Mini-adventure

I was stoked to score some good south swell at my favorite negative low tide pre-dawn spot. However, the swell arrive more than 12 hours late. I saw it was late at 3am when my alarm went off and I checked the buoys to see exactly how epic it would be. Seeing nothing, I loaded up and drove to the beach anyway, hopeful, but also knowing anything would be better than nothing.

I headed to Scotts and in the early twilight I could see that not much was happening. I hadn't expected much because my last try out there with the negative low tide and small waves wasn't too great, but this was even smaller. I checked the buoys again (nothing) and decided a roadside nap would be just right to let the swell fill in. The nap was what I needed, but no swell filled in. I headed down the road to an overlook at WFs and although there were waves, it looked like my chances of bouncing off the reef were high. The smaller waves were breaking in very shallow water and there was a flat rock in the middle of the ride. It didn't look worth the risk. So I headed up the road at another overlook. Not much better, but definitely better. It wasn't doing its thing by any stretch of the imagination, but it was surfable. I even saw one nicely shaped one and figured I should at least try to get one like it. Anyhow anyway, it seemed like a good day to recon alternate routes to the spot.

I circled back to repark, pulled out the Pacheco, leisurely suited up, and started the long walk. Turns out the low tide made the walk pretty straightforward. I'm not sure the way would be passable if there was any swell and even a medium-low tide. Paddling out was a hassle because the reef, like many reefs along this stretch, is shaped like those zen rock gardens where there are parallel lines with ridges and troughs. The lines all point to the bowl, and I'd rather paddle around the waves, so to get out to the waves I had to climb up, down, up, down repeatedly. It got  more interesting as I got further out and the waves got bigger but I was still on sections of reef that were out of water between waves. I managed, and was glad I was alone so nobody had to watch me fumble along. Once I got out the next struggle was figuring out how to surf the mixed up wind-swell. The small ones looked good, but before I could get to my feet the bottom would drop out and the shoulder would close out. Luckily I kept missing the small ones and caught a few medium sized cross-ups that made a catchable peak right at the bowl. But those disappeared before I could make my first cutback, and I decided they weren't worth the effort. The sets were better, but even those weren't all ridable. Some swung north, others south. This is very different than the clean-consistent a-frame bowl that this spot produces when it's on. Still, there were hints of that every once in awhile. I managed only one of those a-frame waves, and several other less memorable rides, by myself. At about the 2 hour mark I noticed people checking it out from the cliff, and one guy didn't hesitate to join me. Interestingly, he paddled up and approached with a mix of, "sorry to bother your solitude," mixed with, "I've been surfing here for 40+ years." I greeted him and appreciated having someone else in the water with me because the shark vibe was starting to grab hold of my imagination between waves. The next few waves were good but I completely blew all of them. I figured my day was done and headed in. Getting to shore is just as tricky as getting out, or maybe a bit easier because the waves wash me in the correct direction. But they also washed me in quicker than I could survey the spots where the reef was out of the water and I count myself lucky to have avoided hitting my fins, or worse.

I made the long walk back to the car noticing the unusual Memorial Day / heat wave crowd filling all the parking spots so early. I leisurely got back into my clothes, enjoying the warm weather and keeping an eye on the reef at Scotts to verify I hadn't missed anything. There were a few people surfing along the sand, but nobody up at the reef, so I think I made the right decision this morning.

It took a little bit of adjustment coming off riding the TreeHugger onto the Pacheco, mostly in the wave catching. Once I got to my feet is felt fine. The extra maneuverability didn't cause me to loose control, so I think that's a good thing. The TH continues to be a purchase I'm satisfied with.

Back in town I stopped to get an Epoxy repair kit because last weekend I broke through the rail on the TH with my shin while not managing a late drop going left at Scotts. I thought I would fill it with superglue because it was a shallow shatter with just one flake of glass broken through. But I'm glad I double-checked my memory because it turns out the EPS foam often used with Epoxy construction doesn't play well with cyanoacrylate (superglue). The glue melts the foam! So I'll have to do a proper repair whenever this heatwave lets up, but hopefully before next weekend.

Pre-Surf

I normally post about my experiences surfing, trying to keep a log of what works and what doesn't work. This time I'm doing it different by posting something before I go surf. Tomorrow has good potential for several spots and I'm a bit overwhelmed by the possibilities. Of course this is a good problem to have, and one that I hope to have again. In addition to not knowing where is my best bet for surfing, I also can't decide which board would be the best bet. Part of the problem is I've opened my eyes to the other surf spots that I had written off for various reasons, but I've recently found to be worthwhile. But the waves at those spots are quite different from what I'm familiar with, and I'm not sure what to expect and what to bring to handle the conditions. Alas, this is a problem with the whole concept of "surf quiver" and proves that there are not simple black and white decisions in life. I love having options and being able to mix it up, but without fail I have anxiety when I'm packing my car. Just for sake of an example, I'll go over just some of the options I'm considering.

1) Rock

    a) Tree Hugger with which one of 5 fin combinations I have on my mind.

2) Cove

    a) Again, Tree Hugger + fin decision, See 1) a)

3) Waddell

    a) See 1) a)

    b) Hess semi-gun, funboard, quad-fish, mini-quad fish (depending on where along the reef I choose.

4) Scott

    a) Tree Hugger and try Stage 6 again

    b) Tree Hugger and one of the other 4 fin combinations.

    c) Hess semi-gun, funboard, quad-fish, mini-quad fish.

5) Rim

    a) See "Scott" options above.

6) That other spot next to it.

    a) ??? Doesn't matter because I've never surfed it so no matter what I chose I'll learn something.

7) 4-Mile

    a) See 1) a) above

    b) Hess quad-fish (Pacheco)

    c) Hess mini quad-fish

8) Natural

    a) See 5) above.

9) Mitchel

    a) See 1) a) above

    b) Hess quad-fish

    c) Hess mini-gun if it's working around the corner.

The numerous combinations are often narrowed down by conditions and/or my mood. But as I said, conditions look good for all these spots and more. (At least I know I won't be longboarding.) I usually allow myself two boards because I'll sometimes carry two down to the beach, and if I don't, I only risk loosing one if my car gets broken into. But with the options I've identified, I have five to choose from.

...

Okay, I'll most likely bring the Tree Hugger because it's been fun to ride lately and I'm still experimenting with it. It overlaps the most with the Hess funboard, so that means I need to decide between the remaining three as my alternate. Although the TH also overlaps with the Pacheco, they are enough different that I wouldn't consider them interchangeable for a lot of conditions. The Pacheco is also the shape that fits the best with the kind of surfer I am. But the mini-quad fish has been on my mind and would work for several of the "dream waves" I imagine I'll see. Being mini, it needs a good wave for me to even catch, but isn't that what I expect tomorrow? 

Oh god, this is what it sounds like inside my head sometimes!

POST SURF EDIT on Wednesday

Oh the irony. The forecast was a bust and the swell arrived late, after I got home. The swell was small, and I ended up a Scott riding the Tree Hugger with the Stage 6 fin and side fins. It was similar to the prior session, but smaller. Funky shifty but otherwise clean. I had fun catching waves but didn't feel like I caught enough. I was out for 2 hours and got tired and came in. I checked down the coast and saw rim was unsurfable, the next reef was sorta surfable, while Davenprt was really good. Not only good, but crowded. Like "in-town" type crowds. I was surprised, but this isn't an area I'm familiar with so maybe it wasn't unusual.
The day as a whole got me thinking of the SUP to waves idea, now with the option of bringing a surfboard. I've spent a few hours researching on the web since Saturday and it looks like it wouldn't be too hard and would be fun. Saturday would have been a great day for it with small swell and no wind. I'll keep an eye out for another similar day to give it a try.

On my way home I stopped by JB's place to check out his updated quiver. In one month he ordered a Lost Smooth Operator, a CI-Mid, and a Modern "Classic" longboard. The two mid-lengths have less volume than my Tree Hugger and look like they would be fun. JB has gotten them into waves and says they're both great. He's never ridden a longboard much, so his one session on that was not great. But he already likes how easy it is to catch waves. He gave me a 6-in center fin to try in my Tree Hugger. It's very close to the 6.5 bonzer fin I've already tried, but I'll still try it the next time I want to feel the thruster type feeling under my feet. In fact, I think the next time I try Scott I should swap to a thruster setup.

Keeping with the forward looking blogging, next weekend looks like a difficult combination of small swell, larger wind-swell, and onshore winds. The wind forecasts have been predicting winds higher than what I've been seeing, so hopefully there will be a window of opportunity first thing in the morning. Even without wind, the big wind-swell will make north coast spots messy. I'll have to take a look at the buoy and make a decision at the last minute.

Thats a lot of fin

Sorry for the unattractive photo. I really wanted to capture the fin cluster.

I got out to a different spot that I haven't surfed in awhile. Scott Creek is a right reef break known for holding size. The swell was short period NW with a bit of south mixed in making things jumbly. The tide was very low pushing the break off the edge of the reef. In summary, it wasn't very good. But, it had some size and power and I wanted to give it a try on the Tree Hugger. Last weekend I picked up an 8" stage 6 fin, and I swapped out the basic 7" center fin I was using.

The board and fin felt pretty solid, and maybe a bit on the stiff side for the conditions. I felt I had enough speed for most of the waves, and in control. I tried some basic bottom turns, some strait lines, and some weak cutbacks and everything felt okay. Surprisingly, nothing noteworthy. It might have been because I was unfamiliar with the wave and wasn't pushing my limits. It might have been because that wave has more power than I'm used to feeling. Anyway, it was a good surf and I'm going to keep trying out this fin a few more times before moving on to the next.

Wounded Knee

Back to 4-mile with the same board/same fins. Mid-tide and small-ish NW swell. The crowd was less agro, but still plenty numerous. I stuck to the point to spread out the crowd and was getting my share. The waves weren't notable, but I was getting a better feel for the tree-hugger on soft waves, and walking around after most waves. Until I took off too deep, got bucked when trying to stand and banged the outside of my knee hard. After escaping the whitewater I stood up and realized my knee was hurt enough that trying to push a hard bottom turn was too painful. I rode the wave in and ended the session after only an hour.
Having to end my surf while conditions were still good, I took the opportunity to check a few other spots. I saw other spots that were good and crowded, and at least one spot that was better than 4-mile and much less crowded. I wished I had surfed there instead. Looking to the next session, I'm stuck with this decision to make; dawn patrol at the tried and true 4-mile to get the most waves before the crowd, OR, do I explore to try to score one of those other spots?
Which brings me to the concept of FOMO (fear of missing out). I'm not as susceptible to FOMO because I've had it work against me when searching for waves. The idea that it might be better at the other spot can lead to a repeated pattern of driving around to look and one place, then another, and another, back to the first place, wash rinse repeat. So I've gotten into the habit of the night before surfing, planning out where to surf and then sticking to the plan. Yesterday was a stark reminder that that approach prevents me from experiencing other waves that I wouldn't expect to be good.
…

Second session on the Tree Hugger

I still haven’t figured out why it’s called the “Tree Hugger,” but I don’t mind. The second session on it was at low tide 4 mile with a small mixed swell. The inside was kinda barreling (not really) in the way it does. I opted for the 2+1 fin setup again with the thought of pivoting and stalling into the barrel section. The volume of the board worked great for chasing down the waves and getting in a second early to setup a line. When it worked it felt really good and solid. I didn’t get barreled, but close. It was a tight fit to get in and my leg strength wasn’t up to the challenge of squatting in control. Standing up at the end of the section also felt awkward. Time to do deep squats all week!

This 2+1 setup has a 7 1/4" center fit with a 5 1/2" base, and the sides are 4" by 4".

One thing that didn’t work for me was not being able to pump the flats to gain speed when taking off behind the peak. The feeling was similar to a single fin, which makes sense given the fin configuration I was using. I fully expect that if I load it up as a quad, the board will go great.
Another thing was duck diving the more powerful waves. A few times I found myself trying to duck a 4-5’ wave that had a throwing lip, and because I didn’t get the board deep enough, I got pulled backwards by the wave/lip. Never went backwards over the falls, but a wave a few feet bigger  probably would do it. I can account for it by ducking earlier and strengthening my arms, but more likely I’ll just pick a board with less volume for waves in the 6-8’ range if I expect to duck dive more. There are plenty of point/reef breaks that this board would handle the size because I’d use the volume to just paddle around all the waves!
So after two sessions, I feel like this board is a good fit for me and my quiver.
By the way, is there a term, like board quiver, but for a collection of fins?

Social Distancing late edit: I arrived after first light and found the beach side parking was blocked off, so I parked at the old spot. I knew there were waves and no wind from the sound, but it was light so I climbed the hill at took a quick look for old times sake. Another car parked behind me and he quickly suited up as I gathered select gear from my car into my backpack and put a board under each arm. He beat me into the water by a good 30-mins as I lingered getting fins into my board and a wetsuit on, watching him get good waves by himself. I was the second in the water, but only got one wave before another person was paddling out. We were keeping our distance and getting our waves, but it got harder as more and more people came out. It got downright crowded, so I paddled up to the point despite the fact it wasn't working. I rode whatever mushy wave I could at the point until I was joined, one at a time, by three people. I decided I wasn't going to battle the crowd for waves and got one to the beach where I found a handful of people. Plenty of room on the beach so distance wasn't a problem, but considering it was only the 8 o'clock hour and the day was shaping up to be beautiful, I assume it got rather crowded.
I decided to drive up the coast and look for another opportunity to surf. There were options, but nothing that motivated me enough to paddle out again. Also of note was that anywhere there was room on the side of the road to pull off, there were barriers or cones and signs saying "closed." All the state beaches were blocked off, and I saw CHP, lifeguard trucks, sheriffs, and state park vehicles, so I assume those closures were being enforced. I'm glad I didn't get a ticket where I surfed. I might not be that lucky next time.

I've been social distancing...

I'm the kind of surfer who's been practicing social distancing since before it was cool.

This weekend I broke the rules and interacted with someone from Craigslist to pick up a 6'10" Vernor Tree Hugger. There was a small swell in the water, so I decided I needed to again break the rules and go into the ocean to give it a try. Where I ended up is, even in this information age, still not on the radar of most surfers, so I'm going to try to describe my experience without giving away details that could ID the spot. I'd learned about it 10 years ago, made my way to check it out only a handful of times, and never before surfed it. I didn't even know anyone who had, at least not that was willing to talk to me about it.

But this weekend was different. I pulled up to the spot to check the wave and it looked like there were waves that could be ridden out there. As I was trying to decide if I was going to go surf it for the first time I ever had, two guys paddled out. They didn't look like they were great surfers, but they got a wave or two. That was all I needed and I pulled my gear together.

The first challenge is getting to the beach. I didn't know the best way to get there, but I knew I was going to be hiking. I put my wetsuit and towel into my drybag back-pack and started figuring out what fins to put on the new board. I wanted to try the Tree Hugger because it's a mid-length/funboard shape, but also because it has boxes for quad fins AND a single fin center box. I had an 8" single fin, but opted for a 6" with 3.75" side bites. Kind of a weird widowmaker arrangement.  I had to come back and edit this after educating myself more on widowmaker fin arrangement. This setup was closer to a 2+1 or even thruster-ish in arrangement. More discussion 0’about fin clusters added to the end. Gear packed I started along the trails to find the best way down to the beach.

I should have put on sunscreen. I ended up hiking almost 2 miles to get to where I paddled out. I was wearing a beanie, but the sun came out and I was sweating so it came off and I slowly started to burn. Once I got in the water, the wave itself still takes awhile to get to. The two guys who were out earlier had left in the time it took me to get to the beach, so I paddled out through the rocks, boils, seals, and kelp all alone. Once I got out to the wave I was cautious, but still got some waves. The wave was doing a few different things with some swinging wide and bowling up, some foam-balling, and sometimes the two swell directions combined into what was the best wave to ride. The new board took some getting used to. It catches waves great, and I only blew it on one drop all day, but it took a few waves to dial in the sweet spot for a bottom turn. I rode a few until I found the sweet spot, then moved the center fin forward a little to see what it would do. When I moved the fin forward it tightened up the board, opposite of what I expected, but it was probably due to the three fins being too much in-line and starting to act as one huge fin. I slipped the center fin all the way back and the board felt good again. After about 45-min solo surfing, a could guys paddled out. Plenty of waves, no problem. They were on small boards and were riding the foam ball and I could see how the medium sized ones would reform mid-way and give a wall that had room for a smack or wrap-around, etc. A few more guys came out, this time on longer boards, and competed with me where I was riding the wide swinging waves. Still plenty of waves to share. A few more guys came out and things started to feel a bit crowded. I overhead them chatting about how good the waves were, so I got the sense that I had picked a really good day to give it a try. I was still getting waves, but had been in the water for 90 minutes (plus an hour hike to get down) and decided I needed to head back before I exhausted myself.

On the hike back I tried for a shortcut I had seen from the water. It ended up being so steep and so difficult that my already tired body screamed for a break every 5-10 steps. I was hiking up a cliff that was like climbing a ladder, but with blackberry and poison oak along the way. I eventually made it to the top of the cliff and finished the hike back to the car along the relatively flat trail.

Follow up edit on fins: The fin cluster I chose for the first time on the board was admittedly weird and uninformed. Of course a big part of choosing the Tree Hugger was to experiment with fins and get first hand experience with different options. My plan is to take the fins out of the board after every session to avoid “inertial” fin selection. This also requires me to bring options with me. I’d like to track down some sub-three inch side fins to imitate a widowmaker arrangement, but for now I have plenty to try with the fins I already have on hand. 

Shelter in place

We're all stuck at home. The cams verify that the police are doing their job and keeping surfers out of the "town" spots up and down the coast. We all know of some hard to reach spot that we could get to and probably not end up with a $1,000 ticket. Some are on it, others like me don't want to drive in circles trying to work it out.
And back to those cams. Watching empty waves is like a dream I have. In this daydream I imagine having a time machine. The cockpit has to be big enough to fit a surfboard, because I'm hitting all the spots, and doing it back before Columbus' big adventure. Malibu with nobody around to jockey for the set waves. Rincon with nobody snowballing the wall. Shoot, even the spots that are considered third and fourth rate would be tons of fun without the crowds.
But then my son comes to visit me at my desk. He's stuck at home with parents who are supposed to be working remotely, and he's going crazy. I get an instant message from a boss asking about a report, and another from a coworker asking questions about another. I'm back to reality, but one that is surreal in it's own way.

In these times I greatly appreciate http://surfmatters.blogspot.com/ for continuing to provide stories and photos to help me make it through the week. I wish I had some photos and a story to tell, but the strongest memory from my last session is someone paddling under my longboard and taking the wave of the day. I don't want to rehash the details, I'd rather plan my next session. Maybe somewhere hidden from the eyes of the police. Maybe somewhere that the police have given up trying to control.