Instead of suyr

Instead of surfing this weekend I worked on "fishing." I completed the canoe restoration by installing the seats and second thwart. I had to order a few more parts and they arrived mid-week, so the weekend was spent trimming everything to dry fit, and then sealing up all the cut wood. I also sanded and added another coat of Watco to the gunwales. I had to wait for everything to dry enough to assemble, and by that time it was past noon on Sunday. 

Meanwhile, my 4-year old son was snooping in the unlocked shed and discovered the fishing poles I had brought home from my parents beach house. My parents have several poles decorating the walls of the beach house and every time we go down, my son is reminded that he wants to go fishing. So I grabbed two of the poles and whatever tackle I could scrounge up during one of my solo visits, not wanting my son to know what was in the works. But now the jig was up and he was so excited that I agreed to buy the other stuff that we needed to go fishing. We headed down to the sporting goods store with a list. One of the poles was beyond recovery, but single poles were nearly as expensive as a little starter kit of pole, reel, and a little tackle. I opted for the kit, so now my son has a brand new set-up just for him. On the drive back home I laid the groundwork for fishing next weekend. I explained how there wasn't time to test out the canoe for it's first try after we bought it and to go fishing. My son is to smart for me and laid out a logical argument for not testing the canoe and instead going fishing. He even knew where we could go! Well, he had a point, so we gathered up the tackle instead. 

The nearby water is the inner Oakland harbor. Not beautiful, but nice enough. It's saltwater, so the trout rod and tackle we had was ridiculous to be using, but I didn't tell my son that. Instead I rigged it up as well as I could with two salmon eggs, a split shot sinker and small bobber. I cast out a very short distance and had him mind the rod, watching the bobber. Meanwhile I tended to the old rod/reel that was still in working condition. I stripped the 20-year old line and put on some fresh. I got to practice the "fisherman's knot" because I had to rig my son's hook, then I used it to tie line onto my reel. I made every mistake I could, so I had to tie that knot about 7 times. I never even tied a hook to my line because it was getting close to dinner time. We left after only an hour or so at the water.

Now I feel like I'm ready for a mid-week surf. Next weekend I want to head to one of the nearby reservoirs and try fishing from the canoe. But the thing is, nobody in our house wants a fish to eat. I'd do it if I wasn't the only one, but I don't care enough to do it myself. My wife doesn't trust food that doesn't come from her favorite grocery store and my son doesn't like anything except chicken fingers and quesadillas. So sounds like we will catch and release all the fish. 

Did you know?

Did you know there is a species of dolphin in the Monterey Bay that grows up to 12 feet long? 

Risso's Dolphin

And that orca have different "ecotypes" which are the same species, but with different habits and variations in body size/shape? Although they typically live further north than the Monterey Bay, they do occasionally make visits.

Orca near Monterey Bay

How do I know this? Last week we ended our session short after one of the surfers saw a "fin too large to be a dolphin." This weekend we were at the same spot and didn't see anything. But when we got back to our car, another guy who had already changed back into his clothes said he was out at the reef and saw a very large fin. Unlike last week, this guy saw enough to know for sure it wasn't a shark. He said it came to the surface more like a dolphin but was very big. He even suggested it was an orca, and I described how dolphin fins are swept back, orca fins are tall and narrow at the base, and shark fins are closer to an equilateral triangle in shape. He couldn't fit what he saw with what I was describing, so went back to his car to do some google searches. He came back with a diagram of various types of orca. The fins I was describing were "typical" of what we see in the area, but with sea temperature rising, and exceptions always existing, I guess I should say "typical" next time I'm describing fins to someone who says they saw a shark. So the guy was convinced he saw an orca, but I think it's a little more likely he saw a Risso's Dolphin. In any case, it is a rare thing, especially to have a sighting twice! And neither is known as a man-eater. In fact, sharks typically avoid orca and dolphin, so seeing one should be reassuring.

And as for the surfing...Saturday dawn I walked down the beach in the first light and dense fog. I could tell there were waves and it was smaller than last weekend. I walked down to the left to see how it handles the swell/tide combo we had. I couldn't see the take-off from the shore so I paddled out to take an up-close look. What I found wasn't great. Some set waves were closing out. Not all at once, but enough to ruin the ride. Others were grinding in an intimidating but exciting way with less shoulder but  a hollow bowl. I struggled to work things out after deciding I didn't want to shoulder hop the biggest waves because the were fading as they rolled into the channel. Instead I wanted one of those grinders. What I needed to do (and failed at) was take off deeper where there is a narrow gap between the suck-out and the shoulder where a wave can be caught. If I could have done that, I would have headed into the next section with speed enough to navigate it. I couldn't take-off in the section because it was rolling soft then sucking out. I failed several tries, struggling to judge the waves coming out of the fog, and only able to use the kelp heads to line up on. I ended up just going in to see what the other reef was doing. 

From the beach I couldn't see the take off spot here either. I hesitated for awhile before deciding to go out anyway. I'm glad I did because there was one other guy out, and the waves were pretty good. Head+ on the take-off and bowling up nicely. Not classic for this spot, but showing signs of it. I struggled to get waves which I figured was due to being a little scared from the beating I got at the left. I caught a few, but not enough and as the tide filled in the waves got fewer and fewer. I went in feeling better than last weekend, but not ideal.

Then Sunday dawn I met up with JB for the same spot. The buoy report from 4am made it look like a good repeat of the day before. Once we started walking along the sand I knew the waves were bigger. We stopped to look at the reef and it didn't look that good, so we opted for the left. It was bigger, and something new was happening that made it really challenging. All the water was flowing off the other reef and out the channel at the left. By the time we paddled out the fog filled in and we were again out of sight of the cliff. The waves were bigger meaning the take off spot I was working on Saturday was the impact zone for the set waves. The set waves weren't great either, and it was frustrating because the current would push us out and deep, and with the fog we couldn't tell it was happening until a set came and we couldn't catch it. We over corrected and got hit by the next set. When one of us caught a wave it was awhile before we could see each other again. We decided to take the next wave in, and I rolled the dice sitting on the inside. It paid off and I finally slid into the wave and made a run at the suck-out section. It wasn't a great ride, but it was fast and I made it through several sections by dropping down and around. I washed into shore and waited for JB. He took awhile to get a wave and I couldn't see anything, and started wondering if he somehow made it to the beach before me and was walking back. I started in that direction when I finally saw him riding a wave through the fog.

We looked at the reef but couldn't see anything. We talked about how good it might be and he decided to wait and see while I paddled out. What I found was a little bigger and a little messier than Saturday, but still good enough. I was tired, but more confident. However, the dense fog made it hard to stay in the bowl and I only caught a few before calling it a day. I came in and told JB how it was and offered to paddle out for a few more if he wanted. He didn't, so we walked back to the cars.

After JB left I went to the other overlook to see. There were ridable waves, probably similar size to the reef I just left, and the tide had this reef covered in about a foot of water. The paddle out was from the other rock and looked like a bit of fight to make it to deep water. Nobody was out, it wasn't great, but it was surfable. The rocky spot looked maybe surfable too. Scott looked good in the way that it looks mushy, but it's actually pretty fun and a longer wave than any of the other spots along this area. The thing is it's perfectly visible from the road and therefore always the most crowded. It also doesn't make much of a section so it looks boring. If I had more energy I should have paddled out for one or two waves there also!

Next time I'll be able to surf multiple days in a week is Thanksgiving. So I hope the weather is good and there is a medium-small swell so I can surf without getting exhausted after one day.

Don't know what got into me,

The first big north swell since the doldrums of summer arrived Thursday afternoon. I opted to wait until Sunday when the swell was smaller, but more importantly the wind was lighter. My plan was to recon around and surf maybe twice. Coordination with JB was for dawn at the creek.

I arrived before dawn and went to the overlook. The tide was the highest since I found this overlook, but the reef was still out of the water. There were more waves than I've seen there, but nothing too organized. I headed back to the creek to meet JB. There were cars arriving and people suiting up and heading to Scotts. I wanted to watch, but JB wanted to find somewhere to surf. We watched a little bit and weren't excited at what was coming into Scotts. We decided to go to another overlook to see what was happening down at the left.

It looked good and empty, so we suited up and did the walk. I brought the Fred Rubble and the TH with the intention of getting a feel for both. JB did something unusual, he asked what the plan is if one of us gets bit by a shark. A fair question because these spots are out of the way, out of sight, and a good effort to get to. The plan is to stop the bleeding and then run to go get help. Seems like the best plan.

I started with the FR and struggled a bit. I couldn't get my feet set right on the takoff, and the wave was pretty short so there wasn't time to make adjustments. I rode some waves but never felt right, so I headed to the beach and traded for the TH. On the way back out I got rejected because I didn't have the strength to properly duckdive the TH under the set that caught me. I went back to the sand and walked around to the other side of the reef. When I got there, the group of three were all coming in saying one had seen a fin come to the surface too close for comfort. I asked him if it was a dolphin fin and what the shape was. He said it was just too big for a dolphin. I was skeptical, but because JB had brought it up, something he'd never done before, the situation got to me. My approach to sharks has always been to listen to my gut and follow my instincts. I've gone surfing after being told there is a shark in the water, and I've stopped surfing just because things felt off. This time I was 50/50, but decided to not go back out. All four of us tried to signal JB and we waited for him to come in. He finally came in (he said it was weird he was suddenly alone out there and came in to ask why) and by that time more guys were heading out. We told one guy the situation and he said, "Yeah, it happens." and paddled out anyway.

This would have been a good time to go look around and recon other spots, but for some reason I wasn't in the mood. It's a shame because this is what I've been waiting for, an opportunity to see these spots with a little bit of swell. Instead I headed to my parents place to reset the router for my dad and to steal some of his fishing gear. I should have checked the rocks and the point, but instead I just drove home. I don't know what got into me, but I just didn't take full advantage of this trip to the beach.

The good news is the family will be heading to my parents beach house next weekend, and there is a bit of swell forecast too. I'll get a bunch of chances to go surf.

Skunked

I wasn't going to post about last weekend's session because I was irritated at getting skunked. Worse is that the buoy made it look like it was going to be slightly better than the good time I had the prior weekend. I awoke and checked the buoy at 3am to find 1.6' at 17sec from 195deg. I was too excited to fall back asleep so I got up and went down early. Arriving at the beach in the dark I could hear the sound of waves through the closed car windows. I must have been a weather phenomenon because even in the first light when everything was still monochrom blues, I could see it was very small. I walked slowly taking a good look at every little spot. I didn't see much and even walked around the slippery rock to get a straight on view of the left. I ended up sitting on the beach for an hour, not seeing anything to get excited about, before finally paddling out because maybe it was better than it looked. I rode one wave and missed a bunch. I stayed out for 45-min only seeing one or two waves that were maybe just okay. I paddled in and walked back. I tried the left at the old man's spot and although it looked better, it was still not enough to ride. I gave it 30-min and paddled in. I walked up to the main reef, walking slowly because the tide was still a bit too low. I got there to find one person making the most of it, which wasn't much. I sat on the beach for 30-min and then again paddled out hoping it was better than it looked. I might have been able to make something of it but it was meager at best. I was done and not in the mood to fight it. As I was paddling in more people were heading out to give it a try. I got the impression that I wasn't missing it anywhere else.
I don't understand why the prior weekend was so good and this weekend was so bad. The buoy looked so similar!

Looking forward, the first big north swell since spring is on it's way. The forecast calls for wind, and the tide is high in the morning. It will be quite different and even if I don't surf I'll have plenty of looking around to do to see how different spots are working.

But first, I have several holes in my wetsuit I should repair before the weekend...

Double dip

Small swell similar to last weekend was forecast, but a little more west in both the N and S swells. The low tide was also very pre-dawn. I decided my best chance was to hit the new left at first light. This meant getting up at 3:30am, and walking the sand in the dark. The effort paid off and I got some waves. About an hour after I paddled our, JB joined me. He got a few as well, but the tide was killing it. The next part of my plan was to walk back and surf the other, mid-tide left. I hung on the beach waiting for JB and watching the rim. There were certainly waves to be ridden, but nothing that got me to paddle out. JB came in and we headed to the other left. It was good with the 3.5’ tide and small swell. I felt it was even better because it had all the size, a better wall, and was more consistent. JB thought it wasn’t as good because it’s a steeper drop and more shifty. Anyway, we got waves at both spots and had a good double dip session. 

Science is a LIAR sometimes

The title references a funny bit from "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" that is appropriate for this past weekend. The WWiii forecast looked promising, but the best part, the SW swell forecasted, didn't happen. There was a small NW swell, but the bigger NW wind swell didn't show up. There was a long period south swell, but it was supposed to be a bit more from the SW, which would have hit with more size. The true SW never showed up, but maybe it's just the 12-hour too early situation that WWiii has been doing lately. (I just checked and the SCA buoy has a bit of it now.) The weather was great, and far as I can tell the tides were correct.

Saturday morning had the least potential and after a cursory review of Scott's, I parked at the Landing and walked the cliff to the north. I wanted to see how far I needed to walk before I could see around the corner. It was further than I expected, but well worth the effort because it gave me a different perspective of some spots I've been watching from afar. One of the spots looked good enough for longboarding. I continued to check spots as the tide changed and it's pretty clear that small waves and low tide is unsurfable at Scotts, and it looked almost worth it after the tide came up a little. I saw some ridable lefts off the top of the reef. I didn't surf that day.

Sunday morning I looked at the buoys at 4:30am and saw nothing had changed so went back to sleep. Around 7:15 I left the family and went back to the spot I'd looked at Saturday, this time along the sand and with the V-pin underarm. I rode several waist high or smaller waves on the right. It was fun enough, but only for a short portion of the wave. Even the set-waves were only good for a short ride. I never caught one as good as the few good ones I had seen from the cliff. I've been watching the left as well and paddled over to it to see what it was like. It was better than the right but shifty and a challenge on the longboard. It reminded me of rock view, but going the other direction. I got some rides and got a feel for the way it worked. Scott's looked small, but better with a bit more water over the reef, and the left looked tempting again. That evening I coordinated with JB. I convinced him to go to this "left" spot with me, with our funboards.

Monday morning I was nervous that I had made a bad call because the North swell got smaller, and the SW never showed. The S was a tiny bit bigger (2.0 instead of 1.5 feet). We took the long walk and there were waves along the way, but nothing exciting at all. Even the left we were heading to didn't look like much, until we paddled into the channel and a set came. It wasn't amazing or anything, but it was more than a lot of other places, and it was enough. We traded waves trying to work out the shifty nature of the place. We both got some shoulder high drops and a few that lined up allowing for two full cutbacks. But also several smaller ones and several that just had a drop and then died. It seemed softer than Sunday, but maybe that's because I was on the funboard instead of the longboard and could handle it better. Things seemed best at the bottom of the 2 foot tide, and deteriorated when the tide turned and filled. Scotts started looking good at that point, but I didn't look closely.

So, I think I found another spot along there that likes a low tide and a south swell. The others being the Landing and foremile, both of which get too crowded on the weekends. I can say that I haven't found anything that stands ahead of the best of the "in-town" spots. If nobody was around I'd probably go to the Lane, or First Peak instead. I imagine foremile would have been better (but crowded) too. So with that in mind, I think I need to hide these spots. Even just two more people would make these spots not worth the effort. (At least on these marginal days.) 

The Final Countdown

Coming to the end of the quarantine, just in time for a long weekend at my parents beach house. The weather forecast isn't perfect for surfing, but I will be able to work something out. The swell forecast is promising with a little something from S, NW, and even a SW expected. The only hang up is that, at the moment, the road to Scott's is still closed. Although the firefighters are getting things under control, the burn map shows the fire crossed Hwy 1 hear Ano Nuevo. If there are burned trees or damaged cross-culverts, then driving the road could be a hazard. If there are unprotected houses, or just a need for emergency crews to have a clear road to do their work, then that would also explain the continued closure. In any case, I hope they get the road open in time for the weekend. If not, I'll still get some surf, just maybe not at my first choice. With the wind, my first choice might not turn out to be the right choice anyway.

Since it's been a few weeks, and longer since I got any good surf, I'm extra stoked for the prospect of what's to come. I'm going to savor the moment by summarizing the forecast:

Friday Evening: Mixed South and NW swell, 1.70 low tide at 6:30pm, light S/SW wind forecast in town.

Saturday Morning: Same mixed South and NW swell, small SW swell, 1.15 low tide at 6:45am, calm wind forecast in town, 20kt NW wind up the coast.

Saturday Evening: Fading South, NW, and small SW swell, 1.63 low tide at 7:15pm, calm/variable wind forecast in town, easing wind but still around 10kt up the coast.

Sunday Morning: Fading South, NW, and small SW swell, 1.61 low tide at 7:15am, calm wind in town, 6-10kt NNW wind but probably not starting until mid-morning.

Sunday Evening: Fading South, NW, and new SW swell, 1.59 low tide at 8pm, calm wind in town, 6-10kt NNW wind but probably not starting until mid-morning.

Monday Morning: Tide 2.06 at 7:45am. 

So the problems for surfing up the coast appears to be the short period NW all weekend, and the Saturday winds. Saturday morning is also the lowest tide of the weekend, so considering the forecast, I think I know what I'll end up doing. I'll go for a longboard surf early morning at the patch of reef I "missed it" at a few weekends ago. Then I'll do some recon in the wind to help determine where the next session should be. I sure hope they get the road open!