Blacks

[silentbutdeadly]

I wish the kooks weren't drawn to it as much. I certainly no my place and ability but that place more than probably any spot has teh most WTF are you doing here surfers out of anywhere,

 

[casa_mugrienta]

The thing that frustrates me the most out there is how goofyfooters dominate the wave count yet so many of them do not pull in when it's handed to them on a platter.

There's no excuse for that.

 

[gbg]

I plan to keep surfing in the sewage and toxic chemicals and die young from some weird illness and skip slowly withering away in old age. 25 years now. Too late to change course.

 

[silentbutdeadly]

it gives you character


and diarreah

 

[dunnder]

How big does it get? What do you ride when it's maxing?

a simple search will show. watch out for syringes at the bottom of the trail

 

[Chee-to]

but she's not going to kill you, not going to scare you like an outer reef NS or foggy Triple over OB (when you and a few others paddle out and only your dumbass makes it out and has to deal with it)

Hard disagree on this one. Having adequate butthole-puckering experience with both, I would way rather get caught inside and have to swim on a TOH OB/other NorCal beachbreak fogmonster than the same size Blacks canyon set. The bottom doesn't usually drop out of the NorCal outer bar beast quite as bad and - way more importantly - there isn't a whole bunch of fiberglass in the wave to dodge.

I can think of only a couple times I've hit bottom at big NorCal sandbars, even the real nasty ones, and even then it's been fleeting and a little bounce. On the other hand, I vividly remember several instances of being absolutely pretzeled and held to the sandbar at Blacks starting at about 8 feet on up while still holding my board.

But don't take my word for it, the crowds are too much for me now. I don't even surf it anymore. Maybe 1-2 times a year. And just because I bought Truth's stepup doesn't mean I actually ride it like he does.

 

[stringcheese]

a simple search will show. watch out for syringes at the bottom of the trail

Yeah, just Google search "huge blacks"

 

[b.r.]

I snapped a favorite 7'6 at Blacks blowing the drop on a big set and used the top half as a hall pass for my class for a while, but then some kid got a bunch of fiberglass splinters doing I don't know what with it in the hall ways (parent emails etc). Now it is just a decoration. Been a couple years since i've been down there, now I get winded walking up the stairs at the campgrounds lol.

 

[Makoman]

I snapped a favorite 7'6 at Blacks blowing the drop on a big set and used the top half as a hall pass for my class for a while, but then some kid got a bunch of fiberglass splinters doing I don't know what with it in the hall ways (parent emails etc). Now it is just a decoration. Been a couple years since i've been down there, now I get winded walking up the stairs at the campgrounds lol.

So basically...coolest professor EVER!!! Not sure what you teach but you must have a cult following and are directing lives in a positive manner!

 

[bluengreen]

Kids tend to love a surfing teacher. Admin, not so much.

 

[casa_mugrienta]

Kids tend to love a surfing teacher. Admin, not so much.

He sounds like a liability issue.

 

[Truth]

I had a principal who was as surfer - he knew a head of time when I would be absent - he would just look at Blacks forecast on surfline and if x large I would be gone - he was cool about it

I have an 8'4 for sale if anyone needs a board for mainland or next winter - good board - been in the rafters
$75

 

[casa_mugrienta]

Compaints about crowds at Blacks, 1971

 

[kidfury]

 

[npsp]

Hard disagree on this one. Having adequate butthole-puckering experience with both, I would way rather get caught inside and have to swim on a TOH OB/other NorCal beachbreak fogmonster than the same size Blacks canyon set. The bottom doesn't usually drop out of the NorCal outer bar beast quite as bad and - way more importantly - there isn't a whole bunch of fiberglass in the wave to dodge.

I can think of only a couple times I've hit bottom at big NorCal sandbars, even the real nasty ones, and even then it's been fleeting and a little bounce. On the other hand, I vividly remember several instances of being absolutely pretzeled and held to the sandbar at Blacks starting at about 8 feet on up while still holding my board.

But don't take my word for it, the crowds are too much for me now. I don't even surf it anymore. Maybe 1-2 times a year. And just because I bought Truth's stepup doesn't mean I actually ride it like he does.

I think he sums it up pretty well. I had a 20+ year run where I was very dedicated to riding N. Peak as big as it could handle. Because I was in such good shape and mentally in to it, it was fun up to the point that it got ripped out (2.5-3x oh). The beatings were part of that fun.
Fast forward to now, it's not as much fun and tends to be more on the scary side for me. The crowd is definitely a factor but if you know the line up, you get your waves. I still give it a good effort when it's pumping but I'm certainly not in proper shape to be pulling into anymore mid-beach rip closeouts.

 

[MathDebater]

The crowds there are just too much. I dunno how anyone could have fun in a crowd like that.

I forget about once a year, spend most of the session wishing I'd surfed somewhere else, maybe get some good waves, then go back to avoiding the crowds again.

 

[tsenn]

Favorite spot in the 80's for me to kneeboard...I've literally called out to my mommy being caught inside...having fins helps though.

 

[santacruzin]

Only surfed a few times and never got it really good. Great thread with all the stories.

This stuff is the gold we sometimes get here. Keep the tales coming!

 

[Truth]

I think he sums it up pretty well. I had a 20+ year run where I was very dedicated to riding N. Peak as big as it could handle. Because I was in such good shape and mentally in to it, it was fun up to the point that it got ripped out (2.5-3x oh). The beatings were part of that fun.
Fast forward to now, it's not as much fun and tends to be more on the scary side for me. The crowd is definitely a factor but if you know the line up, you get your waves. I still give it a good effort when it's pumping but I'm certainly not in proper shape to be pulling into anymore mid-beach rip closeouts.

You kneeboarders quietly dominated back in the day - respect

Except Tom - I will kick him in the balls if I ever see him

 

[silentbutdeadly]

I forget about once a year, spend most of the session wishing I'd surfed somewhere else, maybe get some good waves, then go back to avoiding the crowds again.

It's weird, there are sessions where it's tough and I ask myself why I bothered but others where I got tons of waves with no problem.

That being said, I rarely surf it and a lot of it has to do with how many people are in the way or blow waves.