***Official 2021 Community Surf Journal***

[Havoc]

Caught some fun waves at a lonesome sand bar in mission beach and actually got a couple really fun turns. Life session learned that as long as there is a little wave you can have fun anywhere... albeit there is a lot of swell right now and lots of spots breaking really good. But its all good!

aaaaand it finally happened! The wife got me a changing poncho on our mission beach trip. To be honest... its not that bad and I kind of like it. Although it seems easier to change with a towel. The bottom of this poncho kept getting tucked inside my suit. Im much better with a towel, although im sure ill get better at this with time.

View attachment 112738

that one's so stylish u can prly wear it out to one of those mission beach bars.

 

[Havoc]

You guys are killing me! lol.

The only issue I had was that with a towel its tight around my waist and pretty tight around the legs, so when i stretch out my leg to put it into my wetsuit leg, the towel stays in place. With the changing poncho it wasn't tight around my waist so the wind on the beach was blowing the bottom of the poncho around and when i stretched my leg out to put it into the wetsuit, it took some of the poncho in with it. Then i had to pull the poncho out of the wetsuit and carefully pull up the poncho and then put the other leg in the wetsuit... and it was just odd to have this poncho flying around everywhere while im trying to get a wetsuit on. lol. Much easier with a towel around my waist. But its a cool item - and yes - I would say there is a slight learning curve.

try tying it around ur armpits like this:

 

[Havoc]

stressles complex. head high+ sets with a bit of south wind on it. crowd felt like the beginning of the summer masses. got about 20+ waves in 2.5 hours. one of the regulars gave me a nod to go on one of the best ones of the day. dropped in hh+ backside, carve, cutback, carve all the way to the inside. man, best left of the summer for me! ci m18 can do no wrong. want to order a quiver of them now.

 

[oeste858]

You guys are killing me! lol.

The only issue I had was that with a towel its tight around my waist and pretty tight around the legs, so when i stretch out my leg to put it into my wetsuit leg, the towel stays in place. With the changing poncho it wasn't tight around my waist so the wind on the beach was blowing the bottom of the poncho around and when i stretched my leg out to put it into the wetsuit, it took some of the poncho in with it. Then i had to pull the poncho out of the wetsuit and carefully pull up the poncho and then put the other leg in the wetsuit... and it was just odd to have this poncho flying around everywhere while im trying to get a wetsuit on. lol. Much easier with a towel around my waist. But its a cool item - and yes - I would say there is a slight learning curve.

Sounds like you’ve already found the upper end of your summer-weight poncho’s range in windy conditions. Time to add to the poncho quiver with a thicker terry material for those blustery onshore days. I recommend the RollsRoyce of ponchos, Slowtide. YOLO

 

[Aruka]

The only issue I had was that with a towel its tight around my waist and pretty tight around the legs, so when i stretch out my leg to put it into my wetsuit leg, the towel stays in place. With the changing poncho it wasn't tight around my waist so the wind on the beach was blowing the bottom of the poncho around and when i stretched my leg out to put it into the wetsuit, it took some of the poncho in with it. Then i had to pull the poncho out of the wetsuit and carefully pull up the poncho and then put the other leg in the wetsuit... and it was just odd to have this poncho flying around everywhere while im trying to get a wetsuit on. lol. Much easier with a towel around my waist. But its a cool item - and yes - I would say there is a slight learning curve.

Ah bra, it sounds like your poncho might be a little too low volume. How many liters is it?

Depending on the dimensions it could work for you when you graduate from beginner to adv/int changing level. In the meantime I'd get something nice and wide to build your skills and confidence.

Remember, fabric is your friend.

 

[Tomay]

Today was my first surf since they unexpectedly found a cancer in my skull in May. It's been a tough couple of months but today was awesome. Surf was average, I am terribly unfit (I had surgery and haven't been allowed to lift more than 5 lbs since diagnosis up to 2 weeks ago) and I surfed awfully BUT it was unreal to get back in the water. It's going to take some adjustment to get used to the new sensations, my nose is taking on a lot of water since they took out my septum to make it one and my left cheek is numb but things could be much worse. It's funny how you get used to feelings when you're surfing. I was also worried about water flooding into my head/sinus and ruling out surfing comfortably for the future.

Rode my Bottom Feeder for some paddle power. Got on the edges of a few but felt way out of rhythm running out the back of a few. Struggled in but super stoked I can surf, it was something the doc was unsure about with my neck and sinuses.

Time to order a new custom - Album Plasmic (slightly stretched out for my 6'1 frame). Now to work on some fitness and to get back in rhythm.

 

[rowjimmytour]

Today was my first surf since they unexpectedly found a cancer in my skull in May. It's been a tough couple of months but today was awesome. Surf was average, I am terribly unfit (I had surgery and haven't been allowed to lift more than 5 lbs since diagnosis up to 2 weeks ago) and I surfed awfully BUT it was unreal to get back in the water. It's going to take some adjustment to get used to the new sensations, my nose is taking on a lot of water since they took out my septum to make it one and my left cheek is numb but things could be much worse. It's funny how you get used to feelings when you're surfing. I was also worried about water flooding into my head/sinus and ruling out surfing comfortably for the future.

Rode my Bottom Feeder for some paddle power. Got on the edges of a few but felt way out of rhythm running out the back of a few. Struggled in but super stoked I can surf, it was something the doc was unsure about with my neck and sinuses.

Time to order a new custom - Album Plasmic (slightly stretched out for my 6'1 frame). Now to work on some fitness and to get back in rhythm.

Bezezt vibez sent your way my ole man is battling prostate cancer Try jump roping to get back in shape and work on timing and if pop up is slow try jumping jack, burbee: x2 mountain climb, and frog jump up. Start slow 12"-18" jump box work your way up to 24".

 

[Aruka]

Welcome back @Tomay . Reading your post definitely gives some good perspective. Good luck with the training and keep us posted.

 

[b.r.]

been rotating through the boards as I battle some nagging injuries... had a great session on my new Kenson 7'2 twinzer last friday, mid day glass, only a couple peeps and the waves were shoulder high and super fun waves to figure out the new board on, got some full on round house cutbacks and big down the line speed runs, family flew in Saturday and we had a big family reunion for my wife's family and a big bday party for her, with all the cousins raising hell in my pool, had the paella man cater, and mi suegro got a hot damn mariachi band to come play for a few hours, I was pouring them clase azul and sat in with them for a few songs after I was many shots in, great party. yesterday took all the cousins down to seaside and I rode the kenson 5'6 pleasure pig on the inside dumpy zone, my youngest paddled out on her int and got her first wave of the summer and we got all the cousins in the water = good times.. ditched everyone today and just surfed my 9'4 kenson longboard down the street, high tide lully sets with long lefts and rights, got a ton of waves in an hour and a half.

 

[oeste858]

Yesterday caught a few waist high runners at reef #2 on the dropping tide. Mediocre conditions but just me and another guy out splitting peaks and I had some fun speed runs and floaters. Plasmic did a good job fs slashing off the bottom turn, then flying around flat sections to extend the wave.

Working down in OB today so snuck out for quick high tide sesh down the stairs at the cliff. Met a buddy out there, and there was only 4-5 of us for a while. Mushy waist+ sets and a punchy inside section. Caught a few mediocre rights that I worked on the Plasmic. Then what I can only assume was the cool kids from OB High senior class descended and there was instantly 15 more teenagers (guys & girls), most on logs. Every wave was a party wave. The chicks were straight outta a Roxy ad. Ah, to be young. Got a couple more shorter lefts and called it.

 

[MathDebater]

Kids only surf in packs round these parts. My wife went to PL high and can't believe all the kids she graduated with that are still living the exact same OB lifestyle as when they left school. New generations seem the same.

 

[Tomay]

2nd surf back today, much better. It was a bit easier going with shoulder high sets on an outer bank that ran off into deep water. Pretty much just a takeoff. My ribs were sore but noticed I had a bit more cardio and paddle power, it should come back fairly quick considering how surf fit I was up until diagnosis. Rode the Bottom Feeder again, stuck a few drops and even got a cutty in. Stoked.

Placed an order for an Album Plasmic, 4 month wait here at the moment but should arrive in time for summer.

 

[MathDebater]

Went out at the tide flip hoping the push would help open some corners up at my local. It actually looked like there were a few barrels on offer so I decided to mix it up and surf something other than my banjo or manta. Whipped out the disorder for the first time in a while and decided to try it with EN's and EA quads instead of the TA Album set I'd bought with the board. It was pretty lully and the rip was mean so it was a bit of a struggle but after I botched or poorly surfed a few waves I realized this fin combo wasn't working for me, tons of drive but a bit tracky and lacking pivot. Oh well, the water temp down right tropical, I was hot in my 2/1 top. Better than not surfin!

 

[bluengreen]

More Album content: Been riding my Plasmic at Taco Bell beach. Gettin some turns off in the slop. After this wave, I went in and grabbed my 7'4 Son of Cobra to slide some on the softer south end of the cove. Making the most of a typical summer junk here in the Bay Area. I've probably surfed OB twice in the past three weeks. It's just too exposed to the wind.

http://instagr.am/p/CRUrMtuHEV9/

 

[Lowqi2]

Local reef was pretty fun today. 4-6 with some a few feet overhead. Annoying loud B-level pro with a blue #91 comp jersey on, he's paddling around grabbing every wave like he's in a heat...didn't care to see who he is. Got lucky and caught the 2 biggest wave that came through during the 2.5 hrs. Air dropped the take off on another one that was fun. Civil group of guys taking turns. This must be the best run of south swell in recent memory for me...nothing huge, but faf.

 

[Tarab_ish]

I've barely surfed these past few months. luckily I've been able to do some cardio (ridden a road bike up and down hills); when I've gotten in the water there's just enough muscle memory that I can actually do it.

down in ventura county for a while. surfing a pointbreak in some mixed up south swell that feels like beachbreak. trunking it for the first time in I don't know how long. EPS quad fish picked up used off craigslist. when I first got and surfed it at small OBSF I thought I had made a mistake, that it was corky and clunky. works perfectly in chest high but completely soft ventura point. skates.

caught a few, then sorta embarrassed myself briefly -- was antsy, taking it way too seriously for what it was, basically growling at people in the lineup, yelling ''f***ck at myself when I blew a decent one.

ended up linking a few decent turns on one and went in. goddamn surfing rocks.

 

[Northern_Shores]

Not surfing related, but still in the water. I was at a drill rig this week. Almost at the North Pole.


Some of the local inhabitants, waiting for the bus

 

[rowjimmytour]

Not surfing related, but still in the water. I was at a drill rig this week. Almost at the North Pole.
View attachment 113013

Some of the local inhabitants, waiting for the bus

View attachment 113014

Did you take any pics of the horizon or wall for bohter and atdabeach?

 

[Northern_Shores]

Did you take any pics of the horizon or wall for bohter and atdabeach?

I can ony report what I saw. At the end of the water, there was a fog, covering the end of the world to the human eye.

 

[teeroi]

Haven’t surfed since last Saturday. There’s been small rideable waves but was pretty surfed out.

Got down to the regular in the dark. Looked like there were waves so paddled the Moonfish out. Let a couple shoulder high waves go for the duus who beat me out. Paddled into a HH set and high lined the first section. Squared off the bottom and right when I got to the lip the strong offshores blew me right over the wave. No problem just aim lower on the next one. Paddled back out and it went flat. The few waves that came in were crossed up or breaking way inside and running. WTF.

I was going to call it a sesh and go to work but my friend John kept telling me to stay out it’s going to get better. For some reason he didn’t want me to go in. Bunch of donkeys on soft tops came out and he wouldn’t have anyone to talk to about beating up donkeys but other donkeys. The few sets that rolled in he kept telling me he was going right so I got the better lefts. Finally Pat paddled out. I caught a weird crossed up left but somehow connected all the dots and got a decent ride. Fell on the last turn and like a dummy paddled back out thinking it’s really getting better.

By this time all the softtop donkeys drifted right into the regular takeoff spot. I felt really uncomfortable. We usually don’t get that many at Bowls. The few that wander thru get burned or told to beat it. It felt like I waited forever to get a wave in, which was probably only 5 minutes. Watching those donkeys really drained me. The wave in I got was a little nugget found a pocket and got some speed and sprayed the sh*t out of two of the kooks paddling back out after they uglied up an insider.

I think the swell filled in but Saturday. More circus tomorrow. Haha