Oh my god. Just got back from the Queen
4 laps! A most successful session
only got burnt once and he apologized and gave me a wave later
4 laps! A most successful session
only got burnt once and he apologized and gave me a wave later
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*** Official 2023 Community Surf Journal ***
- Thread starter vanrysss
- Start date
Swarmies for the afternoon tide drop. took the 7'2 Hess. Yea, it was overkill. Swell seemed to be on the wane. 1 wave sets kinda lumpy and crossed up. Managed to snag one at the peak but was too deep and the wave sectioned in front of me.
Was over the crowd, so I paddled a few hundred yards north and got some fun ones.
I have to admit, I miss being scared! Need an OB trip soon.
Was over the crowd, so I paddled a few hundred yards north and got some fun ones.
I have to admit, I miss being scared! Need an OB trip soon.
Apnea training is a game changer; in a good way.
my last goto leash (CI) failed in this manner.
velcro failed when I should have otherwise been dragged underwater.
yesterday after work had a window before some early dinner familial obligations, watched for a while, saw a couple big sets but the crowd was lame, saw a friend out in an area that was disorganized with no proper reef set up and you had to get lucky but he got a couple so I switched out the comp leash for the first time in forever for a real leash, looked at my leash string (thanks erbb) and thought this is gonna break for sure, but whatevs, paddled out and missed a few lurching weird sets waves, finally paddled down to another section of beach and got a couple running right handers, then got cleaned up by a large set and bailed for the first time in forever, leash string held. got one in, 30 minutes later was drinking a martini compliments of mi suegro at the local italian joint with the wife. walked home and then we waited up for the teenager to get home from seeing the Breeders. tired dad this morning surfed 9 of the last 10 days, probably gonna take today off, unless....
Haven’t had much time this week. Short window on Tuesday, paddled out in the fog to see what I could find for like 45 minutes, found a couple slopey lefts that were kind of fun and then one shitty right and called it. Out in Sacramento for Thursday so missed the swell, had to be in Oakland yesterday and sat around watching the cams for too long and missed my window. Another short window today, got down to mid beach this morning around 8, overhead, lumpy and slopey again, but fairly clean. Rode a 6’2“ and initially thought I might’ve liked to cheat with a little more foam but then realized the outside sets were burgery and the pack of dudes sitting out there weren’t getting much. Sat just inside the pack and caught 3 waves that snuck through and ended up lining up a little better. Caught 2 rights and a left, and each wave only improved from the one before it with 1, 2, then 3 turns. Last one connected all the way through to the inside for one last bank.
Absolute punishment this morning. Son had midday little league game so had to dawn it at a different spot than I usually go. Good seeing some of the crew that I usually don't see as often. Paddle out wasn't actually that bad but very challenging waves.
Mostly closeouts but some absolute grinding right top-to-bottom jacking gems. So hard to get into and even harder to make initial drop and then around initial section. I got a semi-decent one in front of nolibos, got greedy with the cutbacks and no hope getting back out from there. 40+ duckdives later with regress instead of progress, yeah fuck that, walked back up to original paddleout spot but for some reason current pulled in opposite direction. Pinned in place, duck diving another 40 or so. JFC.
Dues were paid right there. Furthermore when someone pulled back off a great set wave. I spun with pretty much no paddling, got hung up, sent over headfirst backwards and it was a long way down. Drilled but not as bad as the punishment I took stuck on the inside sandbar. Waves were exploding so hard, it was hard to tell when to actually duckdive - and that's not right.
But I did get a few fun ones towards the end, have had a tough week and a good thorough asskicking like that kind of helps to put your head back in perspective.
Mostly closeouts but some absolute grinding right top-to-bottom jacking gems. So hard to get into and even harder to make initial drop and then around initial section. I got a semi-decent one in front of nolibos, got greedy with the cutbacks and no hope getting back out from there. 40+ duckdives later with regress instead of progress, yeah fuck that, walked back up to original paddleout spot but for some reason current pulled in opposite direction. Pinned in place, duck diving another 40 or so. JFC.
Dues were paid right there. Furthermore when someone pulled back off a great set wave. I spun with pretty much no paddling, got hung up, sent over headfirst backwards and it was a long way down. Drilled but not as bad as the punishment I took stuck on the inside sandbar. Waves were exploding so hard, it was hard to tell when to actually duckdive - and that's not right.
But I did get a few fun ones towards the end, have had a tough week and a good thorough asskicking like that kind of helps to put your head back in perspective.
I’m on a family trip in a new zone of Canada — about 2 hours from the region that’s vaguely familiar to me — so I’ve been operating off maps, Instagram photos and YouTube clips. No real intel to speak of. And today lucked into a cobblestone point with just me and my sisters boyfriend. It was objectively mediocre at best… but being solo and “finding it” made it insanely fun. Chest high and glassy. Running really close to the rocks but great shape for two turns or so before getting super boney. sh!t eating grin on my face throughout the 15 minute hike back to the car.
rode the DK swordfish with Captain Fin co team larges in front and Rastas in rear.
rode the DK swordfish with Captain Fin co team larges in front and Rastas in rear.
Enjoying reading about the waves you guys are getting in CA now. If I’m not mistaken this swell is from the Typhoon that gave me over a week of swell in the Philippines as it brewed up and then headed NE towards Hawaii to deliver the season opener for Pipe.
What a cracker.
What a cracker.
First session coming off upper respiratory infection, not feeling 100% Opted for Northern region, mostly short period W swell 3-5' trying to push through 3'+ tide. A little backwash to deal with but some light offshore wind early. Caught a few, lucked into a set that ran to the inner bar and stood up enough to create a semi hollow section to race through. Better than not surfing. Back to being a vampire
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Knew it would be raining harder later so got on it early at same spot. Smaller than yesterday, easy paddle out, but damn exercise in beyond frustration. A couple fun ones that came in but lots of closeouts, lots of backwash (seems to be independent of tide lately), and lots of other cross chop with current and so much warble. Wind was offshore but didn't really help. So many waves backed off and then dumped.
I did get slotted on a few but just a lot of work to get not very much. Blew the drop on one of the better lefts towards the end because again, backwash/rip chop. Was really pissed about that but sorta redeemed myself on a few shortly afterwards, and then finally got a decent one that lined up, got a turn or two, and then bellied in as far as I could before it turned to drool.
Better days await...
I did get slotted on a few but just a lot of work to get not very much. Blew the drop on one of the better lefts towards the end because again, backwash/rip chop. Was really pissed about that but sorta redeemed myself on a few shortly afterwards, and then finally got a decent one that lined up, got a turn or two, and then bellied in as far as I could before it turned to drool.
Better days await...
I may have seen you?
I happened to be driving north from California Thursday. Lots of swell. I surfed the spot right in town just after high tide. Too much water at first but as the tide dropped the lefts down the beach started to really turn on. Got some really fun ones.
Next day I surfed the next beach to the south which was also really fun. Warm water and glassy. By afternoon the S winds were back. It was time to head back north to Washington.
mid morning yesterday, looked like the wind was gonna threaten but it layed back down, fun shoulder to head high waves with a courteous pack taking turns, kenson pleasure pig was working well in the glassy conditions, definitely dropped from the weekend but still better than most anything we had last summer. yeww
Combo swell with offshore winds. Surfed a mediocre beach break in South Carlsbad on the edge of a more popular spot. Saw a dude get slotted on a Wavestorm as I was suiting up. Went hunting for that same bar, but no. Square closeouts up and down the beach were only makeable when mindsurfing.
There were some corners though. 6'1 Hess felt intuitive and trusty as ever. I put a set of the AM2 Techflex quads in, which loosened and livened the board up compared to the TA Hess Quads. Felt some positive flex at the end of a couple frontside snaps and wraps. Also got the fins free on a layback lipper that I didn't pull. Coming off the Twin Pin, I definitely feel how backfooted I surf. The wide tail and four fins of the Hess reward that approach.
There were some corners though. 6'1 Hess felt intuitive and trusty as ever. I put a set of the AM2 Techflex quads in, which loosened and livened the board up compared to the TA Hess Quads. Felt some positive flex at the end of a couple frontside snaps and wraps. Also got the fins free on a layback lipper that I didn't pull. Coming off the Twin Pin, I definitely feel how backfooted I surf. The wide tail and four fins of the Hess reward that approach.
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