Blustery Sunday Evening at Sarge's

In at Sarge's around 5:15 and surfed until dark. The swell was backing off big time and the heart of it was over. There were quite a few leftovers in the chest/shoulder range though and I kept busy paddling back from numerous long rides to the nudie beach. Pretty blowy side-offshore which didn't even come close to dying down until around 6:45, but by then the tide was too full and the swell too diminished to really take advantage of the glassy conditions. Crowd was light and very congenial with a lot of sharing goin' on. Everyone got waves.

This was really a one-day or one and a half day swell generated by a nearshore storm that came down at a steep angle out of the Gulf of Alaska. The swell peaked this morning and into the afternoon and it was very windy out of the NW. Not a bad direction and the paddling wasn't as strenuous as it can be when the gusts are right in your face blowing you backwards one stroke for every two strokes forward. Overall it was much better surfing than I expected when I arrived on scene in the fading swell. It was a very fun surf in blustery, beautiful and dynamic winter conditions, surfing and watching the gray sheets of rain showers wash over the mountains. It was cold but fortunately I bought a good, warm wetsuit for the Winter season last year. I've got nothing but good things to say for my Hotline 5/4 Reflex 1.0. Well, almost nothing but good. The key pocket isn't optimal for me but that's small potatoes in trade for how warm and toasty this great suits keeps me.

Back in the Water After 3.5 Weeks Out

Finally made it back into the water after three and a half weeks out with the knee injury. Surfed Sarge's and GDubs in small, inconsistent mid-period swell, waves no bigger than waist/chest at the biggest. The weather was cooperating with light to calm winds out of the south for most of the session, keeping the sea surface glassy and smooth before switching to the normal southwest flow near the end which tended to sloppen things up a bit. The surf wasn't great but the crowd was very small, only three out at each location. The knee fared well and the only thing I had to worry about was keeping my legs pinched together during wipeouts to keep the knee stable and from flopping around. I was glad there wasn't much energy in the water cuz even the couple minor thrashings I took made the knee unhappy. But after two hours we were feeling pretty good. However, the next day Senor Knee was aggravated and sore. He's taking longer to rebound than I thought he would.

Back On Da Bark

Friday March 9, 2012 - Paddled for about an hour out of New Brighton, stroking the NB-Sponge Bob-Cap Pier and back along the cliffs to New Brighton route. First day back in the ocean after the knee injury. Beautiful Winter day, calm, clear, warm and smooth.

Kirk and L41 Surfboards Movin' Up

Surf city is starting to notice.