Dawn Patrol Sunday in Fading South

Usually I don't surf on Sundays...too much prep for church, going over the music and the readings for the day. But I just couldn't resist getting one more shot of this classic swell in what has been an epic week of south swell in unseasonable conditions that at times reminded me of Paradise and Dantes Inferno...all at once!

Again the key wasn't activating the electronic lock so I headed to my cliff parking spot and the stairway down to the reefs paddleout. Conditions had begun to change back to the normal weather pattern, but it was still great summer weather. The swell has dropped considerably and is on it's way out. The tide at the dawn patrol was high enough today for me to paddle straight away down to Sarges where I surfed for almost an hour by myself in fun and fast sections. People kept paddling out...but they all went over to GDubs which had ten people in the lineup, and was sectioning pretty heavily in lots of kelp. I couldn't believe no one was surfing at Sarges.

As the tide dropped it got too sectiony so I headed back to Yellow House. Greg and Patrick were already on it, but it was very inconsistent, and small. This south was backing off or in a big lull so after a short while I decided to paddle in and get ready for church.

I can only say that this has been an incredible week. In a way I'm glad it's backing off, I need the rest. The swell has been up for eight days and I've surfed six. My hourly average per session is three and a half, with one five hour and one four and a half hour session. I could never have done this on a lay down board. My back wouldn't take it. Only surfing stand up have I been able to stay out this long and surf this hard.

So far this Spring/Summer season is shaping up to be historic because of the fires and the surf. We can only pray for more surf, and less fires. Nevertheless, my SUP is ready for action, and my family and I have decided to keep evacuation suitcases packed until it starts raining again next Fall.

The following is the NWS Weather Summary for this last week. I agree...what a roller coaster ride this has been. (On Thursday and Friday evening it was 90 degrees at 7PM on our outdoor patio, a new record for sure.)

BEFORE GOING INTO THE FORECAST...IT IS INTERESTING TO STEP BACK AND LOOK AT THE WILD ROLLER-COASTER OF LAST WEEK. TEMPERATURES WERE THE MAIN STORY AND WERE ACTUALLY WELL BELOW NORMAL INTO TUESDAY. ON THAT DAY HIGHS ON THE COAST WERE STRUGGLING TO GETS OUT OF THE 50S

IN BOTH SAN FRANCISCO AND MONTEREY WHILE MANY INTERIOR SPOTS WERE RUNNING AT LEAST 10 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. BY FRIDAY...AS THE THERMAL TROUGH MIGRATED OFF THE COAST AND OFFSHORE FLOW
WAS FIRMLY IN PLACE TEMPERATURES HAD ROCKETED TO RECORD VALUES IN MANY SPOTS AND IN SOME CASES THE RECORDS BECAME NEW ALL-TIME NUMBERS.

THROWN IN THE MIX WAS A CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS THAT BROUGHT NUMEROUS LIGHTNING STRIKES AROUND THE MONTEREY BAY SATURDAY MORNING AND AFTERNOON THAT STARTED NEW FIRES. IF THINGS UNFOLD AS EXPECTED...THIS WEEK WILL HAVE ALMOST NO RESEMBLANCE TO LAST WEEK.

THE FORECAST IS FAIRLY CUT AND DRY AS TEMPERATURES WILL DROP BACK TO NEAR NORMAL VALUES BY MONDAY AND MAY EVEN BE A BIT BELOW NORMAL THANKS TO THE COOLER THAN NORMAL OCEAN WATER.

June 22, 2008 (Su)
In: 0529
Out: 0715
AT= 54 to 52 to 54 degrees
WT= 53.6 degrees at the nearshore buoy
Wx: Clear and sunny with low clouds and smoke on the horizon
Tide: 1.1 Falling to -0.33
Wind: Calm
Sea Surface: Light bump and glassy
Buoy: NWS
0700: 2.6 feet @ 14.8 SSE
0800: 2.6 feet @ 13.8 S
1100: 3.0 feet @ 14.8 S
1400: 3.6 feet @ 11.4 WNW
10'4" Angulo SUP with Infinity paddle
Fin set-up: Thruster with Bluecoil 5.5" center fin and FCS Occy sides
Bathymetry: Rock reefs
CDIP: (0600 hours) 2.7 feet at 8 seconds from 310 degrees and 2.5 feet at 14 seconds from 185 degrees