No Swell Paddle Day

Friday, July 10

Around 3:45PM I noticed that the usual afternoon wind had not yet made a showing. With the lack of any significant, or even moderate southwesterly swells in our swell window, and a relatively weak northwest wind blowing up tiny waves, I grabbed my stuff and my Angulo custom SUP and headed to Sarge's for a paddle.

Conditions were nice when I arrived at the gate a half hour later. The usual dozen or so kids and parents were having fun playing in the sand and small shore break, or just chatting and enjoying the warmth of the wind stilled cove. I made it down to the water's edge, did my warm ups and stretches, and launched out into a clear jade green pocket cove, looking down into three to five feet of visibility, impossible when a swell is running, but always a special gift when it's flat.

The wind stayed light on the first half of the paddle, up to the point and around the corner. But on the homeward bound leg it kicked up fast from the southeast. The white buffalo were on the move outside the kelp beds.

A few people were out surfing, grabbing the little peelers making their way through the kelp and the high, but falling tide. Dad on his SUP and his son and daughter on their longboards were having a lot of fun at GDubs when I paddled through.

By the time I got out and was shoulder carrying my board through the cut in the cliffs on my way up to the park, I had to be careful not to get blown off my feet. The wind wails through that gap, especially a south wind and I try to keep visions of my board being ripped out of my grip and then fluttering down the 60 feet to the beach and rocks below at bay.

Summer in this beach town is always fun, mainly just because it's Summer. Sure, it's more crowded but it's hard to get mad at people who are having a good time with their families. Selfishly, I'm glad they're here. One, it makes me glad I don't live right in town, but far enough away to be removed from the traffic and the hordes of people as they have that good time. And also because I know that in only a few weeks they'll all be gone, just as the best part of our more northerly latitude dog days get going. Then we'll have it to ourselves again...for a little while.
July 10, 2009 (F)

In: 1640
Out: 1740
AT= 66.4-63.6F
WT= 53.5F
Wx: Sunny
Tide: 3.7' Falling
Wind: 4-5mph southeast at launch increasing to 4 with gusts at 10mph
Sea Surface: Light to moderate wind ripples inside the kelp bed

10-0 Angulo EPS/Epoxy Custom SUP with Infinity Ottertail carbon fiber paddleFin set-up: Thruster with K2D2 4.75" center fin (fourth mark up from back) and RFC Speedwings
Bathymetry: Rock reefs and sand
Deep Water Swell and Wave Face Heights CDIP Archive
Buoy: NWS (Farshore*)
Time NDBC Data (approx.) CDIP Data
1600: 2.2 feet @ 8.0 (305) and 1.9 @ 14 (170) (1-2 ft. wave faces)
1700: 2.1 feet @ 8.0 (305) and 2.1 @ 14 (165) (1-2 ft. wave faces)
1800: 1.9 feet @ 8.0 (310) and 2.1 @ 14 (170) (1-2 ft. wave faces)