SUPsplosion II

Late Post for Monday June 9, 2008
The south swell that's currently feeding the surf lust of the SoCalians is trying hard to make it into our little corner of the surfing world, but unlike the little train that could...it can't. Not yet anyway. But the weather is mega-killer with temps in the high 80's/low 90's so I decided to take a paddle and trunk-it all the way.

So just before I left I got a call from Garrett who's doing a story on SUP surfing for the Metro Santa Cruz, a local hometown weekly, wanting to know if I could hook up with him for an interview for the paper, and SUP lesson. (Garrett's buddy Hunter works at Freeline Surf Shop and referred him to me. The shop loaned him a SUP.) Garrett said he was on a short deadline, suggested today and that worked for me. Stand up paddleboarding...everyone wants to know about it.

Garrett and Pete met me at Sarge's for an interview, a SUP lesson and a little paddle/surfing in that order. Garrett did good (like all young surfers do) and took to stand up like a duck to water. I managed to stay dry in the small, high tide swamped waves over at GDubs and Pete said he got some pics. Everybody happy, everybody wins!

Surf was inconsistent and soft but a few sets surprised me with some speedy short walls inside. Wind was persistent out of the southeast and the body as sail was in effect. Hard to tell if the small south was showing, or just wind swell. There wasn't much, but there was something and good exercise to boot. Promised M I'd be home for dinner at 1800 and I almost was.
June 9, 2008 (M)
In: 1630
Out: 1730
AT= 84 to 70 degrees
WT= 52 degrees at the nearshore buoy
Wx: Sunny with clear blue skies
Tide: Peaked at 4.5 feet
Wind: ESE at 3-7 mph
Sea Surface: Light to moderate wind rippling
Buoy: NWS
1600: 4.9 feet @ 8.3 NW
1700: 5.2 feet @ 9.1 NW
1800: 3.9 feet @ 9.1 NW
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: 2.6 feet at 8 seconds from 300 degrees and 2.1 feet at 17 seconds from 205 degrees

Post for Tuesday June 10, 2008
I arrived a little after 0700 to meet up with the boyz for a Tuesday AM group paddle. I was greeted by a pick-up unloading three or four SUPs and my bro's already out in the water. By the time I got down to the launch there were 11 stand up paddlers in the water. (SUPsplosion!)

Although the wind is up out of the NW with a tight gradient from Arcata to SF, it wasn't clearing out the fog which was teasing the coast until it finally gave up about 0930. Surf was running about thigh to chest high on the biggest sets. I paddled over from Sarge's to GDubs right out of the gate and rode off peak for a couple hours. Sam was over there, and the main peak was populated with pronies. That group of mostly shortboarders thinned after about 45 minutes, but it was still fairly crowded for the quality of surf and conditions, which weren't great with a steady SW wind driving the diaphanous fog and putting light mottling on the sea surface.

If there was south in the swell, or just wind swell, the waves weren't lining up right and were very sectiony. Even at a higher tide (it was dropping) the kelp was bothersome. On my best wave of the morning I got thrown off riding through a patch of kelp. I paddled over to Sarge's to go in and took a couple really sectioned waves there and then one into the beach.

(Comparing the well data from yesterday, this morning and yesterday, it looks like the wind swell is picking up a bit. Not surprising since the NWS has issued a wind advisory for the North Bay counties. With pressure gradients tightening even more, the wind is forecast to come around and blow offshore, therefore a fire weather watch is in effect. For fighting fires this is bad, for surfing...not that bad. At any rate, the northerly winds probably won't blow directly offshore here, they'll blow down coast and hopefully enhance our chances for some good waves in the short term.)

Just about everyone out this morning are guys I know. Mo, Jeff, Mash and his friend, John were also enjoying the morning. It must have been the perfect SUP storm (SUPsplosion). Andy from Coeur D'Alene Idaho was out with his longtime friend (since kindergarten) also named Andy. Idaho Andy SUPs the lakes up there. Who knows if the sport is going to continue to blow up like this all summer and then taper off for the winter, or just keep exploding?
June 10, 2008 (Tu)
In: 0730
Out: 0930
AT= 53.6 to 65.2 degrees
WT= 52 degrees at the nearshore buoy
Wx: Light fog to clearing
Tide: 2.4 Falling to 0.85
Wind: SW at 1-4 mph
Sea Surface: Calm in the kelp to light wind rippling
Buoy: NWS
0800: 4.9 feet @ 9.1 NW
0900: 6.6 feet @ 9.1 NW
1000: 6.6 feet @ 9.1 NW
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: 6.1 feet at 10 seconds from 320 degrees and 1.6 feet at 17 seconds from 185 degrees