Paddle Some-Surf Some-Talk Story

Eric and I headed out from Sarge's pocket beach at 0730. Monsoonal type clouds were drifting through the CWA which made for a beautiful, blue sky with puffy white cumulus cloud start to the day.

Nothing really exciting was showing on the buoys, or the cdip images, but surf was in the 1-3 foot range and conditions were good. There was already a light southwesterly wind blowing which never really let up, but it didn't get worse until the fog blew in a couple hours into the session. Usually it's the other way around, fog first then clearing, but today it was the opposite. Forecasting surf is a cinch compared to forecasting wind and fog. Even the NWS gets it wrong a lot.

Tide was low at launch, and bottomed out at 0830. The incoming tide may have given us a boost, but surf was inconsistent. There's a small combo swell in the water, weak energy from the S/SW and a nearshore windswell. Wave trains were acting more like they were from the northwesterly quadrant than the south, except for the long waits for sets, which is characteristic of south swell. Surprisingly, there were a few nice sets every once in a while, and people were getting some good rides. Lot's of people out this morning for some reason. Too crowded for conditions. We paddled through all the spots from Sarge's to the point and picked up waves at every spot.

One of the great things about stand up paddling and surfing is the flexibility and variety of activities you can do. Paddle some, then surf some, then paddle some more. And along the way, from spot to spot, just chatting about the day, about the job, the family, the surf, whatever. It's such a great way to spend a few hours on the water, getting fit, relaxing, and having fun.

Did I say...Life is Good!
Aug 6, 2008 (W)
In: 0725
Out: 1015
AT= 56 - 65F
WT= 54F at the nearshore buoy
Wx: Clear, bright and sunny to foggy
Tide: 1.57 Falling to 1.38 Rising to 2.11
Wind: Briefly calm to light southwest
Sea Surface: Glassy to Light wind ripples
Buoy: NWS
0700: 2.0 feet @ 16 S
0800: 2.3 feet @ 16 S
1100: 2.6 feet @ 14.8 SW
10'4" Angulo SUP with Infinity paddle
Fin set-up: Thruster with K2D2 4.75" center fin and FCS Occy sides
Bathymetry: Rock reefs
CDIP: (0700 hours) 1.8 feet at 8 seconds from 305 degrees and 1.8 feet at 14 seconds from 190 degrees