Surprized By Size

In something of a surprise, the swell jumped back up (starting yesterday) and delivered a morning full of fun waves in the chest to head high range. None of the data producers that I was interpreting were putting up numbers that indicated the surf was going to be this big or this good. Surf height was running 4-6 feet at 8-10 seconds NW, i.e. genuine wind swell. The far shore buoy was recording consistent winds at 19-25 knots, i.e. wind swell. The CDIP at 0900 hours was showing more west in the wind swell, so perhaps it was getting in the bay better than the steeper NW. But the kicker just might have been the background south swell that was showing up sporadically on the nearshore and farshore buoy, as well as being consistently reported on the CDIP. Good waves were coming in ones and threes. But the set waves were mackin' with power and shape at seven to eight per set.

While I was expecting some decent rides in the early low tide morning session, I just didn't know it was going to be decent plus 10! I was amazed to find Sarge's parking lot full and spaces on the street filling up when I arrived at 0610 hours. Obviously someone knew what was going on! Jamie was suiting up and even he was a bit surprised and he is one of the most knowledgeable surf forecaster locals around. Everyone was paddling out to Sarges (already seven peeps in the water) so I headed down coast to my favorite little stretch of reefs.

Al's Reef looked good so I started there and promptly slipped of the tail on my first wave (which came over a lot faster and steeper than I expected). It was cold with water at 52 degrees and air at 50. Things got better from there though and I established a pattern for the juicier sets. I got a couple at Yellow House and then the first eight wave set rolled through. Rides were sectioning on the reef but contiguous in that I'd ride the second or third wave of the set from Yellow House to Apt. House Point. Then pick the fourth or fifth wave of the set up at the Point and ride to Arboles. Then pick the end waves of the set up and ride past Dicks. Sectiony, but you could string together rides like that for a total of three or four rides, totaling three to five hundred yards. Sweet!

It was amazing to see high quality peelers rolling through looking so pretty and perfect and no one out but me! When the tide came up a bit more, Al's Reef started going off, putting up a steep and speedy section across Prow Point and into the Yellow House take off spot. This yielded a long, faster walled up ride, where you could trim in the hook and climb and drop all along the fast moving wall.

After two and a half hours I was getting cold and tired and my feet were numb. The crowd at Sarges had all gotten out and gone to work except for Dave on his stand up, and a couple longboarders. I paddled over to say hi and take one in and stayed for another hour. By this time and with the tide getting even higher, the quality multi-wave sets were 20 to 25 minutes apart, and getting longer. The longboarders headed in and Sam and John joined us on their stand ups. At the three and a half hour mark I called it a day and headed in, leaving the still powerful sets to my stand up bro's.
June 16, 2008 (M)
In: 0620
Out: 0950
AT= 51.6 degrees
WT= 50.5-52.2 degrees at the nearshore buoy
Wx: Overcast with inversion layer at 1500 to 2000 feet
Tide: .24 Rising to 2.94
Wind: Calm to SE and SW at 4 mph
Sea Surface: Glassy to light wind ripples
Buoy: NWS
0500: 5.6 feet @ 9.1 NW
0600: 4.9 feet @ 10 WNW
0700: 6.6 feet @ 9.1 NW
1200: 6.6 feet @ 10 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: 3.7 feet at 10 seconds from 290 degrees and 2.4 feet at 17 seconds from 200 degrees