little trip to the wave pool. Actually really fun!
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*** Official 2020 Community Surf Journal ***
- Thread starter jkb
- Start date
little trip to the wave pool. Actually really fun!
Bristol so it's wave-garden cove tech like the new Aussie one but footprint is a bit smaller and it’s not turned up to full size yet. It’s fun though and worth it for the experience of being in a Landlocked pool. Actual waves at home have been unrideable storm surf or onshore mess for weeks
Got out of the house today for a sesh at my usual. So good. Wind swirled from onshore to offshore to sheet glass a lot and current was moving. Waist to chest high with shoulder/head high sets. Hollow, lined up lefts. A bit fast but makeable if you were close to the corner. Got a lot of barrels, most of which squeezed me but had some nice views until then. The sun came out and it was beautiful day.
Had it all to myself for 1000 yards in either direction and then got 000ed the first time by a few guys. Caught one in and walked up-current a couple towers. Got in a great rhythm, several good waves in a row and had shaken off the rust a little bit by this time. And it was empty which was nice. And then 000ed again by another few. Kept paddling upcurrent to get back to having my own peak and one kept following me. And was loud/coughing. So much for the serenity. Eventually lost them with the current but took a while. Irritating. Bad manners even in normal times but now?
Had it all to myself for 1000 yards in either direction and then got 000ed the first time by a few guys. Caught one in and walked up-current a couple towers. Got in a great rhythm, several good waves in a row and had shaken off the rust a little bit by this time. And it was empty which was nice. And then 000ed again by another few. Kept paddling upcurrent to get back to having my own peak and one kept following me. And was loud/coughing. So much for the serenity. Eventually lost them with the current but took a while. Irritating. Bad manners even in normal times but now?
A friend texted me this morning right as I was waking up. Waves down south at the good right, looks fun but hurry, tide dropping fast. I gobbled some oatmeal, poured the rest of my coffee into an insulated mug and hit the road. My buddy was waiting for me, pacing back and forth along the cliff to stay warm. The coastal mountains above us were dusted in snow, the ocean below a milky, glacial blue. I can not understate how little desire I had to slide into my cold, wet wetsuit that I'd forgotten in the pick up bed overnight to be rained and hailed on. My gloved fingers were numb by the time I made it down the cliff to the beach. The waves were good when we first hit the lineup. Clean, powerful. Not huge but overhead and packing some punch. Riding the new Patterson round tail again. My body felt stiff, slow and cold but didn't blow my first wave somehow. Just a fast, steep wall that I raced to the channel. Got a few more like that and then got a good one with a slower pace and more of a shoulder to carve. Board felt pretty good, very drivey. Compared to the CGD I rode here last time it felt a little less eager to pivot strait up into the lip, like it wanted to turn a little wider. To be fair the waves were better last time so it is kind of an apples to oranges comparison. I never had any weird moments where I could blame the board though and I had a few super late drops that thought I was gonna blow but it held in nicely. Unfortunately the dropping tide started to really tear up the wave and pull us out of position. My buddy went on a mutant double up and hit the bottom pretty hard. Said he got whiplash. He took his next one in. I took a couple bad ones in a row and then finally got a nuggy little runner that allowed for a fun end section hit. My feet were going numb so I called it. I had really wanted to take out the new 6-9 Simon Anderson for a few waves but I guess that one's going to have to stay on ice a little longer. Four hours later and my feet are just starting to thaw.
Mo fun these past couple days. Monday was small. Rode a new 6-1 Italo Stock-ed model for the first time. It felt good. I got some fun waves right away. Made the mistake of staying out for a while after the wind came up and it really started to suck. Sort of soured an otherwise good session.
Yesterday was head high and juicy. Rode the IF15 again. End section was kind of closing out but if you picked the right waves you could fit in a couple turns. Current was gnar gnar. Spent about 3 hours battling, probably overdid it. My buddy got a new Stamps v12 round tail and he was shredding the thing. It looks magic under his feet just noticeably better than the longer Simon XFC he was on before.
Today was smaller and I had to work all day so kind of missed the good tide window. It was a little too drained and more closed out than it's been. There was a few good ones but I always felt like I was just a little out of position. I think I was a bit worn out from working today and surfing so long the day before. Still got a couple turns and one little cover up. Better than not surfing which is probably what I'll be doing here soon when the lock the state down. Stay safe out there amigos!
Yesterday was head high and juicy. Rode the IF15 again. End section was kind of closing out but if you picked the right waves you could fit in a couple turns. Current was gnar gnar. Spent about 3 hours battling, probably overdid it. My buddy got a new Stamps v12 round tail and he was shredding the thing. It looks magic under his feet just noticeably better than the longer Simon XFC he was on before.
Today was smaller and I had to work all day so kind of missed the good tide window. It was a little too drained and more closed out than it's been. There was a few good ones but I always felt like I was just a little out of position. I think I was a bit worn out from working today and surfing so long the day before. Still got a couple turns and one little cover up. Better than not surfing which is probably what I'll be doing here soon when the lock the state down. Stay safe out there amigos!
All the best to you, too, Aruka!
Surf when you can, guys, but don't be idiots, and think about other (older) people who are much more vulnerable.
Kia kaha. Kia manawanui.
Surf when you can, guys, but don't be idiots, and think about other (older) people who are much more vulnerable.
Kia kaha. Kia manawanui.
Been pretty fun if you pick the right spots. I've been catching a wedgy little right the past few mornings that sling shots you straight to the shoulder for a couple quick hits before it's over. Been riding the HS Untitled mostly. Surfed it by myself Tuesday, couple people on it Wednesday, followed by the most people I've ever seen surf there on Thursday. I guess the word got out.
There’s been waves in town but heavy rainfall and onshore then offshore wind. If Bowls was a foot bigger on Wednesday I would took my chances in that brown water. But I ended up not surfing all weekday.
Dawned my NS regular. A fresh swell filled in from yesterday afternoon. It looked small at first but super clean and glassy. Started walking down to the paddle out with my 6’0 Tokoro 4X and a comp leash when just past halfway a well overhead set rolled in. Contemplated running back to the house and grabbing my 6’2 and a regular leash. But told myself just don’t fall.
Waves were kinda west for the spot but a couple feet overhead and good push. Got out and there were just 4 of us. Got a bunch of waves for half an hour then a throng of surfers paddled out. So much for ride it out at home. Crowd was well behaved all locals or long time transplants. There was the outside takeoff and the inside north bowl working so it spread out the crowd. Got hung up on a couple and too deep on a couple. If your not just a little behind the peak you can get hung up and the little bit of north will break in front of you if you’re too deep. Managed to get a clean barrel and a handful of tubes just before the channel but those caved in as it hit the deeper water. Had fun. More surf on the way for south shore too.
Stay safe everyone. And keep an eye out for each other no lifeguards on duty here.
Dawned my NS regular. A fresh swell filled in from yesterday afternoon. It looked small at first but super clean and glassy. Started walking down to the paddle out with my 6’0 Tokoro 4X and a comp leash when just past halfway a well overhead set rolled in. Contemplated running back to the house and grabbing my 6’2 and a regular leash. But told myself just don’t fall.
Waves were kinda west for the spot but a couple feet overhead and good push. Got out and there were just 4 of us. Got a bunch of waves for half an hour then a throng of surfers paddled out. So much for ride it out at home. Crowd was well behaved all locals or long time transplants. There was the outside takeoff and the inside north bowl working so it spread out the crowd. Got hung up on a couple and too deep on a couple. If your not just a little behind the peak you can get hung up and the little bit of north will break in front of you if you’re too deep. Managed to get a clean barrel and a handful of tubes just before the channel but those caved in as it hit the deeper water. Had fun. More surf on the way for south shore too.
Stay safe everyone. And keep an eye out for each other no lifeguards on duty here.
Been a while since I posted so here's 4 days that were standouts
Monday. Most spots maxing and either closing out or crowded. Some real good waves to be had but I just can't stand to sit in
lineups waiting my turn. I've looked around on these days and this one place seems to pop up a few times a year and it was cracking. A right that started off a break wall and then just ran all the way to beach peeling the whole way. Good power for such a little wave. Got 3 great rides off the bat, then it just got better. I have been running and it paid off. 2 hours later and about 20 waves in, I was smoked, and so were my legs but they didn't give out mid-session like last month.
Waves dropped the next day and a new swell a few days later. My local beach break and it was firing off a river mouth.The current was ripping and that got it hollow and peeling but staying on the peak required constant paddling. Got a few sh!t warmup waves and then nailed 5-6 good waves but endurance was waning fast. Started botching takeoffs and rode waves to the beach and walked around to catch my breath. 3 waves later I was done. Walking away was painful. Only 5 other guys out and only me and another were on top of the spot. I hope I can get it like that again someday.
Yesterday (same place as Monday) was a little too big but working. Sets would break outside of where the right was so you'd have to let the big sets wash and duck through, and then when a wave that was the right size came in, it rifled. 4 standout rides, with a bunch of turns right to the beach. Some nice hollow sections along the way. People caught on and had 2 guys paddle out but didn't sit on where I was riding. That was pretty cool of them. Topper for yesterday was very light winds and sun. Very unusual for this time of year.
Today was smaller and to a spot that's slope-y but if you can connect the dots is a long fun ride. The swell had dropped a lot overnight so lulls were running about 15 minutes in between sets with glassy conditions. When they came it was a nice fast ride. Wasn't feeling like Slashy McRipsalot so pretty much just cruised the whole way carving.
Monday. Most spots maxing and either closing out or crowded. Some real good waves to be had but I just can't stand to sit in
lineups waiting my turn. I've looked around on these days and this one place seems to pop up a few times a year and it was cracking. A right that started off a break wall and then just ran all the way to beach peeling the whole way. Good power for such a little wave. Got 3 great rides off the bat, then it just got better. I have been running and it paid off. 2 hours later and about 20 waves in, I was smoked, and so were my legs but they didn't give out mid-session like last month.
Waves dropped the next day and a new swell a few days later. My local beach break and it was firing off a river mouth.The current was ripping and that got it hollow and peeling but staying on the peak required constant paddling. Got a few sh!t warmup waves and then nailed 5-6 good waves but endurance was waning fast. Started botching takeoffs and rode waves to the beach and walked around to catch my breath. 3 waves later I was done. Walking away was painful. Only 5 other guys out and only me and another were on top of the spot. I hope I can get it like that again someday.
Yesterday (same place as Monday) was a little too big but working. Sets would break outside of where the right was so you'd have to let the big sets wash and duck through, and then when a wave that was the right size came in, it rifled. 4 standout rides, with a bunch of turns right to the beach. Some nice hollow sections along the way. People caught on and had 2 guys paddle out but didn't sit on where I was riding. That was pretty cool of them. Topper for yesterday was very light winds and sun. Very unusual for this time of year.
Today was smaller and to a spot that's slope-y but if you can connect the dots is a long fun ride. The swell had dropped a lot overnight so lulls were running about 15 minutes in between sets with glassy conditions. When they came it was a nice fast ride. Wasn't feeling like Slashy McRipsalot so pretty much just cruised the whole way carving.
I dawned my NS regular spot. It was a toss up cause Bowls looked like it was almost head high on the cams yesterday at dusk. Bowls is a lot closer but less hassle with parking and lighter crowd. It might be irresponsible to surf but at least it kept me off the inter web reading inane posts.
Waves came down a lot since yesterday. Shoulder to an occasional head high set. But the conditions were nice and the crowd was a third of yesterday’s. Usually as the WNW swell dies it turns more north but it was weird. There were two different directions in the water a really west swell and a smaller northeast swell. Waves kinda split in half but if you got one where they connected those were good. Wedgy takeoffs into a nice pocket.
Surfed the 5’10 Tokoro X2. That board is fast and turns sharp. Some waves the only lip is right on the takeoff so gotta bottom turn hard and go straight up to crack it. Im confident on the drop too. There were a couple wedges that threw me into the flat but the board handled the air drop and got on rail quickly to catch up. Fun session.
Made it a point to go to Roast Duck under the Aiea Bowling Alley. It’s a Chinese take out place. Great char sui and roast chicken and duck. Lots of racism toward our hard working first generation Chinese immigrants. Just wanted to support their business plus the food is ono. They’re usually kinda rude when busy and I totally understand that soup nazi vibe. But today they seemed happy to see me.
Waves came down a lot since yesterday. Shoulder to an occasional head high set. But the conditions were nice and the crowd was a third of yesterday’s. Usually as the WNW swell dies it turns more north but it was weird. There were two different directions in the water a really west swell and a smaller northeast swell. Waves kinda split in half but if you got one where they connected those were good. Wedgy takeoffs into a nice pocket.
Surfed the 5’10 Tokoro X2. That board is fast and turns sharp. Some waves the only lip is right on the takeoff so gotta bottom turn hard and go straight up to crack it. Im confident on the drop too. There were a couple wedges that threw me into the flat but the board handled the air drop and got on rail quickly to catch up. Fun session.
Made it a point to go to Roast Duck under the Aiea Bowling Alley. It’s a Chinese take out place. Great char sui and roast chicken and duck. Lots of racism toward our hard working first generation Chinese immigrants. Just wanted to support their business plus the food is ono. They’re usually kinda rude when busy and I totally understand that soup nazi vibe. But today they seemed happy to see me.
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Was crazy crowded at the usual today, so I tried to steer a little clear of the mass cluster with obslop and dadams.
Longboard was the call, for sure, although some set waves would've been more fun on a smaller board.
I mostly sat inside and caught tons of little left runners that went unnoticed. VS Slot ftw!
Longboard was the call, for sure, although some set waves would've been more fun on a smaller board.
I mostly sat inside and caught tons of little left runners that went unnoticed. VS Slot ftw!
+1
Surfed with my son, and some of the usuals but crap it was busy today. Waves were small but got a few super fun lefts that ran along the reef on the log. Just had to sit inside and sneak a few under the masses. Nuck’n Futs man.
Phew, what a crazy time!
Lots of longboard sessions this week, and some other goodies sprinkled in between. Yesterday I hopped on the MTB and cycled past the locked gate and down the coast and surfed solid OH waves with a good friend. Chunky and windy, and genuinely good fun. Sunny Sunday, with the local beach packed, but just the two of us.
Today it was announced that NZ will go into lockdown in 48 hours. Will be very interesting to see how the infection numbers react. We have excellent political leadership, and we're feeling good about it. Apparently we are still allowed out for exercise if keeping the proper distance.
Take care, good people.
M
Lots of longboard sessions this week, and some other goodies sprinkled in between. Yesterday I hopped on the MTB and cycled past the locked gate and down the coast and surfed solid OH waves with a good friend. Chunky and windy, and genuinely good fun. Sunny Sunday, with the local beach packed, but just the two of us.
Today it was announced that NZ will go into lockdown in 48 hours. Will be very interesting to see how the infection numbers react. We have excellent political leadership, and we're feeling good about it. Apparently we are still allowed out for exercise if keeping the proper distance.
Take care, good people.
M
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So many tourists in my hood this weekend. My favorite hiking trail had triple the amount of cars in the parking lot than I've ever seen in my life. Swell has been small for a few days but came up a little today. Super long interval with lulls to match. Nothing special when they came and the crowd was thick for how slow and uninspiring the surf was. I kind of went off on a guy I know who lives three hours away in a city with confirmed coronavirus cases. I don't like this guy anyways but he showed up this time with a friend and they were being greedy and hassling locals for waves. I tried to just let it go because I usually just ruin my own session when I have confrontations with people but he paddled around one of the local women after just catching a wave so I had to say something. After calling him on his hassling I asked him if he thought it was a great idea to take a holiday to a rural area with limited health services during a pandemic. He was pretty sheepish and wouldn't look me in the eyes. A couple other locals came over to pile on some heckling until he paddled away and took a closeout to the beach. His buddy followed soon after. The waves actually got kind of fun for a while after that or maybe it was just the vibes that improved. Either way I got a few more on ye old Puddle Jumper before I had to call it due to being absolutely frozen. The water had "warmed" up to around 50F for a few days but now it's back down to mid 40's again. Coldest winter/spring ever. Looks like a solid week+ of cold and rain ahead but I see a few possible surf days too.
Aruka, would I be right in thinking that social distancing is not a problem in your location?
Rules as of today in Aus (who knows what tomorrow brings) allow us to exercise outdoors provided that a 1.5m min distance is maintained from others. I exercised twice today, just me in the sea this morning and a dog walker who didn't cross my path. This evening half a dozen max out, spread over several hundred metres of lumpy, light onshore conditions, for this location lumpy messed up swells is when it lights up - closes out when clean and offshore
You would think so given the low population but this past week or so has been crazy busy with tourists. I heard it's even worse up North. The locals, and not just surfers, are pissed!