***Official 2021 Community Surf Journal***

j_mac

Legend (inyourownmind)
Aug 16, 2020
418
1,567
93
Even though the morning tides are high, the surf has been solid. Open-beach break, a little walk from the parking lot to secure our own sandbar/rip channel spot. So many fun waves the last few days. I do like how the waves break around the low-tide terrace sandbars, and how the wave refracts. When timed correctly, you catch it on the one side, actually surf offshore, and then wrap back onshore. It creates this unique convergence bowl. Though you can get caught in middle of the convergence zone with the waves breaking on both sides at the same time and get smashed - a good chuckle when that happens.

Though it is starting to take about an hour to warm the body core afterwards. I don't like booties and hoods so I can't complain too much.

Saturday - Twinsman worked perfectly. Today, Will's Fish though I switched fins from the Lovelace Piggybacks to Machado Keels and wow, likely never going back to the Piggybacks. The speed generation, drive, with ease to pivot, so no drawbacks IMO.
 

teeroi

Miki Dora status
Oct 21, 2007
5,107
9,269
113
eastside oahu
Drove down the Eastside in the dark. The highway was a mess. High tide big surf lots of rocks and debris washed up on the road. Lots of swell in the water but not very clean. Pulled up to check a spot that usually handles this size but it was missing too much west still.

Drove down to option 2 which is one of my favorite waves. Watched for a bit with some regulars and as soon as we saw a nugget they all ran back to grab boars. I was a little over gunned with my 6’1 but wanted to get a couple.

Got a couple roll ins to double ups and a couple of air drops to vert hits.

Paddled over a couple of bombs and got caught in the rip and flushed out. Spent the next 20 minutes trying to paddle in. Pretty much sapped my energy. Finally made it back to the takeoff and got mowed. Was going to paddle around and at least ride one in but said f^ck it and went in. Haha.

Driving back the swell was already dropping but there was still some huge outer reef sets.
 

Aruka

Tom Curren status
Feb 23, 2010
11,981
22,511
113
PNW
Got an evening sesh at my fav spot up North. Rode the 6-6 sharpeye and got some fun turns. Size was perfect. Overhead and juicy but not scary big. The rights didn't feel that long, maybe good for two turns but the amount of ground covered on a wave was significant. The paddle back up the sand bank against the current was gnarly. Really wishing for another hour of light as the waves kept getting better and better as the tide dropped. Ended the session on one of my better waves. Fun stuff.
 

Oceanslide

Kelly Slater status
Mar 5, 2008
9,698
2,321
113
Oceanside, CA
Drove down the Eastside in the dark. The highway was a mess. High tide big surf lots of rocks and debris washed up on the road. Lots of swell in the water but not very clean. Pulled up to check a spot that usually handles this size but it was missing too much west still.

Drove down to option 2 which is one of my favorite waves. Watched for a bit with some regulars and as soon as we saw a nugget they all ran back to grab boars. I was a little over gunned with my 6’1 but wanted to get a couple.

Got a couple roll ins to double ups and a couple of air drops to vert hits.

Paddled over a couple of bombs and got caught in the rip and flushed out. Spent the next 20 minutes trying to paddle in. Pretty much sapped my energy. Finally made it back to the takeoff and got mowed. Was going to paddle around and at least ride one in but said f^ck it and went in. Haha.

Driving back the swell was already dropping but there was still some huge outer reef sets.
Basically the same as my harbor sesh this am.
 
  • Like
Reactions: teeroi

Retropete

Phil Edwards status
Jan 20, 2006
5,960
4,397
113
Sunny Coast Qld Australia
wow what a stretch. surfed weds, thurs, and today afternoon/evenings at the beach out front, almost always at the same sandbar

Weds: Glassy and beautiful on the 6'6" step up.
Thursday: like a baby big wave day -- felt a bit overgunned on the 8'. There were short-walled peaks outside that would run in over the sandbar and wall up inside, but then let you get back out without too much hassle. Felt like i was tempting fate over and over but barely got caught inside at all.
Today: back on the step up. I can't believe I've had this board with the five fin boxes for 2 years and only just now realized I like it as a thruster. Overhead peaks, open faced and not really that steep, but still feels a bit open ocean-y. Basically the conditions where every turn you do feels like a power hack because you're moving fast.

Overall I didn't get barreled once but I was feeling really good about my turns. Going from quad to thruster I was able to feel that slightly smaller turning radius and that feeling sorta built on itself. I did a couple of standard/generic backside snaps, except I was able to place them closer to the pocket and on meatier sections than I ever have in the past.

Bluengreen: we must've been on the same section on thurs. I saw that dude on the huge red gun but with a wide nose/semi glider/'fun gun' thing. For a while I was trying to sit on the outside apex of that sandbar right lined up with pacheco, but was trying to sit deep and then go right where most people were going left.
Big red board in this clip?
I'm watching this clip because haven't surfed anything over shoulder high in ages here...sigh.
 

Muscles

Michael Peterson status
Jun 1, 2013
2,596
3,597
113
California/Hawaii
Huge N swell yesterday with favorable winds. There's still some secret stashes if you are willing to look. Went to the spot that I usually head to when the conditions align. Looked head high from shore but it's probably 200 yards out. Start paddling out and realize it is actually DOH + and thick. Get demo'd by a set and watch my friend get washed to shore. He gave up and went in. Caught one wave that double'd up and pitched. Got pushed 10 ft deep from the closeout. Stayed for about an hour taking wave after wave since the lineup was only 2 people. I got tired and went in since it was almost all paddling and wave catching.

I'm just hoping the spot doesn't get noticed and posted on social media like all the other places that used to be quiet.
 

teeroi

Miki Dora status
Oct 21, 2007
5,107
9,269
113
eastside oahu
It rained so much yesterday we took the day off. I slept in figuring if I wanted to drive anywhere I’d let the road crews clean up any storm debris.

Got to the NS regular around 10:30 and it looked good. Paddled the new 5’10 Tokoro 4X out. Wind kinda shifted side on but light and there was a medium current pulling everyone out.

Got some double ups and long shots. Boar works good with the Large H4’s. Lots of driving around sections and doing wraps. Got a roll-in to double up barrel. Also had some new boar kooky-ness. Hand slip to boogie boar, and couldn’t get under a double-up and sat up and the wave still grabbed me and I went over. Glad I rolled off the side. Would’ve been sh*tty to break my new boar on its first surf by going over the falls and break it sitting down. Haha.
 

Aruka

Tom Curren status
Feb 23, 2010
11,981
22,511
113
PNW
Tried to surf my little mountain cove spot this evening. Flooded but tide dropping fast. Fairly clean looking from above but in reality there was a bit of lump and bump and backwash which made the short interval swell pretty difficult to surf. Rode the Blade for the first time in a long time. First half an hour was mega frustrating trying to surf a backing off left at the south end. No fault of the board, just the formless sh1tburger waves. Paddling around aimlessly, rarely getting close to anything resembling a corner. Lots of current to fight against. Tried a peak mid beach and while it was also backwashy and weird I finally got a couple rights. One was actually pretty solid and I got a good feeling high speed slash in the pocket. It was almost enough to make up for the rest of the session but alas even the beautiful neon sunset couldn't quite make me feel like it was quite worth the hassle.
 

bigglesworth

Legend (inyourownmind)
Mar 8, 2017
486
534
93
Worked in the morning but had time to sneak in a quick afternoon one. Usually a crowded spot so always pleasure to surf it empty mid week, even though it was short period and a bit wind blown, making paddling challenging.

Got some good rights. Steep drops, then the wave would back off. A few wiggles and then it would wall up at the end for a final hit. Could not find a left for the life of me and wasted a bunch of time looking for one. Oh well.

Rode the 6’2” GX. Weird how this board was a custom for someone else and it’s my all time favorite. Shows how little I know about board design.
 

bluengreen

Michael Peterson status
Oct 22, 2018
1,763
4,641
113
SF x Encinitas
I was one of the many sheeple that descended on the south end for the 7 foot high tide Saturday morning. High tide bars were pretty walled, but there were some juicy head high + corners to track down. Got a right that allowed two of my better front side hacks in a while. Low stance and back foot pressure makes all the difference!

Tuesday morning woke up to clear skies and stiff offshores after a night of rain. 2 feet and perfect logging conditions. Paddled south of Sloat and had a peak all to myself. Got 5 toes over the nose coupla times. Also forgot I was on a log for a few and pumped it wide stance like a style-deficient shortboater. Gotta respect the classic approach.

Something I love about returning to surfing after may years away is expanding my skill set and pushing myself in big and small waves. I'm becoming a much more well-rounded surfer than I ever had a chance to by trying to emulate Kelly Slater in Good Times.
 
Last edited: