A solitary line of 19 second swell on the buoy caught my eye before bed Saturday night. An anomaly? A click on the buoylist showed several buoys north of us with 19 and 20 second swell periods. Up before first light Sunday morning, I bee-lined to the computer and there it was, a long list of 19 second periods showing on the northerly, and some southerly buoys. What storm blew this up? No idea. Did the forecast models show this...nope. But chances were good for a score.
I grabbed the longboard and headed across town, figuring I could get at least an hour of uncrowded waves before the place woke up. The tide was a little too high, but overhead sets were happening and it was definitely on. The bad news was that I tweaked my back on my second wave, which definitely put a crimp in my session. But I surfed for another hour and got a couple good waves before a long ride in, and some discomfort in my lower back convinced me that I was done for the morning.
The drive back home was highlighted by stops at other local surf spots which were getting better with the lowering tide. It was definitely a swell to be reckoned with. I saw Herby at one spot and his one word summary was..."challenging."
When I got home I stretched out, dropped some ibu and prepared for an afternoon session on the SUP. There is no doubt that lay down paddling irritates my lower back. The SUP however is a whole different postural dynamic and can even be therapeutic for the irritation caused by lay down paddle surfing.
My second session lasted over three hours on the SUP. Since it had been a while since I SUP surfed, it took me a couple waves to get my timing back. The waves from this swell weren't as well lined up as the last time I SUP surfed Yellow House, but on occasion there were some long drawn out lines in fast and steep sections that had the rider streaking towards a pier kickout. The offshores started up about an hour into the session, and stayed strong until I got out around 4PM. Larry and Dave were out on their SUPs, as well as a bevy of long and shortboarders, even though it was Super Bowl Sunday. But this is a surf town, who gives a rip about the Super Bowl when there's waves. A lot of sand has filled in over the reefs, creating a deep water lagoon at inside YH. Getting past the reef/sandbar can be, as Herby noted...challenging.
The longer period swell forecast for today, Monday, never really turned into anything very good, so sometimes you just gotta take what Mother Nature gives you, and be thankful for it.
Morning Session
Afternoon/Evening Session
Srfnff
January 9, 2012 Photo: J. Chandler
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Fewer Good Sand Bar Waves
I was on it again early this morning thinking I could score again. The swell had jumped up overnight, but not too big I thought. I arrived at the Cali Bar in the murky early light to find it way smaller than I expected, Shakes too. So I headed down to EoL's. I had such good surfing there yesterday, perhaps a redux?
Surprisingly again, it was much bigger than yesterday. At least a foot or two, and the sets were closing out. That's beach break for ya...good yesterday, less so today, or in an hour or, whatever. But there I was, all suited up and no place to go so WTF, let's go surfing. I paddled out right into what was yesterday's channel. Today, with more energy in the longer period swell, I couldn't punch through the inside sand bar. Unbeknown to me, the current that was running laterally yesterday in the trough just off the beach, was on meth today. Before I could get very far out, I was a hundred yards down the beach. Rather than wear myself out fighting a losing battle, I got out of the water and walked way past the channel to where I could at least avoid that current. It still took a little while getting out, but after a while I made it, only to find myself surrounded by large peaks closing out all the way to the beach, or not breaking until they were way inside...and then closing out.
Long story short, I got two good rides on long walls, and a half dozen quick turn and flick outs. The waves just weren't there today. I thought maybe the tide was too low, so I surfed an hour fifteen and got out. I waited a while but nothing changed. Could be swell direction, or size or both. Could be lack of that little WSW that was in the water yesterday. Maybe today there was nothing crossing up the new WNW in the water. I gotta admit, I was disappointed, but glad I got wet anyway. At least I got a couple good ones and a couple nice turns too.
February 3, 2010
Fin set-up: 9" Future Cutaway with FCS GX sides
Bathymetry: Sand bars
Deep Water Swell CDIP Archive
Wave Hts. (Faces): 3-5 ft. with the occasional 6-7 footer on the sets
Surprisingly again, it was much bigger than yesterday. At least a foot or two, and the sets were closing out. That's beach break for ya...good yesterday, less so today, or in an hour or, whatever. But there I was, all suited up and no place to go so WTF, let's go surfing. I paddled out right into what was yesterday's channel. Today, with more energy in the longer period swell, I couldn't punch through the inside sand bar. Unbeknown to me, the current that was running laterally yesterday in the trough just off the beach, was on meth today. Before I could get very far out, I was a hundred yards down the beach. Rather than wear myself out fighting a losing battle, I got out of the water and walked way past the channel to where I could at least avoid that current. It still took a little while getting out, but after a while I made it, only to find myself surrounded by large peaks closing out all the way to the beach, or not breaking until they were way inside...and then closing out.
Long story short, I got two good rides on long walls, and a half dozen quick turn and flick outs. The waves just weren't there today. I thought maybe the tide was too low, so I surfed an hour fifteen and got out. I waited a while but nothing changed. Could be swell direction, or size or both. Could be lack of that little WSW that was in the water yesterday. Maybe today there was nothing crossing up the new WNW in the water. I gotta admit, I was disappointed, but glad I got wet anyway. At least I got a couple good ones and a couple nice turns too.
February 3, 2010
In: 0705
Out: 0820
AT= 43-46F
WT= 55.8F
Wx: Fog and low clouds
Tide: 1.19' Falling to 1.19' (Low 1.09')
Wind: Calm to light offshore
Sea Surface: Goosebumps to light wind ripples
McTavish (PU) 9-3 FireballOut: 0820
AT= 43-46F
WT= 55.8F
Wx: Fog and low clouds
Tide: 1.19' Falling to 1.19' (Low 1.09')
Wind: Calm to light offshore
Sea Surface: Goosebumps to light wind ripples
Fin set-up: 9" Future Cutaway with FCS GX sides
Bathymetry: Sand bars
Deep Water Swell CDIP Archive
Wave Hts. (Faces): 3-5 ft. with the occasional 6-7 footer on the sets
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
More Good Sand Bar Waves
The West/WNW swell started to inch it's way back up this morning, and was joined by a new pulse of 12 second WSW swell. This may have created a combo effect that boosted wave hts. but that didn't show at my two usual sand bars. So I headed south a couple hundred yards and hooked into another pay dirt morning.
After chastising myself for being lazy and soft Monday, I was on scene at the Cali Bar at 0715. There was a light misty rain falling, and the waves just weren't doing it. I stood there, leaning up against the car wishing it was better. Another bar upcoast, which I call Shakes, was closing out and not pretty at all. Next stop was the end of the road where I watched a long fast right hander just reeling down the beach. Is that thing too fast to ride? The quick peelers were running hard, then closing out over an inside bar that gave way to a trench that ran parallel to the beach. The end game was a nice doggy door exit, that gave you quick (and safe) passage back out the channel and into the line-up for the next one. Going past the trench towards shore meant a fairly hard paddle out the back through all the inside sand bar close-outs.
The more I watched, the better I liked the set-up, and the better it looked. I spied one guy far up the beach getting some good ones at another bar. (Ever since the multi-day big swells and rain storms of the past few weeks, this stretch of coast has been transformed into a cornucopia of very surfable sand bars. How good is it? Well, truthfully, it's probably not all that great. But when you haven't seen waves here for three years, it looks great! It's almost a relief to see these waves...like maybe we'd never see surf here again?)
Even though it looked fast, I grabbed the 9-3 McTavish just because I'm enjoying the ride so much. I had the 5-11 mini-Simmons with me, but I wanted to surf the longboard. It was probably a good call because in reality, the waves weren't all that fast or that critical. Bigger and faster than yesterday for sure, but take-offs were softer than steep and critical, and the sections either were easily makeable, or closed out...not much in between.
I still paddled out at 0745, despite my earlier arrival time. (It took a while to figure out where to surf.) Consistency was the name of the game today and it was a merry-go-round for the entire session, with brief 2-3 minute rests in between the copious sets. During the first half hour I was averaging a wave every two minutes, too grueling a pace for an old man. I had to slow down, let a few go by and smell the roses. I surfed alone for 45 minutes. People came, watched, and went. I couldn't believe my good luck and I knew it wouldn't hold. Around 0830 two shortboarders paddled out and that was it until I got out at 0900, tired and soul satisfied.
There were plenty of waves to share, especially since one of the guys was Eric, surfer and carpenter extraordinaire. He was on his SC Pumpkin Seed which he must really like 'cause he's been surfing it for a while. Usually Eric, ever the surfboard aficionado, goes through surfboards like most people change their underwear. The other guy was a reticent Ozzie who was kind of a Clint Eastwood type. At first he sat too far over and too far out and didn't get much. But after a while he sussed it out and after that got some pretty good waves.
After I changed out and packed up, I grabbed the camera for a few frames. By then a pile of guys was on it and it was Shortboard City (although I think it may have been a slightly better longboard wave 'cuz it just wasn't all that shreddable). Whatever, they allowed me to get some decent pics of the morning although it was better (of course!) when I had it to myself. The early bird gets the worm.
February 2, 2010
Fin set-up: 9" Future Cutaway with FCS GX sides
Bathymetry: Sand bars
Deep Water Swell CDIP Archive
Wave Hts. (Faces): 3-4 ft. with the occasional 5-6 footer on the sets
After chastising myself for being lazy and soft Monday, I was on scene at the Cali Bar at 0715. There was a light misty rain falling, and the waves just weren't doing it. I stood there, leaning up against the car wishing it was better. Another bar upcoast, which I call Shakes, was closing out and not pretty at all. Next stop was the end of the road where I watched a long fast right hander just reeling down the beach. Is that thing too fast to ride? The quick peelers were running hard, then closing out over an inside bar that gave way to a trench that ran parallel to the beach. The end game was a nice doggy door exit, that gave you quick (and safe) passage back out the channel and into the line-up for the next one. Going past the trench towards shore meant a fairly hard paddle out the back through all the inside sand bar close-outs.
The more I watched, the better I liked the set-up, and the better it looked. I spied one guy far up the beach getting some good ones at another bar. (Ever since the multi-day big swells and rain storms of the past few weeks, this stretch of coast has been transformed into a cornucopia of very surfable sand bars. How good is it? Well, truthfully, it's probably not all that great. But when you haven't seen waves here for three years, it looks great! It's almost a relief to see these waves...like maybe we'd never see surf here again?)
Even though it looked fast, I grabbed the 9-3 McTavish just because I'm enjoying the ride so much. I had the 5-11 mini-Simmons with me, but I wanted to surf the longboard. It was probably a good call because in reality, the waves weren't all that fast or that critical. Bigger and faster than yesterday for sure, but take-offs were softer than steep and critical, and the sections either were easily makeable, or closed out...not much in between.
I still paddled out at 0745, despite my earlier arrival time. (It took a while to figure out where to surf.) Consistency was the name of the game today and it was a merry-go-round for the entire session, with brief 2-3 minute rests in between the copious sets. During the first half hour I was averaging a wave every two minutes, too grueling a pace for an old man. I had to slow down, let a few go by and smell the roses. I surfed alone for 45 minutes. People came, watched, and went. I couldn't believe my good luck and I knew it wouldn't hold. Around 0830 two shortboarders paddled out and that was it until I got out at 0900, tired and soul satisfied.
There were plenty of waves to share, especially since one of the guys was Eric, surfer and carpenter extraordinaire. He was on his SC Pumpkin Seed which he must really like 'cause he's been surfing it for a while. Usually Eric, ever the surfboard aficionado, goes through surfboards like most people change their underwear. The other guy was a reticent Ozzie who was kind of a Clint Eastwood type. At first he sat too far over and too far out and didn't get much. But after a while he sussed it out and after that got some pretty good waves.
After I changed out and packed up, I grabbed the camera for a few frames. By then a pile of guys was on it and it was Shortboard City (although I think it may have been a slightly better longboard wave 'cuz it just wasn't all that shreddable). Whatever, they allowed me to get some decent pics of the morning although it was better (of course!) when I had it to myself. The early bird gets the worm.
February 2, 2010
In: 0745
Out: 0900
AT= 47-51F
WT= 55.8F
Wx: Cloudy with occasional sprinkles early
Tide: 1.63' Rising to 2.7'
Wind: Light offshore to variable and light side/onshore
Sea Surface: Goosebumps to glassy to light wind ripples
McTavish (PU) 9-3 FireballOut: 0900
AT= 47-51F
WT= 55.8F
Wx: Cloudy with occasional sprinkles early
Tide: 1.63' Rising to 2.7'
Wind: Light offshore to variable and light side/onshore
Sea Surface: Goosebumps to glassy to light wind ripples
Fin set-up: 9" Future Cutaway with FCS GX sides
Bathymetry: Sand bars
Deep Water Swell CDIP Archive
Wave Hts. (Faces): 3-4 ft. with the occasional 5-6 footer on the sets
Monday, February 1, 2010
Near Perfect (aka Fun) Sand Bar Longboarding
Perfection is in the eye of the beholder, as is the definition of "good" surf. For me, surfing a new sand bar right hander in pristine Winter conditions without another surfer in sight is not only good (and fun), but near perfection.
With the CDIP forecast spitting out decreasing swell data, and the COOAMPS wind forecast calling for light offshores, I knew the beaches could be a great place to get some waves this morning. I should have made an earlier start. I could have surfed the best conditions for another 45 minutes but alas, sloth and reluctance to face the cold weather (I am such an official wimp) held me back. As it was, I paddled out at 0745 and surfed a full two hours and fifteen before the higher tide tamped down the wave heights, and the southeast winds put a funky wind chop across the sea surface.
But for a solid hour and a half I surfed fun and almost glassy (think "chicken skin" sea surface) 2-3 ft. walls with a few four footers thrown in on sets...alone. (Well, there was one seal, one pelican and a boatload of seagulls eating bait fish. I was glad to see the seal. It's always better to have another member of the food chain out there with you.)
I switched out fins again, replacing the single DeTemple with a 2+1 set-up comprised of the larger FCS GX side fins and a Future 9" cutaway I bought a couple years ago, to use in my first 10-4 Angulo SUP. It made the SUP too stiff and hard to turn, but it worked very well this morning in the McTavish 9-3. The board was loose and maneuverable in the small waves, and held steady for the occasional foray to the nose. So far I think this is the set-up I like best for an all-around fin set-up. Next to try is the single fin Rainbow Pivot Fin, which worked really well in the 10-2 Angulo Custom SUP. It's a big fin though, and can't really be used in the kelp, so the kelpless beaches will be a good place to surf it.
Paul joined me late in the session and we surfed and chatted until I got out at around 10:15 or so. Another low pressure trough is coming/passing through this evening and into tomorrow. So conditions will probably be "craptacular" (as Adam Wright says) all day tomorrow. The swell is on the increase so we'll have to see just what tomorrow or the next day brings.
No pics today. I was too much in a hurry at 7:45 and the end of the session just wasn't what things were like during the sesh.
February 1, 2010
Fin set-up: 9" Future Cutaway with FCS GX sides
Bathymetry: Sand bars
Deep Water Swell CDIP Archive
Wave Hts. (Faces): 2-3 ft. with an occasional 4 footer on the sets
With the CDIP forecast spitting out decreasing swell data, and the COOAMPS wind forecast calling for light offshores, I knew the beaches could be a great place to get some waves this morning. I should have made an earlier start. I could have surfed the best conditions for another 45 minutes but alas, sloth and reluctance to face the cold weather (I am such an official wimp) held me back. As it was, I paddled out at 0745 and surfed a full two hours and fifteen before the higher tide tamped down the wave heights, and the southeast winds put a funky wind chop across the sea surface.
But for a solid hour and a half I surfed fun and almost glassy (think "chicken skin" sea surface) 2-3 ft. walls with a few four footers thrown in on sets...alone. (Well, there was one seal, one pelican and a boatload of seagulls eating bait fish. I was glad to see the seal. It's always better to have another member of the food chain out there with you.)
I switched out fins again, replacing the single DeTemple with a 2+1 set-up comprised of the larger FCS GX side fins and a Future 9" cutaway I bought a couple years ago, to use in my first 10-4 Angulo SUP. It made the SUP too stiff and hard to turn, but it worked very well this morning in the McTavish 9-3. The board was loose and maneuverable in the small waves, and held steady for the occasional foray to the nose. So far I think this is the set-up I like best for an all-around fin set-up. Next to try is the single fin Rainbow Pivot Fin, which worked really well in the 10-2 Angulo Custom SUP. It's a big fin though, and can't really be used in the kelp, so the kelpless beaches will be a good place to surf it.
Paul joined me late in the session and we surfed and chatted until I got out at around 10:15 or so. Another low pressure trough is coming/passing through this evening and into tomorrow. So conditions will probably be "craptacular" (as Adam Wright says) all day tomorrow. The swell is on the increase so we'll have to see just what tomorrow or the next day brings.
No pics today. I was too much in a hurry at 7:45 and the end of the session just wasn't what things were like during the sesh.
February 1, 2010
In: 0745
Out: 1000
AT= 43-50F
WT= 55.8F
Wx: Partly cloudy, beautiful!
Tide: 2.75' Rising to 5.06'
Wind: Light offshore to variable and light side/onshore
Sea Surface: Goosebumps to light wind chop
McTavish (PU) 9-3 FireballOut: 1000
AT= 43-50F
WT= 55.8F
Wx: Partly cloudy, beautiful!
Tide: 2.75' Rising to 5.06'
Wind: Light offshore to variable and light side/onshore
Sea Surface: Goosebumps to light wind chop
Fin set-up: 9" Future Cutaway with FCS GX sides
Bathymetry: Sand bars
Deep Water Swell CDIP Archive
Wave Hts. (Faces): 2-3 ft. with an occasional 4 footer on the sets
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