***Official 2021 Community Surf Journal***

20W-50 and blood

Duke status
Feb 4, 2004
24,948
4,032
113
SOCAL
Visit site
i havent surfed since new years eve :(

Come home from the desert with the promise of swell and its all closed out in my hood for a week! working so I cant drive to NOC for sessions either. Hopefully the next couple days with dropping swell and a fat tide with help with the corners.
pretty damn walled here. a few hail mary corners. even the luckiest rippers weren't getting anything but closeouts. or way out on the shoulder mush lines. saw some SOB guy get the miracle double barrel of a lifetime today during lunch. it wasn't makeable by a human...noone on the tour could have made it...pure miraclulou luck, not skill got him (or coul getanyoeeee) through it. first barrel wasn't open, wasn't makeable....somehow came through it....te second was even more ridiculous of a lcoseout/wall.....then saw him come out of a gurging "end ection" that WASN"T open. never seen anything like it on video, let alone in my years on thsi stretch of coast. didn't even look like a barrel or makeable wave in any way shape or form. typeof barrel even THE goat would brag about.
 

Chee-to

Michael Peterson status
Jan 11, 2002
2,426
969
113
pretty damn walled here. a few hail mary corners. even the luckiest rippers weren't getting anything but closeouts. or way out on the shoulder mush lines. saw some SOB guy get the miracle double barrel of a lifetime today during lunch. it wasn't makeable by a human...noone on the tour could have made it...pure miraclulou luck, not skill got him (or coul getanyoeeee) through it. first barrel wasn't open, wasn't makeable....somehow came through it....te second was even more ridiculous of a lcoseout/wall.....then saw him come out of a gurging "end ection" that WASN"T open. never seen anything like it on video, let alone in my years on thsi stretch of coast. didn't even look like a barrel or makeable wave in any way shape or form. typeof barrel even THE goat would brag about.
Good to hear a real report from the ground. I saw a bunch of perfect barrel pics from there on IG and thought "those must be brief lies in time, there's no way those sandbars are actually holding this swell."
 

Senor Sopa

Billy Hamilton status
Mar 11, 2015
1,366
2,176
113
Ponto
Today I'll believe the DOH+ claims, even at Crowdiff. I pulled my 8'0" out of the rafters and went hunting at a different outer reef, also in the DOH+ category. Lot of water moving today and some sick lumps to paddle into.
Wasn't really any taller than the other day... Just a few "bigger" sets.

I wonder how Oeste's reef #17 or is it #26 was?
 

ChaseTMP

Billy Hamilton status
Apr 6, 2014
1,703
3,109
113
S. Redondo
Got my first surfing related concussion (where it was pretty obvious) yesterday evening. Maybe shoulder high plus, but the tide was just rebounding from a -1.something so it was still pretty low and the mostly closeout rights were 50% sand. I was packing some closeout barrels on my backhand and then just remember little bits of info for the next hour or so. I sort of recall asking a local 16 year old grom who I see out a lot if he saw what happened when I was paddling back out dazed, which he didn't, but I think he thought I better go in.

I have memory fragments of the walk home and not being able to see straight (in addition to stars and halos around lights), being nauseous and having really bad tinnitus. My wife called the nearby urgent care and they didn't think I had to come in after she went through their checklist.

Once I started feeling more normal (about two hours later)I went down to check my board and there is a 4-5" pretty deep pressure ding about a foot down from the nose, deck side. I assume that's what impacted my head, since this morning I have more localized pain (to the touch) about three inches in from my right ear. I still have a terrible overall headache. I'm selfishly happy the surf took a little breather this a.m.
 

ZZ Soft Top

Nep status
Sep 22, 2013
732
594
93
Manta Sonica
High tide mixed with the swell backing off a bit meant that a local beachie (surprisingly) had some really fun waves this morning. Sun was out and conditions were great with minimal wind and no nasty currents. Got a handful before I had to get to work and saw two rights on the walk back that seriously had me considering blowing off my 9:30 meeting.
 

rowjimmytour

Tom Curren status
Feb 7, 2009
11,534
5,832
113
54
:drowning:
Got my first surfing related concussion (where it was pretty obvious) yesterday evening. Maybe shoulder high plus, but the tide was just rebounding from a -1.something so it was still pretty low and the mostly closeout rights were 50% sand. I was packing some closeout barrels on my backhand and then just remember little bits of info for the next hour or so. I sort of recall asking a local 16 year old grom who I see out a lot if he saw what happened when I was paddling back out dazed, which he didn't, but I think he thought I better go in.

I have memory fragments of the walk home and not being able to see straight (in addition to stars and halos around lights), being nauseous and having really bad tinnitus. My wife called the nearby urgent care and they didn't think I had to come in after she went through their checklist.

Once I started feeling more normal (about two hours later)I went down to check my board and there is a 4-5" pretty deep pressure ding about a foot down from the nose, deck side. I assume that's what impacted my head, since this morning I have more localized pain (to the touch) about three inches in from my right ear. I still have a terrible overall headache. I'm selfishly happy the surf took a little breather this a.m.
Once surfing my "MP" 6'10" single dumpy shallow (less then foot deep) beachbreak waist high my beak nose hit me under chin "upper cut" and knocked me out. I woke under water and panicked and stood up for breath and had huge bump under chin
 

Senor Sopa

Billy Hamilton status
Mar 11, 2015
1,366
2,176
113
Ponto
Much smaller yesterday, but still, OH sets. Another classic California sunny winter day. My nooner turned into a 2.5 hour session. Light N wind at first, pretty crowded. Few lulls, more wind, peak empties down to 8. All of a sudden wind dies, flurries coming through on the draining tide, better stay out. Eventually, all of a sudden, wind picks lightly back up and now 20 peep out, time to split.

Two conversations in the lot about difficulties purchasing state parking passes. I'd better check my expiration.

Talking with hard-goods industry guy in lineup, he tells me "there are no wetsuits". Backing up an earlier post someone made about wetsuits. He also said there's so much demand he started making leashes again. He's not happy about the cargo ships backed up in Long Beach.

Paddling back out, a "kid" calls me out. I was a Pop Warner coach with him when he was 8 and he played all through high school with my two sons. That makes the "kid" be 26. I need to embrace Uncle status more.

Funny chit (to me at least).
Random guy in lineup says something about how nice it is that the sun is out, I agreed but thinking, "where's this guy been? We haven't seen a cloud in a month?"
 

b.r.

Phil Edwards status
Dec 19, 2003
5,922
3,033
113
Leucadia
www.youtube.com
Eye finally felt like my eyelid surgery (not cosmetic but eye could probably use that too, who is that ugly old man looking at me in the mirror!) had healed enough to go surfing without any danger to my eye. Dr. said 2 weeks but he didn't see how much surf has been coming in around here, tide dropping and the swell was smaller, probably better for me after not surfing for almost a week. Got some long racy rights and the crowd was minimal probably due to the 13 day run of surf to start the year. Now back to my reality show, with a hope for an afternoon glass off.
 

silentbutdeadly

Duke status
Sep 26, 2005
33,491
23,081
113
Tower 13
new 20 second swell showed up and I didn't think was going to be an issue.. Saw some fun tweeners and paddled out only to play cat and mouse with the tweeners inside and the psychopathic drugged out new swell that came in this morning. Holy carp it was only a foot or two overhead but it unlesashed.

Maybe only caught three waves all session and none were good. duck dove about 5,000 waves though and my arms are shot
 

doc_flavonoid

Billy Hamilton status
Dec 27, 2019
1,740
3,198
113
new 20 second swell showed up and I didn't think was going to be an issue.. Saw some fun tweeners and paddled out only to play cat and mouse with the tweeners inside and the psychopathic drugged out new swell that came in this morning. Holy carp it was only a foot or two overhead but it unlesashed.

Maybe only caught three waves all session and none were good. duck dove about 5,000 waves though and my arms are shot
ha same swell hit here yesterday. doh+ and packed a wollop. ultra clean painfully slow got 3 gems in 2 hrs. and came in. wasnt tried, just tried of sitting and parsing grey on grey. hardest part- first 40ft in and last 40 out was 8 ft and terrifying.
 

Yewstreet

Legend (inyourownmind)
Nov 8, 2019
422
760
93
ha same swell hit here yesterday. doh+ and packed a wollop. ultra clean painfully slow got 3 gems in 2 hrs. and came in. wasnt tried, just tried of sitting and parsing grey on grey. hardest part- first 40ft in and last 40 out was 8 ft and terrifying.
Sounds like my surf yesterday afternoon. OBSF - only 1 wave in 1.5h. Seemed like I was never in the right place and the lip was pitching really fast
 

jkb

Tom Curren status
Feb 22, 2005
10,042
8,979
113
Central California
Caught a couple of freight trains and came out of some chubes!

Sitting on my board waiting for a set and I kicked what felt like a fleshy beach ball. I look down and can barely see this large dark murky mass under me. Pull my feet up real quick and an adult male elephant seal pops up right next to me. I think i kicked it's nose :oops:
 

b.r.

Phil Edwards status
Dec 19, 2003
5,922
3,033
113
Leucadia
www.youtube.com
After work session was really fun. Enough closeouts to keep people away and I lucked into bunch of late drop right handers and one of the og ornery guys I haven’t seen for a while came out and we heckled and harassed the groms. In a fun and safe way. No groms were harmed. I claimed I had to go in to take my kid somewhere as another old relic at this spot paddled out the back when a big set right rolled in. Took the uber late drop as the boys were heckling me but made the bottom turn started giggling how I weasled the best wave in, then it started running so I went high line and then check turned and stalled for the tube Oops too much stall caught the lip in the head and fought unsuccessfully to strong leg it through the lip. Popped up with eyelid still not bleeding. Yeww head home to the jacuzzi.
 

bluengreen

Michael Peterson status
Oct 22, 2018
1,763
4,641
113
SF x Encinitas
Didn't want to get caught out in that new bombing NW swell (which ended up arriving 8 hours late) so I drove south and got the best Taco Bell beach ever. Not kidding. Today, went back to the protected left point that's a secret spot but not. Low tide drainers. Sat a little inside and on the shoulder, letting the older core locals have the deepest takeoff spot next to the rocks. Lotta stink eye and grumbling. Dudes are undoubtedly pissed that their spot is blown up. Anyway, if a guy gets pitched on takeoff or doesn't make the section, you go. Got a couple of 100-yard, shoulder high runners with some bowly sections that I gave a good thwacking. Felt nice to surf a shortboard two days in a row. Looks like it's back on the gun tomorrow because the beach will actually be surfable.
 

Tomay

OTF status
Feb 2, 2010
160
330
63
Had a few surfs last week before I got crook with some tummy bug the little one bought home. Knocked me out over the weekend. I've still got the squirts a little bit. Had one good session with another bloke on high tide with head high fat waves into the wind that were bowling up enough for a few swoops and longish rides on the twinny.

Shoulder to head high waves the last few days here. On Tuesday I had to deal with the kids in the morning so couldn't get out till after the wind came up. Managed a few sections on a sneaky bank that were fun - was a bit of power in the waves which allowed for some good whacks. The last two mornings have been nice and clean though a touch smaller. Been surfing the same bank. With the huge tidal differences it is very moody, in the same session I get a few closeouts and a few fat ones into the channel but every now and again a peaky one has been coming through that shoulders up a bit. Had 3/4 waves where I've gotten a cover up on takeoff, managed to come around and then get a good section or two to work with. Been riding the NB2 which is ideal for these shifty conditions with a bit of push and requiring quick reactions. Sun has been out, the water has been warm and clear - can't complain.
 

Woke AF

Tom Curren status
Jul 29, 2009
11,438
7,751
113
Southern Tip, Norcal
Went out the other day between the big swells. Looking from the dunes the paddle looked easy the peaks were spaced nicely. Cool a casual surf.
Came back at the tide change 30 minutes later w/ my 6'7, which I thought would be too much, and come over the berm to see a stacked set closing out both peaks 4 waves deep. It is now easily twice as big as it was and I didn't bring enough board.

Easy paddle but waves were breaking inside, in the middle, and way outside. One outside set broke top to bottom all the way to the inside. Only one person out and he is way outside. Some flotsam smacked my face/hood at some point. While still paddling out I see another set coming and out of nowhere, a nice peak comes right to me, turn and go. Barely made the drop as it got square-like w/ the front rail catching some chop. Wave holds up and I take it all the way inside. Look over the should to see the outbar with a big closeout. My 15-minute session:censored:

Not sure if I can judge size anymore.

side note: the homeless who collect things are now starting to add broken boards to their treasures.
 

oeste858

Phil Edwards status
Sep 11, 2017
6,931
17,273
113
San Diego, CA
Tuesday afternoon low tide at one of the more popular reefs down south. A notch smaller from the day before but wind stayed down, so cleaner. OH+ and maybe 25-30 guys at the north peak. Eggy lineup, drop-ins, arguments, and more than a few who had no business being out in this swell. Blackbird let me sit deep, so I picked off a couple fun rights from way back. Got dropped in on twice by guys on the shoulder who figured I had no chance of making it from 20 yards deeper... good ol' Blackbeard made the drop and section with speed so they had to kick out when I caught up to them, and the wave would line up for a couple fs carves before the inside. WTF? so annoying guys just go without even looking.

My buddy (who had gotten taken down by a bailed SUP on his first wave and was kinda agitated) and I decided to paddle to the far side of the pack and each caught a couple of the shorter lefts. I tell my friend I have to go in soon to make a 4pm meeting, his keys are in my car so he says ok, next one in. Set comes and I'm thinking I'm gonna go left again. Take a quick look behind me and last-minute decide to try to make the right as it's starting to stand up. Too late to go high line so I step on the gas and take an angle to the bottom to try to get around and yell to call off 2 guys paddling furiously at the top about to drop in. Just when I'm coming off the bottom, the wave pauses... and sucks me into the pocket for a quick coverup, then shoots me out down the line. two more carves and then ride it all the way in. I didn't have time to stick my arm in the face, so it wasn't deep, but that was the biggest & cleanest barrel I've had in a while. Was still smiling from it that night. F-n stocked, bros.
 
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