylic paint and a small brush like someone would use the paint a picture. The deck was done freehand and the edges are a bit wobbly. (Stupid Blogger won't upload the image of the deck even after several attempts.) No planning was done to how I wanted it to look and the result is a combination of what my wife and I were doing simultaneously.

After that was done I flipped the board and continued. This time we gave it a bit more thought, but kept with the theme of what was on the deck. We also taped of the strait lines, which I think helped the final product.

After we were done putting down the "art" I sprayed the painted surface with Rustoleum gloss clear coat. The first coat didn't go on very well and looked powdery in places. The second coat helped, but I ran out of paint before I felt like I was done.

A few things to note. I'm not sure if I didn't prime the surface well enough of what, but the paint didn't want to stick once dry. At first I left the tape in place until the paint was dry, but when I removed the tape the paint was lifting with it, almost as one complete piece. After that I would pull the tape as soon as we were done putting on the paint, still wet. This worked, except where I was taping off at the same place there was already dry paint. Minor touch-ups were required.

It's been in the water already and the paint held up to waxing and the wet, so that's a success.

I think it looks like some kind of science art.

Late Update

2009-07-31T11:14:00.000-07:00

I got the kneeboard out to a south swell loving reef last Friday (a week ago!) The swell wasn't showing much and the tide was too low and the result was some 4' bowls over shallow reef. Good waves for the kneeboard and I even caught a few, but nothing mindblowing.

Two days later (after the peak of the swell) I followed a hunch up north thinking the south would make something happen. Well, there were waves, and I had fun, but again, nothing special. Except, perhaps, that I was standing up for the first time in many sessions. I pulled the GeeBee out a few weekends ago and started painting on it. It turned out looking kinda sciencey to me, I'll have to do a post dedicated to the process, with photos. Anyway, it was finished and I took it for a spin. Had some fun, I just wish the waves were a bit better.

The outlook for this weekend is poor, but I need to surf for fear of loosing the little bit of muscle I have left.

More Mat Time

2009-07-14T15:22:00.000-07:00

Another matting session with no "Hard boarding" in between. Instead of getting more out of it, I seem to be enjoying it less. Now I should point out that the surf has been poor. It's been week semi-windy windswell beachbreak sessions for me, so I don't expect much. Today I did find some pitchy waves but was unable to put myself in a position to take advantage of a barrel. I do catch many waves, but I can't seem to do what I want to do, where I want to on the wave. I'm trying to catch a wave and duck under the lip close to the take off. I think the problem is that the mat doesn't accelerate off the bottom as quickly as something with a hard edge would. I try to angle my take-off which helps, but doesn't get the job done. I think that the mat just isn't the right tool for the job. If I want to remain prone, I think I should look into an HPD, or similar paipo. In fact, just the other day I was poking around the e-bodyboarding website. The conclusion I came to was that bodyboards aren't as fast across the water as kneeboards. But I find my kneeboard needs better waves than what's been available lately. Maybe it's time for a small wave, low volume, paipo-esque kneeboard?

I've also been dreaming of a mini-simmons. One with a fat, solid tail and two fins. That shape doesn't seem to be a barrel hunter though.

Okay, what about the idea of buying some marine ply and making a paipo? The marine ply I've worked with before was very ridgid. Time to find a boat yard and a salty old dude to get some advice from. (Or not.)

2009-06-29T21:28:00.000-07:00

Nice sunny weekend at the beach. The waves were unorganized and must have been good somewhere else cause there were very few people where I decided to surf. I was on the surfmat and just wanted to get some time in the water. I had one good ride and several experiments that didn't seem to work. I've been reading suggestions on how to ride surfmats and lately I'm ridding the mat with my chin at the front edge and hands on each front corner. My biggest problem was loosing the tail end and sliding down the face, loosing all speed and bogging in the flats. Frustration.

After my session (and some sit on the beach time) I swung by Mollusk. I figured it was time for a new surf movie, one every 5 years seems about right. I had two in my hands, "The Present" and "Crystal Voyager." The Present is the hottest new movie, and CV is more along the lines of a novelty most people aren't interested in. I had been told by several different people that I should check out CV, so I went with that one.

The movie was basically a look into what George Greenough (GG) was doing in the early 70s. The movie impressed upon me several things. One, GG didn't ride the surf mat with his head over the front and his hands on the front corners. His head was a bit back, and his wave-side hand was holding mid-mat. I took heart in this because that's a more comfortable way for me to ride. Plus, I think having the weight back helps hold in the tail. If not that, then my legs are closer to the wave and can drag in the face to straiten myself out easier. Second, GG was a tinkerer. I knew this before, but watching him not only tinker, but stick with a big project (he retrofitted and resurfaced a big, live aboard sailboat) made me think I need to finish some of my tinkering. Admittedly I'm no GG, and my tinkering is following the directions of others, but still, I gotta start somewhere.

Took the plunge

2009-06-10T07:09:00.001-07:00

Last weekend I ordered a replacement to the Haut Quad. The original one had developed a crack across the deck. I carefully repaired it, but it didn't hold, so I put it up in the rafters for safe keeping. I didn't want it in two pieces in case I ever wanted it cloned.

Well, last weekend I was driving by the Haut shop and saw what I thought was Doug's truck parked out front. I stopped in and was right, he was there. I asked him about the original board and he said he had all the info he needed in his computer, dimentions and such. So I went ahead and ordered one up.

All the dimentions will be the same, but I didn't pay extra for the fancy color job, or even the polish. Should come out to about $500-$600, and I hope it's as good as the first one.

List of things to do this summer in Central California

2009-06-09T14:34:00.000-07:00

This is in response to the 23breaths blog for today. He listed 10+ things to do in Southern California this summer. Here's my version.

#1 Surf Waddell Reefs on a south swell.

#2 Walk into Ano before dawn and go surf alone.

#3 Surf OB on a rare, windless summer day.

#4 Show up to the beach wearing shorts and sandals on a day that the fog never clears.

#5 Pick a friend who lives closer to the beach than you. (If you're already closest, then pick someone who is closer to a different surf spot.) Surf an evening session with them, crash at thier house and surf again in the morning.

#6 Surf the Slot (Lane, cliffside) as the tide is dropping.

#7 Bodysurf, bodyboard or otherwise surf the side wave at Its.

#8 Surf the Bolinas Estuary.

#9 Surf somewhere north of that.

#10 Seriously consider surfing F****rs, but then chicken out (with excuses like "To far to drive.")

#11 Fly a kite at the beach on a blown out day.

Sold, now what?

2009-05-07T21:56:00.000-07:00

I sold the Junod. Actually I sold/traded it for $200 and a down sleeping bag. A good deal for both of us. But the problem is, now what? I'm not really excited about replacing it with anything.

I have a 1/2 full surf closet with a kneeboard that's starting to fall apart, an old 7' single fin, a 6' stub (summer is starting.) I feel like I'll make it through the summer with what I've got and who knows what after that. Will I get back in shape? Will that bring the stoke back?

I did find a semi-secret spot. The wave wasn't great, not any better than the next beach over, except that there was only one person surfing there and there were about 100 at that next beach over. I balked at paddling out and paid for my hesitation. I watch for an hour and then started to get ready to do it when 4 more guys showed up. Anyway, the reason I mention this is because I got it into my head that this wave would have been good for an alaia, which I don't have one of, but would like to get one. I know where to get a Palowina blank (the wood that wegner uses) and my dad has all the wood working tools I would need to chuck wood. The problem is $200+shipping for something I would use occasionally, or rarely, like the surf mat and kneeboard spoon. Maybe I should focus on those items first, before I branch out further.

Update

2009-04-22T12:24:00.000-07:00

I've been kneeboarding almost exclusivly since the new year. The reason for this is that I've gotten out of shape by working all week and surfing once on the weekend. The ability to flipper kick and give the arms a break really extends my sessions. The board is small and easier to push through waves and takes late drops or gets in early. It is kinda like a crutch if you let it be one.

The kneeboard has been a good choice for several days of OB offshore goodness, and I am glad I'm riding it. I'm getting to the point where I'm starting to wonder how it could be improved, i.e. what would I want my next one to do. My first priority on the kneeboard is to get barreled, which does happen. I can get in and, on rare occasion, come out. But I wonder if a different shape might not increase my getting out of the barrel chances.

Here it is now mid-April, spring, and I'm guessing we're going to run out of OB juice soon. To me that means it's time to return to the GeeBee. I stripped all the wax and fixed all the dings last fall and there it sits, in the closet, waiting to be put back into rotation. I've left it out because I want my wife to put some artwork on it. That was agreed to but hasn't happened. Time for a reminder.

Still want to sell the Junod but I havn't done anything about it. I should put it up on Craigslist again, or drop it in a shop with some foot traffic and a decent consignment deal.

2 down one more to go

2008-11-30T13:05:00.000-08:00

Okay, so my last update said I was offing 2 of my boards. Update: The bonzer is gone to a stoked guy who looked like he weighed less than me and was in better shape. He's probably gonna really enjoy that board. I am also selling the Daisy Junod, and I've had some interest but nobody has seen it yet.

The third board is the small Schrodel twinzer. I took it out on a head high day when the waves had juice, but not too much. I got a wide open face about head high and the board wiggled and squirmed but didn't go forward very well. It was the third and final time I will ride the board. It has been returned to my dad, who it belongs to, and he's gonna return it to the guy who tries to get his kid to ride it. It's a terrible board to learn on but that's okay cause I don't think this kid wants to surf anyway.

I'm still trying to sell the Daisy. I took it out that same day for a second try at the waves that proved the Schrodel wasn't for me. Got a few waves but one bottomed out when it hit the sandbar. The board flipped under me and I landed on the fins. Luckily it was the top of my foot that took the hit and nothing is broken. The worst of it is that 4 days later and it's still a bit swollen and sore. I still got some surf since then so it's not a problem, but maybe another hint that I should let that board go.

And since then, the next day actually, while I was surfing I took another hit. I was trying to power myself and my board through the wave face under the lip of a closeout. I was kneeboarding and since I'm lower to the water, the board is closer to my face. As I powered the turn the board made it around and up the face and into my face. Wham! My thoughts as I'm thrashing around in the white water bumping on the reef are as follows, "Lower lip owwww. Feel for hole, no hole, Check Teeth! all there." Then I came up and did the spit test as I was paddling back out. Very little blood in the spit. Great, let's surf. As I continued to surf my lip started to throb a little and tingle. By the time I got back to my car and said hello to my wife my lip was double in size. She screeached, I shrugged. That night I saw myself in the mirror. The inside of my lip is a nasty shade of purple. One more day off before work, I hope clears up enough that I don't have to tell the story to anyone.

As for the plan of replacing the Haut Quad, my general kookyness lately has me wondering if that's the right direction to go. It's quite a bit of money for me to spend right now and there's no telling if I'll still be just as big a kook on the board. If I'm gonna be a kook I should get myself a soft top with a rubber fin. (Probably be cheaper and last longer.)

Here's my guilty admission for the day. A quality swell should be lighting up the reefs about 1 1/2 hours south of here. The weather is good, the waves are good, I'm at work. I don't really want to make the drive to go surf. I feel tired, hurt, and not up to hassling with the crowds.

Jeez, I AM a kook.

Quiver Minus 2

2008-11-22T12:26:00.000-08:00

It all started when...

Last weekend had the waves and weather I dream about. Warm and sunny with offshore winds all weekend. Record breaking warmth in November. The wave were cooperating too being overhead Saturday and headhigh Sunday. I watched so many barrels ridden it was ridiculous. I surfed two sessions on Saturday and one on Sunday with a total time in the water of upwards of 8 hours. But I'm not smiling.

I took the bonzer out all weekend and couldn't beat the current on the small board. I'd be paddling to a spot and have to rest and drift away before a set came. I'd paddle for a wave only to find one of the many many people out surfing had already caught it and was coming my way fast. I ended up without a single wave that I rode that sticks in my memory, and so many I watched that do. That's it, I'm done with the bonzer.

And while I'm at it I'm trying to sell the Daisy too. Already got a few interested people. $450 for the bonzer, $300 for the Daisy and if I sell both I'm ordering another Haut Quad to replace the one I retired. I'll have it glassed a bit heavier, maybe stronger foam and wider stringer too. Why mess around with other boards when I had so much fun on that board.

Well, since I brought it up, I already know the answer. The answer is that I get board no matter what. If I have the perfect board in perfect waves after a few days I'll be wondering what else there is. Before I had ridden the Haut in Santa Cruz a few times a week for a year. When I moved up to Oakland I got great waves at OB with it too. Then it started to breakdown and I was looking for a replacement board. I ended up with the Three Bears situation where one was to big, one was too small. Then I stopped before I had one that was just right. Now I'm selling off Papa Bears surfboard and Mama Bears surfboard and gonna buy me a Baby Bear board. But I still have several oddball surfboards in my closet to ride when I've gotten my fill of good waves on a good board.

Bonzer Ride Report

2008-09-06T05:42:00.000-07:00

It's been a long, choppy summer. This last week saw the wind calming down long enough for the NW chop to mellow and the big beach to clean up. I wasn't the first on it, I didn't surf 9 hours (I'm calling bull$hit on that claim anyway) but I got enough to put a smile on my face.

The prior few sessions ranged from depressing to simply maintenance surf. On Thursday morning I got out for two hours of fun waist to shoulder high waves in dead glass with some organization. Not perfect, I would find a peak that was good, ride 2-3 waves and the sand would shift or something and it would be gone. After that I would peer up and down the beach trying to decide which way to paddle to try to find the next bit of magic.

I've been on the nearly-fish Junod (Daisy) for the last few go outs and have been unhappy with the way the board feels. It feels so wide and buoyant that I think that I'm outrunning the pocket all the time. So, I went to the opposite extreme with the board that normally feels too small for me, the minty green bonzer. I had some trouble adjusting to the lack of wave catching ability this board has, but in truth I think it was a benefit given the conditions. Most of the time I was sitting just outside of the sandbar. If I chased a small one too far in all I got for my effort was a brown dumper wall. The larger waves would get me up and running before the sandy closeout and sometimes hit the bar and enough of an angle for a speed run.

This bonzer, when under my feet, likes to pearl. I don't mean I'm paddling for the wave and the nose sinks when the wave picks me up. While that does happen it's far less often and I can sometimes recover. What I mean is that I get to my feet on a late/steep drop and hit the bottom of the wave and down goes the nose. When I first got this board I wasn't expecting it and would often be looking down the line and trying to project my bottom turn when "fump" would go the nose and off I'd go, flying through the air. This was something foreign to me, something I had forgotten about because it happens so rarely to me. But there I was, doing it time and again.

So onto Thursday's session and my first good wave. Up and down and "whua whua whua" I made it. Luckily the wave was just a jacking peak because I was completely out of control trying to handle the drop without sending the forward 1/3 of my board into the sand. A few more like it throughout the session. It made me think about the last time I experienced that, which was trying to make a longboard work at a jacking reefbreak. Which reminded me of a comment someone once made of the bonzer, that it had "longboard rocker." I don't consider this guy much of a surfer, he's the once every other month maybe type of surfer, but I was interested by his comment and asked him what he meant. He explained that modern shortboards have two part rocker and longboards have three. If you don't know what I'm talking about then I'm not the right person to explain. If you DO know what I'm talking about I'd like to have someone comment on that idea.

Besides all that, I find the bonzer a nice change from my wider/fishier boards when I'm in the mood to surf close to the wall with few turns. There were a few lips flying through the air and I managed to get 1/2 way under one (and dodge in fear from another) through the day. Other waves I enjoyed by just sitting in the pocket on the tail flipping the board from bottom turn to top turn, never really changing direction completely.

I think it's the wide point forward and narrow tail of this board that makes it work better for pocket stalling and worse for out to the shoulder roundhouse cutbacks.

Surf Travel Changing Again

2008-08-26T08:36:00.000-07:00

http://www.latimes.com/news/la-fi-surfboardfees22-2008aug22,0,2880131.story

This article from the LA Times talks about the continuing increase in fees that airlines charge for surfboards. It makes me think about the evolution of surf travel. As a disclaimer, I am a lightweight when it comes to surf travel. The first time I got on a plane to surf was in this decade, so I'm not much of an authority on the subject. But, nobody reads my blog so I don't expect to get any negative comments. :P

Back in the day of wooden kook boxes it seems like just getting to the beach was surf travel. Later, in the early 60's guys could sleep on the beach at Malibu and eat seafood from the cobble reef. To me that sounds like surf travel. California surfers rode steamships as a cheap way to get to Hawaii. I remember a movie with Greg Noll flying to Mazatlan, MX and finding surf. The Endless summer had Bruce Brown and company traveling by plane and auto all the way around the planet searching for surf, asking for directions, and finding so good waves.
The 70's was a time of tune in, turn on, and drop out. Feral Aussie surfers posting up in Indo breaks risking malaria and starvation for barreling waves the likes of which I've never seen. California surfers exploring Baja and mainland Mexico. Travel down every path that looks like it leads to the ocean.
The 80's seems like it was a time of more access, more travel, more magazine coverage but still an inequality of information.
The 90's and the internet brought the ability to research and pass along information on a massive scale. No longer did someone have to overhear a conversation, search for a map and bit's of travel information. The internet allowed one slip of the lip to result in 100s or 1000s of other people learning. Then they could search for more info on the net. The golden age of surf travel (unless you were one of the older crew who worked hard to find remote surf spots that now all of a sudden everyone knew about!)
Then the turn of the century, 2000! Not long after I jump into the surf travel scene with a trip to Puerto Rico planned perfectly between two great winter swells. Waist high waves for 5 days strait, me with my 6'4" potato chip and I could hardly catch a wave. A few years later was Panama. Better waves but harder to get to. The waves weren't better than what I had left behind but the water was warmer and seeing how people from another country lived really opened my eyes and changed my perspective forever. (I'm digressing)
So on to today. USA is in a recession leaving less money in everyone's "travel account", gas prices have jumped leading to increased costs for flying. The base tickets are more expensive, now they are gonna charge you for a pillow and a cup of soda. And to top it off, up to $300 per board per direction! Are we headed towards the 70's again? Are we going to have to take local buses through mainland Mexico and walk the last 5 miles to camp on the sand and live off hermit crabs and coconuts just to surf somewhere else?
Anyway, my surf travel account is only large enough for me to make it to the nearest beach once a week so the rising cost of bringing a board on a plane doesn't really affect me. :)

In this years election, I'm voting for the surfer...

2008-08-17T06:26:00.001-07:00

www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/08/barack_obamas_bodysurfing_vide.html

That's enough for me right there. Although, I had no problem with John Kerry windsurfing and that seemed to cost him some votes.

I wonder who those voters are? What is the thought process?

"Look at that guy, he's having fun, outside. I'm not gonna vote for someone like that."

"That there fool is on one of them new fangled surfy boards ridin' the wind!"

I wonder if Obama in the ocean will hurt his politics. I guess I'll never be president.

Contests

2008-08-15T18:42:00.000-07:00

To be honest I've never been much of a contestant myself. I didn't play organized competitive sports until high school and never did again after. During high school I played water polo for the "tied for worst" team in the league. I was also on the swim team and enjoyed practice more than the meets. On to the topic of surfing contests.

Who the eff cares? Well obviously quite a few people. To be honest when I was first learning to surf in the late 80's early 90's I was excited to go see the Cold Water Classic. I remember Gary "Kong" Elkerton getting shafted in the finals by Tom Curran. Kong nailed a solid vertical lip bash late into the lip of an 8' wave. Curran had more turns on his waves. I felt like I missed a chance to go surf somewhere else. The finals were during low tide, I should have been surfing.

I'll still poke around a contest these days, but I'm never satisfied with what I see. Even the brotherhood/no sponsor ones turn me off. I've spectated at ASP, high school, Grom, kneeboarder, kayak, skimboarding. All the same when you break it down.

The worst was a weekday morning when the man on the loudspeaker reminded those of us surfing before the contest that there was "GOING TO BE A CONTEST" and that in one hour we would "HAVE TO EXIT THE WATER" he continued to remind us what felt to me every 2 minutes. The surf was good, the weather was good, the contest was bad.

Then there was the Surfline "Contest" in Mexico that amounted to a bunch of guys buying the beach so they could surf with their friends. Everyone was upset. Several people complained that it wasn't even a contest. As far as I'm concerned it didn't matter, it was the same story whether it be a company and "Pro Surfers" or a group of individuals. They're still excluding others.

And the latest contest detail that got under my skin, I was watching a clip from the "Somewhere in Bali" contest that I think was Rip Curl, and between the repetitive whack the lip, whack the lip, whack the lip, was a clip of a contestant climbing onto the back of a jet ski and heading back to the line-up. I may be mistaken, but it seems to me like this is becoming more and more common in contests. Chauffeured professional surfers. It's one more step towards golf! And one more step away from my personal surfing experience.

End of Rant.

Retro

2008-08-12T17:31:00.000-07:00

Here's a link with a (fictional) story that's been lighting up the web world lately.

http://www.surfline.com/surfnews/article_bamp_400_v03.cfm?id=17437

I thought I'd put my two cents in at an out of the way place where it wont bother anyone else, here!

Most, if not all of the boards in my quiver would most likely be considered retro by the author of the story. That being said, the GeeBee is a new idea based on an old board. The Bonzer has been continually refined since it's invention. The Junod Daisy is basically a fat tri-fin that I think works better with large outside fins. The Wheelwright (is that one up yet?) is truly retro because my dad and I are guessing it was made in the mid-70s. I also have a board at my dad's house that is modern built but truly retro because we had Junod shape it to exactly match a board from the 60s that I liked. He told my dad all the ways he could make the board ride better but we were determined to remake the old board. Anyway, they're nearly all "retro."

So why do I ride retro boards?

1) Wave quality. The majority of the waves I ride are soft and small. I'm not happy about it but that's the reality. Retro boards typically have more floatation and work better in small, weak waves. This fact was conceded in the story. But there are exceptions to this rule in my quiver. The Bonzer is for good waves. Narrow tail, design that works better in good waves. The Wheelwright is somewhat of a Cali gun, so I expect it to handle size alright. The Strech flexspoon kneeboard has almost no floatation and needs a powerful wave to work at all. Still, the Haut Quad, the GeeBee, the Junod Daisy all work better than a modern tri would when the waves are small and week.

2) Style. I spent 10+ years on very large longboards. That approach lead me to a down the line style with few turns. I didn't do a square off the bottom hit the lip combo for the first 8 or so years of my surfing. To this day I am front foot heavy more concerned with staying ahead of the lip than bashing it. Not that this is the way I want to surf. I'd love to be able to surf like the pro's when I wanted to. Anyway, the front footed, rounded turns style doesn't work well on modern tri-fined boards.

3) Wave count. Retro = more float = more waves. Not always true, such as a sudden barrel over a shelf reef, but see point 1) for why this is normally true.

4) Education. I like trying as many different styles of boards as I can and try to understand the advantages and disadvantages of each shape. Understanding the progress that has been made, why certain shapes have been at the forefront, where different styles of surfing came from and where they're going. These are all things I value. "North Shore" was a silly movie, but I always thought it was interesting when the Arizona kid was forced to ride all the old boards as part of his surfing education. I'm trying to do that on my own.

5) Mistake? What if there is a shape or style that was actually a good idea but was dropped because everyone wanted something else? What if a shape will only really work with modern materials? Or materials yet to be used?

All that being said, I've felt a hole in my quiver lately. I'm strapped for cash so I won't be able to fill that hole anytime soon. That hole is a modern tri, somewhere around 6'4" with a touch more tail width, but far from fish dimensions. I rode my friends Merrick this spring for only a few waves but was amazed at my ability to make late drops and hit the lip on the thing. Maybe it was a fluke, but I'll never know until I get another board and give it a go.

Surf report!

2008-08-07T08:59:00.000-07:00

An excerpt from my local surf report,
"The onshore breeze continues today putting chop and texture on the ocean and the surf continues its downward spiral of getting smaller and smaller. The waves look to be in the ankle to maybe chest high range with very weak, crumbling, blah conditions at the moment and foreseeable future."
Yea!

So what I do when I can't surf is comb the interwebs for surfboards I can't afford. Here's one from the Mollusk Venice shop. It's 8' and gunny and a board I wouldn't have much chance to ride around here. It also fits into the "looks good, doesn't ride good" category that I described in my "Most ridiculous post"

It was shaped by Hynson, who I think is shaping for Rainbow, but I'm not sure. Anyway, if I had money and somewhere to display it on the wall, only to be ridden a few times a year, well... I might buy it.

Go surf (if you can)

Blah

2008-08-05T06:21:00.000-07:00

Blah blah blah.

Maybe nobody reads the words.

Maybe there's only photos.

Blah blah blah.

Not surfing makes me sad.

I flew a kite on sunday. It didn't substitute well for surfing.

Disapointment

2008-07-29T17:06:00.000-07:00

Sunday was not nearly as exciting as I hoped for. It started with me waiting at the place where our group was supposed to meet. It was 15min after everyone was supposed to meet and nobody had showed up and I was getting ready to solo it to where we were supposed to surf. Just then I got a call asking where I was and was I going to join them surfing the other spot.

"What!?! Yeah, I'll be right over."

They had changed the meeting place and the surfing place. I wanted to say forget it, I'm going where the waves will be GOOD, but it was a special occasion and I didn't want to throw a tantrum. It was our friends "Leaving Cali" last surf and it was the only time that all 6 of us who work together and "surf" were together. I put surf in quotes because one is a pure beginner, two surf a few times a year, one is in a kayak, and the guy who was leaving was the only one who would join me when the waves got over 3' tall.

When we got there the waves were smaller than I surfed Saturday. The wind was blowing worse than Saturday. The crowd was 4 times larger than Saturday. I tried to let it go and followed the group to the peak where the waves were hardly breaking before disappearing into deep water. I "rode" three waves and sat around and then just paddled in.

It wasn't much of a going away surf but it was nice to get all the pieces together for once. Without him I doubt the other guys will surf much since he was the one who would talk them into joining us. I would rather not invite them since it often means going where the waves are more suitable for beginers.

Looking to the future I'll be surfing alone before work now. This means a larger hit to the thin wallet and nothing holding me back from getting to the beach at first light, surfing where I want, when I want. My productivity at work may go up without having someone to recap the surf with, or maybe I'll sink into the web-surf world looking for an outlet to share the stoke.

Ride Report, Junod and Fineline

2008-07-26T10:22:00.001-07:00

On Tuesday I went down to the beach. The waves were small and a bit junky but there was no wind and only one guy out. I'd been dry for too long so I went out anyway. I was on the Junod fat-tri with the large 512 sides and the mini center fin. Although there wasn't much to the waves, mostly closeouts, I was able to find a few corners and make a few speed runs. The new large fins work great for generating speed on a bottom turn and I'm not noticing them stiffening up the board. I started standing a bit further back on the board and it really loosened up. It got to the point where I was wiggling the board all over on a wave that wasn't doing anything but I couldn't stop the board from turning this way or that. So, now I know how far back is too far back. It was a so-so session in so-so waves.

This morning was a repeat at this same spot only with sunshine and 50+ more people scattered about. I still got plenty of waves since everything was so disorganized and everyone was spread out. Similar conditions but this time on the Fineline GeeBee. It took a few waves to get used to how the GB feels compared to the fat-tri. The board doesn't let you just lean over and make a quick turn, you really have to take your time and make it happen. I have to add more body english. I also noticed, and this may be my imagination, but I had one wave where I tried to stand on the tail on the take-off to stall in the pocket. I think it was all the width in the tail but the board just shot off down the face of the wave and I almost fell off the back. Maybe I would have had more luck if I pointed the board down the line before I try to tail stall. I did manage to get a tiny bit of air coming off the lip of a close-out, but I didn't manage to land it. Another so-so session in so-so waves.

Planing on surfing again tomorrow, this time somewhere different. Either of these two boards would work where I'm headed, and maybe I'll bring both and switch-off. Or maybe it's time to try the mat again... No reason I can't bring all three!

The end of cool

2008-07-24T14:29:00.001-07:00

I've been waiting for it to come around again. Surfing gets mainstream attention every 5-10 years and becomes cool. This brings more people into the water, few of whom are going to stick with it. Some get good (teenagers, mostly) but many are just fair surfers and get in the way. The good part of it is that there are often more surf shops around, which means more selection. The bad parts are too numerous to mention. It seems like this last string of "Surfing is Cool" has lasted since the mid-90's with only a few minor drops in popularity. I've been waiting for the cool to go out of surfing and people to leave, I've been feeling it lately, but I've been looking for a sign. Well, today I found it, and here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLVjyDvH11c

This is it, the end of surfing being cool. I've only seen this preview but if the movie is anything like the preview then nobody who sees this movie will think surfing is cool. Surfers will go back to being seen as dumb, lazy stoners. Great!

I'm a generally nice person and appreciate beginners and others who are enjoying the ocean that we all share. I never give people a hard time and almost always welcome people to the peak I'm surfing with a smile. But deep down inside I'm protective and greedy with the waves.

Early 90's GOTCHA add:
"If you don't surf, don't start. If you surf, never stop."

---------------------------------------------------------------
Late Addition!

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24061768-462,00.html

Mr Hyman said manufacturers had over-produced following predictions of an undersupply. "We've been hit by the double whammy of a huge glut of surfboards and the economy taking a dive," he said.

Surf Mat

2008-07-21T21:02:00.000-07:00

Dimensions: Bout 4' x 2.5' x 4" or something like that. The point of this thing is that it has no dimensions. Gas is defined as a fluid that expands or contracts to fill it's container, and that's a pretty good description of the surf mat. Surf mats aren't as obscure as they were when I first got one, but some people may not know much about them. One misconception I often get is that they are blown up tight. They're not, in fact they're rather soft. Not floppy, but you can bend one to a 90deg angle when their in the correct inflation range. Skipping the rest for now, I'll give a ride report.

I bought a surf mat looking for the fastest thing on a wave. The back-up justification is that they are ultimately portable. Good thing for the back-up because I can't get going very fast at all. There is a good sensation of speed because you're right at the waters level, but bodyboarding as a kid and body surfing give a similar feeling.

It's hard to describe what it's like to ride one, but I can compare it to other surfing. Compared to bodysurfing you're getting the same feel as being a little at the mercy of the wave. Without fins attached to the bottom you can't make the thing go square off the bottom or do a ripping cutback. But like bodysurfing it forces you to accept the wave and work with it. Unlike body surfing you can get out of the curl or ride softer waves. I had fun on a 2' day of slow rollers on the mat. Full on longboarding waves that I was able to cruse around on.

Mats also don't have a rail. On a bodyboard or paipo the rail is doing what fins do on a stand-up board. On the surf mat the best chance you have of grabbing an edge is to use your swim fins dragging behind you.

Before you even get to learn about the limits in control on a wave you have to learn the limits of control while trying to paddle the thing out. If you've ever tried to surfpaddle an inflatable pool toy you have an idea of what it's like. If not, imaging trying to climb on top of a giant rubber ball, covered with grease. Well, it's not really that bad, and by now I have the hang of it pretty well.

I haven't met to many other surf mat-ers in person so I don't really know if I'm a good or bad mat-er, but I have the basics down.

The thing is, I don't love it. It's cool that I've learned a different perspective on wave riding and I feel that I have a better understanding of waves and surfing because of it, but I hardly ever ride the thing. It is ULTIMATELY portable and goes on every vacation with me, and I'll never sell it, so that's something.

Pros: Portable, gives a whole new perspective on surfing.

Cons: The relative lack of control and difficulty in paddling through waves is more than I can handle when I only get to surf once a week or less.

If anyone wants to take it out for a spin, let me know and we'll meet up. I even have a decent selection of swim fins to offer.

To learn more http://neumaticsurfcraft.homestead.com/

http://www.vagabondsurf.com/SummingUpSurfmats.html

http://23breaths.blogspot.com/

http://surfmatz.com/

Coulda, but shoulda?

2008-07-20T17:46:00.000-07:00

Can't really tell if it would have been worth it. From home at 3:30am this morning the surf didn't look good anywhere. Around 9am when I talked to my south and west surf reporters that was verified, but throughout the day there were moments where I thought it would get better. Never enough to pull the trigger though. Maybe it would have been good enough somewhere.

Looks like we're supposed to get a steady stream of small souths, if the wind ever let's up around here I'll go surfing.

I noticed that in some of the last photos you can see our cat in the frame. I thought I should share another photo. See, she has her own opinions and isn't afraid to express them. I'm not sure if she didn't like the foiling on the side runners, thought she should make it into a 5-fin, or if she's just retro hipster beyond bonzer and only goes single.

Either way, no harm was done to the fins.

"If it didn't work, we just kicked it off." - Dale Velzy

Freeline Kneeboard

2008-07-19T09:48:00.001-07:00

The kneeboard. Shapers dimensions 5'8", 16" nose, 21 1/4" wide, 13" tail, 2 7/16" thick. I first got to thinking about a kneeboard while living in New York on Long Island for a few years. My closest beach was a real snappy beach break. Often smaller than 4" with waves that would throw and race away from me on my chippy thruster before I could get to my feet and in control. To make matters worse I wasn't getting to surf very often due to the distance, workload at school, and incosistancy of waves, so I wasn't enjoying surfing very much. I spent a lot of time on the internet and started learning about alternate ways of surfing. Kneeboarding, bodysurfing, mat surfing, paipos, handboards, pieces of driftwood. I found a kneeboarder that had a board to loan me and I gave it a try. We got lucky on a head high day during the week and we were the only ones out at a left hander that was a touch mushy. I had no problem catching and making waves right from the start. When I got back to California I bought one of my own.

For awhile I was riding this kneeboard several times a week. I learned of a hard breaking reef break that barreled. I surfed it first on a kneeboard and had a great time in the very challenging waves. I came back with a stand-up board and couldn't make the drop, or if I did couldn't make the bottom turn to get to the face before the lip came over. Back to the kneeboard and I was just fine, pushing myself into the barrel. I met another kneeboarder and we surfed other spots together, often just the two of us in waves with real kick. For me the kneeboard allows me to make late drops in complete control. It allows me to get into a small crouch and try for the barrel. Also, paddling a kneeboard you can use your arms or your swim fins, or both when the wave is picking you up to catch it. Because of this I can catch waves earlier that most shortboarders, and just as late if not later because I'm so stable on the kneeboard. A win-win.

Pros: Catch more waves, stay out longer cause I can use my arms and legs to paddle, make late drops and pull into barrels, solid and stable when the lip hits me so I can make it through whitewater sections.

Cons: Hassling from other surfers, really needs powerful waves to appreciate, harder to do cut backs, floaters, and other "tricks" that I'm not doing much of anyway.

South Swell Due

2008-07-18T13:27:00.001-07:00

There's a south due in over the weekend. Unfortunately there's also 30kt NW winds forecast as well. That leaves me with two options, drive north for 1.5 hours or drive south for 1.5 hours. Driving north means 2-3ft beachbreak with likely offshore winds, a beginner crowd with a smattering of so-so longboarders who think they are the best surfers around, which they are, but that's cause most of the other surfers are raw beginners. Anyway, it's not hard to get away from the crowd and find good waves to yourself, if that's what you want. Plus, offshore wind is a rare treat for me.
The other option is drive south, towards the crowds. The good thing about south is there will be many options. One spot rarely gets good and when it does there's only a few surfers out at a time. Another spot may be 4ft unmakable walls with only a handful trying. Fun to try. Yet another spot could be empty at dawn and a thumping cove beachbreak, as mentioned in an earlier post. South also means I could do some board repair with my dad, and just about every board I own could use some ding fixes. I'll probably head south with a carload of boards.

Lately I've been riding my Junod "Daisy" with a new set of 5.25" side fins and a mini center fin. The extra fin surface area has been great for solid bottom turns and projection. I could ride that board at any of the spots, but it may be a little fat for the bowly cove.

I took photos of all the rest of my boards but haven't yet uploaded them. I'll try to get a description of the boards, with photos, that I don't have up yet.

I've been watching craigslist lately and it may be my imagination but it seems like there are some cool retro type boards for sale at good prices, that don't seem to be selling. Maybe it's the economy, maybe people are realizing that retro isn't for everyone, maybe I'm just board hungry and imagining things. As I said before I can't buy another until I clear out one first, so I shouldn't even be looking.

Spring Blues

2008-05-23T01:57:00.000-07:00

Onshore winds. Onshore winds. Onshore winds. Brief reprieve of no wind and crappy windswell. Onshore winds.

Or maybe I'm just out of touch. I HAVE been working more lately, and the thought of driving the extra distance to the wind protected spots has carried with it the reality of $4/gal gas, so maybe I'm missing the boat. Surprisingly, not surfing hasn't freed up time to update this blog. Go figure.

Anyway, to revive my surf stoke I went out and bought a board. It was $75 and my approach was f-it, lets give it a try. The only dimension I have for it is that it's about 6'9", but it's thick with the width forward of center. It has a fin box but no leash attachment, which puts it in the late 60's early 70's vintage. It has no logos, only a hand written name of Wheelwright. I've taken it out once and had a good time in peaks that jacked up, slammed, then disappeared. (Odd item of note, I traded boards with my buddy and caught a few waves on his 6'4" Merrick thruster. I did surprisingly well, so maybe the waves were just better than they looked.) I'll have to spend the time to give the full rundown on this board once I get some more free time.

I also need to give the run down on my surf-mat which I did get out once on while in Mexico. The short story is that matting is a trip, and one that not everyone will appreciate. More on that later.

One additional item of note, this new board is the kind of single fin I was referring to in the previous post. It looks to me like one of those boards that works great as long as you don't want to cut back. Although, this one has more tail width then the other boards I've ridden in this category, which may help it carry speed through the turn. The tail thickness and overall tail volume may also allow me to surf it more from the tail, which helps to initiate cutbacks better.

Also, check this out!

This isn't the board I bought but I might have if I saw it first. It looks too small for me but besides that, WOW. It's like an over done McCoy Zap, which I've been interested in but never had the chance to try one. I don't think I can fit another surfboard in my closet, the new one is already living outside in the hall of our apartment complex and I know I'm gonna get hassled by the landlord if my wife doesn't start in on me first. The closet is full, I can't buy any more boards. I guess it's time to move to a larger apartment.

The Most Rediculous Post

2008-04-19T15:47:00.000-07:00

What board looks best under your arm?

WTF right? Well yeah I know, but since nobody is reading this blog I can be stupid without getting caught.

So I was looking at old photos and thinking how cool those old 70's era single-fin boards look under the arm. Guys standing at the waterline with drawn out spears held loosely under one arm gazing out to some tropical line-up.

Image from iconsofsurf.com

That mental image doesn't always match the awkwardness that results when the boards are being ridden. Sure, in perfect waves they go great, but ever tried to cut back on one? You have to plan ahead and make a reservation. Once you've done a cutback you're dead in the water and need to pray to Poseidon that the wave picks you up gently and gets you up to speed before the lip catches up. Don't even think about rebounding off the whitewater, not gonna happen.

I've ridden a 7'-ish spear built back in the mid-70's and enjoy the ride. Of course I have a hard time negotiating the drop competing with better surfers riding shorter boards with modern rockers. But if I can sneak one in at just the right time, and it's got a wall to ride, that board is fun. Of course at the end of the wall if I want to cut back, well, that's a different story. It's better sometimes to just kick out and not look back. (That next section wasn't gonna be good anyway.)

I think this is part of the reason I bought the Bonzer I have. It's got similar lines to the 70's single fin guns. It also has me struggling to make late drops. Of course the bonzer does maintain speed a bit better on a cutback, but maybe that's because it's shorter and I can bring it around quicker, staying in the pocket better... hmmmm

Can't Surf?

2008-04-17T15:04:00.000-07:00

My board quiver is noticeably missing a Kiteboard or a Skateboard or a Snowboard. These are all options to get a boarding fix when the ocean just isn't cooperating. For me I'd rather use my extra money to buy more surfboards than get any of these other boards. That leaves me with few options during times such as these when I can't figure out how or where to go surfing.

One option is board repair. Bad surf is usually a good time to repair all those minor dings that aren't worth fixing if it means missing waves. My problem is that I have nowhere to do board repair at home so I either have to sneak into work on the weekends and try to do board repair without being spotted by the boss, or drive 1.5 hours each way to my parents house.

Another option is to go shopping. For the most part I hate "shopping." I see it as a rich persons diversion and wasteful beyond forgiveness. By "shopping" I mean wandering around looking for something you didn't know you needed or just trying to find some way to spend your extra money and time. Why did I mention it? Well shopping for surfboards is something I do when ever I can't surf. Even if I don't have money I'm always looking around at what's out there. As soon as I have $300 extra saved up I start looking seriously. By the time $500 is in my pocket I've narrowed my search down to like 5 boards and I'm ready to pull the trigger. It's a disease and it's only cure is to surf until I don't care any more.

Where I "Shop"
http://www.mollusksurfshop.com/ dodge the hipsters to find something interesting
http://swaylocks.com/ mostly researching what's out there.
http://craigslist.org/ maybe I can make it work even though you can't
http://surfysurfy.blogspot.com/ mostly just dreaming
http://www.hesssurfboards.com/ seriously dreaming

Of course I could always spend a day looking for a nook or cranny that's picking up some swell and isn't getting worked over by the wind.

What do you do when the onshores have been blowing for weeks? Or the ocean is dead flat?

Post Surf Trip Ramble

2008-04-14T14:10:00.000-07:00

The Junod did the job. We posted up at a long left hand point break in Mexico. The swell was changing the whole time we were there so we got to see many faces of the place. First few days were solid overhead and long lined up all the way through. The Junod had the speed I needed to just stand there and make most sections, but loose enough to drop around the occasional overly eager section.
A few days later there was a NW on top of the S and the size dropped to shoulder to head. The NW caused the sections to be a bit faster. On my backside I couldn't do the thruster style tic-tac and had to move off to the shoulder to the other side of the top section. I borrowed some 550 vector Futures and put in a tiny trailer riding the board as a Twin-ish with trailer. This gave me solid drive off the bottom and more holding power if I was to get caught by the section and try to rail grab pull through the white water.
Last few days of the trip the south was warbly and sectiony. Shorter rides but gave me a chance to try to get tubed on the bowly sections. I had a couple dump on me once inside so they sorta counted, but since my eyes were closed expecting to get killed I'm not counting them. Backside on high tight barrels when I don't get tubes, ever, isn't easy.

Overall we got offshore winds and 8 strait days of good morning surf. I got a chance to work on my backside riding, and I'm definitely getting some larger side fins for the Junod, maybe not 550's, but I'll have to do more research on what all fins are available from Futures since there website is lacking details. Standing on the inside rail for speed made it hard to wrap around and do a cutback without some foot movement. I attribute part of this to the tail width of the board, but it was something I was starting to account for as the days ticked by.

Want to know where I was? Well, here's a hint, square burritos. I'll give more to someone who shows me there's first.

Oh, photos. Well the resident photog wouldn't start shooting until later in the morning when I left the water and the rippers had taken over. There was a traveling photog who got several shots of me, but when she gave me a DVD it was blank when I got home! She also got video and said she'd email it later so maybe I'll update then. Or, more likely, I'll see how big of a kook I look like and not post any photos. :)
The photog was part of this group http://www.gringoinvasion.com/, they're a fun loving bunch of travelers on a bus trip to Costa Rica.

Long Rambling Pre Surf-Trip post about nothing in particular

2008-04-02T09:16:00.000-07:00

Leaving for Mexico this Friday, mainland, Pacific side. I'm bringing the Junod because I'm guessing I can ride it in just about everything I'd want to surf anyway. If I bring one board I can cram it in a board bag with the other guys and pay for 1/3 of the total, $50. OR, I can bring a second board and my own board bag and pay $75 each way. I can think of too many reasons to bring a second board and too many reasons not to. I think I'll have to go with my gut and bring the Bonzer.

Why? Cause I think that my Bonzer is similar to the Russ Short models that the Campbell brothers are making now (narrow tailed Light Vehicles) and I saw some fun looking footage from the 70's of Russ Short in Mexico.

It's possible he was in the same region I'm going to. I'm not thinking it's a karmic connection, I'm thinking he was getting good rides on a board similar to what I'm considering bringing. (It also helped that I had a fun session on the bonzer just a few days ago.)

Still haven't packed, not even sure I can get these two boards in the board bag I have. The only forethought I've had was I ordered this super expensive sunblock that's supposed to be actually waterproof. Dr. Martins of Maui. It's about $5/oz after shipping! but it claims 30spf and 20spf after 6 hours in the water. If it works I'll get a lot more waves since I wont have to get out of the sun at 9AM only to return after 5pm. I may be able to add a few hours of surf per day!

Not sure if I'll bring a camera, maybe a disposable waterproof one, but those are only good if you get REALLY close to the object of the shot, and I don't want to be hanging around the impact zone trying to take photos of my friends surf when I could be surfing.

I'll be taking the surf mat and a pair of flippers. That lets me body surf and play around on weak waves or onshore wind blown point breaks. I think I'll be covered as long as it's not huge.

Bonzer Ride Report

2008-03-31T09:10:00.000-07:00

Got the bonzer out at a tight little pocket cove with a bowling takeoff. After that the wave will do one of several different things, like sometimes just dissolve under you, line up a tapered wall, tapered barrel, close-out, and sometimes another peak will crank towards you. I started out with the fin pushed to the front of the box thinking I'd see if it would loosen up the board. This puts the center fin in about an inch overlap with the side runners. On one left and one right I felt no hold or drive from the fin and it quickly washed out when the whitewater hit me. I went into where the water was waist deep and, thanks to the wonderbolt I was using, readjusted the fin to the center point where there was about 1/4" gap with the side runners and was back to the peak before the next set came.

I had good waves after that. I was burying the nose on the takeoff a few times, which is something I don't normally do. This could be the sudden steepness of the bowl, the offshore winds hanging me up, the flatness of the rocker or a combination of them all. I was also wondering if the side-runner fins also cause more drag at low speeds resulting in a slight hang up on the lip. Besides those times, I was having fun catching the small (3') bowls and sitting in the pocket to see what would happen. I've been trying some home made wax and this batch was super slippery so I wasn't able to crank any cutbacks, but I enjoyed the waves for the most part.

I was noticing that even though the board is only 6', I could catch smaller waves than the thrusters in the water, and also enjoy the small zippers more than they were. The result is that I was often sitting inside by myself catching wave after wave. Not doing much on the waves, just kinda cruising in the pocket trying to cram myself into the occasional barrel, but having a good time anyway.

Campbell Brothers Bonzer

2008-03-28T21:25:00.000-07:00

This is the Bonzer. To be specific it's a "Light Vehicle" model. No shapers dimensions, but my measuring is 6'2" with 14.5" nose, 20" widest point (forward of center) and 14" tail. The photos are not the same as the prior ones cause I stole these off of a website from where I bought the board. This board was bought after having a session or two with really steep hollow waves in the 8' range. The other boards I have worked alright, but I was wishing I could stall up into the barrel. I figure a narrower tail would allow that, so I picked up this board.

I was also interested in how a bonzer would work as a short board. I have ridden bonzers as longboards made by Mike Eaton and they don't have much glide but are really fast and loose in the juice. I think they're a good choice for longboarding in big waves.

The first couple sessions I had it out were with very light crowds. I felt that it was a bit harder to ride waves on it because it has a narrower range of where I can catch waves. Not too early, not too late. It didn't seem like a big deal until I was riding it at a more crowded spot. I just couldn't compete. I was so frustrated I tried to sell the board that day and dropped it off at the shop on consignment. I've since retrieved the board from the shop and I'm willing to give it another chance.

Besides not catching waves well, it has a different feel that the Haut Quad, which is the board I had been riding most prior. It's more single fin in the way it makes a bottom turn. Where on the quad I could drop late and lean over to the face and catch the fins and start gaining speed down the line with little effort, this board wants a more solid bottom turn. It still likes to be pumped down the line for speed but then has a different feel when you cut it back. It does feel more in control on the steep part of the wave than the quad did. And, I was able to connect sections (both soft and steep) on a wave that resulted in about a 400yard ride (no joke.) The wave wasn't reeling the whole time, but it's still a kick to go that far.

Overall my impression is that it rides like a short single fin with more speed and looseness.

The Good!

Hey look, I have a Campbell Brothers Bonzer! A different feel to get used to. Potential to get tighter to the pocket. The longest ride I've ever gotten at one of the longest waves in my area. Another board with a fin box to play with all those odd center fins I've "borrowed" from my dad over the years.

The Bad :(

Narrow range of when/where I can successfully make the drop. Seems to have a bit lighter glass job than I might like, doesn't feel as loose as some of my other boards.

Feedback please.

One Board Quiver

2008-03-17T12:02:00.000-07:00

For some it's the ideal, for most it's something that was left behind during there first years of surfing, never to return. The one board quiver. Can it work?

I was spending some time trying to fit 7 boards into the tiny closet space my wife allows me for boards. The only way I could fit them all in was with some creative jimmying and removal of the majority of the fins. I realize that, of the removable fins, I wanted to leave the fins on my newest board and had to work around to get things to fit. Why was I willing to put in the extra effort? Because that board is the one I'm most likely to surf for the next few sessions. So why do I have all these other boards?

I'm also going on a surf trip to Mexico for 10days. The cost of the trip, while cheap, is more than I should be spending now and the thought of spending extra money to take extra boards seems wasteful. Not to mention the more boards I bring the more boards I risk all the hazards of travel.

All this leads me to wonder if a one board quiver isn't the way to go? I have only one wetsuit (not counting the old ones I use only as loaners) so why so many boards. Wouldn't I gain from concentrating my energy on one board? Wouldn't I do better if I learned how to make one board go in a variety of conditions?

Strech/Homemade Spoon

2008-03-06T20:25:00.001-08:00

This one gets an extra photos cause it needs some 'splainin. Based on the George Greenough series of flexable kneeboards, shaped by Strech out of Santa Cruz. It was glassed with a single layer of fiberglass and a single layer of carbon fiber. No dimentions were on board so, as I measure, 5', 17" nose, 21.5", 18.5 tail. The first time I had this board out I broke the rail AND got a in-out barrel a few waves later. I was really into the way the board twisted under me to form to the face of the wave. I was really upset that I broke it so quickly but didn't want to give up so I decided to take matters into my own hands (and my dad's) and add many layers of glass to strengthen the board. I have a whole series of posts at flexspoon.com describing the saga of this board and I wont repeat it here. The board needs to be sanded and "tuned" as the flexspooners say so I'll keep my comments short.

The Good!

Something to do when the surf is flat (sanding, always sanding,) home made, something very different to try, I'll eventually "tune" it to my liking.

The Bad :(

Needs work still, has essentially no floatation, very few people understand these boards so I have a hard time getting advice and I've only ever seen someone else ride one in person once.

What can you say?

Fineline GeeBee

2008-03-06T20:06:00.001-08:00

My longboard. No shapers dimensions on this one, so by my best effort we have 6'2", 17.5" nose, 22", 17" tail. As you can see, this is a wide one. It's in the category of hull with it's belly and sharp 50/50 rails but it's not an extreme version. Brian Hibbers is Fineline, but this board was a combined effort of him and Kirk Putnam, who is known in the Hull Circle. It is said to be modeled after George Greenoughs Velo (flexspoon kneeboard) and it has some characteristics even I can see. For instance the bullet shape, the angular belly towards the front half of the board which is known as tri-plane, and the flat bottom going out the tail. I ride it with a L-Flex fin pushed all the way to the fronty front of that box. It's my first choice for small or very weak waves but I have had success with it in hollow'ish waves in the 4-6' range. If you've ever ridden a classic longboard then you'd recognize the feel of this thing. It's glassed heavy and you have to ease the bottom turn using the full rail. I'm still figuring out how to cut back on this board.

The Good!
Wave magnet/hog/catcher, with all that width I can catch a ripple, stable, takes a single fin so I can play with all those odd center fins I've stolen from my dad, can handle that good set wave that comes through on a crappy day, or all the waves on a good day for that matter, Solid (extra glass) glass job so it'll last me years.

The Bad :(
Hard to duck dive with the width and volume, critical drops typically end in wipeouts, I'm not impressing anyone with my moves (unless they appreciate the flow of longboarding,) funny looks in the parking lot, or questions about it when I'm trying to go catch some waves.

A keeper, am I wrong?

Junod Fishy Tri

2008-03-06T19:44:00.001-08:00

This is my most recently bought board. Shapers dimensions written on the board are 6'2" 2 5/8" thick, 15" nose, 21", 15.5" tail. Used (as are most of my boards) and repaired well. It's supposed to replace my Haut quad (thus the similar dimensions) and give me a feel something slightly different. To my amature eye it seems to have more volume (width and thickness) further forward than the Haut quad. The tail stinger is deeper and there's only one. I've only taken it out once in bad waves so I can't say much about it except it felt like I needed more fin surface area. It has three stringers nearly touching at the nose with the outer ones going to the tips of the fish tail, and it's heavier than the Haut quad.

The Good!

Only cost me $300. Potential since I havn't ridden it much yet.

The Bad :(

Bigger than what I was looking for and I'm not sure about the tri-fin, although it's supposed to be ridden with two large outside fins (lager than what is on it now) and a small trailer. Nothing solid to report.

Let me know what you think.

Haut Quad

2008-03-06T19:25:00.000-08:00

I'll start with my favorite board. The shaper's dimensions written on the board are 6'0" 2 3/8" thick, 15.5 nose x 20.5 x 16 tail. Goes well in all but the very smallest of waves. I have trouble keeping it in the pocket cause it wants to run but it cuts back fine. It has good drive off the bottom and fits well with my forward stance style. I never could excel with small tailed thrusters, at best I would be getting vertical twice a session. While I don't get vertical with this board, I have a blast going everywhere else on the face of the wave.

The Good!
Drops in early, drops in late, always in control (almost always.) Speed to make sections, speed from the first second I'm standing. Duckdives fine. Float so I can get into waves early or catch small waves.

The Bad :(
Maybe a touch to much volume for me. So much speed I can't always cut back until I'm way out on the shoulder, or I outrun the pocket of the wave. I think I've fractured the stringer and there's pleanty of heel dents up and down the deck. (This is a problem common to most boards but I want to move towards more durable boards so I'll mention it now.)

If anyone wants more specifics I can provide them to a degree. As you can tell by the photos I'm limited to a small living space and no board racks. I have no calipers and measuring rocker would be done from the floor.

Please tell me what you think.

Is anybody out there?

2008-03-06T16:27:00.000-08:00

Oh yeah, I was trying to start a blog, wasn't I. In the last month I bought a board, tried to sell it, bought another board, decided not to sell the first one, and booked a trip to Mexico.

Quiver Overview:
6'2" Fishy Junod Thruster 6'2" x 21" x 2 5.8"
6'2" Bonzer Light Vehicle 3 fin bonzer from Campbell Bros. Narrowest tailed board I own
6' Fishy Haut Quad 6' x 20.5" x 2 3/8"
6' Fineline GeeBee 6' x 21" x ? This is a 6' "longboard", wide throughout with knifey rails
5'10"? Schrodel Twinzer
5'8" Freeline twinzer kneeboard
5'6" Flexspoon (unfinished) Strech/Homemade effort
3'?" Neumatic Surfmat
1' Homemade handboard

The Junod is the new board, riden once in head high mixed up windswell. Couldn't tell much about it except it duckdives okay and catches waves okay. I think I need more fin surface area, but a friend that rode it one day disagrees.

The Bonzer is the one I tried to sell but now am having second thoughts. My impression of it was that it's like a single fin improved. Faster and more agile than a single but far more single fin like than the Haut quad I'd been riding. I wanted to sell it cause it has a narrow window of take-off zone so I have a real hard time in a crowd.

The Haut quad is an awesome board for me. Great float without being too much, great wave catching and manuverability, great drive off the bottom and very fast. I think I fractured the stringer so it's been put to the back of the closet only to be brought out to serve as an original to be cloned.

Fineline GeeBee can be called a stub, hull, thumb, or stupid looking thing. I call it my longboard. It's got alot of features of a clasic longboard. Belly, 50/50 rails, flat rocker, width throughout, and a big single fin. I can make it go in good waves but I need an extra second on the drop to get control and make a bottom turn.

Schrodel Twinzer. To be honest I havn't given this one a fair shake so I won't talk about it.

Freeline kneeboard. Yes, I kneeboard, and I'm not afraid to admit it. (I'd also ride a bodyboard if I had one.) I've gotten some great rides on this thing. I can make super late drops, I can pull into small barrels, I can surf all day without ever loosing control. I've even riden it stand-up and enjoy that ride as well, although it's hard to catch waves without the help of swim-fins.

Flexspoon kneeboard. Shaped by Strech, I broke the rail on the second wave I got, was barreled later that day. I decided to add more glass to it, way more, and sand down to tune it. I don't have much opportunity to ride it lately, or sand on it either, but it's an ongoing project never to be forgotten compleatly.

Neumatic Surfmat. Ultimatly portable so I'll never get rid of it, but I havn't ever gotten a great ride on it. No skegs, soft inflation -> no edge, a whole different approach to wave riding.

Handboard, homemade, simple with a crappy skeg on it. Seems basic enough but it's surprising how it improves my bodysurfing experience when the waves are more than just whomping closeouts.

Well, that's the overview of what's in my closet. I never really thought about it before but I've got a lot of boards! There are also a few boards that are at my parents house cause they're technically my dad's property, but he doesn't (and wont ever) ride them, and cause my closet is full of the ones I'm most interested in right now.

Is anybody out there?

Opening Salvo

2008-01-17T14:23:00.000-08:00

Opening Salvo

The point of this blog is to open a dialog with other surfers who ride similar surfboards to what I ride. The dialog is intended to help spread information on characteristics of particular shapes. My goal is to provide photos of my various boards, some information on them such as shape characteristics and how they ride, and then to try to get some feedback from others that have similar boards.

Now back to work making money to buy gas to get to the beach!