Dual Storm Surf SUP Sessions

I paddled out twice today, once at 0645 and again at 1545 hours. The first session began in the pouring rain. The sea surface was pockmarked with rain drops as I paddled over to GWs from Sarges. No one was out but me. The NWS was forecasting rain all day and I was hoping that there wouldn't be much wind. I grabbed a dozen waves but after about a half hour the wind came up from the south east creating washboard conditions. I was having a tough time just standing up, much less catching waves that were doubling and tripling up from wind chop. I finally gave up after about 40 minutes and ended the session. The tide was coming up too and that didn't help matters...adding backwash to the already difficult sea surface conditions.

The afternoon session was a bit different. I put in at 1545 and was in the lineup at GWs at 1600 hours. I picked up numerous waves, long fast sections that were draining on the inside. Few were makeable but those that were, were pretty classic. The afternoon wind was much better. The buoy numbers stayed about the same, but the waves were better quality. Since the winds creating the waves were so close to shore the waves were pretty close together. The lineup and the swell direction moved around a lot and so did I. It was an intense workout with no let up. Any long ride ended up inside with a guaranteed paddle back out through breaking waves. I fell off a lot kicking out, turning fast to catch waves, trying to make unmakeable (for me) sections, and paddling through whitewater. I got mad, I got determined, I got hammered and I got joyous. I made a couple impossible sections and a couple impossible kickouts into standing paddle outs.

Did I say Life Is Good!?

October 12, 2007 (F) AM and PM Sessions
In: 0645 and 1545
1st Wave: 0700 and 1600
Out: 0815 and 1715
Wave count: 12 and TNC
WT=56 and 57
AT=57 and 57
Wx: Rain and Rain
Tide: 2.6 Rising to 3.6' and 1.3 Falling to 0.3
Wind: Light to moderately heavy ESE winds and light to calm offshore
Sea Surface: Progressively choppy from the southeast and glassy with lots of kelp
Buoy: NWS
0600: 4.3 @ 11.4 NW
0700: 4.9 @ 11.4 W
0800: 5.6 @ 12.1 W
0900: 6.6 @ 11.4 WNW
and
1500: 4.9 @ 12.1 WSW
1600: 5.9 @ 11.4 W
1700: No data
1800: 6.6 @ 11.4 W
10'4" Angulo SUP
Reefs: Rock and sand
Waves: 3.2' @ 12.3 and 4.2 @ 12 (approx. ave.) Storm Surf Buoy Model