*** Official 2020 Community Surf Journal ***

SeaFoamGreen

Gerry Lopez status
Apr 10, 2009
1,250
681
113
NorOR
I'm a commuter surfer and surfed my last session, last week after my last day of going into work, which is on the way to the surf. Took a nice long pissss in the coast range and the spot I figured would have waves, looked promising. Parked in my usual spot a block away from where most people park. Was just me and a grumpy looking cleaning lady, of which I don't blame. She split and I suited and booted and waxed quad fishy for 1st time in a while, no one around. Just as I was about finished putting a leash on board, fam with Cali plates rolled into the one spot next to me. They asked if there was other parking to access a nearby natural feature. Said there was, but not much closer, so just walk from here because its practically right there
:roll:
AND less people around. That was the closest I came to anyone and only convo I had until returning home.

There was a small pack of maybe 4 heads on a peak down the beach, but opted for the same chunk of sand I usually surf just off the house with the red window trim. The rare evening glass made for some kinda grovley yet serviceable waist high rights. Pretty racey and some peeled for quite a ways if you milked them. Had a few that kinda pushed into another wave on the inside that bowled up a bit. A gut back here and a floater there and maybe a snap or two through out session. Soul arched on one that was to week to do anything on but cruuuuise...... Eventually a guy paddled up from the pack and joined me on the rights, but he kinda kept his distance. He went in and surfed until the sun set even though the tide seemed to be turning things off as I knew this might be my last for a while. Got out, changed, admired the glowing horizon and dark ocean for a few, and drove straight home. No different than many sessions I've had, cold and lonely.

But now I am sheltered in place, have been, and no plans on leaving. Its been a bit of a sh!t show over on the coast last several days. In some areas rich folks trying to close down there elitist beach towns and idiots who have no common sense to shelter in place making a stink. A messy situation I'm glad I don't have to deal with waves or not. People keep pointing to the data that is half reliable at best. Granted rural areas are going to see less cases, but there is simply more testing being done in urban areas. If your a local and paddling out to a tight peak with more than 6 or so heads, your part of the problem too IMO. If not enjoy your space and get some waves for those of us who cant surf right now.
 

silentbutdeadly

Duke status
Sep 26, 2005
33,486
23,075
113
Tower 13
I surfed (first time in over a month). Rolled solo, paddled out and kept distance. And of course three guys paddle out right on my dick. I yelled at them saying they're part of the problem. They said nothing and paddled away. Felt so good to surf. Cops patrolled the the boardwalk and stopped a few people including a surfer. I don't think he was ticketed though.

Funniest part of the morning was the fact that the sand grooming tractor was running up and down a supposedly "closed" beach. Come on City of SD get a clue morans!
 

teeroi

Miki Dora status
Oct 21, 2007
5,107
9,269
113
eastside oahu
The south swell hitting here is under forecasted. It’s big. Some closing out the Ala Wai Channel at Big Bowl. 8 feet Hawaiian scale. DOH plus.

Yesterday was overhead too.

Took the 6’2 out and could’ve used the new 6’4. I didn’t even bring it down.

Got a couple of barrels. Got a couple of shut downs. Lots of current.

We thought it was slowly dropping but a huge set closed out the channel and I tried to duck dive it. My leash got ripped off my ankle as I was going under and I couldn’t hold on to my board. Went tumbling under water and slammed my knee into the reef. Luckily my board popped up on top of a booger and he passed it to me. Got mowed again. And my board popped up right on me. Super lucky cause my knee was screaming. I just cruised in the channel until the pain subsided and caught an insider and proned in. Glad it’s just a bunch of scratches and some tenderness.

Probably will keep me out of the ocean until it heals a little. When the waves are this big the bottom gets stirred up and the water is gross. A friend from Straub hospital had a first aid kit and bandaged me up in the parking lot. I have a kit for skating but it’s a big area of reef rash.

Get ready CA cause this swell should be heading your way. Hope you guys can get some. We’re on lock down too. But so far only on some beaches surfers are getting hassled. Plus today is big enough to keep most donkeys out of the water.
 

Muscles

Michael Peterson status
Jun 1, 2013
2,596
3,597
113
California/Hawaii
Went and bought this sweet twin keel fish yesterday from surfboard factory hawaii. Guy at the store told me they have to shut down for the next month. Pretty cool place with a ton of deals. They had some nice Channel Islands boards on sale for $550. But I wanted a fish.


Didn't have twin keels so I put in some big twin fins I have. Took it out in big east side windswell and the board flew but it was so unstable without keels. Still had fun. Can't wait to get the proper fins in it.
 

LifeOnMars

Michael Peterson status
Jan 14, 2020
3,164
2,106
113
We surfed this morning there were cops watching. Lot of them surf too. Don’t know what happens tomorrow when the States stay home goes into effect. Bowls parking is State property. Have at it. I gotta let my skin grow back. Haha.
can we see the gore photos?
 

Aruka

Tom Curren status
Feb 23, 2010
11,981
22,506
113
PNW
Tried to surf a creek mouth left hander that I've been eyeballing for a while. It didn't look great but neither did anything else. It at least looked juicy and I was kind of hankering for a good thrashing so me and a buddy gave it a shot. It wasn't actually as gnarly as it looked. The wave, that is. The current on the other hand, was pretty swift and made it really difficult to get over to the peak. There was lots of ribs and bumps in the wave faces but it was fun just trying to make a successful drop and get down the line a bit. I got a few turns but nothing that really stoked me out. My friend the goofy footer did better than I but even he struggled which made me feel a little better. We didn't surf for too long. As the tide drained it got even weirder and less surfable so we went in and drove to our local where it was only about waist high but a bit cleaner and much more surfable. Rode the PJ and it felt great. Got a bunch of fun little floats and turns and had an overall good session. Another friend of ours was out with his wife and he caught one of the nicest waves to come through. He caught it from way deep, got a few good pumps and then right at the money turn section his novice wife dropped in on him and he had to straiten out. Almost everyone agreed it was hilarious.
 

Iceman

Phil Edwards status
Apr 1, 2002
6,254
1,017
113
NorCenCal
Been getting frustrated and not paddling out lately. There have been fun waves around, but it's been way more packed than usual. My normal work schedule gets me 2-4 weekdays off each week, so I've come to rely on said weekdays to escape the Santa Cruz bustle. But with everybody off work, it basically looks like a weekend crowd every day of the week.

This morning I was able to get out early a little bit out of town, and got some really fun lefts in the chest-headhigh occ +. Pulled into a handful of barrels, made it out of one, though the ones I didn't make were actually more fun since they lasted longer. Crowd slowly filtered in and got really annoying with everybody bouncing back and forth between peaks instead of just hanging on one peak and waiting for it. I kept getting 000'd by paddling away and then everybody coming to where I was. Regardless, I had a great time. Really cool rain clouds blowing by too.
 

ZeeHawk

OTF status
Apr 13, 2018
268
200
43
Big Asian Island
For some weird reason swell has been popping up in the weekends with near non-rideable surf through the weekdays. This morning I pulled up to the local with a full lot of cars. Went around to another place to park and got a look at head high surf but just weird. Not exactly mushy but looked weak. Wind was pushing side/on shore and people on the little reef I usually ride. Watched for 30 minutes, then grabbed a coffee at 7-11, dropped the kids off at the pool, and headed back. The wind had shifted around to side/off shore and actually started to look ok. Still the same amount of guys but the morning shift was about done. Shape overall was not good and had to sift through at least 5-7 waves until you could get one that was fun. Finally I got a real nice chip-in on a set that died a little as it crossed a hole and then just started to shape up. 2 seconds later it was a fast running wall, got hollow and slipped through a sweet tiny barrel. Weather was nice so just kept at it for 3 hours and change. Nothing beat that ride and for all the sh!t slog I had to go through it was worth it
 

b.r.

Phil Edwards status
Dec 19, 2003
5,921
3,033
113
Leucadia
www.youtube.com
now there is no state beach parking but beaches are open i grabbed a spot where nobody else was parking, jumped in and surfed beach break with one other guy near me, lots of people down the beach at the better zone but too crowded for me under normal circumstances, punchy little waves, after a bunch of waves i pushed the board out the back and body surfed a few double ups and got some nice tube time and lost both of my earplugs, got one little head dip on a right, walked back to car and then home, never within 10 feet of anybody else, feel human again.....