SRFNFF

Some Overhead Surf Plus the GoPro Hero 2 and Canon SX40

2012-01-26T17:39:00.000-08:00

January 24, 2012 - I hadn't been surfing for a week, kept out by a nice series of wet, nearshore storms that dumped over four inches of needed rain in our area. The storm swell that pushed in overhead surf was slowly fading, but it was still showing 10 ft. at 12 seconds WNW early this morning. Even though the tide was pushing towards being too high, I could still get a few waves, and finally field test the new GoPro Hero 2 Surf I purchased from Amazon a week ago.

My Olympus Stylus Tough died it's final death and the extended warranty expired. I've had it three years, it's old technology and I planned to replace it as soon as it died anyway. The Kodak Playsport Zx3, which is my front line water camera, may now become my backup water cam if the GoPro camera works out. My biggest concern was whether or not the GoPro could be used like I use my Playsport, i.e. looped around my neck and tucked into my front zip wetsuit. Second biggest concern was field of vision. The GoPro Hero 2 has the capability of videoing with a 127 degree field of view (1080-30 fps setting ONLY) and the 170 degree field. There is no zoom, so 170 degrees is too wide angle to get any kind of a decent look at the surfers surfing. In the video embedded here, the first clip and the water shots are the GoPro, the rest of the video is my land based Canon SX40 (850mm zoom) bridge camera, which shoots still and video images.

I was pleased that the GoPro did in fact tuck into the flap of my front zip wetsuit, exactly like the Kodak Playsport. Even though the GoPro is much thicker, it fits, and it's not terribly uncomfortable. I can pull it out to shoot fairly quickly and even though there is no video screen or viewfinder, results are satisfactory just by pointing it at the subject. Retrieving and stowing either camera is about the same. There is no image stabilization with the GoPro which is too bad. The IS feature of the Zx3 is limited. (The Kodak Zx5, the next generation Playsport has IS, but serious water tight door issues which makes it a no buy.) You can judge for yourself as to image quality and stability by watching the video.

The GoPro Hero 2 is expensive. I paid a little over $300 for the camera. The Kodak Playsport Zx3 is a bargain at a bit more than one-third the GoPro price and is probably my choice for best overall hobbyist waterproof video camera. I've never really like the GoPro wide angle (170 degree) field of vision for most surfing videos except when utilized in the barrel. That is a unique view that only a wide angle can appreciate. But it is a specialty shot for a certain purpose and used indiscriminately is boring and unrealistic. To me, the best surfing films/videos/stills are those that look like what you see with your own eyes. We don't see in wide angle vision. Therefore, the 127 degree field of view is a real plus which does approximate one's natural vision. But is it worth owning (almost) three brand new Playsports?

The Zx3 has a zoom feature, the main drawback of which is the poor focus (especially in low light) when you zoom in on your subject. Secondly, it is often quite difficult to keep the subject in frame while standing on my board when zoomed in from the wider angle start up setting. The GoPro has no zoom, but with the previous statement that may be a moot point for in water shooting.

The GoPro gives me more flexibility in that I can attach it to my board. The GP Surf comes with two adhesive (stick down) camera mounts which could be placed on nose and tail. The camera can be mounted and aimed forwards or backwards, and adjusted up or down as desired on each mount. As previously stated, this camera mount "view" has limited appeal to me. I hesitate to use it becasue if I return the camera I need to send all the parts back and removing a mount from my board would no doubt destroy it. Turning the camera on and off while mounted on the board takes time and can't be done quickly so getting that shot you want would either be impossible or would require you to leave the camera turned on all or most of the time. Therefore spontaneity would be lost and editing a continuous, one-hour long plus video clip is tedious and time consuming.

Quality wise it would seem that the GoPro is far superior. Placing the small camera inside it's own custom made water proof housing seems to me to be nearly bomb proof. I've already had my Playsport in for warranty repair twice and haven't owned it for a year yet. But this was more or less planned. I figured that this inexpensive water proof camera wasn't really going to last long and that I would replace it after the warranty expired. I would then get the benefit of whatever technology upgrade Kodak put into the camera. This still seems like a good idea to me, the wild card now being Kodak's recent declaration of bankruptcy. I don't know how this will play out for this series of cameras, or if they will even continue it.

As you can see, there are pros and cons to each camera. As of this writing, I'm not convinced that the GoPro is worth the price for what I would be getting. If you have a minute, and an opinion, let me know what you think.

Covewater Winter Sale!

2012-01-26T13:23:00.000-08:00

Check it out here!

Evolution of the mini-Simmons

2012-01-18T16:17:00.000-08:00

Elwell on Simmons

Cold Weather Skunking

2012-01-17T17:23:00.000-08:00

January 17, 2012 - 26 degrees at my house this morning and it wasn't a whole lot warmer at the beach. I waited for some solar gain knowing it would be damn cold anyway. I checked the beaches, drove all the way down to Nomoco's and checked the spots in between. Nothin' shakin' really. Nothin' that could get me into the water this frigid January morning.

But gettin' out has it's upsides. The good weather is soon to be a notation in the history books as rain is finally on it's way. Might as well enjoy what's left of it. Driving through the ag fields yielded a surprise when I came upon the flower growers frozen flower and heather beds. Sprinklers and icy coats on overnight. Keepin' it alive in the south county.

Bob was out with a couple other surfers down south. I watched for a fairly long while. He picked up one wave and came in. That definitely wasn't enough motivation. A few upcoast barrels tried to lure me out and if it wasn't so cold I might have taken the bait. But not today.

Swell could pick up some tomorrow. Maybe I'll try again before the rain and wind starts.

Friday Jan. 14 Just Another Winter Day

2012-01-14T21:07:00.000-08:00

Friday January 14, 2012 - The new WNW swell was starting to fill in but not fast enough for the dawn patrol. Town was small and soft so I headed to the beaches. But there the tide was too low, so I made the rounds, snapped some shots and decided to go home to wait for a higher tide as the morning aged.

Weather around here has been remarkable, spectacular, rare, even unprecedented. There are not enough superlatives to adequately describe our "Winter". Clear, bright, offshore mornings followed by light winds all day, leading into magnificent sunsets. Even if I hadn't surfed yet, it felt good to be out and about. A few hours later the tide was right and like MacArthur, I returned.

From the overlook it seemed make-able, all I had to do was get out through a building swell that was very consistent. The first bar I chose was wrong. But I soldiered on, waiting in the shore pound (it felt like forever) for a break in the incoming lines of waves and foam before I finally sprinted out the back, prone style laying on my paddle. There was a lot of water moving around and the sea surface was chaotic with motion. Cautiously assessing the line-up and my position in it, I paddled for two smaller waves that didn't break. Not cautious enough, for I was impossibly too far inside to make it over the first of sixteen close-outs that essentially washed me back up on shore only slightly humiliated. There weren't a lot of surfers out, and there were plenty who didn't want any of this today.

Not wanting to indulge in the insanity of repeating this first mistake, I got out and walked down to a bar Ron mentioned in a conversation last week. I talked myself into thinking it was smaller there and that a channel existed. Again, I waited in the nearshore white water until a break in the action let me paddle out untouched and into a peaceful deep green sea that was mirror smooth. No rough water here. From the land I had watched a small right hander break cleanly into a deep spot where the wave shoulder flattened. A rider could ease out over that section without getting pummeled. Again I cautiously assessed my position in the line-up, trying to avoid my first mistake. So far I had no waves ridden in this session but a lot of board handling in turbulent white water. Experience is good.

I clearly heard the pod of four dolphins before I saw them. They approached from the east as I was paddling hard for the horizon which had suddenly blossomed into a bolt of corduroy. It is always startling to hear their distinct, loud and somehow out of place exhalations which one almost always experiences before the sighting. I remember thinking that I'd rather not hit one while paddling, which would surely knock me off my board and put me way behind where I needed to be to avoid the wrath of the much more menacing incoming entities which I now faced. (A flash of hubris probably not altogether uncommon for a land based mammal.) I noted how large these particular animals were as I paddled up and over the first wave, butt low and knees bent pushing through the nearly cascading crest of the already formed lip. I pressed on more vigorously, heading for the next two of eight which looked bigger than the one I had just barely crossed over. These large sets were immensely delivered closeouts, too big and unrideable. But the smaller sets that threaded their way in between the larger, were just right.

Waiting, assessing and dodging, I picked up a half dozen screamingly fast right-handers sporting quick pitching lips with steep faces. The SIMSUP OSX3 gets up to speed in a flash and with Controllers humming adjacent to that first acceleration, I was able to make the drops, where fins and edges securely sped me into a soft spot on the wave down the line. From there a quick glance out the back for more of Poseidon's parallel arrows, then either turn up and over the slumping shoulder and paddle hard out the back, or turn down face for more. The best waves would allow you to slide down the smaller portion of the wave where it would then break. Riding the tumbling white water shoreward put you into the reform and a decent left that gave way to a deep spot prior to the nearshore and explosive final moments of that solely unique and particular wave's life. Here, ten yards offshore, there was a hole in the sand bottom which was for all intents and purposes, tranquil and safe. Wait it out and paddle back out for the next one.

Two hours later I found myself padding back upcoast, looking for a peak that would place me just where I wanted to be to get out of the water. I took the first (and smallest) overhead wave of the set and rode in towards the beach, but not nearly as far as I'd hoped. I took the next five on the head which washed me like a ship wrecked sailor up on the sand.

Sessions like this one feel more like a workout than a surf, mentally and physically. Vigilance is as important as surfing well, especially when one is SUP surfing. There is no duck diving a SUP, even a lightweight 15 pound, eight foot SUP like the OSX3. And in tricky surf, like today, how you approach the ocean is much like playing a game of chess. Forethought, planning, knowledge and experience are important. The consequences of laziness in thought or activity are not guaranteed to be profound or enjoyable. But heightened awareness leads to an extra jolt of adrenalin and mental focus that always, ultimately, adds to the experience of losing yourself in the moment. And that simple, usually fleeting experience, is what keeps surfers coming back for more.

It is a feeling of satisfaction, exhilaration and peace that saturates my soul and being after a day like today which is alive with true natural power and energy. Only a few can really enjoy it in this way. Lucky and blessed am I, are we who surf, love and respect the ocean.

EPIC! One-Day WNW Swell

2012-01-14T09:24:00.000-08:00

Monday January 9, 2012 - This was by far the biggest, the best and least crowded swell of the 2011/12 season. None of the forecasters got this one right so there was very little hype and publicity. At least half of the sparse crowd out in the water had no clue. The best waves were easy pickin's and no hassle. Most of the surfers in the line-up were sitting too far outside and were just as glad to let the big ones go by anyway. It was a field day for those who knew what they were doing. Conditions were perfect. Clear, glassy and warm with light offshores.

When I was out (3:30 - 5:30P) the biggest waves were not necessarily the longest rides but there were many solid 350 yard, 6-8 ft. waves in the mix. The best strategy was to post up at the Yellow House Point take-off and wait. Taking an early wave usually meant getting caught in the white water (whether you kicked out or bailed) no matter where you ended up on the playing field. That location would vary depending upon where the wave closed out or sectioned out. But if you made it into or close to the pier (a 600 yard ride!) your best bet was to get out, walk to the down-current side of the wharf and wait for a lull. Then paddle back out along and around the end of the pier making sure to clear all the monofilament in the water from the fisherpeeps on the wharf.

How easy was it to get side-tracked on your way out the back to Yellow House by an incoming set? Real easy, but you'd only get a 350 yard ride.....awwww, poor baby. This is what happened to me near dark. I ended up getting one of my best waves of the day just as it got too dark for me to see any longer. I turned off the wave face and slid the whitewash into Pooper's as the pier loomed up in front of me. It was too dark to paddle back so I climbed the stairs and walked back to my car at Sarges. Got dressed and arrived at one of the overlooks just as this gigantic full moon was peeking above the mountain horizon. Just an incredible weather and surf day. Video is using my backup waterproof cam which has some severe limitations compared to the Kodak. Still shots are from my Canon SX40 bridge camera.

Two New Year's WNW Swells

2012-01-09T12:11:00.000-08:00

Tuesday January 3, 2012 - First swell of the new year, and the first of two back-to-back WNW "larger" swells. The hallmark of both these swell events was not wave quality, but crowd quantity. I've never surfed with so many people in the L. It was, in fact, what everyone was talking about. Perhaps it was the "perfect storm" of school holiday, decent waves, unemployment, furlough days and early retirement. At any rate, things may never be the way they were. That said, I surfed a full 2.5 hour session at Tweeners and Sarges, taking down quite a few waves for how crowded it was.

Friday, January 6, 2012 - This was the second of the two, much over-hyped and under delivered BIG swells that slowly made landfall on the 5th. It was a bigger swell and it's saving grace was a lot of west in the swell. While it was bigger, it was far from big. Surf was consistently in the chest/head range with overhead waves in many of the sets. With all the west in the swell Yellow House and Poopers opened up and while it was small there, it was way less crowded than the spots up-coast. I surfed Apartment House Point for about half of my 3.5 hour session and got a lot of waves, all in the waist/chest range with maybe a very occasional head high peeler. While the rides were relatively short, there were open faces and whackable lips which made for energetic, roller coaster surfing, which I like. Near evening the surf dropped off with the incoming tide and I paddled back up to Sarges to take one in. I ended up staying there for an hour as the surf had really picked up in quality. In a word, it was firing. Clean, fast, chest/head spinners from the point to the nudie beach and beyond. It was probably the best I've surfed there this season. My Kodak Playsport Zx3 screen went black though. Same problem I had fixed under warranty last April. It's still under warranty and it's off to United Camera repair on Monday. Can't complain, it's the best and cheapest little waterproof video cam I've tried and they've backed it up twice now. I'll just replace it after the warranty expires, which I had planned to do anyway. The short vid is what I got before the screen went out.

Back To Back WNW Swells

2011-12-30T14:51:00.000-08:00

The L finally got a couple decent swells with enough west in them to get into the bight. The bigger ground swell was a nice Christmas Eve day gift that put up waist to chest/shoulder high waves and the occasional overhead bomb. These were both short duration swells, one-day swells, and while the second had some west in it too, it was much smaller, more like wind swell.

Hard to say that I didn't get all of the first swell, I paddled out at noon and rode my last wave in five hours later in the rapidly decaying daylight. I surfed just about every spot in the L41, concentrating on Sarges and Middies but also taking down a few at GDubs and all the way down to Yellow House. The SIMSUP OSX3 performed flawlessly as usual, and I am just loving this board the more I surf it. It is the best all around SUP surfboard I've ever owned by far. The fact that I helped design it with Kirk of L41 Surfboards is just icing on the cake. Rumor has it that we might get some BIG NPAC swells early in the new year and I can hardly wait to put this board into some double overhead mackers. (My personal large size limit if I can help it.) If it goes good in the big surf then it will truly be a full spectrum all-rounder.

The day after Christmas the surf was about half-size compared to the 24th. There was less juice, less energy overall and the waves were much softer. Still, in the low, low tides there were a lot of fast, zippy walls and sections to negotiate. I love those quick burst speed runs, steering the board along the energy lines, swooping under the falling crests and jamming off the top on the other side. Gotta love it.

Maybe I'm surfing more this year but the holiday crowds have been thick. Without a doubt I've never surfed with more people in the water at the same time than these past two swells. Even though it's packed it's kinda hard to complain. There are so many moms and dads with their kids out surfing, and everyone is having such a great time. Smiles are all around and hey, there's always another wave.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!

L41 Surfboards Original SIMSUP Online

2011-12-12T14:00:00.000-08:00

One of the most rewarding things I've been able to do in my journey along the SUP trail is to help design and bring to life my own unique SUP surfboard. I didn't do it for financial gain, but for the satisfaction, fun and knowledge I've gained along the way.

So I'm happy to announce the L41 Surfboards Original SIMSUP website, now online. There is lot's of information, videos and still pics for everyone to enjoy. The SIMSUP is a design that has it's roots back in 1949 when Bob Simmons was designing original and creative surfboards to ride big waves. Fast forward to our current era and Joe Bauguess, who adapted Simmons ideas and created the mini-Simmons. It has been my privilege to work with another great shaper, Kirk McGinty, who has enthusiastically put his energy, progressive mindset, prolific shaping skills and knowledge into the SIMSUP series.

The SIMSUP is fast, maneuverable, short and stable. The fastest and funnest SUP I've ever ridden. Once ridden, the SIMSUP has been known to be mind altering. You'll never see SUP surfing the same. Check it out.
L41 Shaper Kirk Rides the SIMSUP OSX3 from Srfnff on Vimeo.

Long Period Mid-Month NW Swell

2011-12-12T10:25:00.000-08:00

Surfed Simmy 3 at the usual spots in dropping long period NW swell. As big as it was in Hawaii (think the Pipe contest), it just didn't translate here very well, especially in the L41. I surfed it in the afternoon, in the low tide where it was fast and racy with a fair number of closeouts. Surfed for an hour and a half before I got smacked in the jaw by my board punching through some whitewater. It hurt and at first I thought it might have broken my jaw. But it only opened up a small compression laceration which slowly dripped blood down on the deck. It partially nailed my throat and I felt like I'd been strangled so I decided that it was session over. I'd actually taken down a large number of waves, chasing down a bunch of insiders in between sets so I was tired. Fun session not including the injury.

Two Days at the Beaches

2011-12-07T14:48:00.001-08:00

Nothing like a shark attack to clear the water of crowds. Then add in early morning temps in the mid to high 30's and a solid 3-8 mph offshore wind dragging the chill factor down even lower. The only takers these last few days have been the SUP brethren. And in all honesty the sand bars aren't as good as they could be, but there have been plenty of waves on offer...enough to wear me out to the point of taking a day off from the barrels, the poundings and the vigorous workouts.

Monday Al, Paul and Mike were already out in the water by the time I rolled into the lot. It was cold, 38 degrees. I arrived in my new Hotline integrated hood Reflex which has been keeping me toasty in the line-up ever since Winter set in. Add in the three mil gloves and booties and I've been staying amazingly warm. Funny how a brisk offshore wind in 3-something degree air temps will give you an ice cream headache when it hits you in the face. It's making the 54 degree water feel almost warm.

This stretch of beach faces the open ocean and even when it's small it never fails to deliver the juice. Back wash, side chop, rips, littoral currents, double ups, pitching lips, apex predators, late drops into a freezing headwind...it's all here. It gets almost manageable when the surf drops into the 2-4 foot range like Tuesday. But even then you'll get held down in the places that just don't look that wild.

The sand bars are not nearly as symmetrically placed as last years, but it never ceases to amaze me how the bars usually reform in about the same places from year to year. This year seems more shifty and beach breaks being beach breaks what looks like a channel for one set, is the next sets close outs. Wait long enough though, and it's bound to change.

Paul got some of that Monday after we all left the water, having had enough for one session. I had one exceptional wave, overhead with a steep drop and long racing face with a barrel section to end it. I got plowed under at the finale, and that wasn't the first time that session either. But Paul soldiered on (his day off) and was rewarded by about 45 minutes worth of screaming, lined up lefts (see the slideshow) with the occasional tube. He surfed wave after wave after wave, all by himself. Then, it just stopped. The peak he was on started lining up and closing out and that was that. Not sure if it's an abundance of balls, or a lack of brains that keeps someone out in the landlord's neighborhood alone, but I did it Tuesday and I've got neither. Well, maybe I'm not even as smart as I think I'd like to be.

It must have been my turn to get the blessing on a right-hander. Mike, Bob and John had their fill after about an hour and a half, but I stayed out just as the little sand bar pile we were riding came alive for 45 minutes or so. I rode the wave merry-go-round until my legs were aching. I finally paddled in, pretty much exhausted after almost two and half hours but absolutely invigorated. The air and the water were crystal clear. The sky was deep blue and the hump back up the steep sand dunes had me gulping some of the cleanest air on the planet. Not that I don't think about it, the toothy ruler that betrays the beauty we can see on top of the sea surface. But if we let our fears dictate our lives then we really wouldn't be alive in the deepest sense of the word. But for today, it was another good session and the landlord left me alone....again.

SIMSUP 3 - First Paddle & Surf

2011-11-21T11:03:00.001-08:00

SIMSUP #3, the third in the series of high performance SUP surfboards is by far the most radical of what is already a radical concept and design in stand up paddleboards. The SIMSUP series tends to bend the term "paddleboard" into a form that may not look quite "right," but when surfed transforms the mind vis a vis SUP surfboards.

The Original SIMSUP was a collaboration between L41 Surfboards Kirk McGinty and myself. The idea was to design and build a fast and maneuverable SUP surfboard that was also stable. The Original SIMSUP succeeded beyond our expectations. Each successive SIMSUP has been tweaked with performance enhancements in mind. SIMSUP 2 surfed better than #1, and was a bit less stable. SIMSUP 3 surfs better than #1 & 2 and is a bit less stable than 2. Any competent SUP surfer who has their 9'+ SUP chops down can ride SIMSUP 1 and be blown away by how the equipment will radicalized their surfing. The ability level must increase to take on SIMSUPs 2 & 3. But the awesomeness of what can be done on the advanced SIMSUP designs will never the less alter the surfers consciousness forever. At least this is what happened to me. Frankly, I'm as surprised as anyone that the SIMSUP series works as well as it does. But I am genuinely stoked and looking forward to many fun sessions in the future.

SIMSUP 3 (Simmy 3) first impressions:

Definitely tippier, I'm guessing due to a little less volume overall, especially in the rails. Perhaps it's light weight contributes in that the ocean can throw it around a bit easier. Anyway...I'll get used to it but it does require more energy to balance at rest, paddling through breaking waves, etc.
Surfs better than SimSups 1 & 2. Performance is impressive. For the stability it loses paddling, it gains it all back surfing. It's fast, sticks really well on top to bottom transitions in steep waves, does directional changes (180 turnbacks) like it's on a hinge (absolutely amazing) and handles foam better than any SUP I've ever ridden. I was able to ride a couple bigger waves from takeoff in front of the cave almost to the beach below that staircase at In-Betweens....a real Energizer Bunny, it just keeps going and going.
Waxed deck. I like it because it has the feel of a traditional surfboard, I feel more rooted to the board and connected to the waves. No slipping issues re paddling or surfing. I don't like it cuz it's kinda messy like wax can be. When I got out I had wax all over my paddle blade and handle...not bad really, but I had to wipe if off. (Maybe a less anally retentive person wouldn't be as perplexed.)
Weight. At 15.2 pounds, a real plus...it seems to paddle faster and it has to contribute to how easily it responds in the waves. A game changer and a great option to "weigh" for future boards. Kudos to the boyz at the Stretch factory who did the glassing and the vacuum bagging. (Glassing sched: 6+6oz. deck, plus deck patch) and 4+6oz. bottom.)

Video: Length 3:25 (no surfing shots)

The "Real" Sharks

2011-11-16T15:42:00.000-08:00

Pulled into the "Shark Park" early and it looked doable, smaller than yesterday but lumpy due to the high winds in the outer waters. At first glance I didn't see SUP surfers Michael and Paul taking down quite a few rides in the waist/head high shifting peaks. Most rides were short and as befitting this place, there was a lot of water moving around.

Al hadn't arrived yet which gave me an opportunity to hang out and shoot some still and video with my new camera. After the obligatory research, I picked up a Canon Powershot SX40 HD with a 24 by 840mm optical lens. (The 840mm zoom is incredible. While the image stabilization feature is amazing, I found that for tight surfing video clips a tripod is an absolute necessity. Otherwise following the rider leads to wild picture wagging, and the subject goes in and out of frame constantly.) But the camera is really perfect for my use, which is primarily taking surf pics and vids. Since I didn't know much about the camera I put all settings on "Auto". What better way to test it down and dirty...and simple. I'm happy with what I got today and the camera will work well for my needs. (All the vids and still frames in the video are right out of the camera. No editing whatsoever.) You be the judge and if anyone out there has one of these, please feel free to send me any tips and tricks you might know. Thanks in advance.

Al arrived and gave me a short tutorial on the camera as he has a Canon very similar to it. Lots of the buttons do the same thing. So after fooling around with the camera we suited up and headed down the long sloping sand bluffs to the shore pound. I found a decent little channel and pushed through the ever present washing machine conditions shore break, out past the main pounders and into the line-up. With the rising tide it was starting to slow down and after picking up a few nice little right hand sliders it just stopped.

I paddled south where it was a bit smaller and breaking closer to shore. Wave choice was essential because there were a lot of close-outs the primary downside of which was a vigorous workout paddling back into what for lack of a better name was the line-up.

Not many people surfing this morning, just stand-ups at first, then a few prone paddlers trickling into the water after the sun heated things up. The surfing population has decreased here over the last several weeks due to a near fatal shark attack (Great White) that occurred recently. Things were really quiet immediately after the attack, but now most of the locals have returned and are undeterred by the predators that are natural to this environment, which is their hunting grounds.

We SUP surfers like to take some refuge in the thought that we are more protected from Sharks because we're standing up, offering a much smaller fleshy target than our lay-down brothers and sisters. But it's also interesting to note that Eric was hit paddling out, near shore and paddling through a breaking wave. That is the preferred method of paddling out at this beach break for both surfboards and SUP surfboards. Perhaps the size of the board has a bearing on the issue, but there's no "free pass" when it comes to Whitey. They just come with the territory and if one is afraid of sharks to the point where relaxing in the water is impossible, perhaps other spots less frequented by the alpha predators are the places to go.

After four waves (two of which were fast and fun, two of which were near perfect barrels that lined up 50 feet down the line and broke all at once) I decided to call it a day. Another beautiful morning on the Central Coast.

New Brighton/Sewer Peak Channel Round Trip and a Little Shark Talk

2011-11-15T11:01:00.001-08:00

Monday November 9, 2011 - Paddle session. Still feeling the effects of the cold virus I've had for over a week but after reaching the Hook, I elected to head up and out the Sewer Peak channel adn back. Headwinds outbound and inbound in famous New Brighton wind eddy form. Fought a side chop outside the big kelp bed, but it all cleared up across the Capitola Gap in the outer waters. 6.5 miles at around four and a half mph. I'll take it. Video link.(Time: 2:55)

Small Surf Day in Cool Fall Weather

2011-11-08T08:49:00.000-08:00

Monday November 7, 2011
It's really the best weather time of the year. While Spring is windy and Summer foggy, Fall and Winter provide lot's of clear, sunny days with spectacular sunrises and sunsets. Well yeah, it's a bit chilly, but nothing like New England. And yeah, we do tend to have a small great white shark population swimming around in our water from August to January but....what me worry? You've got a better chance of being killed or injured in your car....or on your bike.

Buried deep within this ongoing La Nina pattern have been several decent swells. A couple late season south swells have paid off big time with overhead surf and all the spots going off. And even though the storm track so far this year has been pushed way north, and the swells we've received are pretty steeply angled northwests, we've had one that put up some bombs at Mav's and several others that have delivered consistent head/overhead waves for those who are paying attention.

Last night's surf was one of those small windswell sessions that can be frustrating but fun. The tide was drained out when I paddled out and most of what was on tap was small, too fast and closing out along the reef. Wave quality improved as the tide came in, but by the time it got consistently better, it was almost dark. My best ride of the session was my last ride of the session. I call it a day as soon as I can't see the incoming waves very well. Conditions were rapidly moving in that direction so I gambled on getting a bigger wave by edging outside a bit, floating out past the main peak pack. It paid off as a two-wave set rolled in. I took the second and larger wave that just happened to peak up right where I was. Good timing, good luck.

Kirks (L41 Surfboards) Wave of the Day Last Friday

Shallow water over the reef caused by the low but rising tide caused the wave face to jump up quickly but let me turn down the line mid-face. SimmyD is no laggard and never lost a beat as I accelerated down the lengthening half-pipe like, stretched out line of wave face. It was a speed run that felt even faster with the easterly offshore wind blowing up the face of the wave and straight into my smiling hooded head. My board, the second iteration of the Original SIMSUP is made for this kind of surf. It's fast and loves the high line on steep and pitching sections. This wave put up three or four before I got into the flats where instead of closing out over the uneven rock piles in the reef, the wave just kept going. So did I, almost all the way to the beach at Middies.

That was definitely my longest ride of the day, and the longest ride I'd seen anyone get in the session. The SIMSUP is that perfect combination of speed, maneuverability, stability and high performance. It surfs like a shortboard but can still get every ounce of energy out of a wave, like surfing a much longer board.

By the time I hit the beach darkness was descending. Still plenty of time to get back up to the car and change out for the headlighted drive home. That last ride redeemed the entire session. It only took one wave. Only a surfer knows the feeling.

The Perfect 10 Paddle Day

2011-10-23T16:37:00.000-07:00

Saturday October 22, 2011 - We've had some pretty good weather on and off this October. And the beauty about a stand up quiver is the flexibility it gives you when there's surf, and when there isn't. Ron and I enjoyed a beautiful day paddling a six-mile route from New Brighton to Sewers and then back the low road through all the surf spots. We launched at 10:45, temp in the mid-60's and rising. It was boardshorts and ball caps all the way. The wind was light enough to keep us cool, while basking in the sun and paddling easy. On days like today you just have to say...THANK YOU! Every Trail track. Video (Time: 1:48)

HUGE Covewater SUP Sale & Swap Meet

2011-10-22T14:38:00.000-07:00

Don't miss out on the huge second annual Covewater Used SUP Sale and Swap Meet on October 29 & 30. There will be 35+ used boards for sale, AND a SUP Swap meet on Saturday. Click here for all the info. Do yourself a favor and check out the list of boards for sale. If you're looking for a new board, or to expand your existing quiver you've got to stop by and look it over. Oh yeah, NO TAX on used boards! Like Covewater on Facebook and be privy to the super secret pre-weekend sale. See ya there.

Jay Moriarity Paddle Out Memorial Re-Enactment

2011-10-15T17:15:00.000-07:00

Friday October 14, 2011 - Flatwater Paddle to the Jay Memorial Re-Enactment. On this most beautiful day the weather and the sea came together in balmy warm and calm agreement. It would be the perfect day to shoot the substratal scene in "Of Men and Mavericks," or, The Jay Movie. Every Trail Track link. Video link. (Time: 4:04 )

Simmy3 At The Cutters

2011-10-02T17:54:00.000-07:00

Sunday October 2, 2011
The next design iteration of the SIMSUP series is complete and the file's been emailed to the cutters. There are now three in the series: The Original SIMSUP; SimmyD (for Deuce as in #2); and the obvious next step, Simmy3. Each new board has yielded an increase in performance and a step forward in reaching the goal of creating a better board than the last board. The truth too though, is that each board is really an excellent stand alone SUP in it's own right.

The original SIMSUP was an idea I had after researching hull shapes and surfing craft that could provide speed and maneuverability in combination with stability. Stability could only be achieved by using a wider outline, but this usually at the expense of performance. Studying the early Simmons boards and the Baugess "mini-Simmons" boards, along with paipo boards which have been around since the beginning of surfing made me wonder if a SUP could be crafted using similar dimensions which would deliver what I was looking for: speed; stability and performance.

In collaboration with L41 shaper Kirk McGinty, the original SIMSUP was born. No SUP like it had ever been made so we didn't really know if it would work. This first SIMSUP was really all about plan shape. Would the paipo like, Bob Simmons inspired hull work on a short, 8 foot SUP? In spite of it's weight (resultant from it's overbuilt glassing schedule) the board was a huge success. It worked! The most important combination of criteria had been achieved, high performance maneuverability and stability.

After a number of months surfing the SIMSUP, I was anxious to move forward with the next version, SimmyD. Where could we take this design? How far could we move up the performance aspect of the board, and still maintain stability? We speculated that we could tweak the board in a couple ways and make improvements. One was weight. A lighter board would be more maneuverable, but would it lose drive and speed on down-the-line speed runs? I vacillated with this question, unable to decide between vacuum bagging or a conventional epoxy glassing schedule. In the end I took the half-step and went with a new and improved SUP glassing schedule Kirk's glassers had come up with. Materials were a consideration too. Instead of using two lb. eps, we went with one pound stringerless eps. The weight savings was substantial at four pounds. Kirk gave the design an update by adding more vee in the bottom and creating K-rails (s-rails) in order to reduce rail volume, making the board more hydrodynamic and more flexible transitioning rail-to-rail. Total volume shrunk by three liters (127L), an acceptably timid downsizing in my book. SimmyD was a major leap forward in performance with only a small loss in overall stability. Turning moved from a bit sluggish with the SIMSUP to quick and responsive with SimmyD. Perhaps most noticeable was the ability to slash turnbacks and re-entries. 180 degree hacks were no problem.

The primary volume savings was achieved with the k-rails which enhanced performance. There was though, some cost in stability. The reality is that there is always some cost in stability when you go smaller on a SUP. But the idea is to minimize the loss and maximize the gain. With reduced flotation at the rails, SimmyD is a bit more tippy than the SIMSUP, but the performance gains far outweigh the loss in stability which has been easy to overcome with time spent on the board. It's amazing what open mindedness, enthusiasm, commitment and adjustments in technique can achieve.

Simmy3 is what SimmyD could have been had I been a little braver. Being conservative by nature, I am most comfortable with small steps instead of recklessly gambling with a big leap. But who knows what we'll learn once Simmy3 is in the water? We've continued our fine tuning efforts by adding in several more performance characteristics and going even lighter. This time around we'll vacuum bag in an effort to achieve the lightest and most durable fiberglass shell available. We're pulling out another two liters of volume (125L for SimmyD) via the double winger tail re-design. Each wing will take off 1/2 inch, but total width at the tail block is only one inch less than the original plan shape. Again we're hoping this has minimal impact on stability, but prompts another maximum gain in performance. Kirk has also designed in a tad more vee in the tail, making it even easier to roll the board over on rail. I'm now convinced that the lighter in weight a board can be, the better it will paddle and surf. Simmy3 will forgo the conventional SUP deck pad in favor of a surfboard-like waxed surface. This board should then be "state of the art" in weight savings re conventional production.

Creating the SIMSUP and fine tuning the design in versions 2 and 3 has been exciting and fun. It's also satisfying to imagine something, then see it become reality. I would urge anyone who wants to give this board a try to contact me and we'll set something up. If you like it half as much as I do, you'll love it.

Bark Paddle Workout, EveryTrail App Info & Dry Case Update

2011-09-16T10:08:00.000-07:00

Thursday September 15, 2011
I checked the surf at the dawn patrol only to find that the south swell was pretty much gone and the northwest swell was pretty weak. A nagging onshore wind crumbled the tops of what waves did come through, it was overcast and gloomy and looked like a better day for a paddle workout than a surf. So that's what I did.

I paddled up to Sewer Peak and back from New Brighton, taking the low route. A distance of about 5.3 miles. I didn't push it, stopping to talk with Boots, take a little vid, and just enjoy the soul centering physical rhythm, cadence and work of a steady paddle on the rolling sea, the wilderness that is 50 yards offshore.

NB-SP Low RT 9-15-2011

For EveryTrail app (or GPS) freaks I learned something interesting. I upgraded my smartphone from an LG Vortex to a Motorola Droid X2, a much better Android OS phone. But the EveryTrail tracking app constantly malfunctioned, and would not track my paddles on the new phone. Long story short, I found out that if you keypad in *228 and then select option 2, you will update roaming. (Verizon is my carrier.) This puts your phone in contact with the best cell phone signal available in the area, which your GPS needs in order to work. Which it seemed to do because I had no trouble tracking today's paddle. This might be a trick one could use in areas with chronically bad cell phone reception, although I haven't tried it yet.

Finally, I bought a Dry Case for my phone in May and it has slowly deteriorated over the last several months. At first it wouldn't hold a vacuum, then the top of the case tore at the latch seam, then finally the body of the case grew a pinhole that you could see through and I could not use it. Long story short, the warranty process was unbelievable simple. I contacted a rep through their website phone number. All I had to do was send a copy of the receipt/invoice to an email address. The next day I got confirmation of a replacement case shipping. Voila! Good service, I hope the new case lasts a lot longer than the old one.

Solid Southwesterly Swell

2011-09-15T08:09:00.000-07:00

Tuesday September 13, 2011
A solid southwesterly swell filled in putting up 3-5 ft. peelers with some genuine push. I paddled out from the pocket beach at Sarges headed to GDubs at first light. I like to paddle around the point and through the back washed bump and toss just to get my sea legs under me. At the slightly greater than one foot tide and rising, there was a lot of action, but I only got tossed off once.

I paddled into the sand bottom flats where it's usually calm, and one can suss out the situation and wait for a lull to paddle through the low spots in the reef that tend to flatten out the incoming waves. Size wise it was about what I was expecting from the buoys and the CDIP forecasts. And without much other swell in the water to break up the lines, the waves were typically lined up across the breaks, but it was much more consistent than I imagined for a southerly swell. I found this out when I sensed a lull and paddled hard for a spot out the back. I paddled right into a 15-20 wave set which had me sitting on my board just inside the white water line, bucking over the foamy ledges and waiting for it all to be over.

When I finally did break through to the outside it was a relief to see only two other surfers in the line-up. Maybe the crowds really will thin out now that Summer is over. I spent the rest of the 2.5 hour session riding wide until the tide came up and it pushed me into the cave line-up. By then the biggest sets had dropped down in size from overhead to head high, and the number of waves per set seemed to ratchet down a bit. But there were still a lot of juicy rideable waves. It was overall pretty lined up. But every once in a while you'd get that gem with the fast late drop and speedball through the bowls into the inside flats. What it is!

The swell hung in there although smaller all day Wednesday, but I had eaten something that didn't agree with me and spent the morning on the can. Diarrhea and wetsuits are not a good combo. (I know, thanks for sharing...)

By Thursday the south was all but completely gone and a small but unenergetic Gulf swell was trying unsuccessfully to do its thing. I checked it at the DP but opted out. Too weak, too inconsistent at all the spots I checked. I'll paddle the Bark later this morning.
Video: 2:56

6.5 Mile Flatwater Paddle in the Sunshine

2011-09-15T08:04:00.001-07:00

Monday September 12, 2011
So that's what it looks like around here. The sun I mean. Finally got a sunny morning in the Bay and I took advantage of it. Almost two weeks since I paddled the Bark so I did a leisurely cruise up to the Sewer Peak channel and out, then back down to Sponge Bob and into New Brighton, my point of origin. It felt good to get back on the Bark.
Video: 3:57

Catalina SUP Festival

2011-09-11T19:59:00.000-07:00

Tim from the Catalina SUP Festival asked me to post this. It sounds like fun and a good time.

The Catalina SUP festival is poised to go off in a big way at the end of this month, from Sept. 30 – Oct 2nd. The event will feature the top names in the sport, competing for a $15,000 purse. In addition to two days of races in the calm waters off Descanso Beach, the event will feature demos, an SUP film festival and a full docket of other festivities.

We were hoping you might be able to post some info about the event to your blog. Registration is currently available for SUP racers interested in competing in both the open and elite divisions. We're also offering a package for those interested in checking out the event as a spectator. I've attached a press release that contains additional information about the event. Let me know if you're interested in participating, be happy to help coordinate. Photos/ interviews etc. are also available upon request.

Cheers,

Tim LeRoy

Tim@lymanpr.com | 312.451.7679

lymanpr.com | facebook.com/lymanPR| Twitter.com/LymanPR

Chasing the Big South Summer Swell of 2011

2011-09-11T19:53:00.000-07:00

August 31 - September 9, 2011
Big, well advertised swell + Labor Day in Santa Cruz = Mega macking hewmungous crowd scene. I didn't wanna be here even though I knew it was gonna go off. So for the first time in my life, I chased a known quantity down to a relatively unknown quantity.

I'd been to Punta de Mita before, in March when M and I spent a couple weeks in Sayulita. I saw and surfed El Anclote when it was small, and when it was 4-5 feet and nearly perfect. I knew it was holding some good waves and with the swell of the decade bearing down on a coastline 1500 miles closer to the swell's origin, how could I go wrong? Here's how, the weather. No matter how much I tracked the weather, there are no guarantees of good weather in central Mexico in the Summer. What the...I'm goin' anyway.

In short order I booked a pre-holiday flight to PV on Alaska, secured a one bedroom condo across from the break and locked in a ride to and from SFO five days before departure. It all went down like clockwork. Swell, check. Condo, check. Weather, check. Weather? While sitting in SFO waiting to board I logged on to the National Hurricane Center to make one final check. On Tuesday there was a 10% chance that a tropical depression would form 125 miles south of my destination. On the morning of my departure though, the NHC had upped the percentage to 60%, and the storm tracked right over my surf spots. Nooooooooo! A quick call to my condo landlord. Should I cancel the trip? No way he says, it'll track out to sea and you'll get swell from it. Cool. (It didn't, but I still got a lot of good waves.)
No one goes to Mexico in the Summer. It's too hot, too humid, too wet, to which I say...too perfect. I spent nine days at Punta and it rained hard once, in the middle of the night. The rest of the time it wasn't an issue. Except for the few days when the downgraded tropical cyclone cruised over my location, showing itself to be dark and brooding, spitting out streams of lighting in the miles away distance, it was warm and sunny with broken billowy cloud cover. Add 87 degree water, paddling and SUP surfing two to three times a day and you have Eden. (Adam and Eve didn't wear wetsuits, and neither did I.)

The big south hit right on time. Within 15 minutes of my arrival at the El Anclote Condos Wednesday evening, I was in the water surfing the first of the 4-6 foot long interval swell waves. Waits in between sets were long and sets were populated with seven to nine waves on average. Smaller sets in between offered up waves in the 2-4 foot range. A good ride was about 300 yards long. The weather had not yet interfered with the conditions. The swell pumped for three days but conditions from the slow moving tropical disturbance chopped up the sea surface Thursday night and Friday morning. Still surfable, but not as good as Wednesday evening/Thursday morning. Friday night and Saturday morning the wind blew it all out. Saturday evening it was surfable again, but choppy. By then the swell was dieing out.

There was always something to surf at El Anclote, but on small days, the key is to rent a panga and do morning sessions at one of the several nearby breaks. Horacio at the Hotel des Artistes del Mar hooked me up with boats, drivers and other surfers who were fun to surf with and helped defray the cost of the panga rental. I didn't rent a car for this trip and when I do this again (which I will) I'd opt to save money on a car by sharing rental costs for a boat. But that's me. I was by myself and on the economy plan. A fellow traveler or two can help with costs.

In the off season this normally bustling tourist town is vacant of people. The travellers that are there are friendly and social. I found this to also be true of all the Mexicans I met. Coincidences abounded. I met Frank and Michelle the second day, both SUP surfers. They are the owners of Adventures By The Sea in Monterey. We're neighbors in Cali. Through them at dinner one night, I met Federico who turned out to be good friends with Horacio at the Hotel. Federico has a very cool travel blog with lots of good tips. Horiaco's boss' name is Greg. Via another coincidence I discovered that Greg and I went to college together in San Diego many, many years ago. It is in fact a very small world.

I stayed at Tom and Joanie Ogg's condo in El Anclote Condos. Tom has created a comprehensive and fully informative website which I devoured when planning my trip. If you're looking for a comfortable and very secure place to stay, the perfect surfer's lair, you will do yourself a favor by checking them out.

I ate a few meals out, mostly dinner, and when I did, the portions were so large I always ended up taking home the next nights dinner. A tienda was a couple blocks up the street so for basic breakfast food, fruit and snacks I shopped there. It was one of the only places where the vendors didn't speak English which foreced me to abuse them with my Spanish. Although too polite to say anything, I'm sure my utterances are hilarious to the native speaker. No matter, I actually enjoy trying to communicate. And again, everyone is so friendly I always came away feeling good.

After nine days I really didn't want to come home. The set-up was just too perfect. I like surfing in boardshorts and I found no need for a rash guard or my little goofy sun hat before about 10AM or after 5PM. I'm a dawn patroller so I surfed or paddled every morning early. Evenings can be tricky and I found that the majority of evenings were windy. It only glassed off a couple evenings so morning surfs were essential for guaranteed good conditions. Several days and one evening in particular, the wind went silent and the sea surface calmed into wrinkle free sheet glass. After the big south subsided water clarity went off the chart. They say there's no snorkeling but La Bahia was perfect for it. I had plenty to look at from my stand up perch while surfing the smaller 2-4 ft. waves at the cove.

I'm already thinking about my next trip in 2012. Now I've got the airport, the taxis, the ATM's (for pesos, you get the best rates), all the hassle travel stuff wired. Travel days are always kind of a grind so it makes it easier if you have a plan based on reality.

For this trip I was able to stuff everything I needed into a carry-on backpack, so the only item I had to check was my board. ($75 each way. I wouldn't leave home without it.) Again, Joe's custom board bag protected my L41 SimmyD in bulletproof style. I avoided all the niggling terrorist induced TSA requirements re toiletries, first aid stuff, etc. by filling a small valise with the items and securing the valise in the board bag. Hassle free. Yes!

For my own record I've included a daily record which I kept on my tablet PC. Thank goodness for that and a good and reliable internet connection at the Ogg's condo. Unless you want to pay through the nose for cell phone service turn off data roaming. Also, lot's of American internet services don't work in Mexico. Kindle didn't work for me so if you're going to bring e-books, download 'em first in a format that will run on your machine without the internet. All the surf forecasting websites work so that's not an issue. I found that for this trip, no matter how much the swell dropped off there were fun surfable waves either north or south if El Anclote was flat.

Depart WEDNESDAY August 31, plane almost two hours late. Almost
canceled, NHC storm, Tom talked me down. Taxi to EA, $50 (600 PESOS),
$10 finders fee, $16 tip. Nice condo, unpacked, finned up,in water in
15 minutes. One hour session until dark. 2-4 and 4-6 ft sets, inconsistent. Water
temp 87F. Cut foot. Chaise lounge good bed.

THURSDAY Sep 1- Up early. In water at first light. Two hour session,
4-6 ft on best sets, fairly consistent, at 0900 it died and got much
smaller in the high tide. Ate at El Coral, huevos, not very good. 100
pesos included tip. Knocked around, explored the grounds talked with the Mexicans,
went shopping at El Cuarte and the OXXO. Mango across from tiendas $1.
Ate tortas bought from street vendor Flavio. $2.50 each. Evening session in bumpy, crumbly onshores. Still 4-6 on the best sets with some rides going 300 yards. Frank and Michele from Monterey.

FRIDAY Sep 2-Dawn patrol in slightly better but still onshore wind
conditions. Surf a bit smaller. Went for a stroll, checked out EA, not
much going on. Almost got glassy around noon, but then deteriorated
Into 20-30 MPH onshore winds. Whitecaps, unsurfable. May not even
clean up overnight. Had fantastic grilled huachinango at El coral for dinner. 200 pesos
included two beers and the tip.

SATURDAY Sep 3-Dawn patrol onshore from S/SW. Unsurfable and small...blown
flat. Surfline the only site to get the wind forecast right. Next
surfable moment may not be until Sunday evening. Onshore all day but it died down enough for a choppy, bumpy one-hour evening session. If nothing else, good balance exercise.

SUNDAY Sep 4-Dawn patrol. Surfline forecast continuing onshore but I grabbed my
board and checked it anyway. The onshores had backed down
substantially, but it was still onshore. Surfed a one hour session in
2 ft semi-junk in a sea that is still unsettled from almost three days
of stormy onshore winds. Best thing about this morning was a fine
sunrise and then real early morning sun. After surfing I paddled down
to the Marina and back. Love the weather, even the humidity and the
water temp is heavenly. The surf alone would have been worth the trip, but
tropical disturbance Eight E took it's toll on about half of the big south swell.

Surfed again with Frank and Michelle around 11AM. The day had
blossomed into this gorgeous tropical postcard from El Anclote. An
hour and a half session in 2-3 ft waves that occasionally put up a
bowly wall across the middle section. Lots of rides all the way into
the beach. Had beers after and a pool swim at their fancy digs (4 Seasons) on the
beach across from the break.

Surfed a third session in the balmy and warm offshore evening breezes.
The surf has become very small, but every now and again a fun
pulse. After, a long ride to Nuevo Vallarta for a very late dinner with
Kurt, Federico, Liza, Frank and Michelle.

MONDAY Sep 5-Slept in for surfing, but up early to document and enjoy
a magnificent sunrise. Surf is small, but the weather is making up for
the lack of waves.

Surfed a mid-morning session in small EA's with a couple quick bowl
sessions. Hooked up with Horacio and arranged an afternoon session to
Bahia by panga. Surfed the Cove for three hours in windy 2-4 ft peaks
in crystal clear water over a boulder and rock strew bottom. Wore my
booties just in case. It was the most challenging sea surface
conditions I've ever experienced. I musta fallen off 20 times just
trying to stand. After the Cove we opted for some quieter water around
the point at El Faro. Small clean right handlers over sharp rocks in
shallow water. Really glad I had the booties now.

Surfed for about 3.5 hours, everyone tired at the end. Finished off
with beers and good conversation with Horacio, Frank and Michelle,
Federico and Enyaqui (my new local friends), Leela from Houston and
Daniel our boat Captain/surfer on the rooftop bar at the Hotel des
Artistes courtesy of Horacio. In bed by 930.

TUESDAY Sep 6-Up early and down to the beach for the sunrise with my
cuppa. The dogs like me now after a barky beginning. Met up with
Horatio and sketched out another panga propelled session to the cove
after he gets off work around 4. The swells are fading so even if its
windy we need to jump on it.

WEDNESDAY Sep 7 Mid morning session in small EA's with Frank and
Michelle. Windy and bumpy afternoon session at La Launcha.

THURSDAY Sep 8 La Bahia two hour session with Kelly. Super fun 2-4 ft. glassy peelers with three separate peaks to choose from. No such thing as a crowd. Fish dinner at El Coral.

FRIDAY Sep 9 Early session to La Bahia with Joaquin. Gotta go home day.

I've got a video in the works, but it's gonna take me a while to get it edited. As soon as I'm done I'll post it.

3 Paddles Before The Trip South

2011-08-29T17:25:00.000-07:00

Friday August 26, 2011
Today's workout was a short 3-mile sprint from New Brighton to the Cap Pier, out the line of vessels to the end, right turn to Sponge Bob and dig for home. I got a new phone and my tracking app doesn't seem to want to work so nothing was getting timed very accurately. It was a good paddle and I was working hard. I think I clocked around 4.8 mph. All I know for sure is when I landed I felt like puking for about five minutes. Always a good sign.

Saturday August 27, 2011 - West Cliff Challenge Practice Run
The Boyz and I met at Andy's house and launched from Natural Bridges. Dan, a fellow paddler I met at New Brighton joined us. Today's mission was to recreate the September West Cliff Challenge put on by the Ghost Ryder's Watermen Club. I've never paddled this race before, but Andy and Sam have. The tricky parts of this race are: 1) The late start. At 1PM we'll be padding into a brisk headwind for the first mile or so if prevailing conditions exist. 2) The straightest lines to the waypoints are the shortest lines. If there is surf on race day, this puts one almost right in the line-up at the Lane. Not an enviable place to be caught inside on a big set. 3) Picking the best line through the copious kelp beds will be a trick, especially on the leg from the Lane back to Mitchell's Cove. The competitive paddler will have to take the inside line. A dubious track if the swell is up.

It was a fun paddle and the Hawaiians capped it off with a vigorous body surf in the 57 degree water. They are the real men, we haoles are the weenies.

Video: A little over six minutes with a new tune from Blitzer Trapper & Dawes. Kind of alternative country. Worth a listen.

Monday August 29, 2011
I was gonna take it real easy today so as not to hurt myself or do anything to screw up my trip down south Wednesday morning. But that conservative impulse passed as soon as I hit the water. Not that I burned it up, but I kept a strong, steady rhythm up for the entire 6.6 mile paddle. Once again the freakin' app didn't track so my guess is that I did the run in about one hour 27 minutes. That's a pace of about 4.5 mph over the entire distance. I'm happy with that especially since the headwind was in effect for the entire paddle up to the Channel and the water surface was as bumpy and confused as I've ever seen it that close to shore. It presented some challenges that made the paddling just a shade more difficult. Out past the kelp bed the wind died and it was glassy with about 20 feet of water depth visibility. Off the Cap Pier the south wind came up and it was sideshore to Sponge Bob. The only good news is that the wind lightened up for the one mile run into the beach and the usual backwash off the cliffs was minimal.

The Trip South
If you've just emerged from your cave or from under some flat rock, then you probably don't know about the large south swell headed our way, scheduled to make landfall near the end of the week and over Labor Day weekend. Also with the south we'll see a combo northerly ground and wind swell and the surfing should be pretty good around here for a while. The crowd over Labor Day will make it something of an over populated nightmare. So I decided to get out of town.

On the spur of the moment a few days ago, after following the SPAC storm since it's inception and chewing over all the surf and weather forecasting resources I could find, I booked a flight to Puerto Vallarta, leaving Wednesday morning early. I'm taking my SUP surfing performance board, the 8' SimmyD, a couple paddles and my backpack packed with surfing essentials. (Up early: surf, surf surf. To bed early: recover, recover, recover. Etc. etc.) I arrive Wednesday afternoon late, and hopefully can make it to Punta de Mita in time to catch an evening surf in the rising opening salvo of what hopefully will be nine days of non-stop surfing in 4-8 foot waves.

If I can post updates on my blog I'll do it, but I will probably do a big blog post sometime after I get back on September 10. Wish me luck. Your prayers are always appreciated.

Viva Mexico!

Monday and Wednesday Workouts

2011-08-24T16:54:00.000-07:00

I've pretty much settled into a regular paddling/workout schedule. It's four days a week, Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. The plan is to make Monday a minimum 7-mile hard workout where I'm on it the entire distance. Wednesday I pull back the throttle and paddle steady but not for speed, working on technique. (Actually I'm always trying to work on technique.) Friday is a short and hard anaerobic paddle in the 4-5 mile distance category. And Saturday is paddling wit da Boyz. That could end up being almost anything. Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday are rest days. This isn't iron clad. If I'm tired or my back hurts or whatever I'll switch things around, maybe take a couple days off. It's not a real demanding schedule but it addresses all the elements I think should be included at this stage.

Monday (August 22) Covewater Classic Replication. I want to be able to practice for the Covewater Classic so I laid out a 7-mile course divided into two parts, just like the Covewater. The first part, a 5-miler, starts and ends at New Brighton. I threw a beach run in just for grins. This covers about 25 yards and then I finished the last part, a 2-miler. From NB I sprint out to Sponge Bob, hang a u, and sprint back. It's a good course and if I want to add distance so that the course replicates the Covewater 7.5 mile elite, I can do it. Check it on the EveryTrail app below.

Covewater Classic Replication

Wednesday (August 24) 7-mile moderate but steady workout (except for all the chatting that is). New Brighton is the easiest and most convenient access for me for regular workouts. The surf is usually very small so launching and landing are a breeze. I can also pick a variety of waypoints and lay out a number of different options for courses. Today I knew I wanted to do about six or seven miles so I headed upcoast after chatting with Chris on the beach for a while. Boots and his brother-in-law Mike paddled in and we had a chat too. It was a pretty yakitty today all around. Then I launched and caught up with Suzanne on her traditional prone paddleboard. We hung out for a while off Capitola and chatted up a veritable storm. If chatting was wind we'd a blown up a hurricane. Then I headed upcoast and made a new friend with Casey (another brother firefighter) on his new 12 ft. Angulo off Privates. We paddled up to 1st Peak together and ran into Steve who was surfing some small ones on his Angulo. Chat, chat, chat.

We all parted company and I headed out the Sewers Channel while Casey took the inside route back to Tola. The rest of the paddle was uneventful, calm, light wind and a bit foggy. It was burning off in the surf zone but hanging fairly heavy further out off the kelp beds. About a mile off the Capitola Pier, even though I couldn't see him, I decided to head for Sponge Bob. I figured he'd pop into view. In another half mile, he did. I made a left shoulder turn and headed for the beach. Visibility had dropped to about a quarter mile. I couldn't see land but hey, it's only a mile away. That's when I got lost in the fog.

I swear I was paddling straight to NB, aiming for the familiar looking kelp beds and paddling wide downcoast. As the fog lifted a bit I saw that I was almost halfway back to Capitola! I was about 45 degrees off course. So I made a 90 degree turn and skirted the edge of the kelp beds back to the take out at NB. Interesting experience. I was so sure I was headed in the right direction. Food for thought. Grist for the mill, etc. etc.

Back Into The August Gloom

2011-08-20T13:02:00.000-07:00

After a brief respite, the upper level low pressure trough has reinstated itself with a vengeance. The marine layer increased from less than 1000 ft. to 1500 ft. to 2000 ft. this morning. All this accompanied by gray and gloomy skies so heavy with moisture that the drizzle drenched streets and cool temperatures give the impression it's January, not August. The effects of climate change and La Nina no doubt.

Wednesday (August 17, 2011) was the longest paddle I've made without a rest while keeping up a steady pace. It tracked at 8.6 miles and took an hour 56 minutes. Average speed, 4.4 mph. I decided to go the extra distance on the spur of the moment a mile off Capitola. I don't usually carry water with me on the shorter (less than about seven mile) paddles. In retrospect this wasn't the end of the world but it would have been better had I had some hydration with me. The sea surface was perfect for paddling, calm with a light bump and at the end I was happy with my speed. Paddling the longer distance with more time between waypoints gave me the opportunity to really concentrate on paddling technique. This is one of the reasons I don't listen to music while I'm paddling. I want to think about and be aware of what I'm doing and what's going on around me.

NB 8192011

Contrasting the 8-miler with Friday's (August 19, 2011) 6-miler was interesting in that I was able to cover the 5.6 mile round trip from New Brighton to Sewer Peak in an hour 13 minutes at 4.6 miles per hour. This was a surprise to me because I felt more relaxed on the shorter trip, i.e. wasn't trying as hard so I thought I would be slower. It could be that my efficiency has improved, but that doesn't make sense, it had only been two days. Or it could be that I slowed way down at the end of the longer distance paddle due to fatigue, loss of form, stuff like that. That seems more likely. At any rate, it does appear that the paddling practice and time spent on the water coupled with paying attention to good technique as I understand it is improving my speed and efficiency.

8.7Mile NB-Sewers-SB-CemShipNB-RT

Jeff Ching's advice to keep your paddle in the water and your paddle shaft vertical make a lot of sense when you think about them, especially out in the water as you "watch yourself" paddle. Those two statements probably sum up the entirety of good paddling technique. Add in his third statement, "the faster you paddle the faster you'll go," and that's all you really need to be a good and fast paddler.

Finally, Some Morning Summer Sun

2011-08-15T16:22:00.001-07:00

Monday August 15, 2011
After the fog that is. But at my house it was the first morning of sunshine in almost a month. And it was a welcome sight.

I got started later than I like, and by the time I arrived at New Brighton it was after ten. I was greeted by thick, pea soup fog...visibility about 150 ft. I hesitated for a moment on the beach because of the poor visibility but the water was smooth and glassy, the wind light and swell small. What could happen?

NB Sewers Channel RT August 15, 2011

My route was determined by the poor visibility. I knew at the very least I could hug the coast up to Sewers and back. But even if it never cleared up I could always paddle out the channel and stay close to the kelp bed, following it back to the land. But it did clear up and turned into one of the best paddling days of the Summer so far.

At Sewers, I headed out the channel as the fog was rapidly clearing. Huge irregular patches of clear blue sky were emerging though the tufty billows of fog. About a mile off the Capitola Pier I headed for Sponge Bob, who soon popped into view watching over a crew of fishermen in a red rental boat.

Left turn at Bob and sprint for home. In this flat water there is plenty of time to work on my stroke. I've been watching lots of You Tube video, Danny Ching mostly (there are a few good tips in this one), and reading up on efficiency. I'm trying to get the paddle shaft as vertical as possible as I pull myself forward and making sure that the blade is in the water as I pull through. Seems obvious and the proof is in how fast you're going and how straight. My goal is to track a straight course and take an equal number of strokes on each side of the board while maintaining glide and speed. You can really work on this in flat water, whereas in bumpier seas just the act of balancing can interfere with your technique. But more on all that later.

My overall speed was probably a little faster than 4 mph as I ran into Suzanne just out of NB and we chatted for about five minutes about stuff. I really tried to pour on the coals on the final 1.1 mile leg from Bob to NB. It felt good, I hurt a little and sweated a lot.

The video is about 4:17.

3 Paddles; One Surf in Mid-August

2011-08-14T08:57:00.000-07:00

I haven't been posting after every session for a couple different reasons so this post includes my last four, three paddles and one surf session.

Wednesday the 10th I did the New Brighton to Sewers Channel round trip at a relaxed but steady pace. I figure it was about 6.5 miles or so but the GPS Essentials program didn't track it so I don't know my time, mph or the actual distance. Kind of a bummer because I find the info helpful for gauging my progress.

Friday the 12th I laid out a five mile course from New Brighton to the Capitola Pier and out to sea following the line of vessels moored there. At the last vessel a left turn to Sponge Bob and on to the Cement Ship, then back to the start at New Brighton. I've got it in my mind to replicate the Covewater Classic course and try to improve my times. I'll need to lay out a 2-mile and a 2.5 mile track cuz the Covewater has a 7-mile course and a 7.5 mile course. I'd like to do the 7.5 mile course next year and hopefully Scott will be able to pull the permits that would allow paddlers to access the creek. When I lay out the 7.5 mile course I'll add a board carrying beach run which will be easy to do (layout that is) on the long sandy stretch at New Brighton. I switched back to Everytrail today and it worked fine, recording a nice 5-miler.

New Brighton 5-Miler

Friday afternoon I realized that I hadn't been SUP surfing in about three weeks. The surf has been small and inconsistent for weeks but it's been rideable so I grabbed the SimmyD for an hour of afternoon surfing at GDubs. As per usual this summer it was packed at the main peak, around thirteen out, the vast majority beginners along with a couple of excellent and skilled surfers on noseriders. And also as usual I staged downcoast of the main peak, taking the wide ones that would be close outs for the main peak surfers. I surfed a lot of waves but only got three what I would call "good" waves, riding high and side slipping through the fast peeling sections into the deep part of the reef where the wave backs off and goes soft for an easy turn out.

Sam surfed early Saturday (13th) morning in the thick dense fog and then I joined him for a paddle after his session. He picked up a 14 ft. Bark Dominator from Joe that he'll use as an everyday board, not wanting to risk his Bark custom carbon race board. We paddled out from "Spot X" as Sam calls it, up to Sewers Channel just chatting and cruising, out the channel and back down to Capitola. The wind was light, sea surface glassy with some light bumps outside the kelp line. Just a relaxing and leisurely paddle, digging the whole Zen meditation of it.

Back at Spot X, Paul was out on his OC1 surfing the teeny little high tide bumps that were rolling over the reef and into the pocket beach. My longtime friend and brother firefighter (now retired) Calvin was out with him. Calvin was recently introduced to the OC1 scene on a trip to Hawaii and was having a ball, even though he is admittedly in the learning stages. From my perspective it's definitely not as easy as Paul makes it look. So I paddled out and had a long chat with Calvin about this and that and mostly answering his questions about the Bark SUP I was on. Calvin is a lifelong surfer, lifeguard, traditional paddler and waterman so SUP would be a natural for him. He's also got the firefighter back injury thing going so SUP would be the perfect exercise to keep his back in shape.

The weather around here has been like the movie "Groundhog Day". A persistent low pressure trough is just embedded off the coast and we awaken to gray and gloomy overcast or fog every day, over and over again. This has been going on for the last three weeks. The good thing about it is that this weather makes for perfect paddling conditions with light winds and smooth seas. But really, I'm ready for some morning color!

The video is a few shots of surfing over the last couple weeks, some clips of Sam on the "new" Bark 14 and a bit of OC1 surfing.

2.9 Mile Semi-sprint

2011-08-09T18:32:00.000-07:00

August 8, 2011

After a two-day layoff I thought I would take it easy. But after I got out on the water I felt pretty good and decided to do an accelerated paddle workout, not quite a flat out sprint, but not a conversational cruise either.

Boots was in the parking lot getting ready for his SUP workout which I think is really creative. Basically Boots is a lifelong surfer, somewhere in his 50's I would guess and still hard at work as an independent contractor/carpenter. His involvement with SUP is primarily for the cross-training benefits provided, and he has been very creative about making workouts that essentially keep him fit for surfing his longboard. I love this kind of out-of-the-box thinking/training. He mixes stand up paddling with prone paddling during his workouts. He's even added a "kelp crawl" (my words) where he prone paddles through the heavy kelp beds, grabbing thick handfuls of kelp as he propels himself over and through the dense veggies. In this way he is inventing the ways a SUP can be used to enhance and augment one's training regimen. Yeah, he's an "old guy." Yeah, he's the future.

Either I (most likely) or my Everytrail app malfunctioned and didn't optimally record the day's data. It survived on my phone but not on the upload. So here it is: 2.9 miles at 4.2 mph. That's within my target range for this kind of workout. But because of the app error I started looking around for other tracking apps.

I downloaded the free GPS Essentials app and started playing around with it. It's pretty incredible, the amount and kind of data it records. Too bad there's no user manual that goes with it. So as I play around with it, I'll either use it or stay with Everytrail or something else. The recorded tracks convert into files that can be opened, viewed and saved on Google Earth. I've added a screen shot of my first test run.

New Brighton-Point-Sewers Channel RT

2011-08-05T15:50:00.000-07:00

August 5, 2011

A 6.5 mile conversational cruise up to the point, out the channel and back down to the inside route through Capitola to New Brighton. Persistent marine layer stuck to the bay like glue. Colorless but cool, perfect for paddling.

Stopped at Trees to chat with Greg, he hadn't seen the big Bark. I gave him the full 411, then up to the channel. The raft of otters sleeps in the thick kelp beds at tip of the left turn back to NB. Had a short chat with a traditional paddler on a fully ruddered board, heading toward the channel in the opposite direction. Passed one other paddler on a big SUP surfboard as I pressed into the straightaway for Capitola. Busy today. Caught one little roller on the inside almost to NB. The 12-6 chased it down with ease.

Just another day in paradise.

NB Sewers RT

New Brighton-CementShip-SpongeBob Triangle

2011-08-03T19:07:00.000-07:00

August 3, 2011
I was thinking that this was going to be more like a 3-miler than the 4-miler it turned out to be. The wind was light but in my face on the first and second leg. Sea surface was glassy at times with a small but consistent wind swell coming in from the WSW. I just didn't have the juice to push hard this morning but it was still a good workout.

NB-Cement Ship-SB Route

New Brighton To Govies (SC3) RT

2011-08-03T07:39:00.000-07:00

August 1, 2011

NB To Govies RT

New Brighton To Harbor and Sons of the Beach

2011-07-30T15:21:00.000-07:00

Today's paddle was planned to be a cruise from New Brighton to the Yacht Harbor where I took a coffee break at Kind Grind and got an unexpected pleasant surprise. The Sons of the Beach Ukulele Band plays on the sand at the harbor every Saturday at 10AM. I sipped my coffee and hung out with this very fun and affable group for about 15 minutes before walking back to the boat launch ramp for the return to NB. I even joined in for a lustily sung version of Dion's "Run Around Sue." Most of you readers are probably way to young to remember Dion and the Belmonts, but...I do! (I even remembered most of the words. Amazing.) OK, so much for the swing down memory lane.

The plan for today was a long cruise with a break. I figured it would be about a nine or ten mile round trip from New Brighton to the harbor and I wanted to take a break there to rest. It worked out well except that the tracking app didn't seem to pick up the outbound leg to the harbor. I caught this error at the harbor and reset it, so I did get the return trip to New Brighton. I took the same route both ways so the total mileage of 9.6 miles seems about right although the mph at 4.7 seems a bit fast. But I did have a small tail wind on the return and I was moving along pretty well.

NB Harbor RT And Ukulele Band

I paddled up to the Sewer Peak channel with Dan on his 14' racing SUP. He didn't have time to do the long route so he paddled up channel and back to NB following the kelp line. I pushed on past Rockview and the grom contest at 26th through the dead glassy water off Blacks and into the harbor entrance. I pulled the Bark out of the water at the boat ramp and walked it over to the Kind Grind. The return trip was pretty much the same, but in reverse.

Overall the water was smooth. There was a little swell running and some backwash to contend with on the return paddle as the tide was rising, but other than that it was perfect water...again.

New Brighton Sprint Training

2011-07-29T12:35:00.000-07:00

So the idea is to work some kind of speed, sprint, anaerobic training into my paddling fitness routines and routes to improve cardiovascular stamina, overall fitness, and to increase average cruising and racing speed. This morning was my first attempt at anaerobic paddle training and I am more than satisfied with the results. I'll use today's parameters as a baseline for the future.

There are two basic components of this self-made paddling program. Cruising and sprinting. The cruising component relies upon the old "LSD" (Long Slow Distance) aerobic endurance training method developed in the late 60's/early 70's. I lived by this when I was able to jog and run. Training at this level means paddling longer distances at a pace that allows for normal conversation. This is the "bread and butter" of SUP distance paddling because it's fun, especially when more than one person is paddling. And a person could maintain a very good level of fitness just using the cruising component of the training/fitness program.

But I also used to do wind sprints for anaerobic fitness when I was jogging so I thought I'd add sprint training into the mix now that I'm paddling for fitness. And while I knew it would happen even though I didn't want it to, I find myself at the very least, wanting to keep up with the pack during the races without being completely spent and exhausted at the finish line. Sprint training also adds variety and a change of pace into the paddles which helps keep the whole exercise program fresh and exciting.

NB Sprint

Baseline data. Today's sprint paddle establishes it. Thanks to the EveryTrail app, my smartphone and the waterproof Dry Case I can monitor route distance and overall speed. I just guessed that three miles at a speed of 4 mph would give me a roughly 45 minute workout which would be a good starting point. I know how it feels to paddle hard for 2 miles (Jay Race), 7 miles (Covewater Classic) and 5 miles (Pier To Pier) so I tried to match that this morning. The results were 2.9 miles in 36 minutes for an average speed of 4.8 mph which exceeded my expectations. That's why I was so pleased after today's workout.

For now my goal is to do one sprint workout/week along with two cruising workouts/week at a minimum if possible. I know life will interfere but I think this is a good starting place. Since I'm able to paddle at 4.8 mph over a 3-mile course now, I should be able to improve to 5 mph overall speed over a 3-mile course at some point in the future. So that will be a goal.

It will be interesting though, to see how environmental variables (and the changing seasons) will affect the sprint workouts. Conditions today were almost perfect. It was like paddling on flat water almost. There was a light headwind for the first mile, followed by 1.5 miles of no wind at all. Then dead calm and glassy from the last moored vessel where I turned towards Sponge Bob to about halfway home on the straightaway to New Brighton. The only "difficult" water I encountered was about a half mile of high frequency, very small, short period backwash coming off the cliffs as I neared the finish. I really felt bogged down in it and tired. I think it was more psychological though (although some physical entered in I'm sure) but after watching the bow of the Bark Competitor peel away layers of clear sheet glass salt water so cleanly for nearly the entire paddle, I just felt like I was slogging.

If I'm going to be a better (faster and more efficient) paddler then fitness is a key component of reaching that goal, along with technique. Personal coaching is next on the agenda as the only coaching I've had is from reading and a little bit from Kyle (which really helped). But I'm workin' on it.

This paddling thing is incredible. Anyone who lives near some kind of body of water can SUP for exercise, fitness, peace of mind and fun. I'm so glad I paid attention to what Da Bark Boyz were doing. Mahalo Boyz!

New Brighton To Sewers Channel 6.6 Mile RT

2011-07-27T15:55:00.000-07:00

July 27, 2011
Big Dave and I teamed up for a 6.6 mile round trip from New Brighton via the low route to the Sewer Peak Channel, out and around the kelp bed and a fairly straight line shot back to NB. It was nearly a perfect day for paddling with light southeast winds and very little swell. It was probably as close to flat water as it gets on the ocean.

Paddling in conditions like today presents the perfect opportunity to work on technique and pace. There were no distractions from winds or choppy seas that interfered with the basic practice of maintaining an efficient stroke. My personal goal is to try and paddle at four mph. Hopefully at some point in the future I can paddle faster at the same physical exertion level due to improved fitness and improved paddling technique.

Dave and I were talking about that and we both agree that paddling is similar to a golf swing or bat swing in baseball or the swinging of a tennis racket. It gets better with practice and coaching so we're gonna look around for a coach. He's got a couple people in mind.

But coaching or not, it's hard not to like the place we're working out.

New Brighton Sewers Channel 6.6 Miler

Reading Water | Ke Nalu – Stand Up Paddle Surfing eMagazine

2011-07-26T10:57:00.000-07:00

Reading Water | Ke Nalu – Stand Up Paddle Surfing eMagazine

This article addresses downwind paddling and contains some excellent insights into how to increase efficiencies in paddling and wave riding in the chaotic conditions downwinding presents. As a downwind neophyte I can relate to most of what Bill describes. He offers solutions to dilemma's I have encountered in the water. Now all I need to do is practice, practice, practice. Gladly.

Clicking on the picture link will show one of Bill Boyum's excellent downwind videos which in turn will give the viewer a visual reference to much of what Pono Bill is writing about.

New Brighton 5-Miler

2011-07-25T15:51:00.000-07:00

July 25, 2011
Big Dave joined me this morning for a well paced 5-mile paddle. We launched at New Brighton, paddled to the cement ship and turned northwest making for Sponge Bob. From Bobby, we made a straight shot to Pleasure Point until we were at right angles to the Capitola Pier. Right turn into the swimmers buoy just off the beach and then the low inside route hugging the cliff all the way back to New Brighton.

The overcast burned off quickly as we were paddling, revealing a patchwork quilt of clouds and pastel colors reflecting off the gently rolling glassy sea. Perfection! As close to walking on water as we'll ever get.

New Brighton 5-Miler

Pier2Pier

2011-07-23T15:54:00.000-07:00

July 23, 2011
The Pier2Pier (Santa Cruz to Capitola) Race went off this morning in nearly flawless albeit gray and somewhat chilly conditions. Thanks to Dave, Jane, Lars and all the other "behind the scenes" folks for putting on the most organized "unorganized" race on the Summer schedule.

Da Bark Boyz were in attendance, minus one of our usual suspects who has to be in Hawaii. (Collective "Awwwwww!" goes up from the gallery.) Andy put on his race hat and was out of the gate like a shot, chasing down perpetual SUP paddle speedster Tony. No chance at catching him though. But that put Andy way ahead of Sam and I. 99% of the pack took the low route through the kelp, while Sam and I got more for our monies worth by paddling an extra half mile or so outside mother nature's seagoing vegetable garden.

After the finish Da Boyz paddled back up to Privates for the take-out. The Big Burb transported all three Barks and we ended up at Paula's for grinds, cheapest little palatable breakfast at the beach.

Andy's off to Connecticut for his annual Summer east coast madness, so with Dana in the Islands it'll be up to me and Sam to hold up the weekly paddling tradition. Where we goin' next week bro?

Pier2Pier

Harbor Tour

2011-07-21T18:23:00.000-07:00

July 21, 2011
Took a short paddle early this afternoon before going to pick up the dog from the groomers which is located very near the Harbor. It was the perfect setup to take a quick 40 minute paddle and do a little nautical sightseeing too. Saturday is the 5-mile Pier to Pier, which really isn't a long distance, but I'd like to try grinding that one out, just to see how the old body holds up. But without 50 people to chase I'm not sure how much motivation I'll have to linger at the pain threshold. Life's little challenges are interesting, no?

Nice Covewater Classic Pro Video

2011-07-21T11:44:00.000-07:00

Paddle One Day; Surf the Next

2011-07-19T15:03:00.000-07:00

Monday July 18, 2011
I saw the morning sun for the first time in 11 days at my house. No fog at the beach either. Time for a paddle to work out the kinks from the Covewater race on Saturday.

I hadn't really intended to "race" but once one is in the water with all the other people who do want to race, "race mode" becomes somewhat irresistible. To qualify, racing for me is keeping up a steadier and quicker pace and cadence than I would if I wasn't "racing," and taking no rest stops. Sounds easy enough, but after seven miles I was needing the rest I had shunned for the previous almost two hours.

I took Sunday off and felt pretty sore, my feet being the aching-est part of my body. Feet? Go figure. By Monday I thought a short and relaxed paddle would feel good and help to stretch out some of those tired but recovering muscle groups.

I launched from New Brighton and paddled a diamond shaped 3-miler which turned out to be just right. No problems, no issues, just a beautiful paddle on a pristine Summer day. Looking forward to the Pier to Pier 5-miler wit da boyz this coming Saturday.

NB 3 Mile

Tuesday July 19, 2011
There was a little swell in the water yesterday during my 3-miler which I figured was the Fijian swell and I hoped that it would stick around through at least this morning. So I waited a bit on the tide and paddled out to the usual spots with SimmyD at around 0945.

The thick fog had burned back quite a bit and it was warm and sunny. Unfortunately, the swell had dropped off quite a bit and there were only leftovers being surfed by a huge group of surfers including a surf school that descended into Middies about 45 minutes into the session.

I surfed three or four different spots, poaching a few here, then there and taking down quite a few mediocre waves. Occasionally a sweet little sleeve would roll through, but it was mostly small and sectiony in the rising tide. Maybe the coolest thing about this morning was poaching a half dozen waves at FP's. Usually SUPs are heavily frowned upon in that neighborhood but since there wasn't a lot of wave action, and even fewer people surfing there I got away with it. This is how it all starts. (Insert winking smiley face here.)

After I changed out, I headed for fro-yo in the rapidly warming late morning. Can't get there too early cuz they don't open until 11:30. Bummer, no fro-yo for the dawn patrol. I motored over to my favorite overlook and shot some video. Again, it was packed but there were a ton of people having a ton of fun in the little longboard waves that were streaming through. It was the perfect transition from morning to afternoon on a perfect Summer day with roils of laughter drifting up and over the edge of my cliff-side perch. Man, I love Summer!

Inaugural Covewater Classic Astounds

2011-07-17T07:41:00.000-07:00

The inaugural and first ever Covewater Classic SUP races was an astounding success. Mega kudos to Scott and Leslie Ruble for creating this event which was enjoyed by over 80 participants in one of the best venues our state has to offer.

Capitola-By-The-Sea, the name this little classic beachside community has been marketed under since the town's inception over a hundred years ago, is perhaps the perfect SUP venue. Located deep in the Monterey Bay there is something for everyone. Surf? Got it. An esplanade with great restaurants and bars? Got it. Shopping for those not surfing or SUPing? Got it. A clean, huge, well groomed beach for the kids to play on? Got it...by the ton. Deciding on Capitola for this contest (and for the Jay too for that matter) was simply a stroke of genius.

But the real award goes to Scott, Leslie and Surftech (the Jay and Covewater Classic corporate sponsor) for doing the grunt work that it took to secure all the permissions needed to use Capitola for a contest site. Just getting the nod from Fish and Game to use Soquel Creek could get Scott elected to higher office. Not that he'd want it.

From set-up to tear-down to after party, the Covewater Classic ran like a perfectly tuned machine. From registration to course instructions, a fast and furious beach start for the 7 and 7.5-mile elite racers, the run through the chicane or the beach run and creek paddle for the elites, the whole contest went down without a hitch. Smooth as Kentucky moonshine with just as much punch.

Conditions started out nearly perfect with a glassy sea surface and barely any wind. But halfway through the long straightaway from the cement ship back to the Capitola Pier, a niggling southwest wind sprang up which only got worse as the day matured. This just threw in an additional challenge by ruffling the formerly glassy water but on the upside gave everyone a bit of a downwind run at the turnaround buoys.

The sun broke through during the final legs of the race and cleared the way for a warm and sunny after party which was enjoyed by the enthusiastic and totally stoked racers, friends and families in "downtown" Capitola.

I think everyone went away happy and satisfied and looking forward to next years race. I know I am cuz the Srfnff even won a second place trophy! Will wonders never cease?

A special thanks to Surftech who have proved to be a model of what a corporate sponsor should be. Surftech is intimately involved in our local area and genuinely cares about the place they live and work and run their business. There are a lot of "mom and pop" surf shops and businesses in Santa Cruz who make up and support the core paddling and surfing family of Santa Cruz. Props to Surftech for jumping right in as an involved and equal partner in our community.

The South Swells of Mid-July

2011-07-08T20:48:00.000-07:00

July 9 - 14, 2011

Primer Swell, South Swell #6 and South Swell #7

The weather turned Summer chilly with fog, overcast, broken clouds and cold ocean temperatures on order every morning. But with the cool weather came a series of hot southern Pacific swells.

Primer Swell - Days 1 & 2
The first swell up was the Primer Swell. I like to copy the names Mark Sponsler uses for swells on his Stormsurf website. They're not fancy or named after people, their just logical, delineated and ordered. The Primer was the first of a trio. It had less punch than the next one, Swell #6 but was a little better aimed at the L41 than the third, Swell #7.

The Primer made itself known on Saturday July 9th. It was small and inconsistent at GDubs but got better, even though wave sizes dropped some as the periods shortened on Sunday. I paddled out both days at literally 0-dark-30 (5:30AM) and for fifteen minutes shared it only with a couple other surfers. By 0600 there were 10 out and by 0615, 17 surfers vying for waves. I got a few good ones and bailed out after about an hour or hour and a half each day.

Swell #6 - Days 3 & 4
Swell #6 made an unmistakable entry on the buoys with long period runners showing at 18-20 seconds early Monday morning, July 11. Anyone watching the Surfline web cams for Waikiki and South Shore knew how powerful this southie was, putting up head high to overhead waves for two solid days in the Islands. By the time it got to us it had suffered the inevitable decay that traveling across a couple thousand plus miles will do, but it was consistently putting up chest to overhead waves at GDubs. Upcoast it was bigger as always. The crowd wasn't much better today. By 0530 there were ten in the line-up by 0530, 17. Packed.

Day Two of Swell #6 saw the periods drop off a bit and with that came mostly smaller waves but very consistent. The rap on it for the dawn patrol was low tide and very racy, sectiony walls. The crowd was in effect again and really, surfing these weekday mornings was not any less crowded than hitting it early on the weekends. Welcome to Surf City.

Jacob was with me this morning. He hails from Oahu and surfs Ala Moana. He's my next door neighbor's nephew and he got a few fast corners on his thruster. He held up well in the cold water too. Thanks to Freeline for a good rental board and warm wetsuit.

The usual suspects were all pretty much on scene and I surfed with L41 Kirk for the fourth morning straight. He even grabbed my camera and videoed a couple of me surfing. Thanks Kirk. Dan was also surfing an L41 performance SUP and I got a video clip of him on one of the best waves of the morning.

It was a lot like surfing fast and quick beach break this morning. Nice speedy walls with short rides. At one point I surfed from Gdubs all the way to Yellow House on about a half dozen waves. YH had the longest ridable walls but it was so deep into the bight, it wasn't really firing and tended to be soft, especially over the inside hole. So I paddled back up to G's and finished our two hour session there.

Swell #7 - Days 5 & 6
Swell #7 was less distinct, smaller and dished up fewer waves per set than the previous two swells. Swell angle was also tight, coming in consistently at around 180 degrees, right at the edge of the swell window. I was hoping for a bigger uptick in swell size according to the models, but after I woke up at 4AM and checked the buoys, I decided to go back to sleep and check again at 0630.

At daylight, it still didn't look all that great on the webcams, but the tide wasn't into minus footage so I loaded up and headed out. I arrived on scene near Herby's house and surveyed all the L41 breaks as well as the Toes region. It was small, inconsistent, still very sectiony and sets were poorly populated. After four days of dawn patrol surfing my motivation was lagging. It would have been more attractive if I'd had my 10-0 Angulo instead of my 8-0 L41, because the best waves I was looking at were longboard waves at Toes. But I didn't, so I headed home...to wait.

It has been an intense week of feverishly checking all my internet resources for information both general and specific re these three Summer swells. My sources indicated that there would be a little jump up in the swell Wednesday (July 13) afternoon sometime around three. I was in the water at 4PM paddling out through the glassy lagoon and just taking in the 180 degree weather change from this morning. It was warm and sunny and windless. Still, I was in my 4/3 as water temps are hovering around 55 degrees. Getting hot is not a problem. I know how to cool off.

Brother John paddled out just in front of me on his performance SUP and we proceeded to catch a lot of waves in what started out as a somewhat lackluster and small session. But about a half hour into it we got a nice burst of consistent although small, mostly waist with a few head high waves. A lot of other surfers were out with us, but the sudden consistency gave everyone a chance in the rotation. I was pleasantly surprised and surfed some fun ones in my 1.5 hour session.

Back on the land it had turned downright hot. I changed out and drove home with Stevie Ray and Albert blasting "Overall Junction" through the car stereo. Barefoot in boardshorts and shirtless. Amazed and happy.

Thursday the 14th saw the swell angle really steepen. It wasn't uncommon to see the CDIP data calling it in the 170's which is pretty much in the southern end of the Bay swell shadow. But overall it's been one of the best south swells events I can remember. Yes, it wasn't the highest quality, but no one can complain about quantity. I'm pretty much on the edge of surfed out (unless it gets really good this afternoon).

This will be a July to remember and I'm gonna guess we'll all be talking about it, and jonesing for it in July 2012.

New Brighton-Sponge Bob-Cap Pier Triangle

2011-07-08T20:04:00.000-07:00

July 8, 2011
Got started a bit late due to the lingering fog this morning. Tired from the 7-miler on Wednesday, but didn't want to skip today's workout. So I planned a short 3-miler doing the New Brighton to Sponge Bob, Capitola Pier turn right and back to New Brighton through the kelp beds and the nearshore shallows.

Looks like we might get some waves this week in which case I'll be off the 12-6 Bark on on the L41 8-0 SimmyD. Can't quite figure out what's not to like about this SUP thing.

New Brighton-Sponge Bob-Capitola Pier Triangle

Free 12-6 Bark Competitor From Covewater

2011-07-08T08:50:00.000-07:00

As part of the Covewater Classic weekend of SUP events, (July 15th & 16th) Covewater is raffling off a new 12'6 Surftech Bark Competitor courtesy of Surftech! This is probably the best chance you will ever have to win a Bark Competitor (value $2,215)!

And check this out...the board winner need not be present at the Saturday, July 16th drawing to win.

Enter the raffle online at Eventbrite & your email address will *not* be added to any email list!

New Brighton-Point-Sewers Channel RT

2011-07-06T15:05:00.000-07:00

July 6, 2011
I was just gonna paddle to the L41 from New Brighton, taking the low route and maybe surf a few small rollers somewhere along the way, but the closer I got to the Point the more I kept thinkin' I just might as well keep going. At the Point a few small waves were waitin' on a small crowd and Sewer Peak was capping over nice and easy, no one on it.

I think I'll find the channel I've heard so much about thinks I. Next thing I know I'm paddling up a broad opening in the otherwise prolific kelp beds, like driving a Lincoln ragtop limo on Inauguration Day. I couldn't resist. I followed the channel to a left turn at the edge of the massive kelp bed and cruised downwind all the way back to New Brighton.

It ended up being about 7.1 miles which is four miles more than I thought I was gonna paddle. So much for the short paddle. Another beautiful day in the Cruz. And I used to think straight up paddling was boring. I was missin' it. Not anymore.

New Brighton-Point-Sewers Channel RT

New Brighton-Capitola-Sponge Bob Triangle

2011-07-04T12:59:00.000-07:00

Monday July 4, 2011

Happy 4th everyone. Have a safe and insane holiday.

New Brighton-Capitola-Sponge Bob Triangle

Natural Bridges to New Brighton

2011-07-02T17:58:00.000-07:00

Saturday July 2, 2011
Had we launched at the originally scheduled hour winds would have been a third of what they were when the seven of us pushed out from the beach at 1030. Instead of 3 with gusts of 6, according to the data recorded at Longs Marine Lab for the date and hour, it was more like wind at 10-15 mph, gusting to 18. The more experienced of our crew, Dan, John and Mike rounded the yellow buoy first and took the lead early on but kept close enough for the rest of us to try and emulate their skills. At the halfway point, the mile buoy, we got a quick primer in downwind surfing.

But by then the windiest part of the run was over and the closer we got to our destination, New Brighton State Park, the calmer it got and we finished up in glassy flat conditions, coasting in to a beach full of holiday revelers enjoying the first real extended taste of Summer we've had in two years.

Natural Bridges to New Brighton

The more I get into this stand up paddleboard sport the more I am amazed at the variety of experiences it provides. While I used to think that straight out paddling was monotonous and boring, I now see that there is a lot more than going from Point A to Point B. And there is also much variety in workouts depending upon where you're paddling and in what kind of conditions. For example, flat water sprinting is a whole different workout than going downwind. While your core is always involved, flat water really emphasizes upper body involvement and anaerobic cardio. But going downwind in surfable waves or bumps, along with negotiating choppy seas and whitecaps, is an intense lower body workout and balance marathon and not much heavy breathing. Either way, the benefits of SUP exercise are prolific.

This was my first "real" downwind experience in that it was possible to catch and ride bump after bump in the brisk wind and sea conditions. Downwind surfing on a long SUP brings a whole new perspective to the term "nearshore wind swell." Not that I did it very well, but I only splashed in twice (although there were numerous near misses) and I was able to stitch together a few genuine, longish rides on bona fide waves.

Since I was closest to John he gave me a couple really good tips. 1) Don't stand so far forward. I moved back about a half foot and that helped a lot to keep the nose from pearling, the board in trim and ready to catch swells. 2) Depending upon the wave you're gonna half to move your feet, step back and assume a surfing stance for as long as necessary. That was probably the best and trickiest piece of advice, and the hardest to follow...at least for me.

Parallel stance is the most stable on a SUP. And in downwind conditions you're getting hit by waves and chop from multiple directions, usually split seconds apart. Your balance is in a constant state of flux. Action, reaction. Adjust, readjust is the name of the game. Now throw in surfing and paddling. There's just a lot going on and frankly, you have to do it, practice it, and practice it some more to get good at it. The better you get, the more fun you have. Not much different really than learning to SUP in the first place.

Unlike surfing, SUP paddling is an activity you can do with a whole bunch of people at the same time. The more the merrier, especially going downwind. Imagine getting 50 waves in an hour with seven guys out and no one is even surfing the same break you're on, but they're 20 feet away. Yeah, it kinda expands your horizons.

NOTE: The video never seems to show how it felt out there, i.e. it felt a lot more gnarly. But it's a genuine look at the way it was even though I'm not able to shoot for very long while standing on my SUP. The loss of forward momentum while wallowing in the swells and troughs makes balancing and attempting to hold the camera steady somewhat of a challenge. That's why I am so blown away by watching the Maliko run on Maui. Check it here and here. At this stage of my experience it's like watching the men and women surfing Mavs. If ya know what I mean.

The New Brighton Triangle

2011-07-01T16:13:00.000-07:00

Friday July 1, 2011
Finally....Summer! Today's paddle was planned to be a quick warm-up for tomorrow's 9-miler. I aimed for about 3 miles, but ended up at 4.4 miles, averaging around 3.7 mph in one hour and 21 minutes which included all the stops to shoot video. (Everytrail didn't record the data on their website but it's still in my phone app which won't upload. Can't figure out what to be mad at, my phone or Everytrail. I think I'll just enjoy the day instead.) The video ended up being about a five minute travelogue. For locals nothing new, but for the rest of the world (literally) a little history and some show and tell.

Yes. It does suck to live here.

Angulo Sea Shaka Fin & NB/Point RT Paddle

2011-06-30T09:22:00.000-07:00

Wednesday June 29, 2011
I bagged one of the last of the first run Angulo Sea Shaka fins the day before the Jay Race. It seems that people bought up the first run batch of Sea Shaka's in a hurry and I felt fortunate to have gotten one of the last ones. But a new batch of fins is coming hot outta the RFC Factory in short order and should be available very soon if not now. For more on the Sea Shaka Fin or any Angulo products, contact Andy or Ed here.

The video has my review of the Angulo Sea Shaka fin and a brief summary of my round trip paddle from New Brighton to The Point. Again my tracking app, Every Trail, failed to track the entire trip. I suspect that is because part of that route is notorious for dropping cell phone reception. Once that connection is lost, the GPS goes down too. It's only happened twice, but both times in that location.

Today's round trip from New Brighton to The Point took about an hour and twenty minutes. Total distance as measured on the Google map was a shade over five miles. This averaged out to about 3.7 miles per hour which I consider good for me as there was a brisk head wind for the "uphill" 2.5 mile paddle from NB to the point. According to the Wunderground personal weather station located at the point, the wind was southwest at 6-13 mph with gusts only slightly greater than max wind. The wind never let up and neither did I. It was a damn good cardio and physical workout. But still, it felt really good to rest at the point, then let the wind turn me around and stroke downwind for New Brighton. My paddle felt like a hot knife cutting through butter for those first couple hundred downwind yards.

I'm really excited about how beneficial fitness stand up paddling is, much more productive than I originally speculated. Not only physically in strength, cardio and overall endurance, but spiritually as well. Being on the ocean is being in a wild and untamed place. Fifty yards from shore is the wilderness. Even more so a mile from shore on a small human powered vessel. It is a working, dynamic meditation. It is being closer to the power that created it, and us. The vastness of place, and the insignificance of person is real. The experience can order and/or re-order our thought processes and priorities. It's as close as we'll ever come to walking on water. The result is humbling.

Jay Day

2011-06-28T19:57:00.000-07:00

Saturday June 25, 2011
Kudos to everyone, sponsors, organizers and participants for making the Jay Race No Ka Oi! And to all my friends for keeping me young.

Jay Race 2-Mile Practice Run

2011-06-24T09:51:00.000-07:00

Another nice day on the Bay so I thought I'd launch from New Brighton and paddle down to the Jay Race site in Tola for a practice run at the 2-mile course. The race buoys aren't up but the route is easy, especially since the maps were published a few days ago. I probably went a little short but I got to double check the kelp bed locations which really aren't in the way much. If the south swell peaks as forecast for tomorrow it should make for some interesting conditions entering and exiting the water.

I attended the get together at Covewater with Candice Appleby and Anthony Vela which was informative and valuable. It's not too often you get to hang out with a couple champions who are so willing to talk about their experiences, boards, training programs, the whole nine yards. I was impressed by their knowledge and how articulately they expressed themselves. They are multi-discipline champs and surprisingly (to me at any rate) they will both be paddling traditional (prone) paddleboards in the 12-mile Jay Race. Thanks to Scott and Leslie at Covewater for hosting and for Surftech's Duke Brouwer for mc'ing the event.

Jay Race 2-Mile Practice Run

Covewater Happy Hour with SUP Paddle Champions Appleby and Vela

2011-06-22T07:27:00.000-07:00

Hosted SUP Happy Hour (yes, that's right...HOSTED) at Covewater this Thursday with the world's top female paddler, Candice Appleby and Anthony Vela! Stop by Covewater Paddle Surf Thursday eve (6-7) for pupus from Pono Hawaiian Grill, beverages, and a talk with three-time Battle of the Paddle champion and female SUP ambassador Candice Apppleby and last year's Jay Race winner, Anthony Vela! More info in the link below. Don't miss this, it'll be a rare opportunity to talk with and listen to a couple of world champion SUP racers. And Covewater's buying. Deal!

Click here for more....

Yacht Harbor to Cowells RT

2011-06-21T17:36:00.000-07:00

Tuesday June 21, 2011

Today, the first day of Summer 2011, was custom made and I'm so thankful that I was able to enjoy it. It was perfect in every way. Temperatures are 5-15 degrees above normal with not a cloud in the sky. The sea breeze was light, barely ruffling the sea while allowing expansive shards of mirror glass to cover the watery playing field.

I had to go into town to run an errand so I planned a round trip paddle, launching at the Yacht Harbor then traveling west to the Lane and inside Cowells. The ocean was as calm and gentle as I've ever seen it. A very special day.

Yacht Harbor To Cowells RT

Natural Bridges To Capitola Pier 8.25 Miles

2011-06-20T15:29:00.000-07:00

Saturday June 18, 2011

Da Boyz and I planned a paddle in what turned out to be great conditions, launching from Natural Bridges and finishing up at Hoopers Beach in Capitola. Winds were light and mostly at our backs for the entire distance. The sea surface was probably about as mellow as it gets with lightly rolling seas and nary a white cap in sight.

The idea has been to slightly increase the distance each week so we don't overdo it physically for any one paddle event. Today was a good confidence builder for all of us although I must say I was pretty tired on Sunday and needed all of it as a rest day. But today, Monday, I'm feeling good and will get in for a paddle tomorrow.

We ran into Kyle and his friends at the take-out and he's in for our next weekend paddle which will probably be in a couple weeks as the Jay Race is next Saturday, June 25. Sam is gonna do the 12-miler, but the rest of us are holding off, feeling not quite ready for that distance...yet. We'll be doing the 2-mile and the relay and looking forward to a fun day.
Natural Bridges to Capitola Pier at EveryTrail
EveryTrail - Find the best Hiking in California

2011 Jay Race Course Maps

2011-06-16T18:17:00.001-07:00

Training Paddle #2 New Brighton to Pleasure Point RT

2011-06-16T16:07:00.000-07:00

Thursday June 16, 2011

The anticipated but steep angled south swell #4 never showed up (there's a surprise) so the best alternative was to go paddling. My plan re this fitness paddling phase of my SUP life is to aim for a minimum of three fitness paddling sessions per week. Two long ones and a short one. The long ones would fall into the LSD category. Long Slow Distance. Great for overall cardio fitness and core strength training. The short paddle is more or less a sprint. But the idea is to mix LSD (aerobic) with pedal to the metal workouts (anaerobic) to develop long term stamina as well as speed. I'll mix it up to keep it from getting boring and see what happens.

New Brighton to PP RT

EveryTrail - Find the best Hiking in Forest of Nisene Marks State Park

The Every Trial tracking app gives me the ability to design a course with both distance and degree of difficulty in mind. It is a much more demanding workout to paddle in the open ocean than in flat water. So two paddles of equal distance, one in flat water nearshore and one in the rolling seas of the open ocean are not equal workouts. Downwind paddles in high winds are also much more demanding physically. At my point of fitness and skill, I can paddle vigorously and put all I've got into sprinting in flat water, but try that in choppy seas and I'd be falling off a lot. I love learning new stuff.

The Every Trail app malfunctioned on today's trip. It ended about a mile before I actually finished the paddle. This could have been my fault as I had some trouble getting the phone to respond in the Dry Case at the finish. I may have inadvertently stopped the app by accident. Whatever. Best practice in future will be to remove the camera from the Dry Case and stop it. Todays distance was more like 6.5 miles.

So far, the plan I envisioned and have implemented for distance/fitness paddling is working out. Since surfing is nature dependent one has a limited number of opportunities to paddle surf in the ocean. But as long as the ocean is there and the weather isn't adverse, I can get out and workout in the gym. God's Gym. Perfect!

Mile Buoy RT

2011-06-15T11:09:00.000-07:00

Tuesday June 14, 2011

I wanted to do a short distance today in preparation for the 2-mile Jay Race on the 25th, just to get an idea of how long it would take. Since I don't really know how far out to sea a mile is, I chose the "mile buoy" as my goal. No rocket science needed. However I somehow managed to miss this skyscraper of a buoy in the fog. ("In the fog"...that's my excuse and I'm stickin' to it.)

Mile Buoy RT

EveryTrail - Find the best Hiking in the Bay Area, California

I paddled straight out to sea from the beach, keeping my eyes peeled once I was well past the end of the wharf which is a half-mile long. In the fog it was a bit hard to see, but not that bad I thought. So...the first thing that came into view that looked like a buoy, I paddled for. I didn't know it for sure at the time, but it wasn't it. So having accomplished half my mission of reaching the buoy and feeling pretty sure that I'd paddled at least a mile, I rounded the wrong buoy and headed back. I never did see the "real" mile buoy. (The RT paddle turned out to be 2.3 miles so I accomplished my primary goal.)

In hind sight and after communicating with more experienced paddlers I figure I was too far west. I should have taken a more easterly track at the end of the wharf instead of heading west. Live and learn. Next time I'm on it.

Pier To Pier Practice Run

2011-06-11T18:14:00.000-07:00

Saturday June 11, 2011

The original plan was to launch from Natural Bridges and downwind to the Pleasure Point area. But the wind was up early and blowing 20-30 mph at launch time. So we scratched that plan and launched from Cowell's Beach at the Santa Cruz Wharf. In addition to it being much less windy, at least for the first five minutes in the lee of the half-mile wharf, it was good practice for the Pier to Pier race.

The paddle from the beach to the first Coast Guard buoy was a delightful tour past the relaxed tourists on the wharf and the frenzied barking of the sea lions that have taken over the eastside boat dock. But conditions turned quickly as we made our way into the wind stream.

The thing about downwinders is that, so far, I haven't really experienced one. Not the one that I envisioned anyway. One imagines a straight coastline and paddling down it in a straight line, with the wind blowing straight behind you. That is probably the "mind downwinding" equivalent of "mind surfing". In my very brief experience doing downwinders the coastline is rarely straight and the wind (and the seas the wind blows up) are never lined up neatly behind you. And as was the case today, the wind and the seas were at a 45-degree angle to the shoreline, or blowing offshore, that is from the opposite side of the aforementioned wind direction, or sometimes even (miracles of miracles) right in my desired direction of travel.

Pier To Pier

EveryTrail - Find the best Hiking near San Jose, California

I battled this sideways chop and wind that blew up whitecaps all around until I'd had enough. That's when I paddled truly downwind and into a rolling but relatively calm kelp bed off Blacks Point. The bad about that was the backwash coming off the point. It quickly became evident that I had to resume paddling in choppy seas or else hit the beach. So I slogged on through the messy and anything but smooth potato patch between Blacks and Pleasure Point.

Fortunately there was no real ground swell of note today so I could take this "low road" strategy. Even still, I had to head back out to sea to avoid the breakers off Little Windansea and Sewer Peak because by now I was too far inside to guarantee my course's wavelessness. I was paddling in thick kelp but surprisingly this went well. With a strong wind at your back you can pretty much sail right across the seaweed. And that's when the real fun began.

Just past Sewers, with the wind directly at my back, I could set a straight line course direct to the Capitola Pier. I had a good feeling of speed as I jetted across the kelp patches and open spots of ocean. When I quickly arrived off Privates the wind went offshore for the next mile or so to the Pier. But it was a good run and a good experience.

I fell off twice today. Once in a pitching sea when side chop surprised me by how steeply (and quickly) it put my board up on a rail, and the other when some kelp finally took me down. But that's not bad considering all the times I could have fallen off, and I learned a lot from today's practice.

Our original plan was to stay clear of the kelp beds by paddling outside them. But for me that was too much work and too much confused seas and white caps. If the wind had been less brisk it would have been a different story.

We paddled back to the takeout at Privates where we'd parked the shuttle vehicles. Andy's wife Nancy and the kids, Bobby and Jilly were there playing in the shorebreak and paddling Andy's Uli board.

The next paddle is scheduled for next Saturday. Route undecided.

Training Paddle #1 & Gear Review

2011-06-10T14:22:00.000-07:00

Friday June 10. 2011

Today I did my first longer distance training paddle. I didn't have a specific distance in mind but I wanted it to be longer by a lot than any of my other paddles. (The longest to date was about 3.5 miles.) I solicited advice and mana'o from several paddlers and friends who had passed on info in conversation. Paul, Big Dave, Robert, Sam, Andy and others all added to my neophyte's reservoir of knowledge.

Paul was the first to tell me about the buoys, which I could use as way points for different paddle routes. Big Dave followed up with reinforcing info and some specifics that helped out in today's paddle. He told me about following the edge of the kelp beds and following the fishing boats, then turning seaward and making for the buoy named SC3 when I was abeam of Jack's house. And Robert gave me the hot tip about the Every Trail tracking app.

The Every Trail free app enabled me to track exactly the distance, time and mph of my paddle. At this stage of my development it will enable me to establish different training routes, based upon distance and degree of difficulty. As it turns out, 6.5 miles was a perfect distance for me to not only gauge how I would hold up over the route, but how long it would take me to paddle it given the investment in energy it would take. This is valuable info in preparing a training regimen suited to my age and fitness level. It also let me know that I'm going to easily be able to paddle the July 16th Covewater Classic 7-mile Open race, and that I'm not really ready for the Jay 12-miler on June 25....this year that is.

Training Paddle #1

EveryTrail - Find the best Hiking in Forest of Nisene Marks State Park

In addition to gauging my physical condition and readiness for ocean paddling, I was able to test some new gear that I bought specifically for safety, and to enhance the distance/fitness SUP paddling experience.

Until today I didn't really think I would need the Nathan HPL #008 Hydration Vest for the majority of my training paddles. But I was wrong. I filled the 1.5 liter water bladder halfway just to add some weight to the garment, primarily so I could test it for fit and comfort. I ended up drinking most of it. This Nathan hydration pack was not specifically designed for SUP paddlers, rather for foot racers but it's Spartan yet utilitarian design as well as the materials used and quality construction drew me to it. It is light, seemingly durable (only time will tell) and extremely comfortable to wear. It comes with enough storage in front and in back to hold everything I will need now and in the foreseeable future. The small, compact and secure pocket on the back easily holds my dry case and phone and while I haven't yet used the music playback feature of my phone while paddling, the waterproof ear buds can be configured to be out of my way should I choose to listen to music. Thanks to Sam for showing me the logic of that configuration on his hydration pack.

I was convinced about the Dry Case waterproof case for my phone after an "out in the ocean" conversation I had with a SUP surfer as I was paddling through a surf spot about a month ago. He was out for a surf and was listening to music (I thought) on his headphones. Since I was doing research on a waterproof case, I paddled up and asked what he had and how he liked it. He asked me to hang on for a second, said a few words into his "headphones," and then turned to me. He'd just gotten off the phone. He was attending a company board meeting. How cool is that! He had a Dry Case, said he loved it, it worked great, had no complaints and had originally purchased it in Hawaii. He'd had it a while and no problems. Done deal.

Using the Dry Case today went as planned. My Android LG Vortex fits in the bag with room to spare. The case comes with a squeeze bulb that pumps the air out of the case when sealed. If you don't do this I found that the touch screen on the phone won't always respond. Creating a vacuum sucks the plastic skin of the face to the phone for a smooth seal and the phone works like it should. The #1 reason for having the phone with me is safety, the mp3 player is secondary, at this point anyway.

The video is about eight minutes. In it I take a look at the Nathan HPL #008 Hydration Vest and the Dry Case waterproof case for my smart phone in addition to my usual comments from the ocean. The Kodak Playsport Zx3 is in Illinois for repair. This vid was shot using the Olympus Stylus Tough 6000.

When I launched, I had a rough idea of my route. I set out from New Brighton and took the low route, next to the cliffs, to what I call the Capitola Gap. From there I looked at the voluminous kelp bed and for the fishing boats Big Dave told me about. Since a straight line is the shortest distance between two points I did my best to keep my course straight (to the fishing boats) but out of the kelp as well. When I arrived at the outermost fishing boat I looked into shore to see where I was in relation to Jack's house. Then I looked out to sea for the buoy. This little teeny dot on the horizon I spied waaaaaay out there. Was that a buoy? Why not? I paddled for it and it became clear after not too long that it was, in fact, a buoy.

Conditions today were probably about perfect. There was a light southwest wind blowing in my face that wasn't troublesome. Seas were light and smooth for the most part, especially near the kelp beds. Once I cleared the fishing boats and turned towards the buoy the deeper water ground swell became more evident but it was rolling and gentle. The Bark 12-6 Competitor had no difficulty handling it. I felt at home.

As I neared the buoy I was getting curious. Which of the buoys Big Dave told me about was this one? It turned out to be SC3. It felt like an adventure to be out there on my board, by myself, surrounded by wilderness. Paddling up to the buoy to ID it was a lot like finding the markers atop the high sierra mountains I'd climbed. As I rounded the buoy and plotted a straight line course back to New Brighton I heard the startling and familiar sounds of an exhaling mammal behind me. I turned back to see what I'd hoped was a whale but no, only two curious sea lions. Always good for an adrenaline jolt when you're not expecting it.

This leg of the paddle was the straightest and most uneventful. I found myself paying more attention to my fatigue and continuously working muscles than I should. This made the paddle seem tedious and strenuous. I found it helpful on the first and shorter legs of the route to set small goals. Get to the gap, paddle for the edge of the kelp just past the pier, make it past the fishing boats, head for the buoy. On a longer stretch, with few markers, setting goals became more difficult. But I forced my mind away from the tedium and concentrated on the graceful forms the water took as it pealed off the bow of my paddle powered vessel, or at the vast expanse of watery real estate all around me and the powerful rolling swells relentlessly enduring my presence, or at the shore which was an arc of cliff, sea and mountains reaching up thousands of feet into the sky from which their Creator's Spirit was no doubt gazing down upon this eternally loved speck of me. Not a bad distraction.

Tomorrow the Boyz and I have planned our second Nat'l Bridge to the Harbor downwinder. I wasn't sure how ready my body would be after today's workout. But as I write this five hours after the paddle, I feel good. Long, evenly paced and moderate distance paddling feels less tiring than a three or four hour surf. The difference is in standing. When surfing you get off your feet all the time. Today I stood for nearly two-hours, taking no rest stops to get off my feet. That may be one of the reasons my glutes were aching near the end of the paddle. I may have to plan some rest stops on the longer paddles.

The take-out was uneventful although it is always a bit tenuous to hit dry land while negotiating the incoming waves, grabbing on to a big board and managing the paddle too. I was tired, happy and my head was buzzing with the addiction of new experience.

2011 Olukai Ho'Olaule'a Event

2011-06-09T10:42:00.000-07:00

This is a short video re-cap of the 2011 Olukai Ho'Olaule'a event which is held on Maui and features SUP and OC1 paddlers taking on the Maliko run. The top paddlers usually finish the 8-mile race in 40-50 minutes! They say the winner is always the one who catches the most bumps.

2011 OluKai Ho'olaule'a from OluKai Premium Footwear on Vimeo.

South Swell #3 Rumba

2011-06-09T08:43:00.000-07:00

Tuesday and Wednesday June 7 and 8, 2011

Think back for a moment about the most fickle girlfriend or boyfriend you ever had. I know mine (I've had more than one) weren't around long and you definitely couldn't count on 'em. That's what south swells are like on the L41.

Now Southie #3 was something of an exception but in order for us to see a super high quality, dependable south swell it has to have impeccable cred, so much so that if it were human, he/she'd be a saint.

The L41 is a safe harbor, there's one practically in the line-up. Therefore it's not known for it's booming XL surf, and it rarely gets any size up in that category, especially during the Summer south swell months when it's Winter in the South Pacific. At the south end of our bay is a landmass that when viewed from the L41 is on the compass at 180 degrees. No front line in the NFL can touch it when it comes to blocking. It's safe to say that nothing dependable can rinse our shores in the 180 to 185 degree angle either, still too much blocking or shadowing action going on.

South swells have to travel hundreds of miles through island archipelagos and underwater mountain ranges that scrape the guts and juice out of those highly sought deep water swells. And I have a theory that the deep water canyon located in the middle of the bay, eats up a lot of deep water energy that may or may not re-emerge from it. But if the angle is just right, and there's enough wave/swell energy entrained, we get our fickle girlfriend or boyfriend in the house. And like anyone who is helplessly in love, we put up with a lot to get just a little and still come back for more. You know it's true.

My Kodak Playsport Zx3 malfunctioned on my first clip Wednesday, the superior wave riding day. I missed a lot of very good shots. It's now in for repair.

South swell #1 made us wait, but the dancing was good. We partied, we had some fun. South swell #2 made us wait and then showed up without taking a shower or using any deodorant. Basically, he stunk the place up and was a bit of a mess. South swell #3 however was friendlier and more reliable. She showed up right on time and for kind of a plain Jane type, she was looking good and could rumba too. I spent some time with her yesterday and today.

Tuesday #3 was walking in the door. I played with her at the low tide, and rather than paddle up to GDubs where she was shining most brightly (and playing the field with all her buddies) I stayed downcoast at Sarges and hung out just with her in the fast paced, low tide zippers. Basically it was surfing a beach break, short fast and walled up, over a kelp choked reef. But the two hour session was fun and I thought of it as a warm-up for Wednesday's date.

Wednesday I'd have been better off following my own advice and getting out there at first light. Kirk did and scored some of the best waves of the morning in the just right and dropping tide. I watched him take down more than a few long, fast walls on his new 8-6 split tail SUP. The man can surf (here and here) and he builds boards that can keep up with him and vice versa.

But it wasn't a total loss for me, I just lost out on an hour's worth of waves. I started out at GDubs around 0715 and basically took the tour. I surfed every spot on the L41 from GDubs to the Yellow House during my four hour session. I gotta admit #3 more me out.

Tuesday night the swell began filling in and Wednesday morning it was as booming as it was gonna get. Well populated sets of 8-12 waves charged in at very acceptable intervals for a long period southie. Waiting for the right wall that bent in over the multiple reefs could offer the rider a long and section filled thrill ride from GDubs to Sarges. They were relatively scarce, but when dropped into, it was one unbroken ride for one good surfer.

As the tide dropped I headed down coast, not necessarily because the waves were any better, it was still good at G's on the right wave, but now the low tide exposed kelp was getting insane. Take-offs and drops were in a thick carpet like layer of kelp. Sometimes the wave would give you room to make a bottom turn and gather speed, but usually the strategy was to just drop over the steep lip and turn at the top, staying high in the speed line using the waves power to amass velocity, and staying out of the kelp which was abundant mid-face and in the trough. But that kind of surfing is SimmyD's specialty.

I too often paddled into the first or second wave of a multiple wave set which gave me a good ride but closed me out into the rush of the set's remainders. You don't be duck diving a SUP. You don't be log rolling a SUP, even a short one like the 8-0 SimmyD. My tactic if the whitewash isn't too voluminous, is to throw the paddle on the deck longitudinally and hang on to the back half of the board and the paddle shaft. This way I can time it so that I weight the tail and bring the nose up and over the incoming line of wash. This works OK most of the time. When it doesn't there can be consequences. Like one yesterday that shot a fin into my right thigh. I thought for sure I'd see a gash in my wetsuit. But there wasn't one. Instead a got a deep bruise that hobbled but didn't end my session.

That one set washed me through Sarges and into Middles where I saw several perfect peelers wind through at Brown House. So I headed there, joining Barry on his shortboard. First wave was a screamer that yielded a steep and fast take-off, backing off for a second before setting up for a speed run through the bowl (and usual take-off spot) at Yellow House. That was fun so I finished off my session there.

Today as I write everything is sore. But that's one of the things I love about SUP surfing. You get this amazing whole body workout and (the most important point) you're having fun doing it. As much as I lament my fickle south swell friends, I hafta say #3 showed me a good time and I'll miss her.

New Quickblade Kanaha FG90 & FCS SUP Specific Adjustable Leash

2011-06-04T13:44:00.000-07:00

Monday May 30, 2011

I was looking forward to using my new Quickblade Kanaha FG90 which I bought from Covewater a few days ago. Scott made quick work of cutting the shaft to size. I wanted the option of making it smaller so I deliberately asked him to cut it long. I can make another cut at home. Scott also gave me one of the new FCS SUP specific adjustable leashes to try.

I knew almost immediately after launching that the paddle shaft was too long. So at home I'll cut another inch or so off it and try again. Until I find the right size I use waterproof electrical tape wrapped around the paddle shaft and handle to hold it in place. It works great and doesn't move around. The handle is easy to remove in case further adjustments are needed.

The upwind leg to the L41 was a chore but I was surprised at how well the 12-6 plowed through the headwind and chop, and how I was able to move steadily forward to the destination. I definitely was glad to turn around and speed back downwind though. The 3.4 mile round trip (RT) took 35 minutes up, and 25 minutes back.

The paddle is perfect, not too big and not too small. My opinion about the dihedral is that it allows you to paddle a bigger blade with less effort and stress. QB's come in three sizes. 90, 100 and 110 square inches. Because I was able to demo Covewater's QB Kanaha 100, and realized that it was a bit too much paddle for me, I knew the 90 would be a good fit. With paddles and SUPs "try before you buy" has to be the mantra of any cautious consumer.

I liked the leash a lot. It was easy to attach and adjust and calf leashes are my favorite. I literally did not feel it on my leg. It just hung effortlessly behind me and didn't get in my way or impede water flowing over or around the board. This is especially nice in kelpy waters like ours where leashes can catch on stalks of kelp and drag you to a screeching halt. Check the FCS video out for info on the leash.

South Swell #2 We Woulda Liked To Know Ya Better

2011-06-04T08:37:00.000-07:00

Wednesday June 1, 2011
Southie #2 came to us from too steep an angle to really make itself well known. As per the last and first forecast south swell, #2 was late by about 40 hours. And when it did arrive the weather begrudgingly relented a bit, but never provided the hospitable winds needed to make this a cleaner and crisper wave riding day either today or tomorrow, June 2.

From the gitgo the winds were never good on Wednesday. I was out at 0830 after waiting for a little less drained out tide and winds were brisk from the southwest. Each paddle back into the line-up was into a steadily increasing head wind as winds just got worse by the hour. Surf was sectiony and crumbly due to the unpleasant mix of NW ground swell, near shore wind swell and possibley some secondary south swell that I couldn't really feel out in the water.

After an hour I decided to save my energy in hopes of better conditions and a more recognizable arrival of the southie tomorrow.

Thursday June 2, 2011
Because the south swell had been advertised so widely it was fairly crowded by 0830 Thursday morning. I paddled out to the Brown House in hopes of getting a few with fewer people. That strategy proved to be a mistake because the wind and ground swells had backed way off, and the south swell, which was finally showing a bit, wasn't really banging in yet. So I spent a frustrating first half hour trying to chase down some ridable waves.

Meanwhile, up-reef at Sarges it looked like a sweepers convention. At one point the ratio of SUP surfers to prone surfers (oh yeah, sorry, I mean "real" surfers) was 3 to 1. Which is one of the reasons I stayed away, at least for a while, hoping things would balance out a bit and helping to keep the peace. It did even out when I abandoned my fruitless adventure down coast and paddled into a couple hours of fun waist/chest high waves at Sarges.

By then the really testy prone-nation folks has gone to work, leaving a much mellower group behind. But everyone got waves, looked like they were having a good time, and the vibe was upbeat and positive, at least on the surface.

Again, the wind was never really good. It started light from the southeast before shifting light southwest and increasing slowly all morning. But much better than yesterday. The waves had cleaned up a lot too and upcoast, Gdubs was pretty packed. Waves were very good there with the only downside being the onshore/sideshore wind which was making for some crumbly tops. But the mostly long rides made up for the less than stellar shape.

The south started showing well around 9AM with well populated sets pouring through at very acceptable intervals. I got my fill at Sarges and finished off the morning at Middies in the rising tide which was slowing the action down a bit.

Nick was out on a new to him (used) longboard he was demoing and was just killing it. It looked like he'd been riding that board for years, putting on the noseriding exhibition of the day. Met a couple SUP guys, one from Morrow Bay who knew my buddy Jeff...aka "The Legend." Andy was in the line-up in boardshorts only, taking down his fair share as usual and dreading any swims he might be forced to take in the 53 degree water. Steve and I chatted up about his new L41 performance SUP which is at the glassers. He's gonna love it.

Southie #2 finally started showing on the farshore buoy around 10AM and it wasn't until a few hours later that it showed on the inside buoy at about 1 to 1.3 ft. at 14-15 seconds. That reading indicated how weak the swell was, not much more than very commonplace background south. I know I was disappointed overall, but once again learned a lot from tracking it, and as we all know, "life is for learning," Joni Mitchell. "Those not busy being born are busy dying." Bob Dylan. "WTF?" Numerous.

First Paddle On The New Bark Is A Downwinder

2011-06-03T07:46:00.000-07:00

Saturday May 28, 2011

Andy and I planned our first downwinder for Saturday and the wind didn't disappoint. It was also the first time for me to paddle my new 12-6 Surftech Bark Competitor, and this was only the second or third time for Andy on his new 14' Surftech Bark Dominator.

We launched in a strong southwest wind from the beach at Natural Bridges State Park. White caps were clearly evident outside the kelp beds. Since this was my inaugural voyage in the wind, I didn't really know what to expect. To date I only had reading and videos providing my experience. To quote from Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, "there ain't nothin' like the real thing baby".

Since we launched perpendicular to the wind flow, the first thing I didn't expect was how voracious and difficult it is to paddle in an side wind. Wind velocity was a steady 12-15 mph (Class 4 or 5 on the Beaufort Scale) and until we cleared the kelp beds and turned downwind I paddled hard and without ceasing on the left side of my board. This in an effort to keep it from nosing over too soon and having to plow through the copious kelp forests that littered the ocean's surface. Needles to say, after a hundred or so strokes my left leg and glutes were screaming for mercy. Mercifully we cleared the seagoing vegetation fairly quickly and started the 3.4 mile downwind leg towards the harbor.

It didn't take long to get there. With a steady wind at our backs (actually from our starboard quarter most of the way) we made it to our destination in a little under 50 minutes. Slow from an experienced paddlers perspective I'm sure. But we did it and I don't think either one of us fell off once which was in itself an accomplishment.

With very little background experience to draw from I thought the 12-6 Bark performed well which covered a host of my newbie beginner struggles. While not a dedicated downwind board, the Bark hull plowed through the whitecaps and wind chop with a steadiness that underscores the stability of the board in choppy seas. A lot of the time I was able to concentrate on my stroke, and paddling efficiently. At others times I was just trying to stay on my feet as I was battered by strong gusts of wind, or relentless wind chop that came from three different directions at once, or just turning around to try and get a shot of Andy paddling. I even managed to catch a couple bumps and get a short ride, but I think this was more by accident than by design or skill. I'll catch on eventually, but reading the bumps when they are so numerous and multi-directional is a real challenge.

Near the end of our paddle, off Seabright Beach, a guy on an fully ruddered SIC (16ft. I think) literally "blew" by us like we were standing still. His grace, dexterity and prowess were a thing of beauty. It looked like he was dancing on his board with nimble foot adjustments and paddling cadences that seemed to always put him where he should be. He caught a couple series of bumps that were not only amazing to watch, but which pushed him far into the distance towards the harbor beach. (I found out later from Kiter Mike that the guy, still don't know his name, is one of the premier SUP racing/downwind paddlers in the area. He was in fact in a race and he was the first place finisher. Truth is, he looks a lot like Danny Ching which Mike also confirmed.)

After 50 minutes and with the harbor entrance within throwing distance I was really looking forward to some smooth water. It had been a good workout for me. My legs, glutes and knees were stressed the most, and it felt good to relax and paddle within the still but wind riffled confines of the harbor. Andy and I did a couple laps just to work on paddling technique and enjoy the boards in a calm setting.

We were both really excited though and looking forward to more of these planned adventures in the future. The more I get into this racing/downwind experience, the more people I'm meeting who want to share it. A regular community is forming all around us. Or perhaps I should say that I am becoming more aware of this community of ocean paddlers in our midst. New beginnings are always such stokers!

COVEWATER - Norcal's First Fully Dedicated SUP Surf & Paddle Shop

2011-06-01T17:29:00.000-07:00

I surprised Scot and his wife late on Memorial Day and got a tour of the shop as well as tons of info about Covewater, and a great look at the boards, paddles and accessories they carry. Scott also filled me in on the WPA sponsored Covewater Classic SUP race coming this July 15 and 16. This 20 minute interview covers just about everything you want to know about Covewater. Check it out and then drop in and see for yourself.

Covewater online and the Covewater Classic online. Covewater is located at 725 Water Street in Santa Cruz. Phone 'em at 831-600-7230.

Duuuude!

2011-05-31T19:00:00.000-07:00

NB Fitness Paddle & Paddle Test

2011-05-25T17:13:00.000-07:00

Primary mission today was twofold. I needed to get a distance paddle in and I wanted to "test" paddle the Kialoa 9" blade. I borrowed the paddle from Michael who I had sold it to a couple years ago when I sold him my first Angulo 10-4 SUP. It's a great paddle, all carbon and very light but it was hard on my shoulders. So I sold him the whole thing as a package and ended up buying an Infinity 6.5" otter tail which I use in the surf and really love. But for distance paddling I wanted a paddle with a little more meat than 6.5". But how much more meat?

Since I'm learning to paddle more efficiently (well, trying to at least) I thought maybe a 9" blade would be good, and it probably would for a bigger, stronger guy. Since the last time I bought a paddle, technology and technique have come a long way. There's tons of info on all the major paddle manufacturers sites about paddles and paddling, as well as this site Zen Waterman. I've been reading a lot as well as talking to as many people I can who are into distance/racing paddling.

Generally, the bigger the paddler, the bigger the blade. For example, if I'm looking at Quickblade paddles, say the Kanaha All Carbon, they come in three basic sizes: 90 square inches/8.3" width; 100 sq. in. 8.7" width and 110 sq in. 9" width. (Note: the Surftech San-O is in fact a Quickblade paddle.) Also, most people I'm talking with are saying that it is preferable to maintain a higher cadence when paddling than lower, so having a paddle that has less resistance when pulling it through the water is better for establishing and maintaining a quick or more rapid cadence (strokes per minute if you will). There is a lot to all this and a lot of personal preference involved so I won't go into all the details. If you want the info it's out there.

Actually since paddles are expensive I'd rather have a "one size fits all" paddle. But my otter tail really is too narrow. Great for surfing, not so great for paddling long distance efficiently.

The first thing I noticed about paddling the Kialoa today had nothing to do with blade width though. Michael is a little shorter than I and had cut the shaft down and re-glued the handle. Since I like long paddle shafts anyway, this is the first thing I noticed right off. Another general rule of thumb is that paddles used for surfing are shorter than paddles used for distance/race paddling. But for me, personal preference trumps common wisdom 'cause I like the longer paddle shaft. I had to lean too far over with the Kialoa and that ended up fatiguing my lower back. I didn't think the blade width was all that difficult to pull, or even noticeable at first. But after about 45 minutes I started to feel more tired than I think I would have with a narrower blade. Also, about an hour after the paddle, my shoulders and mid-back were more sore than they should have been.

I'm somewhat intrigued by dihedral shaped into the paddle, and the notion that it makes the paddle easier to pull through (greater efficiency) as well as limiting paddle flutter (improved blade stability) that can occur when pulling the paddle through the water. If this is the case then perhaps one could go with a slightly wider paddle than normal and with the same energy expended reap greater efficiency? Don't know but I've got a paddle with dihedral lined up to demo so I'll have some idea about all that soon.

I remember when I first started the SUP adventure in Hawaii, August 2007. As I got more into it, and moved into buying my first SUP I wondered if there would ever be a need for a SUP quiver. No need to wonder anymore. A SUP quiver, and a paddle quiver.

I got into SUP as a way to rehab my back and stay in the game of surfing. It was getting to the point where a couple hours spent on my prone boards would lead to two days rehabing a painful back. SUP has changed all that. This Summer will most likely see the sale of my last three prone surfboards and the solidification of my SUP quiver to four. Two shortboards (SIMSUP and SimmyD); my 10' Angulo all around "longboard" SUP and the Surftech Bark Competitor.

I guess if there's one thing that stays the same, it's change.

Bark Demo Day Wit Da Boyz

2011-05-25T14:37:00.001-07:00

Da Boyz and I got together on a Saturday morning to demo three Bark racing/distance SUPs. I rented a Surftech 12-6 Bark Competitor (Tuflite) from Covewater, Andy brought his Surftech 14' Dominator (Pro Elite) and Sam had his 14' Bark custom. There was a building north wind blowing down coast and this would prove to be a good day to paddle and demo all three boards in somewhat difficult conditions.

We met at Andy's house, only a couple blocks from the beach, and walked our boards down to the launch site. At 9AM the smallish pocket cove was calm, but you could see the wind line just outside the point. And further outside that the white caps were starting up. I was hoping the seas wouldn't get too frothy and the wind wouldn't crank up to gale force. This was supposed to be a test/demo to evaluate the boards not "Survivor."

The video tells most of the story. (Sorry for some of the excessive wind noise.) We did get a good demo in, and it was an excellent opportunity to evaluate all three boards. Here's what I learned. 1) Joe Bark makes very good paddleboards and Surftech has parlayed their partnership into a real quality and value boon for the consumer. 2) I really like wide tail boards, for surfing and for distance paddling. When shaped correctly, wide tails create stability without sacrificing speed. Period. 3) Since I'm not going to be a full on competitive racer, I don't need a super light (carbon) board. I'd rather have something more durable that I can "throw around" a little and not worry about having to repair. 4) The combination displacement hull/planing hull shape of the Competitor is the most efficient design for my needs which are distance/fitness paddling nearshore and in the open ocean, participating in downwind events and transiting the surf line. 5) The 12-6 Competitor is the best "one size fits all" board out there for me at 64 years old and in the 150-155 lbs. weight range.

The Angulo boards ran a close second, but I'm not ready for a carbon race board and the 14' Shaka doesn't fit me as well as the 12-6. If the Shaka came in 12-6 it would have been a more difficult decision because the quality and the build of the Angulos are impressive. But in the end it was the plan shape, the displacement/planing hull (and wide tail) that won me over.

So after all the evaluations and the board demos I went ahead and ordered a 12-6 Bark Competitor from John at Freeline. Arrival date is Friday May 27. First paddle date is set for Saturday, an entry level downwinder from Natural Bridges to the Harbor, about 4.5 miles. I am so stoked!

Viva Mexico Chapter 2 Sayulita Life

2011-05-18T20:43:00.000-07:00

Life in Sayulita was good. How could it not be good? On vacation, no schedules to meet, no deadlines, just surf, knock around and have a good time. The videos that follow are vignettes, small little slices of life in and around Sayulita.

We greatly enjoyed Mexico. All the Mexicans we met were wonderful from the lady who sold us our almost daily purchase of tamales to David the caretaker and grounds keeper at Los Almendos without whom we could have easily missed our flight home due to a time change in Nayarit we knew nothing about.

Many people are afraid to travel to Mexico because of all the drug business that dominates the headlines regarding Mexico. But we think the Puerto Vallarta area is one of the safest places in Mexico, if not the world, to travel, vacation and enjoy. The area is one of the economic engines of the Mexican tourist industry and the government has a vested interest in keeping it safe and viable for travellers from throughout the world.

Sayulita also has it's shares of American and Canadian expats who either live there permanently, or for most of the dry season when the weather is best. All the of these folks were very friendly and quick to offer advice and make recommendations of the good places to visit.

In short, we would go back to Sayulita tomorrow. Viva Mexico!

In-N-Out Barrel

2011-05-18T15:30:00.000-07:00

Just the way we like it.

Double Session: Morning Paddle/Afternoon Surf

2011-05-14T10:02:00.000-07:00

Entry: Friday May 13, 2011
Location: Nb's and Gdubs
Swell: 4.8 at 9.0 NW(320) & 1.3 at 12.0 SW (180)
Conditions: Clear, warm and sunny with light to calm winds
Tide: 0.8 Rising to 1.6 ft.

It was my good luck to get so much paddling, surfing and pure enjoyment out of such a beautiful Spring day. Especially since Winter is gonna give one final blast on it's trumpet before exiting stage left until next season.

In the morning I paddled my 10' custom Angulo from NB's up to Gdubs and back. The wind was light in my face going up and coming back. The water was clear and clean and there were a few intermittent knee/waist high waves coming through. Paul was on it again in his OC-1, riding the small little bumps at Sarges into the holes in the reef near shore. Frank was taking down a few peelers on his standup, and Joe was out in the kelp beds enjoying the day. A handful of people were at Gdubs and the other spots where there was in fact rideable surf. As I paddled back to NB's I was already planning my afternoon surf at Gdubs on SimmyD.

I loaded up the Angulo after a brief chat with Paul and another retired firefighter, Chris, in the parking lot. I made it home quick, swapped out the Gu for SimmyD, grabbed my 5/4 Mutant (water temp on the inside buoy is 50.3 degrees) and headed back to the ocean.

The surf was much smaller and less consistent than my first session on Simmy last Tuesday. But the weather was drop dead perfect. I paddled out with one of those coiled leashes just to try it out. (The verdict is still out.) It didn't really matter to me that the surf wasn't all that great, there was still plenty to ride even though 99% of it was only in the thigh/calf range. The sea surface was glass. I had plenty of time to practice balancing and paddling the new craft in easy conditions, as well as sliding the steep little inside sections that were breaking in one to two feet of water over the copious kelp and rock formations that make up the bottom of this spot.

I am now a solid proponent of k-rails (as Kirk calls them) or s-rails, as others call them for performance SUPs. Basically s-rails are a stepped down rail shaped to provide more traction and to allow the water to flow more efficiently over the shaped surface. The noticeable difference between SimmyD and the original SIMSUP in surfing performance is almost shocking. Maneuverability, down-the-line speed and stability on the wave, in critically steep sections and when negotiating white water sections has taken a quantum leap forward. I'll go back to the boxier rails when you pry my cold dead hands off my k-rails.

The increase in fun and performance more than makes up for the paddling instability that the s-rails provoke. But just as I had to get used to and adjust to the much shorter original SIMSUP with quad fins and no center fin a year ago to the month, I am now moving up the learning curve and making adjustments on the new and improved SimmyD.

One other design element is important to mention, and that is reduced weight due to more efficient glassing techniques and using a lighter, stingerless EPS (styrofoam) blank. SIMSUP weighed in at about 23.5 pounds while SimmyD tipped the scale at 19.8. While adding greatly to the maneuverability of the board, the lighter weight lends itself to greater instability. This element has been easier to adjust to than the k-rails though. The other thing about lighter is the loss of some paddling inertia. When you get a 23.5 pound board moving in one direction it tends to want to stay moving in that direction even when power is no longer applied. A lighter board simply has less inertia, therefore catching waves isn't as "easy". Again, not that big a deal, but a noticeable difference between the two boards that requires adjustment.

So basically we are looking at two areas of concentration: 1) overcoming instability while standing 2) adjusting my paddle stroke technique. Tuesday my feet were at the very edges of the 23" wide deck pad, so much so that they were angled off onto the sloping tops of the s-rails. This felt pretty weird. But yesterday I was off the s-rail and several inches in from the edges of the pad and feeling very comfortable. Secondly, I've learned that I need to stand just a bit forward of the place I stood on SIMSUP for regular paddling. I'm not sure why exactly but this is the best place to stand. Also, I am learning a new paddling technique that Kyle (Angulo Demo Day) taught me which allows me to save energy and paddle more efficiently by bending more at the waist. This works great on my 10' Angulo and the bigger boards, but when you put that much weight forward on an 8' SUP it tends to want to sink the nose. Since SimmyD is something like a paipo with a paddle, i.e. not a whole lot of rocker, then further paddling adjustments are in my future. But no big deal really, I can always default back to my old style of centering my weight in more of an upright posture and doing more arm paddling. (Although this tends to make my shoulders a lot more tired.) The last challenge is that the board is tippier during that last few seconds shift in footwork from parallel (for paddling) to left foot forward, regular foot stance (for surfing). But, the more I practice the better I get and I felt much more comfortable in all areas today than last Tuesday.

Barry, owner/operator of Making The Drop "surfing lessons for life" was out with me for most of the session and we had plenty of time to talk. Barry is a professional surfer and also loves the mini-Simmons design surfboard. As a matter of fact he was surfing on one. It's always good to get a second, third, etc. opinion from someone who knows and Barry was very intrigued by SimmyD both as a design and after watching how it surfed. So I've gotten some very positive feedback on both days of surfing the board. Tuesday from Peti, and now today from Barry. The life of a pro surf instructor is tough of course. Next week he has to take clients to El Salvador for surfing. Yes, next week...during you know what. Well....someone's got to do it....

My last wave of the hour and a half session was a gift that lifted up from out to sea in the first real set of the afternoon. It blasted in just slightly wide of the take-off and lined up fast and perfect for a ride that took me up and over the shallow inside reefs still riding the reeling fast wall, and then almost all the way to the Tweenies pocket beach. I left my camera on by accident just before paddling for the wave. The picture is black but you can hear the last bits of my conversation with Barry, and then the rush of the wave as I'm heading down the line. An artsy accident.

Double Session:Morning Paddle/Afternoon Surf from Srfnff on Vimeo.

Angulo Race Boards Demo Day

2011-05-11T10:16:00.000-07:00

On Friday May 6 I had the opportunity to demo four Angulo Designs distance/race SUPs. Thanks to Kyle and Whitty for going out of their way to set up a demo day just for me. We met at the SC Harbor and paddled in the calm water of the harbor first before venturing into the open ocean. This was a good paddle which included harbor flat water and choppy ocean.

The 14' Angulo Shaka is the foundational all-around distance/downwind/expedition board, and everyone I talked to that owns one loves it. It's stable and steady. The other three boards are hot off the press so to speak, super light carbon prototypes that are soon to go into production. Angulo Designs is also working on a very innovative option for buyers that would allow them to receive a custom race board built exactly to their needs and specifications at a very attractive price point. Stay tuned to the Angulo Designs website for more on this.

The Angulo Designs team has a lot going on these days in terms of new boards and advanced shapes. Ed is not one to ever stand still, always thinking and coming up with better and better designs. You can check it all out and contact the Angulo Team on Facebook, Angulo SUP and the Angulo Designs website.

Angulo Demo 5-7-2011 from Srfnff on Vimeo.

SIMSUP 2 - First Surf of the SimmyD

2011-05-10T18:38:00.000-07:00

Entry: Tuesday May 10, 2011
Location: Gdubs
Swell: 5.7 at 9.0 NW(320) & 1.4 at 14.0 SW (200)
Conditions: Fog clearing to partly cloudy
Tide: 0.8 Rising to 1.0 ft.

L41 SimmyD 8'0" X 30.25" X 4.5" Weight: 19.8 lbs Vol: 127L

I paddled with Libby and Paul this morning, Paul on his OC-1, Libby on the prone Bark paddleboard and me on Paul's custom 14' Bark Expedition. The ocean was calm and beautiful and until the fog cleared it was a wee bit chilly. We launched from NB and paddled up to Sarges where to our great surprise we found some real waves.

I had thrown my new wave riding SUP (SIMSUP 2 aka SIMSUP "Deuce" and to be known forever now as SimmyD) in the back of the van just to try it out after our paddle. I wasn't expecting any surf today. But finding waves we headed out past the kelp beds and then made a straight line for NB, quikening our pace so we could surf. But before the paddling session ended, I learned what I needed to know about the Bark Expedition as a possible option for my selection of a race/distance/fitness paddler. More on that later...

Because I hadn't expected waves I didn't bring my full wetsuit. Just my 2 mil shortie, boardshorts and a rash guard. But I didn't want to waste time getting my full suit. It was low tide and I figured the swell could get erased by the higher tide so I wanted to get in the water asap. I'd already paddled for a couple hours and figured I'd be tired anyway. Instead, I got juiced with SimmyD and surfed a two hour session in small, fast waist/chest high fun zippers at Gdubs.

SimmyD is a nasty freak who is fast, loose and gets me wet. This ride is a screamer who wants to run and let her hair blow back in the wind. She don't allow no whining. Figure her out, or get off. It took me about a half hour and two waves to bond. I know enough of her moves to want a lot more and I know I'm gonna get some.

SimmyD is exactly like the SIMSUP but for the following. 1) Krails (s-rails, whatever you want to call 'em.) Kirk shaved a total of 3L of foam off the deck side or top of the rails. This leaves a rail line that is greatly reduced from the usual thick and boxy rails found on most SUPs. It also leaves you with rails that look and surf more like a surfboard, not a SUP. Those rails combine with the second important change. 2) Weight. SimmyD is svelte and knows it. She weighs four pounds less than her older sister and acts a lot younger. Fast and loose is her new language and she loves to dish it. Her weight loss is due to an new and improved glass schedule from Paradise that is durable but lighter and a stringerless 1.5 pound EPS blank. Before adding the deckpad and fins she weighed in at about 17 pounds. Now she sits right at 19.8 lbs.

SimmyD is more temperamental, like the fast race horse she resembles. At 127L volume there is plenty of float for this 154 pound old man, but what makes her a bit more difficult to handle is the reduced volume of the rail (not as much float and stability directly on the rails) and the lighter weight. Being high strung and quick makes her more nervous, but the payoff is in extraordinary maneuverability and head snapping down the line speed. One of Kirk's buddies Peti was out with me and said, "that board is fast!" Yeah bruddah.

Water temps are right around 51 degrees and I thought I'd freeze out right quick but SimmyD made me hot to trot and her wave riding seductions were too much for me to resist. Finally though, after two hours, when my teeth were chattering and my legs wobbling, she took me home and put me away wet and all lathered up.

Kirk at L41 Surfboards knows how to build 'em and our collaboration on this second iteration of an idea I came to him with has been extraordinarily successful. Beyond my imaginings, because I didn't really know where it was going when we started. I thank him for taking this project on when a lot of shapers would have just said, "it won't work." But Kirk knew exactly how to make it work, and then improved upon the original. If you're looking for a custom board, you owe it to yourself to hit him up. You won't be disappointed.

5-10-2011GdubsSimmyD from Srfnff on Vimeo.

2011-05-05T15:53:00.000-07:00

Entry: Wednesday May 4, 2011
Location: NB to the L41, to the Kelp Beds & Back
Swell: 7.5 at 11.4 NW (46042) 3.6 at 11.8 WNW (46236)
Conditions: Clear, hot and sunny with light southwesterlies
Tide: 3.2 Rising to 3.8 ft.

It's a good thing it isn't like this every day. I'd never get anything done. With record breaking temps forecast and in the making, I headed back to NB's for another upcoast paddle. Today the surf jumped up a tick, but the steep swell angle kept it from being a surf day. On the 10' custom Angulo all-arounder I knew I could score a good paddle and surf too if anything rolled in.

Lot's of folks in the NB parking lot and straight off I ran into Paul and Libby coming in from a paddle. Paul had paddled his one-man racing outrigger canoe, and Libby was on the Bark prone paddleboard. We had a good conversation and Paul offered his Bark 14' Expedition for me to try. Deal. He's also been busy converting his garage into a shaping room. He's shaped six surfboards so far and is making beautiful wooden paddles, one of which he had with him today. This deserves it's own post so I'll get to that another day. Paul is an amazing guy with an inspiring story. He was a kick-ass firefighter/paramedic who suffered a heart attack way before his time. He fought his way back but was forced to retire. Since then he's taken his passion and avocation and developed it far beyond where most of us ever go. It will be an interesting video.

I paddled at 50-70% power upcoast, just enjoying the day and trying to keep a steady and consistent rhythm and pace going. I hung out at a couple places to check the waves and surf a few. Sheriff Joe was out at the L41, and honestly, looked like he was having the most fun of all on his 8-11 Lopez Li'l Darling SUP. Occasionally there would be a waist high wave, but it was inconsistent. The beauty of the day made it all worthwhile, especially since I had another dimension than the conventional surfers. No SUP, no waves, no fun.

5-4-2011paddle from Srfnff on Vimeo.

After surfing I headed straight out to sea, almost to the end of the kelp beds, about a quarter to half-mile offshore. Very quiet, lots of otters. Water visibility still extraordinary. The paddle back down to NB was all gentle downwind. As I was still in the kelp beds, and the winds were light, there weren't any real bumps to ride. I'm gonna be trying a few different distance/racing SUPs in the next few days. I've got a Surftech Bark Competitor lined up for Saturday, and Friday I'll be trying out all three distance Angulo SUPs, the 14 ft. Shaka and the 12-6 and 14 ft. Tiger Shaka models. I'm really looking forward to that. I can hardly wait to get outside the influence of the land mass where the "real" ocean conditions are as Jens would say.

For anyone interested in the video stuff, today's vid was shot with the GE DV1 waterproof video camera. I'll write more on it later but so far I like the Kodak PlaySport Zx3 a little better. Kudos to Amazon for their service. In all I've owned four PlaySports and one DV1. I sent both Zx5 PlaySports back (they have a fatal engineering flaw), one for exchange and one for a full refund. After field testing the two I have now, the Zx3 and the DV1, I'll send one back for a refund within Amazon's 30-day return policy. They make it difficult to shop anywhere else, especially for these cameras.

What happened to the second PlaySport Zx3 you might ask. I lost it at sea. Pilot error. I failed to secure it properly to my person and on one particularly turbulent wipeout, Neptune claimed it.

Here's a very good video from Ocean Paddler re the last Olukai Maliko race. It really shows up close and personal how much fun (and challenging) a good downwinder can be.

2010 OluKai Ho'olaule'a from OluKai Premium Footwear on Vimeo.

Summer Wx Preview & Paddle

2011-05-03T13:25:00.000-07:00

Entry: Monday May 2, 2011
Location: NB to the L41 and Back
Swell: 2.3 at 12.9 NW (46042) 2.0 at 12.5 WNW (46236)
Conditions: Clear and sunny with light ruffles, glassy in the kelp
Tide: 3.8 falling to 3.5 ft.

I love the first full blown days of Spring when the sun shines without blemish, the sky is crystal deep blue and the wind takes it's own Spring Break. There is so much promise in time like this for a future Summer of warm days and "warm" water. (Sixty degree water would be a veritable hot springs.)

For all surfers and especially for SUP surfers and practitioners, it's time for surfing to take a (partial) back seat to the expanded opportunities and joys that stand up paddleboarding has to offer. When there is no surf, there is an entire ocean coastline to explore, there are productive and meaningful paddle races to seek out where all level of ability and contestants can be found from the laid back prosaic to the rabid professionals and recreational cruisers. It is a time to get excited about the newness of it all. The new season, the new conditions and the new experiences and adventures that are now hidden but waiting to be found. I can hardly wait to seek, enjoy and savor the coming days. (But please, please, please, please, please...not so much fog this year!)

Something even newer than a fresh Summer season may be in the making as I wonder about expanding my SUP practice from only surfing to distance paddling, touring, downwinders and maybe even a race or two. I have to blame Andy and Sam for this. They both expanded their horizons gradually during the last several seasons. Andy by nature is a pretty competitive guy so after a couple races on his SUP surfboard where he got left in the dust I think his competitive spirit as well as his keen mind started, well, racing. He tested a few race boards before settling on a Bark Dominator which he got from Sam who seems to be the more fanatic of the duo. Sam travels the state, racing from Santa Barbara to Tahoe and has evolved and fine tuned his taste into his second custom Bark Dominator. But lucky for me these guys are friends and a veritable treasure chest of information on what's happening with the scene and the boards.

We're gonna paddle this Saturday, Andy and Sam on their own boards, and I'm renting a Bark Competitor (Tuflite) from Covewater. It should be a fun paddle and interesting to swap boards around for comparison. This is a pricey endeavor though, so I am cogitating on finances to see how I can make this all happen. I'm not going to be surprised if I end up with no conventional surfboards and a full SUP quiver that includes a SUP shortboard (8-0 L41 SIMSUP2), SUP all-arounder (10-0 Angulo Custom), SUP distance/race board (to be determined) and a SUP noserider (oh, did I forget to mention that?). That's another project in the works with L41 maestro Kirk. The ultimate SUP noserider aka "Tip Time SUP." Stay tuned.

I launched at NB's heading upcoast for what was supposed to be a "fitness" paddle. What that means is that I just try to keep going at a steady cadence. But as per usual, sight-seeing, all the interesting stuff one encounters on the sea surface, and friends foiled "the plan".

I had numerous sea life sightings and in addition to the usual suspects like seals and sea otters, herons and sea gulls, I had my first glimpse of a bat ray this season, a leopard shark and a beautiful and delicate jelly coasting through the kelp beds.

There were a lot of paddlers out today, and as I neared the L41, I saw someone floating in the big kelp bed off Sarge's. It was Joe whom I haven't seen in quite a while. We worked together at the Fire Department for many years. I hailed him and paddled out for the first major diversion of the session. We paddled up to the lower L41, watched a few waves, chatting all the way before oaring our way out into the kelp beds further offshore and then letting the gentle southwest wind blow us back down coast to wherever it would take us. Standing on water, our eyes and sense being drawn into the pale green pastel depths, we let ourselves be amazed at the vertiginous canyons descending between the kelp islands. After a while Joe's friend arrived on scene so we just all sat down on our boards, hanging on to the kelp and solved the problems of the world. It didn't take long. SUP more, stress less. Done!

After 45 minutes of this leisurely enjoyment I bid them a good day and headed back down to NB's and the take out. It never ceases to amaze me how you can go up coast and down coast in a headwind. Time it just right, and that's what you get. But both ways the winds were light, adding just that teeny bit extra resistance that makes you stronger in the long run.

It's gonna be a good Summer.

5-2-2011NB Paddle from Srfnff on Vimeo.

Viva Mexico! Chapter 1 Surfing: Part 5 El Anclote

2011-04-21T09:05:00.001-07:00

They call El Anclote the Mexican Malibu for good reason. This long and winding right hander peels across a gently arcing point for a long way when it's small, and for a longer way when it gets bigger. Optimum surfing for this wave is during the hot, humid rainy summer months, when the south swells pour into and over the Punta de Mita at the northern tip of the Bay of Banderas. But even during the off-season when El Anclote is small it's super ridable and lot's of fun.

M and I got our first look at El Anclote (the anchorage) late one afternoon after a trek into Puerto Vallarta for a timeshare presentation. What predicated this astonishing "anti-vacation" act was the lure of 3,000 pesos in cash to sit through it and the fact that I am a dedicated cheapskate. (I was able to subsidize my rental car costs by half.) So on our way back to Sayulita from PV we decided to take the back road via Punta de Mita and El Anclote. As we pulled into the parking space that directly faces the break, looking through a chain link fence, it was firing. The ever present offshore winds were blowing the tops off the sweetly reeling chest/head high waves in perfectly hued colors of the tropical sea. Of course I didn't have my board with me. I drooled, I groaned, I lamented, I shot some vid. And we vowed to come back soon.

I should have returned sooner than two days later, when the south swell dropped way off, but it was early in the trip and I hadn't gotten my internet forecasts sites up and running so...I really missed it. But I still got some fun little waves and a taste of what it could be like.

El Anclote could be the most friendly "learn how to surf" location on the face of the planet. It's a small friendly community with 12 or 15 restaurants, surf schools, shops, hotels and condos conveniently located on a gently s-curving strip of shoreline that is both beautiful and accommodating. When it's small the wave is a soft, cleanly synchronized and symmetrical breaking wave with lots of face to play on and easy on mistakes. A learner's paradise. The water is clear and shimmering with translucent blue-green color. The beach is clean and spacious with plenty of room for families. Food, drink, pangas for rent and other resources are at your beck and call.

Beginners will have access to numerous Mexican surf instructors who are very good. I watched four or five groups receive lessons from extremely competent local instructors who were both excellent teachers and professional level surfers. SUPs are popular here, not as much in the surf as for paddling, and this is a great place to learn. So what if you fall off, the water was 74 degrees, and that's as cold as it gets here.

After my SUP session in the waves of El Anclote, M and I set up our beach chairs and umbrella for a day of relaxing and doing what we like doing best here in Mexico. Nothing. When we got hungry we wandered over to the nearest restaurant, located at the Coral Hotel complex. The food was outstanding and the portions served so large we ended up taking our meal home and eating the rest of it for dinner. The cervezas were ice cold.

El Anclote means "anchorage" and two jetties provide shelter for a number of small boats. Pangas can be hired for transport to a half dozen surf spots only accessible by boat, FWD vehicle or a $400/night stay at the fancy resorts at the very tip of Punta de Mita. For more on surfing the area, check out this website. The owner rents his condos to surfers and has provided a lot of good info. I would go back there in a heartbeat and if I can swing it this summer, I just might. I would love to hook into some head high plus bombs and snag some 200 yard rides.

Viva Mexico! Chapter 1 Part 5 El Anclote from Srfnff on Vimeo.

Here are a few tidbits re the group Los de Abajo, their name, and their tune Cabanas.

The L41 High Performance SUP Interviews

2011-04-18T09:24:00.000-07:00

The second generation SIMSUP, SIMSUP2, came back from the cutter's and was ready for final sanding/shaping on Saturday April 16. I took advantage of the situation to make a five-part video series on that process which includes on-the-job interviews with Kirk McGinty (L41 Surfboards owner/shaper/designer). Each piece is about five-six minutes long and not only includes the final shaping process, but a lot of good info about progressive SUP design, CAD designing and shaping, EPS cores especially stringerless blanks and some other stuff thrown in. Kirk is an open and honest guy, always a gentleman. His candid insights are refreshingly free from self promotion, and will have value for everyone, from the beginning SUP practitioner to seasoned riders and shapers. Enjoy.

The L41 Performance SUP Interview - Part 1 from Srfnff on Vimeo.

The L41 Performance SUP Interview Part 2 from Srfnff on Vimeo.

The L41 Performance SUP Interview Part 3 from Srfnff on Vimeo.

The L41 Performance SUP Interview Part 4 from Srfnff on Vimeo.

The L41 Performance SUP Interview Part 5 Final from Srfnff on Vimeo.

Viva Mexico! Chapter 1 Surfing: Part 4 Lefts

2011-04-14T08:02:00.000-07:00

Some would argue that the best wave in Sayulita is the left in front of the trailer park. I would agree with that if you added best "potential" wave, as I never really saw anything get really good, but the potential is definitely there.

The Sayulita River bisects the community between the downtown business district and the outlying restaurants, hotels, businesses and residences. During the "high" tourist season the water draining to the sea through the river is just a feeble stream, but during the wet season it can be a raging torrential flood that wipes out it's banks and bridges. Which is exactly what happened during the wet season of 2010. The rain and subsequent flow was so intense, it took out the bridge into town on the main thoroughfare, Avenida Revolucion, and undermined several buildings along the river banks, leaving them tilting precariously towards the flow. Although work on the new bridge seems nearly complete, the buildings still stand askew, mute testimony to the power of nature.

The gringo locals said that the powerful outflow moved tons of sand and boulders not only out the river mouth, but all along the alluvial fan created by the moving currents. They say this changed the waves some, but from what I could see in person vis a vis the videos of Sayulita on You Tube, it looks pretty much the same as in previous years. At any rate, for me not being goofy, I preferred the rights down the beach overall, but still the sweetest, cleanest walls were at the lefts. Always more inconsistent though. Added to that were the plethora of underwater rocks absolutely covered in razor sharp barnacles that put a half dozen bloody slices and avulsions on my feet and ankles as a result of surfing the left over the course of two weeks. (I brought tropical booties but couldn't force myself to wear them. I love surfing barefoot and my home waters only allow me to do this for half of the year.)

Here then are a handful of clips shot at the trailer park left at different times of the day.

Viva Mexico Chapter 1 Surfing Part 4 Lefts from Srfnff on Vimeo.

Viva Mexico! Chapter 1 Surfing: Part 3 Mornings

2011-04-13T19:26:00.000-07:00

Of the two weeks we stayed in Sayulita, I surfed nine sessions, mostly in Sayulita. But I also had a chance to surf El Anclote and La Caleta. Part 3 Mornings of this Chapter documents a smattering of morning sessions I surfed at Sayulita. Every day but two had surfable waves. For sure it wasn't the greatest surfing when it was small, but it was fun.

I'm a dawn patrol kinda guy and I particularly enjoy getting up early while it's still dark and the day is fresh and new. Without fail the wind blew offshore with every sunrise as regularly as the roosters crowed and the morning birds sang out. Almost every day the cloudless skies would free the rising sun to cloak me in a layer of sunlight as it crawled over the ridge at the south end of town. This welcome solar gain was gratefully received, especially when standing soaked from a wipeout. With morning air temps in the mid-60's, the ocean at 74 or 75 degrees felt like bath water. Back at home, before I left for Sayulita, I had removed my two mil short john from my suitcase, thinking I wouldn't need it. Wrong. It would have come in handy for all those dawn patrol sessions, and I won't make that mistake next time. It wasn't super uncomfortable, but rash guard and board shorts when soaking wet and standing in an offshore wind don't cut it. But as soon as the sun did shine, life was even better and my comfort level rose dramatically.

Starting off every day with a morning surf was like the icing. After that, the rest of the day was all cake.

Viva Mexico Chapter 1 Surfing Part 3 Mornings from Srfnff on Vimeo.

Viva Mexico! Chapter 1 Surfing: Part 2

2011-04-08T11:22:00.000-07:00

I surfed every day but three including a final Sunday morning session before departing the warm weather and waters of mainland Mex for home. Sayulita is on the north side of Punta de Mita and breaks best on a northwest swell, but it does see a south if the angle isn't too steep. It was surfable just about every day, if not in Sayulita, then on the Punta de Mita side.

The wave quality never went above 2.5 on a scale of 5 in my estimation. All the gringo locals I met said that this winter has not been a good one for northwest swells. The mild La Nina seems to have affected this region just like back home. The waves have a beach break quality, even though they break over reef-like rock piles. Last summer proved to be violently wet and during one particularly stormy patch several parts of the new back road that connects Sayulita with Punta de Mita, and the bridge on the main road into Sayulita were washed away. The locals say this extreme outflow moved boulders and sand away from usual locations, and changed the wave shape some. I'll have to take their word for it. From what I've read, the best season for surf is still summer, when the south swells blast up from the southern hemisphere.

There is a party, good-time atmosphere in the water at both breaks in Sayulita, and it's usually always crowded. Lots of beginners populate the spots, and since SUP is catching on everywhere, there are more than a fair share of folks out for the first time. Therefore I never surfed past 10 o'clock in the morning, preferring the somewhat less crowded dawn patrol. The only locals in Sayulita are the Mexicans, and there are many excellent Mexican surfers and pros who hail from Sayulita. They demand and deserve respect.

If you're looking for solitude, it isn't spelled Sayulita. But the vibe overall is good, so many people are just having fun in a warm and inviting place. We look forward to going back one of these days.

Viva Mexico! Chapter 1 Surfing: Part 2 from Srfnff on Vimeo.

Viva Mexico! Two Weeks South of the Border

2011-04-08T08:13:00.000-07:00

M and I flew south for two weeks of relaxing, sight-seeing and surfing. We stayed in Sayulita, Nayarit, just north of the Bay of Banderas and the south swell magnet known as Punta de Mita. Our neighbors at home, Michael and Kalena, offered up their brand new condo for a price we couldn't refuse and we were set. The weather and location were perfect and the surfing was decent, staying in the fun category for the entire trip.

I took 305 video clips and 145 stills with my Kodak Playsport ZX5. It took almost a week after our return home, just to view them all and organize them into categories. I've organized the videos into chapters, each with it's own topic. The largest category is surfing (of course) and there are several chapter parts devoted just to surfing. Finally I edited and organized the stills and will post them here, and on Picasa when I get to it.

The video chapters are not necessarily in chronological order but hopefully they make enough sense that viewers will be able to get a sense of the place we stayed, what we enjoyed and the surfing experience while we were there.

I'll add to this blog as I finish each video. I hope you all enjoy the videos and stories.

Viva Mexico! Chapter 1 Surfing: Part 1 from Srfnff on Vimeo.

Big Al's Pics

2011-03-07T09:56:00.001-08:00

Big Al's been feeding me with some fun pics of local SUP rippers doing their thing. I didn't get in the water on the days shown, but I thought I'd share the action in the sunshine and the light rain. Thanks Al!

Sharks - We Got'em, So What

2011-03-05T12:03:00.000-08:00

It's a fact of life here in the Red Triangle. There have been confirmed shark attacks on surfers in our waters as long as there have been surfers surfing. It's just one of those things. If you're afraid of getting hit by a white shark, then you probably shouldn't be surfing. But judging from the crowds of people out there, shark attack isn't a high priority fear.

It may not be a great idea to surf in areas where shark activity is well documented, or where there have been attacks in the past. But if the waves are good, surfers will surf them.

Todd Endris was back in the water only six weeks after his close encounter. The shark got him twice and he survived to surf again. It was a story that got my attention back in August 2007. And the video piece below is an interesting update.

View more news videos at: http://www.nbcbayarea.com/video.

SUP Surfing Etiquette - Time For A Review

2011-03-03T16:24:00.000-08:00

Yes, there are in fact a lot more SUP surfers in the line-up than there used to be. And yes, unfortunately there is still conflict between conventional surfboard surfers and SUP surfers. Werner paddles put together a good little video on SUP surfing etiquette. And while all surfers should practice etiquette, SUP surfers should be aware of the need to practice respect and aloha not just some of the time, but all of the time. Aloha!

SUP Etiquette from Werner Paddles on Vimeo.

Custom Board Bag For My L41 8-0 SIMSUP

2011-03-03T15:38:00.000-08:00

I picked up my custom board bag from Joe at Davenport Surf Sail this morning and I am completely stoked! I had a good idea of what I wanted, and what I wanted it for. When I came into his shop the first time we spent about an hour and a half collaborating and working out a plan. Then Joe went to work. He called me one time during construction with an update and another good idea and I told him to go for it. The result is perfection plus, just what I wanted.

This bag is durable times a hundred and good looking too. The craftsmanship is of the highest quality, and Joe was able to put it all together for an exceedingly reasonable price. I want this bag to hold up for a long time, in all hard traveling environments and I am fully confident that the L41 SIMSUP (and my Infinity ottertail paddles (pre-Werner era) will arrive unscathed to all my travel destinations.

Check out the video and give Joe a call, email, etc. if you're in the market for the best. Davenport SurfSail. 831-429-6051

Jay Killen Benefit Surf Swap Meet April 2

2011-02-24T10:03:00.000-08:00

When a fellow surfer needs help in Monterey there is no shortage of brothers to help out. Jay Killen has been struggling with Parkinson's for 10 years and now he needs help. This debilitating condition has left him still fighting physically, but now in need of financial support. Please help if you can.

For more info check out the Sugar Shack Surf Swap Meet website which gives all the details. Send whatever donation that is in your heart and attend the swap meet and planned events on April 2. You can never tell when what goes around, will come around...for you.

Mahalo!

A partial list of Swap Meet Day Events
The “Can You Do It” Paddle and Run Competition with a $1,000 cash first place prize.
Seal Lion Bark and Gull Call Competition
Select vintage boards from the Steve Collins Collection (President of the Longboard Collector Club)
Stephen Spaulding's Featurette Film "Sands of Time", a historical look of local surf
Live music from the Bornia Boys Blues Band
The Double Dare Shaved Head and Full Body Wax Auction and
Our regular auction of non-surf related products and services (Fine wine, dining, vacation packages, etc.)

Father Joe Bauguess - Patron Saint of the SIMSUP

2011-02-17T20:19:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Eric for this gem.

http://joebsurfshapes.com/

The Gift of Beauty

2011-02-07T09:38:00.000-08:00

Saturday February 5, 2011
We have been gifted with the dazzling jewelry of Winter waves in the finest setting of elements the season and nature can provide. Over the weekend the offshore winds turned tropically warm and gently insistent upon giving us their intimate virtues. It was in a word, beautiful. I hope you enjoy the moment.

On Sunday, Tom introduced us to the Irish-Celtic poet John O'Donohue. Below are a few verses from his work that seem to fit.

Though we cannot see you with outward eyes,
We know our soul's gaze is upon your face,
Smiling back at us from within everything
To which we bring our best refinement.
Beauty is the inconceivable made so intimate that it illuminates our hearts.

28 Degrees of Difference

2011-02-05T15:24:00.000-08:00

Friday February 4, 2001
All it took was 28 degrees. 28 points of shifted swell direction from West to West-Northwest scrubbed off enough wave energy (even at almost the same wave hts. and periods) to make Friday's surf a mere shadow of Thursday's epic session.

I was hoping for a redux, but not really expecting it. But you never really know what the ocean's going to throw at you until you're there, eyes on the prize, skin in the sea as it were. I paddled out at three and could immediately see and sense that it just wasn't it's best own self. S'alright, I got a chance to play around with the new video cam. After today's vid one of two things are happening, or both. When the surf isn't as energized, it's easier to shoot and therefore I can get more material. Ergo, longer videos suffering from a lack of proper editing, i.e. too much boring stuff. Or, I hope I'm getting better at capturing more usable material. Well, the music is finger lickin' guitar pickin' good, if you like Chet Atkins. If you don't, better check your passport because it probably wasn't issued in the USofA.

Dave got a sweet ride right in front of me on the way out which I captured on SD card. I headed upreef to where it was less crowded and that nice little reef section was working, throwing up the challenge to "make me if you can". I spent the rest of the afternoon until dusk taking that challenge. What with the smaller size and energy, the spankings weren't all that bad, more informative than disciplinarian, but educational just the same. It gave me a chance to try re-entries on the L41 SIMSUP which is one of the funnest moves. Fortunately the SIMSUP will generate enough speed to make the move possible. Now all I gotta do is practice, practice, practice.

Two and a half hours later I closed the session out with a long ride from my spot into the pocket beach. A long and rare connection for this afternoon's surf and conditions. Wayne and I enjoyed a blazing sunset fading to dark as we changed out of our wetsuits on the street. Another sweet day in the L41.

Straight West + Low Tide=Down the Line Speed

2011-02-04T08:42:00.000-08:00

Thursday February 3, 2011
Apparently a straight west swell at 16 seconds is a real blessing for the usual spot, or as my buddy Sam calls it, "spot X". The usual take-off was moved upcoast and outside and still allowed for some screamingly fast and long rides across the pocket beach, past Naked Ned's and almost to the new mansion. I surfed for three hours from about 3PM to dark in the lowering tide.

Size seemed about best at the 2 ft. tide mark, but overall waves were consistent in the 3-5 ft. range all afternoon. At paddleout the crowd wasn't bad, maybe 15 surfers, but all good surfers. No one missed on their chosen wave. With the waves lining up so well for such long rides, the afternoon glare became somewhat problematic in that it wasn't always easy to see a rider up and carving. I pulled back twice when attempting to paddle in as I saw a surfer pushing down the line, coming directly out of the sun. One guy, arguably the best surfer in the water, longtime shaper, etc. blatantly dropped in on me as I was entering the middle bowl on my first good wave of the day. I can only think that he truly didn't see me for the glare.

This same guy got some of the best rides of the afternoon, one of which was an insane recovery from a slight miscalculation on a super fast and walled up spinner. He took off at the middle peak on a bigger wave which immediately jacked up and started freight trianing to the inside. He dropped in and turned at the top of the wave before pointing his board down towards the trough to gain speed. He then realized that he need more speed, needed to take a higher line which he did...but too high. As the wave pulled him up face, almost into the lip, his board just fell out of the wave. The tail, rails, edges, fins, everything fell out and his board started to spin tail first down the face of the wave as gravity without fetters took over. The next move happened so fast, and was done with such exceptional reflexive athleticisim one's mind found it hard to believe. But however he did it, he found his footing and was able to re-seat his board in the wave face and continue down the line. I was videoing his ride and just as he lost it I had to drop my camera and paddle like a madman for the shoulder lest we collide. It was as magnificent a feat of surfing prowess as I have ever seen. (It almost made me forget that he burned me...maybe he DID see me?) At any rate, my only regret is that I couldn't capture the whole thing on video.

My first hour in the surf was adjustment and failure. I was concentrating on strategies for videoing with my new camera and wasn't fully focused on surfing. Therefore I found myself struggling for position. It seemed that no matter where I was, there was someone else in a better position for the wave I (we) wanted. Then a fully wave populated set would pour through, everyone would go, the line-up would be clear of people, and it was the end of the set leaving me sputtering into the void like Donald Duck with Tourette's Syndrome. Grrrrrr! Frustration. Then I finally got a good one taking off right in the main peak, clear to go and the aforementioned burn took place. I was beginning to think this just wasn't my day.

But right about the one hour mark I picked up a swing wide bomb that was one of the best waves of the day. The take-off allowed me to drop in, turn hard off the bottom and set-up for a steeply high wall and hard falling crest which nipped at my heels all the way across the pocket beach and into the gap where it backed off a bit before walling up again and throwing another long section almost to the new mansion. Stoke and praise! That was the first of a half dozen almost just like it until dark.

The crowd thinned at low tide, primarily because of the kelp is my guess (which has now become my friend since switching to lower profile Future Controller fins). It seemed that wave size dropped a bit, and it became a little less consistent, but there were still plenty of quality waves to be had until darkness called the game on account of itself.

I've decided to keep the Kodak Zx3 PlaySport video camcorder. Today was the first day I started experimenting with it seriously. Video is a different experience than shooting stills and I'm finding that a definite strategy is needed to get anything worthwhile or maybe I should say close to worthwhile. For one thing, it's really difficult to do both, i.e surfing and videoing. You pretty much have to do one or the other. For now the plan is to sit inside for complete sets instead of trying to get a quick video shot while paddling back out from a wave surfed. It's too difficult to retrieve the camera, turn it on, set it up then shoot. I find that I have to be ready and even then it's no guarantee that I'll get what I want on the memory card. The PlaySport takes stills, but only at 5mp, not very high quality. And it has no continuous frame shooting with slow reload time so you have to get somewhat lucky (or very well practiced) to get the shot you want. I bought the PlaySport online from Amazon and wrote a quick review. It's fun playing around with the new toy though, and I'm diggin' it.

NOTE: The first two stills in this story are screen grabs from the PlaySport video of each respective sequence. The final sunset shot of the SIMSUP in the water is taken with the PlaySport on the 5mp still image setting. For the screen grabs I used the Windows Vista "Snipping" tool, selecting .png file type. I edited all three shots with Adobe Photoshop Elements 6.

The Perfect Ten

2011-02-03T08:27:00.000-08:00

Thursday January 27, 2011
A welcome conspiracy of waves, wind and weather plotted to provide a perfect day of surfing at a pristine point break today. We hit the water at 1015 for a nearly five hour session on SUP, Bonzer and knee board and paipo bellyboard. For three hours we surfed alone in consistent, chest high/slightly overhead waves. Then we were joined by two shortboarders who filled out the surf craft ranks. Most sets had so many waves in them, we could have used more surfers as not to waste any. The best rides were long and satisfying, ending up in a bowl section that demanded a quick kick-out or a flogging on the sandy shore.

Even with six or seven waves per set, the paddle back out was so long you could only get a second wave if you'd taken the first in the set. Waves poured in consistently through the main take off peak which provided a fast and steep drop but then rapidly backed off as it hit the end of the reef and deep water. This necessitated a hard cutback into the now boiling froth. At the right time one brought the board around again and into a long reformed wall that set-up a bowl section of the cleanest, clearest emerald green glass you could imagine. Then do it again until the flick out at water's edge. Swing wide sets were infrequent, but when they did occur it gave us the opportunity to magnify the take-off by backdooring the peak and riding under the water fall. This facilitated a "peak squared" equation of energy and stoke along with the fast and barreling inside section.

The weather forecasters are fond of telling us that we always get a spate of fantastic weather during the Winter. I hear 'em. Weather this January has been nothing short of spectacular. As a matter of fact, we've had better weather these last two or three weeks than all Summer long with it's persistent cold and dreary fog, fog, fog feeling like the ashen faces of gravestones in a heavy mist. Wind stood up offshore or slightly side shore all day long, blowing the tops off the waves like banners on the battlefield. Only late in the session did the wave faces get slightly chattery, and then only for a short period of time. It glassed off late in the session when we were all too exhausted and sated to carry on.

Sessions like this one are rare. Appreciation and thanksgiving were passed around.

Mega-thanks and salutations to the one who took the pics. You know who you are.

La Nina Fiesta de las Olas: Swell #5

2011-01-25T07:12:00.000-08:00

Friday through Monday January 21-24, 2011

No matter what you call it, a wave fest or wave fiesta, or cornucopia of surf, Swell #5 during this La Nina season produced a monster mash of waves for the masses.

Sacred Spaces
Some say that surfing is like a religion, a spiritual practice. Although I understand the emotion behind that, I can't agree. From this issues TSJ: Surfing..."has a spiritual aura that you can only get once you've experienced it, and it never will lose it's soul and spirit because the magic that envelopes you when surfing, is far too powerful." Substitute physical stimulus for "spiritual aura" and I'm down with it. It is not surfing in and of itself that is imbued with the spiritual dimension, it is rather, the place in which it is practiced. Who can deny the "otherness" of witnessing the sunrise in a wave spackled morning, sitting in a gently rolling sea with the glory of color and shape all around? It is a Cathedral of Waves. There is no specific religious theology, denomination or sect afforded exclusive rights to this witness of creation, nor should there be any power, entity or entitlement that denies anyone the right to witness or even worship there.

While we all complain about crowding and too many people in the water, the fact remains that this ultimate mystery belongs to us all. It is not exclusive or exclusionary. Do what you will, surf where and when you decide is best and at all times surf with appreciation and aloha. Along with "getting out more," this is my second decade of the New Millennium resolution. Join me, will you?

Friday
Jeff, Allan and Brad were up from CenCal Thursday night, on a Mission to Mavericks, but that would wait until Saturday. We woke up early and I immediately led us all astray by heading to the beaches for some pre-swell arrival beach bombs. I underestimated the energy of the 21 second swell which was even then on the buoys. While the beaches weren't too big, there just weren't any sand bars to surf. It was all close-outs and no channels. Too bad. So we headed into town to check it out.

Upon our arrival at Sarge's we ran into a couple usual suspects who had been out (alone) in shoulder high surf until the high tide swamped. That was right about the time we arrived. L41 Kirk was getting out of the water too. He surfed Gdubs by himself for an hour and a half in inconsistent (the hallmark of this swell) but fast and fun right hand zippers. We missed it! Oh well, no use crying about it...let's get brekkie.

Our breakfast spot was right next to the pier, and our oceanside view afforded us a good look at the incoming bombs that we would be surfing on the lower tide. Impressive. "Do sand bags come with this order of pancakes?" Next stop...the Arena. Our tour of Surf City (you can't live here unless you surf) spanned all spots from the southside to the northside. Biding our time we took it all in and waited with eager anticipation for the swamp monster to pack it's bags and get out of town.

At 1250 hours we found ourselves on the path down to the beach. The tide was still a tad too high and the spent wave foam was blasting off the rock walls of the pocket beach. Surf was easily overhead. We picked our way out into the line-up and headed up coast, aiming for Middles and Gdubs. There was a lot of backwash bump on the sea surface, and a lot of water moving through the line-up. It would get better as the tide dropped. We had the full fleet of wave riding craft: Two SUPS, a shortboard and bellyboard/paipo.

Halfway to Gdubs I turned into an advancing wave face, second in the set, and pulled hard for the drop in. I instantly felt the power of the 17 second swell under my feet as gravity took over. A fast drop and a bit of a bumpy face ended with an attempt to kick through the pitching lip of the section I wasn't going to make. I threw the board hard up into the wave and knew by the parallel angle it wasn't going to punch through. I felt the tug for a fraction of a second before the leash snapped near the board-side velcro fastener. Six bigger waves were bearing down, I took them all on the head.

Here's what went through my mind: f@#*#@k!, sh#@*#@t, f@#*#@k! (a variation of that repeated itself until I calmed down a bit); high tide + rock cliffs and boulders = badly damaged maybe even broken board; should I try to swim in to get it with no beach present, just cliff and rocks?; or should I just swim over to the stairs and get out, walk back to the car, find, unwrap and eat this shit sandwich? Perish the thought, banish the negativity. Swim for your board!

When the rest of the set passed over me and the lull set in, I was able to look for my board. You know how it is, tough to see a board from the sea surface. So I swam towards the land, tossing my paddle like a spear ahead of me as I swam. Praying seemed appropriate so I did. Then I saw Dave laying prone on his Angulo SUP, babysitting my board in the doldrums in from of the rip-rap cliff. It hadn't gone in and there was most likely no damage. Hallelujah...life just got better!

Dave pushed my board towards me and I crawled aboard. "I owe you a surfboard," I said. Dave is cool. I spent the next 40 minutes paddling in and then chasing down another leash which I found in Allan's little black bag. I had an extra leash...a teeny little competition surfboard leash. Doh! But no matter, I was back in business. Thanks in absentia Allan.

By the time I paddled back out, Jeff, Allan and Brad were long gone (actually they were surfing their brains out at Gdubs). My trajectory out through the surf line took me downcoast of Sarges and into the faces of an overhead incoming set. I picked off the third one which put me at the YH. From there I paddled back up to Brown House and surfed in the best waves I've had there in over a year. The take off is steep and fast and immediately sets up into a long section that feeds into the main peak at YH. When it's big and lined up like it was, the rider is in for a fast ride full of steep sections and makeable walls. Scott was out on his PSH SUP, taking down some good ones.

I surfed up and down that whole section of reef, from Brown House, to YH to Apt. House Point. It was all good. The surf today was a bit smaller than last Tuesday, but much cleaner. The weather was perfect. Sunny with calm wind, temps in the low 70's. Literally perfect Winter NorCal weather.

The crowd was moderately light considering the quality of the waves and how much this swell had been tracked and hyped over the last week. That would all change Saturday/Sunday morning when the line-ups became clogged by the infestation of black, rubber clad ants that had descended on the wave picnic.

Miraculously, we all got out of the water after our three-hour surf at about the same time and met back at the truck. Lot's of good wave story talk as we changed back into our dry clothes. While peeling off my wetsuit I saw a three-inch, stitchable laceration on my left foreleg. Funny with some stuff like that, we get jostled around all the time and don't think much of it...until we view the carnage later. No time to go to the doctor, I could fix this myself. A good butterfly, waterproof bandaid and gobs of Neosporin (generic if you like) and I was back in business. I learned the hard way from a previous deep abrasion that your wetsuit on an open wound is not your friend. It'll keep you warm, yes; it is also a bacterial sponge that would love to infect any open wound. So, keep it gooped up with anti-bacterial over the counter ointment and covered until the wound scabs up at least. (I keep 'em covered whenever I'm wearing my wetsuit until the skin is healed complete.)

Sausage Festival
Jeff, Allan and Brad are three very interesting suspects. Jeff knows all thing nautical and is in fact the Big Kahuna. He won't take credit for that, but we who know him, know he is. Also...he literally knows everyone worth knowing in the surfing community, and if he doesn't he makes the effort to do so. As my wife says, all you have to do is look at Jeff and you like him. Allan is a professional surfboard shaper who was one of the stalwarts in the shaping bays of a very well known surfboard manufacturer for many years. He's probably got close to 50k surfboards sculpted. He's also an accomplished and creative artist. Our conversation about surfboard design was priceless and viewing the custom shortboard he had with him was an eyeopener. When you work on the cutting edge as he does one often dispenses with trivia. Therefore his radically conceived and applied surfboard had penciled in numbers and data on it instead of stickers. Very trippy. At dinner Thursday night Brad talked for an hour about exactly what he does in the entertainment industry, and I still don't know what he does. He makes movies, commercials, music videos, the whole enchilada. The way they do things in order to achieve perfection is not like anything I imagined. Like, ya know the guy who focuses the camera to make sure the image is just right? He never looks at what he's focusing on! It went on from there and now you know why I'm kinda lost on this one. Maybe you just have to be there. But his story of gaining entry into the industry is classic. Sometimes you just gotta take the bull by the horns and never give up. That, and a lot of intelligence is the key to Brad's success.

Friday night the boyz left for Mavs (not to surf but to observe via the nifty Radon they had brought with them).

Saturday
Saturday morning I was at the beach and paddling out in the inky darkness. My goal is to paddle out early enough so I can see to paddle, but not see to surf. That way I'm waiting for that first surfable wave in the light my eyes can function in. The low morning tide and the light of the full moon conspired to add to the perfect storm of impeccable conditions and solid waves for this swell.

The swell was about the same size, slightly bigger and would peak today. The crowds were beyond imagination, beyond what anyone has ever witnessed before. Was this some Tokyo wave pool? Disneyland's Thunder Lagoon transplanted to NorCal? At 0645 there were twelve people on the main peak at Gdubs. But even with the crowd, I was able to get a lot of good waves on both Saturday and Sunday morning early. Usually I don't surf on the weekends because the weekdays are available. It makes it less crowded for me, and it also takes one guy (me) out of the water on the weekends. But since the swell was targeting the weekend with such goodness I finally got a chance to surf with my weekend warrior brethren Andy, Sam and Dana. Andy was out on his trusty 10' Angulo, continuing his practice of becoming the Cecile B. DeMille of the surf movie world. Quick behind his heels and separated only by the insanely spectacular Apple computer and movie software Andy has, are Sam and Dana with their Go-Pros. I linked one of Dana's Facebook vids here of me on a fun one. Thanks Dana! (Click here to check it out.)

So far the swell was performing as forecast. Sets were full of waves, anywhere from six to 20. And it was inconsistent. That's what happens when you get long period swell that travels from the West Pacific to our shores. I surfed for two hours each day before the crowds drove me out. Sunday I got out after a sweet, long ride from Middles through Sarges. I played hooky from Sunday school but church was a different matter. Better to square things away with the Almighty first.

By now I'm tired. Four days of hard surfing in waves of substance tends to take a little out of you at my age, but I couldn't keep myself out of the water for the rest of the swell which was dropping fast. Again I paddled out at Sarges in the dark. This time just me and Greg and a guy on a Vernor mini-Simmons. Each day has delivered a beautiful, cathedral-esque sunrise and this morning was no different. We shared waves at Sarge's for an hour, then I paddled up to Middles for another hour. I joined two longboarders and we split up the smaller but well shaped waves until my back reminded me that the rest of me had had enough. It's time to get out, reflect, appreciate with thanksgiving, recover and prepare for the next swell!

Up until last Tuesday, it had been a very puny Winter for waves. We got rain and cold, but no swells. That turned around dramatically over the last four days. Viva La Nina Wave Fiesta!

Note: Thanks to Jeff for the SUP surfer sequence at Mavs and various other images.

2nd Note: I picked up a Kodak Play Sport Zx3 waterproof camera at Best Buy. They have a 14-day return policy with no restocking fee so I'm trying it out. So far I like the way it fits into my wetsuit, and the way it feels in my hand. It is much more comfortable to lay on when paddling, and it deploys easily. It boots up relatively quickly and while the zoom is slow, it's manageable. I'm running it at 720p, the recommended setting. It shoots stills but has no continuous frame shooting mode. A major defect which may make the camera unsuitable. The software that comes with it, and which you can use for editing is insanely slow and glitchy. I had to install the program twice before it would work. And it still doesn't make movies like it's supposed to. Just an FYI to those who might be interested.

I added a short movie I shot with my Oly on Friday for comparison. I used Windows Movie Maker software to string the sequences together. Much easier and quicker to use than the Kodak program. I've got some other thoughts which I'll post in a separate entry later.

L41 Performance SUP Sale - 2 Great Deals

2011-01-19T14:20:00.000-08:00

Kirk at L41 is clearing out some inventory for the new year. He's offering two killer deals on a couple of new era performance SUPs. Both of these EPS core custom shapes are going for $750 each. Your choice while they last. Are you drooling yet? (I just wiped off my chin.)

First up is an 8-10 step-deck diamond tail quad. Did I mention that it goes like a bat outta hell? It does. Check the Craigs List ad for more.

Second is another light, fast and maneuverable new age rocket. This one is an 8-6 five fin rounded pin. Stability and maneuverability in one package. Try it, you'll like it. Check the Craigs List ad for more.

If you think state of the art SUP surfing is in your future, give Kirk a call or text at 831.251.0322. Think globally, buy locally. Or...if you're too global to be local, Kirk will ship it. (If you're too local to be global, get it now and you'll be just in time for the big swell SUP surfing event of your life!)

La Nina Wave Fiesta Begins: Swell #4

2011-01-19T09:13:00.000-08:00

Tuesday January 18, 2011
After an almost two and a half month drought, we finally got some real Winter ground swell which generated high energy, sizable surf throughout the region, and all my local reef surf spots. As per usual the upcoast reefs tended to have more size than those to the east, and during the best tides, the most popular spot was firing. Sets were slightly inconsistent, to be expected with such a long period swell, but surfers were getting the best rides in a long time with long walled lines putting up 200 to 300 yard rides on the best waves.

I figured today would be the biggest of the two-day swell so I had it in my mind to do a mega session. I surfed for four and a half hours, from about 12:30 to 5PM. I rode waves from Lower GDubs through every spot east to the Pier. I started out at YH but the tide was a bit too high, even for the large swell. So I headed over to Sarges which was absolutely PACKED with surfers. The guys who knew the place the best, were getting the best rides (natch). I saw Boots, Larry, and Paul surf some stellar examples of how good it was. I was able to get a few myself, no set bombs however, so after a while I moved over to Middles, then Lower GDubs where I got a couple of my best waves of the day. I almost pulled off a ride from Lower G's through Sarges, but got sectioned out at inside Sarges.

Since I had traversed so far down coast after that wave I just kept paddling, looking for some good waves east of Sarges. By that time the dropping tide had opened up a lot of new spots on the reef and I got a couple good ones off Nudies and into YH. I surfed there primarily for the remainder of the sesh, taking down a lot of fun, fast waves. With so much west in the swell there weren't a lot of waves connecting up for long rides. It was pretty much surfing from section to section. But there were very few close-outs, you always had a shoulder/wall to ride for at least 50-60 yards or longer. During one 16-20 wave set (I lost count) I surfed from YH to Dick's to the Pier, and then took two more waves at the Pier section before making the long paddle back out to YH. Amazing!

By about 4:30 I was feeling pretty spent, so I headed upcoast for the take out at the main spot. I snagged one last bomb off Nudies that took me in, a steep fast drop into a raging wall that sectioned (I made that one) backed off for a nice cutty, then turned back down the line for a racing finish into a crashing falls of whitewater and kelp. Sweet way to finish and apparently inspiring. As I was walking to my car Dave was heading out...again, for his second session of the day. "Double sesh eh Dave?" I said. "Your last wave inspired me, I had to go out." Cool.

Today surfing in the kelp at low tide was an issue, but not nearly as much because of the larger swell. I got "kelped" a couple times but not completely knocked off. Getting kelped today was a matter of getting slowed down enough (when hitting the kelp clumps) to reduce your speed so you couldn't make the wave. If there were no kelp slow-downs, making those waves would have been awesome.

But no complaints. You get what you get, Mother Nature does her thing and you live with it...make that "rejoice" with it.

For the final capper Ralph offered me a beer as I was carrying the SIMSUP back to the car. In the dimming sunset saturated light, with a lot of good waves still pumping through, how could I refuse such an offer? So Ralph and I drank beers and talked story until it got almost too dark to see. Dwayne and Eric wandered up and we dished surf stories, talked board talk, did the surfer thing. After a full day of surfing, sharing with your broheims is the icing on the cake!

NOTE: Not much in the way of pics or vids from this day. I tried to shoot movies in the line-up but lighting conditions were horrible; shooting straight into the sun almost, which put gnarly vertical lines through all the movies. When I finally got some decently exposed movies, I wasn't in a good spot and had to haul ass out of the way of an incoming section so the movies were super short and didn't show much. I put a couple in, but they are not impressive compared to how good the surfing was. Thinking about getting a new cam.

Back To Mbusas

2011-01-14T15:37:00.000-08:00

Friday January 14, 2011
The spawn of yesterday's short duration low pressure trough and rain was thick as a brick ground fog. Fifty foot visibilities at best for most of the drive to Mbusas, but a mile from the destination the fog cleared for good and it turned into a beautiful fogless and cloudless morning.

Big Al was checking it when I rolled up and got out for a short pow-wow. It was bigger than last time, but a definite lump, with rolling seas and troughs plagued the line-up at all locations. And it was fairly inconsistent. But it was the last day before a three day holiday weekend so we're on it. Hardly anyone was out.

It was a challenging one hour session in all of the above. Every once in a while a couple decent peaks would roll (literally) through but the wave faces were never quite free from that wind induced chop that had accompanied these waves from miles out to sea. It was a struggle to maintain my feet in the backwashed rollers, and I spent a lot of time on my knees chasing the peak and getting back in position while the current insisted otherwise.

But I'm glad I got a surf in before the holiday. Thanks to Al for his great pics. (He's using a Luminex and I'm finding that his shots are a little bit better in quality than the Olympus I've got. They're close though.)

Email blog posts do not show embedded movies or slideshows. Go to the blog to see those visuals.

Northern Beaches In Small Long Period Swell

2011-01-11T15:28:00.000-08:00

Tuesday January 11, 2011
In keeping with my new year's resolution to get out more, I pointed the Srfnff-mobile towards the northern beaches for a surf at Mbusa's. Al was already in the line-up with a few waves under his belt when I paddled out at 0745. I haven't seen him in over a year, and we enjoyed a fun and productive "reunion" session in 2-3 ft. peeling rights that were just reeling off this unreal sand bar.

It was almost like surfing a reef break, the wave was so well sculpted and formed as it tapered off perfectly into the beach. The drop off one foot out from the dry sand to the water was about three feet, maybe four. I didn't hang around in it for fear of getting swept one way or another in the current. Once past the relatively benign shore break it was an easy and enjoyable paddle into the line-up. The view was perfect, sighting right down the line at the incoming riders, all of whom were having fun in the small right-handers.

There were numerous sand bar peaks up and down this long and winding stretch of coastline and plenty of places to surf, including a good left-hander south of us with only a couple guys on it. Looking up coast several empty tempting peaks were showing all session. With La Nina in full control it's looking like the opportunities to score big Winter swells are going to be extremely limited. That means smaller swells will light up the beach breaks and there should be plenty of action for the rest of the Winter and into Spring.

Thanks to Al for the motivation and local knowledge. He's been surfing here for years and introduced me around to the guys in the line-up. Today the waves were playful and easy to ride, putting up mind pleasing shapes and even some fast sections that were whackable. When it gets bigger here the kid gloves come off though, especially in the shore pound. Al says just to ditch the leash when it gets big 'cause it's not worth taking the risk of getting smashed by a loose SUP in the shore break. But today it was all bread and butter and jam. Rich and tasty!

Also, more thanks to Al for the snaps he got of me today!