*** Official 2020 Community Surf Journal ***

[Kento]

Well, that was a disaster.

Went to my usual. Family beach day before the hordes descended. Wind was already on it hard and there was a ton of water moving, I daresay the strongest on a south since Hurricane Marie. A few feet overhead on sets but throwing out even more than that. So shallow. And rips everywhere. Caught 3 waves, only the last one of which was semi-successful and that was after wearing one of the bigger and longer sets on the head. Tried to get a less thicker inside one and paid for it. Only two that I couldn't sneak under. I had no business out there on a 6'6", should have had a 6'10" (which I don't have and regret), even the 6'7" roundpin would have been better. Come in, join my family, and my son says "what's that?" Oh nice, little fin gouge from either an over-the-falls tossing or when I got drilled while caught inside.

Still fun session, though, if not a bit masochistic since it mostly involved fighting current and getting drilled. My wife found it comical as in a WTF are you doing out there?!

There were a few larger sets that reeled and threw all the way across. So much water moving, even if I was in position for them, I don't think I would have even had a chance of getting in any of them anyways. I saw no other people even paddle into a wave while I was out there. Probably smart.

Mid-size set.


Fin gouge



Thinking about this now, though, I think I need a thinner 6'6" HPS (especially if my fat ass loses some quarantine pounds) and a 6'10" roundpin.

 

[Brsnstein]

As expected, trestles was a zoo. Started at uppers, caught one wave there, and basically zigzagged around people instead of surfing the wave. Spent the rest of the session at the more northern breaks where it was a little better crowd wise, but smaller. Scarecrow was the right call for uppers, but too much for the other breaks. Hopefully, the beach breaks have better shape tomorrow

 

[Kento]

As expected, trestles was a zoo. Started at uppers, caught one wave there, and basically zigzagged around people instead of surfing the wave. Spent the rest of the session at the more northern breaks where it was a little better crowd wise, but smaller. Scarecrow was the right call for uppers, but too much for the other breaks. Hopefully, the beach breaks have better shape tomorrow

Had a feeling it would be packed. Beaches were walled hard and that results in points/reefs being packed. I usually end up at B***W**** also after a while. I know up farther must have been really good, even/especially with the wind. Lot of push out there. Minus tide notwithstanding, crazy how square my usual was today, even with 15+knots of onshore on it.

 

[Brsnstein]

There were definitely good ones at the next spot up. Crowd was as expected

I checked a few beach breaks on the cams before deciding to drive south and saw some what seemed like 300 yard wide hard throwing close outs

 

[Aruka]

Fun rights at my local on the low tide. Brutal lulls and frigid water but super nuggy when they came. Not a terrible crowd. Rode the 6'6" album twin and got the best turn I've managed on this board so far. Surfed our left bar at the high tide. Driver 2.0. It was a bit lower quality than my local had been but there was more power and non stop waves so we stayed busy and didn't freeze to death. Got a really fun wave to end my session and then watched my buddy get a big slash and an inside barrel on his wave in. Stock-ed.

 

[000]

couple choppy mornings in a row, didnt stop a few people from coming out
some decent waves with the south, but colder
then i saw a big dorsal fin cruising 50 feet away from me, the only surfer for blocks
it was not a dolphin
i caught a set. kept watching while riding. still looked likek a big dorsal fin that wasnt a dolphin
i gtfo and watched more from the beach
never came up for air like a dolphin would

 

[obslop]

wonky, broken up lines but better than yesterday.

 

[000]

someone that lives right on that beach said theyve been seeing 12' hammerheads

it did look like this fin

 

[silentbutdeadly]

there's so much bait in the water inshore right now there has to be some big creatures pretty close in right now. 12 foot fluffy was spotted somewhere in SD last week.

surfed desperation bar this morning cause it handles the wind better. Couple fun ones then it got crowded. my buddy got a few fun ones. I just got schooled and couldn't do anything right.

 

[Brsnstein]

Went back to the same spot as yesterday. A touch smaller, but way more consistent, less crowded, and caught more waves in half the time in the water. Blindspot with the creatures arc fiberglass sides and CF trailer felt amazing. Water felt like it must have dipped at least a couple degrees into the 50s. Called it after my feet started feeling like stumps and the wind picked up. There was a savage out there trunking it

 

[teeroi]

Dawned Bowls the last two days. It’s been inconsistent but the waves have been super fun, a little overhead on the sets. Weekend crowds. Saw Sponge/Neal out the last two mornings. He got a couple shots on his pic of the day thread.

Some drama yesterday that totally confused me. Joked around with a friend and he snapped at me. I thought he was playing and made it worse. First time I backed down from a fight for a long time. My other friends said he was in a bad mood and you stepped on a land mine. Funny cause he let me go on a sick one after he calmed down and I joined in some of the lineup talk. He came out today told him hi and just stayed away.

Other than that there’s been fun to really good waves everyday for weeks in town, west side and NS. Plus more on the way for the next couple of weeks.

 

[Aruka]

Pretty epic window at the low tide today. Flawless conditions and there was some good flurries. Not quite as lully as yesterday. It looked sort of grovely when I pulled up so I rode the Fling. Probably would have rather been on something else but it handled better than expected. It got crowded and drama ensued between grumpy locals and a frothed out 3 pack from CA. It was really just the one dreadlocked guy causing issues. His buddies could surf and stayed busy on the inside but he wanted to paddle up under and start hassling the deep pack of locals right away. When he finally caught a wave he surfed with the most herky jerky, wave humping poo stance style. It was like watching What is it about white guys with dreads?

I mostly stayed out of the fray and just surfed. The CA guys didn't last long with their hoodless suits Did about 3 hours before the wind came up. Grabbed lunch in town and came back to watch it. Winds were gusting but direction was better. Crowd slowly thinned out until there was just two guys on it. I went back out and it was really slow but they were still good when they came. I was patient, rode the 6-6 twinny and got most of the best waves to come through. Surfed maybe another two hours. My good buddy came out and I let him have it, took the next wave in. He texted me later that it went flat after I left.

 

[silentbutdeadly]

lol I only put those hours in on a surf trip. good on ya mang

 

[racer1]

I can't believe you surf that long in cold water. I would fold up and die.

 

[Aruka]

I've been wearing a 5/4 with a thick thermal rashguard undernearth. 7mm booties and either 3mm gloves or 5mm mitts. Couple of my friends have gone full on 6mm suits. I would follow suit (heh) but it seems impossible to find a 6mm in size LT online at the moment. When the sun is out it's not so bad but two days ago it was raining all day and it was brutal without the sun to warm you up while sitting and waiting for sets.

 

[silentbutdeadly]

Same spot, more fun today. GX again.

 

[Muscles]

I can't believe you surf that long in cold water. I would fold up and die.

I can't even put in three hours in Hawaii without needing a nap after and being burned out the rest of the day. lol.

That's serious stamina to surf that long in cold water.

 

[bluemarlin04]

I wear a 6 mil in the winter here and def feels different paddling after living in hawaii my entire life.

Yesterday I forgot my gloves and figured it’d be okay since it’s summer. Nope. My hands were frozen within minutes

 

[oeste858]

Damn, @Aruka must be on some PEDS if he's doing 2-a-day long sessions on the regular! No wonder you have so many boards: I could totally justify that if I surfed half the day instead of 30min -1 hour sessions.

Forgettable crap session in junky windswell on Fri. No time for surf over the weekend with family stuff.
This morning: fun little mid-tide session at local reef. 4-5' sets. Crowded but there were some sets that swung a little south of the main peak so I managed a couple fun drops and corners for carves on 5'6 Mitsven TKF. Water temp dipped back down again after onshore winds last couple days. Back in a fullsuit.

 

[obslop]

slightly better than yesterday but still pretty wonky