*** Official 2020 Community Surf Journal ***

Muscles

Michael Peterson status
Jun 1, 2013
2,596
3,597
113
California/Hawaii
Had the day off work and decided to venture out of my comfort zone and go explore the North Shore when my kids were in school. Took the long way via Kam highway and forgot how much traffic there is with all the road work. Took me over an hour to get to V land coming from Kailua. Decided to just check it out since I was starting to run low on time. Looked fun and had some decent chest high sets. Not terrible and there was only 10 people out. Paddled out and caught some fun ones. The takeoff seems pretty small and I'm not the type that likes to paddle battle constantly so I let a lot go. Think next time I'll drive up the road a bit to find something else.

At one point there was 8 people out. Me, a college age kid, and 8 groms that looked in the range of 7-12. All obviously really good at surfing with the full sponsorship package on their boards. All I could think is why are they not in school? A bunch of kids ripping around thinking they're going to be the next Slater and can't be bothered with learning. Seems negligent on the parent's part. They were paddling around everyone like they were in the pipe finals so I just called it a day and went in.

Fun times. I'm glad I went and didn't do my plan b which was binge watching Netflix all day.
 

Aruka

Tom Curren status
Feb 23, 2010
11,987
22,528
113
PNW
Post work session at my local. I think I missed the best of it but there was still some pretty fun waves when I paddled out. A used small wave board I ordered (JS Psycho Nitro) arrived midday so I was stoked to get it wet right away. Waves were mostly in the chest high range, mostly rights but a few lefts. Some funky rips and lots of current to battle but plenty of little nugs to be had if you could hold position. First wave was a bowly right with a steep drop. Board stayed well connected and carried good speed into a couple turns. Riding it as a thruster with some speed gen fins. It doesn't have quite the fishy glide of, well a fish or something like the Fling but it caught waves pretty well and was easy enough to generate speed and it definitely felt a lot better when I really pushed against it through bottom and top turns. The waves were fun for about an hour, very consistent and then it started to get very ripped up as the tide moved out. I went over to the left to see how it did on the back hand and I only got two more waves but the board felt very positive. Tomorrow supposed to be bigger and I won't have to miss the better tide window so I'm pretty hopeful. Have a good weekend boys!
 

Aruka

Tom Curren status
Feb 23, 2010
11,987
22,528
113
PNW
I should know better than to get my hopes up based on a forecast around here. I'm not sure what the NOAA mystics have been smoking this year but like my fisherman buddy says, must be nice to get paid for being right half the time. The swell never really materialized but I had the morning free so I surfed a more exposed left sand bar for way too long even though it wasn't anything special. The waves were just good enough to keep me interested although the long waits made it hard to stay warm. The wind was swinging around but mostly from the side onshore direction, creating difficult lumps to contend with. Fast, bumpy lefts, my favorite as a regular footer. Nitro handled well considering it was pretty tricky and a little more powerful than what I surfed yesterday. I switched to a quad setup mid session but not sure if it was really as good as the thruster. Felt looser but not quite as drivey. Could be the set I chose (HS1) since they are so upright and pivotal. It didn't feel bad though and it may have been that the waves were pretty deteriorated by the time I switched it up. Little micro storm hitting tomorrow but with a good bump in the swell according to the government funded fortune tellers so we are hoping for some evening slop once the front passes.
 

teeroi

Miki Dora status
Oct 21, 2007
5,107
9,269
113
eastside oahu
I should just post in this thread cause I know a good wave and a good board when I ride it. Got some good waves today. Surfed the sharky spot from a couple of weeks ago. Mostly head high with some bigger ones. Wind was kinda weird but it didn’t mess it up at all. It’ll probably be really good later in the afternoon.

Rode the 5’10 Tokoro X2. Board is fast connects sections and can go vert and stay on rail in carves. The wave can be a wedge takeoff to a soft section into an inside double up. Can lose speed on the soft section but my board glided thru those. I was going in on a nug but I saw my friend Rich paddling out, took off sideways into a double up and did an under the lip snap and almost flipped over. When I paddled up to Rich to say hi he told me that was impressive. I said I almost ate sh*t, he said it looked good especially with the way the sun lit the wave up. I felt like I barely hung on but I’ll take it. Haha
 

Brsnstein

OTF status
Jul 28, 2018
250
479
63
SoCal
Went down to HB yesterday to fondle some TPs at HSS after seeing a pool party 2 for sale on TP's website in my dims get sold and seeing that HSS had one at the same length, but didn't provide any other dimensions. Nice board, but the much narrower than the one on TP's site. The nose looked a bit wider, but a fairly pulled in tail. Surf didn't look particularly appealing and decided to take the day off and see if I could finish killing off this stubborn sinus infection that has wavered from 90-99% gone for the last few weeks, but just wont die.

Waves looked more promising today, but with a bit of bump. Went out for an hour late morning with what seemed like the rest of the South Bay because I was getting antsy and my new Crow Healy comp leash was giving me dirty looks. Highlight was a bottom turn to foam climb to face plant right after seeing some quasi clean open face ahead of me. Leash quality is top notch and the swivels are very smooth. The rail saver is about an inch or two longer than other leashes.
 

Aruka

Tom Curren status
Feb 23, 2010
11,987
22,528
113
PNW
Mushy, shifty, ripped up garbage. Rode the Nitro again which felt small chasing peaks but when I finally got a couple double ups the board felt good and solid off the bottom despite the wave size being pretty decent. Water and air are both frigid right now.
 

ZeeHawk

OTF status
Apr 13, 2018
268
200
43
Big Asian Island
It's been a while but everything lined up at the local. Head high plus, offshore winds, with clean lefts and rights. There's a rivermouth nearby and it spits out ice this time of year so it was def on the cold side but didn't dampen the fun. Was feeling it and tail drifted a few nice turns with some long floats for good measure. Full-on variety day and rode just as many backside as frontside. Rode for 3 hours until my legs started to give out. Gotta get some more time on the treadmill. Forecast looks like sh!t for the rest of the week so stocked I got the time in today
 

Havoc

Phil Edwards status
May 23, 2016
7,680
12,215
113
in da hood next to paradise
Went down to HB yesterday to fondle some TPs at HSS after seeing a pool party 2 for sale on TP's website in my dims get sold and seeing that HSS had one at the same length, but didn't provide any other dimensions. Nice board, but the much narrower than the one on TP's site. The nose looked a bit wider, but a fairly pulled in tail. Surf didn't look particularly appealing and decided to take the day off and see if I could finish killing off this stubborn sinus infection that has wavered from 90-99% gone for the last few weeks, but just wont die.

Waves looked more promising today, but with a bit of bump. Went out for an hour late morning with what seemed like the rest of the South Bay because I was getting antsy and my new Crow Healy comp leash was giving me dirty looks. Highlight was a bottom turn to foam climb to face plant right after seeing some quasi clean open face ahead of me. Leash quality is top notch and the swivels are very smooth. The rail saver is about an inch or two longer than other leashes.
keep surfing. its when u stop thebsinus infection creeps back
 

Kento

Duke status
Jan 11, 2002
68,690
20,895
113
The Bar
Fun at kentoland today. Fun lefts with couple floats and carves backside. stamps shadow has crazy range. Thigh high to head high I’m covered. Can’t stop riding it even on the small dayz. Stocked
At least someone is surfing my spot. Glad you got some - especially on dropping tide, the spot has more push/juice than other areas surrounding it.

Two weeks until Daylight Savings Time - can not come soon enough. Beaten down and burned out on everything. Opted out of surfing yesterday as didn't want to risk getting sick, although probably doesn't matter as I'll pick up something from the kids. Definitely need substantial hike/surf session to clear the head.
 

Aruka

Tom Curren status
Feb 23, 2010
11,987
22,528
113
PNW
Swell jumped up today. Got on it early while the winds were still light. Local wasn't gigantic but it had some decent sets and it also had a terrible rip running through the peak so I opted to take the 7--10 Padillac out. I haven't ridden it much this year and mostly just on smaller days to get a feel for it so it was nice to take it out in some fairly good sized waves. After riding a 5-9 EPS grovel board for days there was a little adjustment period getting on the big board but after a few waves I felt like I found my groove. No one else could hold position on the peak so I had my pick of the set waves. It felt amazing to glide in from so far out and make long sections easily. There wasn't a lot of turning involved but I did manage a few gutbacks. Got a little cocky and spun for a late one, caught a rail on the drop, had a good little tumble and then spent forever trying to get back out through an endless set. Duckdiving this board is possible but it sure ain't easy or fun. The current would not let me back to the channel and I was too stubborn to go in and walk back up so I just took wave after wave on the head while making zero outward progress until the set finally subsided. Got a few more fun ones but I was sick of battling the current and the left across the channel where everyone else was looked fun so after a while I paddled over there for a couple waves. I'm usually the frother staying busy on the inside so it was kind of a trip to sit outside the pack and take the choice set waves. As I was paddling back out after a good one an old timer said glad you don't ride a big board very often, haha.

Surfed the 5'9" JS PNitro after lunch at a more protected spot. Head high rapid fire rights. The board felt really good with AM2 Proto trusty fins. The tide and size were perfect for the spot and it was really good for about 45 minutes before it started to get too drained out. Called it quits before the waves completely deteriorated and was able to end on a good, long one to the beach.
 

b.r.

Phil Edwards status
Dec 19, 2003
5,922
3,034
113
Leucadia
www.youtube.com
spent four days in south texas for my nephew's wedding, good times, whole other world down there, my youngest got to drive my brother's polaris, and she tried out my dad's old honda 50 that my brother had restored, pretty classic when I was a kid my dad was stationed at North Island NAS and he would put on his flight gear, hop on this tiny honda 50, ride to the main gate, get saluted by the guys at the gate, and ride over to the airfield and then hop in his a4 jet and take off, quite a change of horse power.
got home last night and today after work went down to the local and it was small but glassy and warm out, grabbed a few waves on the kenson ppig, felt good to surf even though it was mediocre at best.
 

Aruka

Tom Curren status
Feb 23, 2010
11,987
22,528
113
PNW
Waist to chest and clean at my local. Not many people, couple longboarders on the left and then mostly just myself and a well behaved socal guy on the right. Played around with a couple different quad setups in the Nitro. It felt fine as a quad, maybe a little more drive down the line and still able to get the tail free but not sure if I liked it quite as much as thruster. It's still got a pretty narrow tail so it's never going to be as good as PJ or Fling in absolute grovel waves. I prefer it in fun sized waves though and it definitely grovels better than a normal board. It's definitely one of the better HP fishy boards I've ridden. There's no way it's 33.9L though it feels like much less. I would like to try the next size up, 5-10.
 

jkb

Tom Curren status
Feb 22, 2005
10,042
8,981
113
Central California
Waist to chest and clean at my local. Not many people, couple longboarders on the left and then mostly just myself and a well behaved socal guy on the right. Played around with a couple different quad setups in the Nitro. It felt fine as a quad, maybe a little more drive down the line and still able to get the tail free but not sure if I liked it quite as much as thruster. It's still got a pretty narrow tail so it's never going to be as good as PJ or Fling in absolute grovel waves. I prefer it in fun sized waves though and it definitely grovels better than a normal board. It's definitely one of the better HP fishy boards I've ridden. There's no way it's 33.9L though it feels like much less. I would like to try the next size up, 5-10.
Do those still have vee in the entry Aruka? The one I demo'ed did, but it was a few years ago.
 

Aruka

Tom Curren status
Feb 23, 2010
11,987
22,528
113
PNW
Do those still have vee in the entry Aruka? The one I demo'ed did, but it was a few years ago.
I just checked with a strait edge. If I was just feeling the board up and looking at it I'd guess it was just a mellow single con all the way through. Everything is very subtle. It does have a very mellow rolled vee entry that runs about 18 inches from nose into a shallow single to inset double that nearly flattens out off the tail. According the the JS site it's supposed to have vee out the tail but mine doesn't.

Edit: just to clarify this is the Psycho Nitro. Great board, terrible name.
 

jkb

Tom Curren status
Feb 22, 2005
10,042
8,981
113
Central California
Well bros, day 1 of 6 without the wife n' kids and regretfully, I pushed myself too hard.

After a few sessions today I'm completely shredded and totally rashed out.

Not sure I have much left in me to go the rest of the week.

So I think I'll lay off the porn and focus on the surf and the burritos tomorrow.