S Swell Shenanigans

juandesooka

OTF status
Jan 12, 2009
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With a good chunk of the people on this forum in California, let's hear some reports of the big south swell. Huge epic days at the premier spots? Weird mysto spots breaking? Did it entice you to get on a surfboard again or did you find good foiling spots?

Up here on vancouver island, we are blocked from south swells -- damn you Washington! Unless boating or a long drive up to Tofino, where it's all beach breaks....my s swell experience has too often been beautiful marching lines with 10km wide closeouts. :) Lots of paddling, not a lot of reward.
 

Hdip

Michael Peterson status
Apr 23, 2005
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Malibu, CA
South swells in Los Angeles and most of Southern CA are pretty boring and stupid. Malibu looks like the superbank. No foiling to be had anywhere near there. Laird does good at his private beach on his big SUP with tiny foil. But it's honestly a pretty boring ride. You just point straight at 20 MPH the whole way, then it's a 20 minute walk back, or longer paddle on a prone board.

I regular surfed the big day and wasn't jealous of Laird's waves, then prone foiled to the North as the swell was coming down the next day and it was meh. Then I prone foiled a summer South spot yesterday and it was better, but just lots of current.

Honestly, I should've just winged at a lake alone the entire time. Would've been more fun. Well, riding a surfboard once a year is a good time. I just hate crowds with a passion.

Your 10km long closeouts sound quite a bit like our conditions here btw. There's a reason the pointbreaks are so crowded.

EDIT: Turns out I am the opposite of "clayisland" haha. He has a more positive outlook on the swell on his youtube. :)
 
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juandesooka

OTF status
Jan 12, 2009
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uh oh, sounds like you're already getting to old-guy status in foiling Hdip....the honeymoon is over. :)
Joking but only half ... I have noticed that the forums have dried up about surf and sup foiling, the early adopters are no longer advancing quickly, and there's not a big push of new people behind....so not much to talk about and the raging frothing enthusiasm is past...which I miss. Winging on the other hand is exploding. In the chase for new excitement, I just threw down the $$ on an efoil, early indications show it may offer some pretty rad potential for wake thieving in locations where big boats go by. Always seeking that next rush.

South swell doesn't sound like it was life changing. I have a surfer buddy down there who said it was best surf he's had in a decade, possibly ever (BDE..."best day ever"...the most over used phrase), at some kinda semi mysto spots north of santa monica.

Regular surfing, wow! been a while for me, but I think that's the next phase, use a surfboard if that's the best vehicle for the day.

Clayisland...yeah, he is always stoked ;-) Surprised he didn't focus much on foiling though.
 
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Hdip

Michael Peterson status
Apr 23, 2005
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Malibu, CA
Growing up in Malibu, I've all but given up on those mysto spots North of Santa Monica. They're neither mysto, nor exciting. There is an efoil guy that goes 20-30 MPH and makes those spots look good. More fun than Laird makes it look anyway.

I don't have much fun paddling a prone 4'6" into double overhead waves. So I'm back on a surfboard when those swells show up. Which means I surfed a spot that holds 4 people with 10 people the whole session. I sat on the inside and got the fun ones. But yeah, I'm old.

I greatly prefer when it's 2 foot and the foil is perfect for those waves and trying to hit white water.

LA just has way to many people, so when surfline calls for waves it get's insanely crowded everywhere. Here's an example of BEST DAY EVER! You can decide if it looks fun to you or not. https://www.instagram.com/tv/CgPwWGIriay/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
 

Chocki

Rabbitt Bartholomew status
Feb 18, 2007
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Planet Earth
I bet the cluster fuckery was off the charts. So many dusty boards covered in brown wax clogging the lineup

Thank god for cleanup sets to wash the flotsam and jetsam to the beach where they belonged in the first place.

Always keep an eye on the horizon and do nothing to alert anyone of their presence.
 
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grendel95

Billy Hamilton status
Nov 1, 2005
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As the swell came up my local mush burger turned on during high tide and I was able to foil inside of the crowd.

Prone foiling done? Maybe, folks seem to quit once the allure of a 2 for 1 is accomplished or move onto the Wing.

Still going strong prone foiling , but mostly because we have light winds most of the year locally.

Always back on a surfboard when the waves get good, still a few novelty/weird waves to ride when it gets big in South OC.
 
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Hdip

Michael Peterson status
Apr 23, 2005
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Right tool for the job. The first two years you force a foil peg into a round hole no matter what.
now I’m picking the right tool for the job more often. Prone foil. Regular surf. Wing foil alone.
alone often wins out.
 

casa_mugrienta

Duke status
Apr 13, 2008
45,678
20,511
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Petak Island
Are you using the wing sail thingy?
No.

I still haven't used my foil.

The board I bought was apparently waterlogged, then fixed incorrectly (see my previous posts).

I got my money back.

Then I used it to order a new foil board.

Not enough wind to wingfoil around here anyway.
 

Autoprax

Duke status
Jan 24, 2011
70,496
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Vagina Point
No.

I still haven't used my foil.

The board I bought was apparently waterlogged, then fixed incorrectly (see my previous posts).

I got my money back.

Then I used it to order a new foil board.

Not enough wind to wingfoil around here anyway.
Tenover and I have an e-foil date in mission bay on 15th.

You work on Fridays right?

IF that is not a catastrophe I'll come down on another day.

I want to start doing once a week.

It's kind of.a hassle.

I'm lazy
 

ghostshaper

Phil Edwards status
Jan 22, 2005
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It's just OK.

When I'm sailing there I see people trying to wing.

Key word trying.

Same for any small foiling sailboat.

Never seems they have enough speed to stay on foil.
Planning on a trip down there before school starts next month. I have a 6 m wing, so I'll only need about 10 knots.

Took the wing in the parking lot w/ the skateboard. Think I've figured out tacking. Itching to try it on the foil now.

The problem w/ where I live is that it glasses off every p.m., which was why I moved here. But now that I want to wing, it sucks :foreheadslap:
 

Hdip

Michael Peterson status
Apr 23, 2005
3,407
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Malibu, CA
Planning on a trip down there before school starts next month. I have a 6 m wing, so I'll only need about 10 knots.

Took the wing in the parking lot w/ the skateboard. Think I've figured out tacking. Itching to try it on the foil now.

The problem w/ where I live is that it glasses off every p.m., which was why I moved here. But now that I want to wing, it sucks :foreheadslap:
HAH! wind is the worst mistress. Wind forecasts make surf forecasts seem good.

Here's some foil content for your trouble.

 
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juandesooka

OTF status
Jan 12, 2009
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For the former deadsville Surfermag foil forum, this thread has exploded with varied themes!

Skate wing...super fun. You need barely any wind. Great for practicing turns...I finally nailed toeside to heelside tacks, after 200 on land, then finally getting over the fear and committing on water. It was fully doable as the muscle memory transferred directly.

Light wind winging: when you are proficient, you can make light wind work and have fun, particularly if combined with surf. But for learning, it sucks....like learning to ride a bike, a little extra speed makes it so much easier. Also, once the novelty of zipping around wears off, flat water light wind is meh....need to add waves to make it fun.

Efoil...same! The flat water zooming was good for an hour, then it became entirely about boat wakes. A boat at speed, you can bank of its wake endlessly, it's not really surfing, more like powder snowboarding or skateboarding when you have a ridge to play with. I am still getting to know the unpowered foiling potential, but have had a half dozen short unpowered rides and one about 30 seconds on a property wakesurf boat wake. The possibility is legit!

Forum cancers, uh oh! :) Was a erBB member when it first started, back when the internet was just a baby....but it got pretty out there, seemed to end up mostly about politics and bickering rather than a fun surf chat.Foil surfing is an oasis from the dumb crap that has infected surfing....hope that negative energy doesn't bleed into here.
 
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tenover

Kelly Slater status
Jan 17, 2003
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My schedule is random.

tenover has repeatedly expressed I'm a "cancer" on the forum so it would be ackward.lol.
Way better to meet people in person. My comments were made because I feel like a lot of your replies are very negative and condescending, but that's just me. I think I'm a nice guy, and you probably are too.

Sounds like we may have seen each other sailing on Mission Bay at some point. My buddy and I have been taking sailing lessons at MBAC for the past year or so, and we rent Hobie Cats almost every weekend.....

I am stoked on trying Autorpax's eFoil if it happens. Always stoked to meet other erBB'ers in person, so join us! I've never foiled, so I'll be the kook in the group:) It's ok, I'm used to it.
 
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