Blinded by the fog

The forecast conditions didn't look that inspiring. It was especially hard to motivate for this weekend following the better than average surf we got last weekend. After mulling over the lackluster forecast for a few days it occurred to me that it might be the right combination for Alligators. I made the call and JB was game. There's also a lower quality but very consistent wave a short walk away that was the backup option. When we arrived before dawn we couldn't see anything through the fog. As the daylight filled in we still couldn't see more than the shore break and a little further. I decided that based on the tide, wind, and buoy readings I would paddle out blind to Alligators. The wave breaks pretty far from shore and waves breaking within sight through the fog only confused me as to where I could/should paddle out. JB was uncomfortable with the idea because he's never taken a closer look at it, let alone paddled out. There's rocks that stick out and rocks that show up when a wave pulls water off them. With the fog it was impossible to see shore. I had no problem with JB sitting on the beach because it really did seem like a sketchy situation for a first timer. I also wasn't confident there were even waves.

I paddled out and when I got past the waves I still wasn't sure where I was. I determined which side of the wave I was most likely on, so paddled in the direction that made sense. Luckily I recognized a rock and lined up off it. I've only ever surfed this spot once, so I was still trying to figure out the lineup when I saw someone paddling out through the fog. It wasn't JB, but it felt good anyway knowing I wasn't all alone. This person knew where to line-up and sat in the right spot picking off the one-wave per set that broke correctly. I was still trying to find my line between the shallow submerged rocks when two more people paddled out. At this point I felt good that at least three other people thought the conditions were right for this spot. But I was also getting frustrated that I couldn't get a wave. The same person caught all the waves, and JB was still on the beach. Even the waves that person got were not all that great looking. I decided I'd take a wave in and head to the other spot with JB. I didn't even catch a wave in and instead paddled with occasionally getting some whitewater in.

We walked to the other spot and faced the same situation: grey-out conditions. At least this spot I'm more familiar with. But I also knew based on the buoy that the waves would be pretty big. We paddled out and tried to get lined up, but got caught by a bigger set. Paddle back out, a little further, and miss a few before getting caught again. With the fog and the shifty nature of this spot, we both were not to happy with the situation. I rode two or three waves before realizing JB was not around. I wasn't worried because this wave just pushes you to the channel, but I also wasn't excited about surfing alone. I rode one in to find him on the beach. He encouraged me to keep surfing, but I had done a good amount of paddling out/around and wasn't excited for the waves I found.
We left and grabbed breakfast, which was really good. The short distance inland where the cafe is was beyond the fog and instead warm and sunny. It almost made up for the bad day of surfing.

Fall on the CA coast

Surfers and most outdoor enthusiasts in California know how special this season is on the California coast. Winter is wild and stormy, punctuated with windows of beautiful weather. Spring is cold and windy with the remnants of winter hanging on. Summer is sometimes colder than spring with the regular onshore wind that blows most of the day. 

Fall is the best season. The cooling weather mellows out the onshore wind. The sun is still high enough to warm the days, but often a chill in the air keeps it from getting to hot. The small south swells still provide waves, but the first taste of winter northwest swells start filling in, reminding me that I need to get stronger to handle the full winter swells. The Fall swells seem to come from further away and none of the storminess comes with it. There can be warm, calm wind days with overhead waves that are surfable all day long.

This weekend was one of those times. We got out Sunday morning to find overhead sets and glassy conditions. We surfed the main reef that can be seen from the road. Even before sunrise cars were parking along the shoulder of Highway 1. We decided to grab a few waves before the crowd filled in, with a backup plan to go to the more hidden reef later. As it turned out, there never was much of a crowd with good vibes and plenty of waves to go around. JB and I got a taste of winter with some 8' sets catching us. Well mostly catching me because JB was sitting on the wide peak and was able to catch waves off the occasional bigger sets. I opted for more waves, smaller waves, and not as good waves. It was a bad choice, but I got waves and some with the feeling of turns so hard my legs felt weak. Some late drops that compressed my legs and made my bad knee feel a twinge of pain. As usual, the first good NW swell after a summer of south swells and I feel like I really need to get back in shape!

The best part of the day was that I was more prepared than normal. My wetsuit is falling apart and my mail-order replacement didn't fit. I sent it back to get a better size, but also purchased some wetsuit shorts to keep me warm while I wait for the new suit. So I've got a 5mm worn out suit, but also a 1mm shirt and 1mm shorts underneath. This combination kept me plenty warm. I also drank a V8 right before paddling out. I normally drink one after getting back to the car but I've found this year that drinking one before surfing extends my endurance and avoids me feeling hungry before feeling tired. I surfed for 2-hours but felt like I could have surfed longer.

This week I need to exercise my knee, legs, arms, heart and lungs. I have images in my head of Sunday and the bigger waves, longer paddle, and multi-wave sets. So I have the goal in mind!

Mid-week

A friend I don't get to surf with very often call and asked if I wanted to catch the Tahiti swell mid-week. I said, "Yes!" and was stoked to show him some of the new spots JB and I have been surfing. I requested the time of work, coordinated with JB, and repeatedly checked the forecast. As quickly as things came together, they started to fall apart. JB realized how narrow his window is between drop off and pick-up of his older kid. JZ called to let me know he hurt his back on a bad fall while surfing. Well, the wind forecast still looked good and I already had the day off, so I was going with or without them.

JZ got a doctors appointment so was out, but JB was still in. We stressed a bit about maximizing our surf in his window, and exchanged messages about, "Where are you going to check first?" and "What time will you arrive?" JB checked tres and David's port and I went strait to the rock. At first I didn't like what I saw, but JB said he was willing to try the outside. I saw a good wave but didn't think much of it because I'm used to being tricked by that one perfect wave that never repeats once I paddle out. But as I was trying to get enough signal to tell JB I was going to check another spot, I saw another, then another good wave on the outside. I rewrote my message to basically say, "Come here now!"

He arrived and took a look. He said David's looked good but have a handful of people. There was nobody in the water at the rock and waves kept looking good so we suited up and hit it. We opted to paddle around the rock and even though the waves break softer along that route, it's further to paddle. On top of that we rounded the corner just as a set of many waves swung wide right at us. I was happy with how far I was able to paddle without a rest, but I did have to stop once or twice to let fresh blood back into my shoulders. I was glad I had surfed it once before because I felt like I was quickly able to figure out the line-up and pick the right waves, despite the surf being 3-times larger than the small day I rode it.

I got the first one and went right as a quick test of my knee. I dropped and kicked out pretty quickly, thinking I'd take a few strokes and be back in the take-off. Instead another wide set filled in and washed me all the way down to the end of the wave, the end of the going left wave. It took about 15-min to get back to the spot!

I took the second wave and went left. It was a steep bowl but I did okay. By this time JB was pushing himself deeper to where I was and he got some waves too. I think in all I got the biggest, but he got the longest wave by far. A few people came out and it felt a little complicated. I got a cramp in a weird part of my leg, and JB was getting worried about the time. I agreed to go in, but by way of the inside right because I thought I could handle one or two more waves there. The inside ended up being like a treadmill in a washing machine. And to top it off, I didn't even see a good wave roll through. I took whitewater to the beach just as JB was walking over from coming in after a left on the outside. We hiked up the long hill and got back to the cars early enough for JB to get home and pick up his kid on-time (instead of a little late like he thought would happen.) 

Overall it was a worthwhile trip, despite the stressors that come with being a father, employee, and husband trying to go surfing mid-week. If it had been during summer break we both could have gone super early because our wives work at schools and are home with the kids all summer. So, maybe next time, now that we know the wave a little better. And maybe next time I'll have a better board for handling the wave. I did alright on the TH, but it's not the kind of wave that board is made for.

New Spot!

I motivated and got myself up at 2:30am for the drive north on Saturday. It was a long drive, but I was rewarded with a longboard wave with only one other person out. There was a light onshore wind blowing, but it was better than it looked from the beach. I especially enjoyed the opportunity to longboard without a crowd. Even so, I could tell where I surfed was no secret. It's also easy enough to get to that I imagine most people check it as routine.

After surfing I hiked to the next point south checking to see if it was surfable. Not at that time. Then I drove up and hiked to another point to see if it was surfable. Not at that time, and looked like it had less potential. After all that I went up to the well known spot and watched the fishermen and the left. The left looked really shifty and difficult. It looks like there are good rides to be had, but it would take some study to know where to sit and which ones to catch. The outside left looks challenging, and was too far away to really tell what was going on. The fact that nobody was surfing it was also a little worrisome. I didn't explore any further north.

On the drive back home I made a stop at one well-known beach. It looked like a sand-bottom beachbreak, so could be surfed. There appears to be some cover from the NW wind on the sandy beach, making it a good spot to bring the family. Then, much further south, I noticed some surfboards and wetsuits parked on a small pull-out near the "secret" spot I found last time I was in this area. In my opinion, this spot remains a secret because there is no easy way to check it. The only way I can figure is to take the 1-mile hike. Although this pull-out might make it a 1/2 mile hike. Still, I won't divulge any more about it because I like secrets.

Sunday morning I got up early again to go back to the same old spots with JB. When we arrived the conditions were perfect and we had high hopes. When we made the walk and got close enough to see the left, we were unimpressed. However, the old-man's spot looked better. So we went there. The right wasn't good and many of the lefts were also just a peak and no shoulder. However, once in awhile a bigger left would come in and roll into the sandy stretch. The sand was arranged for a nice long and fast ride. Although I never got one of them, JB got several and was smiling. It was the best he'd ever surfed at this spot. I surfed until hunger made me need to leave. JB stayed and got a few more before returning to his car. 

Nobody came to surf and I realized that some of the best surfing to be had on the coast (balancing quality, consistency, and crowds) might just be here. It really calmed my excitement about the spots to the north I had been researching. Although there's surf up there, it's not that much better than what I've been surfing lately.

Continued slight improvements

Same spot, again slightly smaller. This time I wised up and went out on my 6'8", which allowed me a few early take-offs. Those I got in early on were fun, but both times I ran into the back end of an inside section and flopped into the water. Then most of the rest of the session was spent trying to read the crossing chop, boils, and shifty take-off spots out there. Although it was smaller than the smaller last time, I was still dodging the occasional outside set. I think it became more of a problem as the tide dropped, and the take-off zone shifted to be more difficult. I think. I don't really know because although there isn't much current, there is a lot going on out there. Things are shifting around and popping up. A wave looks like it will crush me, but then I can't even catch it. It's a challenge and a fun one.

I think I'll even go back tomorrow for a mid-week surf!

Unremarkable

This weekend's surf was mostly unremarkable, but I'll try my best to make it interesting. The wind forecast didn't look good for either day so JB and I picked the window that looked like it had the best chance to be clean; Saturday at dawn. I arrived at first light and it was cold, but not frosty cold. We've had a relatively warm winter up until this weekend, and the cold air gave us the first taste of what winter should be. The cold air had me moving slowly, and the buoys read about 10ft at 11sec from steeply north of 315. We didn't know what to expect so we walked the trail in the dark to go see what tresmile was doing. When we got there a set hit and it didn't look bad. Not as big as we'd been surfing it, but not small either. An in-between size that looked good enough here, and would probably be bigger than we wanted if we went north. The tide had just peaked and was going to be dropping that morning, so things would improve.

We walked back to the car to grab gear to bring down and suit up at our usual spot. The daylight was filling in. Moving about after the long drive was warming up my body. This day I had given up on the 7'5" and didn't see the need for the Channin, so I had the 6'8" with me. JB asked, "Is that your tresmile board." to which I relied, yeah, and it works great at some other spots too. Walking down the sand we saw our path was getting regularly washed over with waves, but not wanting to leave stuff where it's easily accessed, we put on our wetsuits from the sand, but walked our bags over to the hiding spot. Waves were washing over the jump spot in a menacing way, so we both took extra care waiting for a break in the waves. I still got hit by a wave in the channel, but not bad. Just enough to get a wet chill!

We were the only ones around and JB noted that it was hard to pick the takeoff spot because we both had been surfing it at the limit recently, sitting way off the edge of the reef. We each got a wave that looked good but died in the channel. We spent the morning chasing waves back and forth between the inside bowls, the inside reef, and the outside reef. Others joined us one-by-one, but the waves weren't very good. Good enough to stay out, but I figure those watching from the cliff were taking there time hoping conditions would improve.

Eventually JB and I had had enough. I got bored of chasing after waves only to be disappointed with what they were. We took waves in and called it a day. A thought lingered about whether using a surfmat and catching a big one off the top of the reef would work. That wave is hard to drop in on, then just rolls along for awhile before doing who-knows-what when it hits the inside reef. I think it could be fun, and might give it a try one of these days.

I wasn't tired from the session, and the day was shaping up to be pretty nice. I hung around town for a bit but couldn't think of anything to do. I decided to drive home over the coast route and look at some spots. The wind was coming up just a little and nothing looked very good. I realized we probably made the best choice of where/when we surfed.

I've had the 7'5" up on craig's website for a few weeks now. Besides a flurry of interest by 4 people all in two days, I've heard nothing. All those guys found other boards to buy. There have been a good series of boards available, and most of them for less $. I'm slowly lowering the price I'm asking, and being patient. But I've told myself I won't order the next board until I have this one sold, so it's hard to be patient.

Holiday Waves

It is a tradition that the ocean has been keeping for there to be a good swell and perfect weather for Thanksgiving. Unlike our family, the ocean was able to keep this tradition despite the pandemic gripping our country and most of the world. Because 2/3 of our family has the entire week off, I also planned for a week long vacation at my parents cottage in Santa Cruz. The swell and weather was forecast to arrive, and in my stoke I brought 6 different surfboards with me.

Sunday the conditions weren't great, but I rushed up the coast and forced 4 waves in poor conditions. The weather was warm and I haven't been out in awhile, so I was happy for what I got. Monday was a family day that ended with me checking in on my work projects to find others hadn't done what was needed by the time it was needed. My stress level went way up and I frantically typed away on the borrowed laptop trying to deal with the situation. Tuesday was spent working at a makeshift "desk" that was a kitchen counter and sitting on a footstool ladder.  Wednesday morning I went to go look only to find even my garbage surf spot was crowded. I headed up the coast but it was mid-morning, a bit junky with mix swell, and surprisingly crowded. By mid-day Wednesday I was burnt out and the swell was filling in. I went to my garbage spot and snagged two small waves among the crowd.

Thursday, Thanksgiving, the peak of the swell and great weather. What I thought was crowded the days before now looked great in hindsight. People everywhere. I felt fine not trying to surf and instead took my son for a beach day adventure (which was also me scoping out a somewhat hidden beach during the swell). The weather was great and when we first arrived the beach was mostly empty. We walked the sand, checked a few tide-pools, watched the waves hit the rocks at the south end, and played in the little creek at the other end. I was watching the waves and thinking how I could take advantage. It didn't look great, but with the right approach waves could be ridden. As the day went along and the tide dropped, I swore I saw something cranking along the inside. One wave looked kinda good. Then later another one in the same spot. Then another. Then a grizzly guy with a shortboard showed up and it looked like he was watching that wave. I'm pretty sure he was, but my son and I had been in the sun for a few hours and I was getting hungry, so we headed back to the car. Just as we were driving away two more shortboards were heading down the path. Hmmmm....

On the way home I drove along west cliff. It wasn't very big because the angle had too much north, but the tide was low and the weather was great. It was crowded, but I didn't stop because I wasn't there to surf, just to see what's what. Middle Peak had overhead waves and a ton of people. The angle wasn't sending very much down the cliff, with almost nothing left at the statue.

Friday JB and I agreed to go to tres mi at the top of the tide. The tide was too high and the swell was dropping, so we figured that would keep the crowd to a minimum. We were right, and we were the only ones out. High tide is really bumpy at this spot, with reflecting waves from two directions. Still, there was enough wave energy to ride and I got a few long and fast rides but was only able to hold on through all the bumps and not able to make a turn without falling. It cleaned up and got better, but then more people started showing up. JB wasn't linking up with any good waves and was getting grumpy, so we left before we had to interact with anyone else.

That was it. The best waves I got were bumpy lumpy but uncrowded. I felt fine "missing it" because I didn't want to deal with all the people. I felt good about knowing what my other options are, and taking advantage of that knowledge. I also feel good about still finding new opportunities for waves, especially ones that are in-between waves I already surf. I think there are still places to have fun and avoid the crowds, it's just a matter of working harder to get there.