Late Summer South Swell

A nice south swell filled in over the weekend and continues to show well, if somewhat inconsistently today. Storm Surf has forecasted it to stick around for a few days this week. The weekend was pretty crowded so I stayed out and rested my back. I hit the water early with my SUP and paddled and surfed for a couple hours before trading my 10'4" paddler in for my 7'6" Freeline Shlong. I got a lot of waves and a great workout.

Learning to surf the SUP is a challenge to say the least...especially when I get tired. I've got a lot of things to work on, namely: SUP placement for catching waves; paddling speed to catch the wave; kickout or wave exit technique; surfing the extra thick board in small, small waves and turning the SUP around in a hurry (that ain't happenin' yet...). It can be frustrating to say the least. Fortunately conditions have been very good for learning. I'm staying way off to the side or surfing a break that isn't nearly as good where there is hardly anyone out except other people like me...learning how to surf or SUP. But as frustrating as it may be I am getting better.

One particularly aggravating item is that I tend to stand too far forward when I am paddling for a wave. This almost guarantees either pearling the board or having to weight back so vigorously that I lose momentum (paddling speed) and lose the wave. After about four pearls/wave loses I finally found a spot that seems to work well. Now if I can only remember to stand there, or shift back when I paddle for a wave. (Some of us just aren't that sharp!)

After SUPing I surfed Scimitar's for an hour. Waves were good but inconsistent. The background swell was providing a pretty steady dose of knee to waist high peelers and about every 50 minutes or so an eight to ten wave set of southies would roll through providing head high relief to those in the right places.

As the tide came in most of the spots tended to swamp a little; sets were somewhat warbly. Pics are leftovers at not the best spots.

September 17, 2007 (M) In: 0645 SUP; 0930 Surf 1st Wave: 0935 Out: 0915 SUP; 1030 Surf Wave count: Lots WT=57.9 AT=59.7 Wx: High fog clearing to cumulus with sunshine Tide: 3.16 rising to 3.94 Wind:calm to light Sea Surface: Light texture to glassy NDBC Buoy: 0700 6.6@6.7 WNW 0800 6.6@6.7 NW 0900 6.6@7.1 NW 1000 6.9@6.7 NW 1100 6.2@6.7 NW Secondary SW 3@16 SS Buoy: 3@15 Angulo SUP and Freeline Shlong

Scimitar's & Sarges:Rock reef