Give Us Your Session Reports.

[Zooport]

Let's hear about your most recent session.  You don't have to reveal the exact spot, if that's a sensitive subject.  How were the conditions?  If SUSing, how were the waves?  Water conditions?  How did you do?  Who was there?  Crowded, deserted?  How was the weather?  Was it an awesome day, so so, or did it suck?  

When I was doing SCUBA, we had a board where divers could log their dives.  It was cool to read about conditions and reports from up and down the coast, both good and bad.  I don't know if SoCal Zoners would be interested, but I thought it might be fun to do the same thing here.  

[Zooport]

So I'll start.  Went out at Newport Pier this morning 8 to 10AM.  Water was glassy, surf was about 3ft, tide was medium going to high, wind offshore but very light.  We have a combo of swells so there were some peaks mixed in with close outs, about 50/50.  Being a Sunday, you know it was crowded, but I kept paddling around finding momentary spots where proners were not.  Never got stink eye even once.  One proner even greeted me.  Caught a bunch of decent waves.  Still working on balance when trying to turn and take off, but also made it on a number of nice little waves.  Feeling like I'm making progress.  All in all, a great morning.

[SUPcheat]

Well, as another boring newbie report, I was out Thursday and Friday around Private's and Shark's Cove as usual.  I am retired, so I have the luxury of "going to the office" to acquire some time on the water to do skills catch up.  

Conditions choppy in the fair extreme afternoon both days, waves two to six feet. I reverted to a combo of knee paddle and stand up practice, not much interest in surfing on Thursday/Fri due to cold with marginal balance as a result.  At Shark's on Friday, there was just one other SUS guy, he was way far away, and he managed to hit me, anyway.

I was doing my usual knee mush turn arounds when I detected a swell over my shoulder. I turned on it to let it ride through or catch me for a knee surf, and there the guy was coming at me without turning.  I suppose it was a technical drop in, I bailed, and he hit my rubber board lightly and surfed on.  I apologized, but he was the bitter sort and railed at me coming out, even though he hit me coming from a long distance away and never even tried to turn. Most unpleasant stand up person encountered so far.

I paddled down to Private's to give grumpy munchkin the whole Shark's Cove. Conditions were ideal small wave stuff to practice on for me at Private's, where I was alone for an hour.  

I really like my new paddle.  It allows me to soar parallel to the wave and make a rapid turn to catch it on my knees and then stand up, if if is catchable.  I rode one in laying on my back on purpose with my knees bent and hands behind my head, just to be weird.

Imitation is a strange thing.  A couple of weeks ago, I was knee paddling and then standing up.  A  competent SUS guy started trying the knee thing, too, I guess for yucks. I am trying to SUS with beginners outlandishness, with knees as a default failsafe mode, but he decided to kook it too and do some knee catching.

Head Cold and tiredness for five to seven days now, so I won't be going back out until next week.

[RATbeachrider]

No SUSing session today.  Instead I went proning in fun 2-3 feet waves at Torrance Beach in on-coming tide.  I took out the 7'10 fun board and then proceeded to try out the boys' 5'6 mini-Simmons, a 5'6 Potato and a 5'2 Biscuit.  I like the 5'6 Potato in quad-configuration ... it surfed similar to a long board but snappier.  Going to order me a 5'4 Potato for the beach breaks.

[surfcowboy]

Quick cold session at Porto yesterday. Looked good as we got there but wind came up and it put a pretty bad chop on it. My buddies got cold and went in so I caught one more and used the excuse to head in too.

I'm hitting it tomorrow for the supposed 4-6 ft swell and some sun shine.

[Newps]

Saturday was ok but did not get much of a session.  I had a paddle out memorial service at the HB pier.  As soon as we were done the winds hit, chop city, victory at sea. 

Sunday however was a completely difference scenario, damn near perfect conditions.  3 to 4, fun peaks all over, slight off shore conditions and warm.  Very few people out, saw two other SUSer’s.  One guy on a Nash 9 footer (we talked a little), we were having fun.  After 2 hours I had, needed to go get some Christmas shopping done.  Could have stayed out all day.  I have to imagine today will be firing.

[Zooport]

Saturday was ok but did not get much of a session.  I had a paddle out memorial service at the HB pier.  As soon as we were done the winds hit, chop city, victory at sea. 

Sunday however was a completely difference scenario, damn near perfect conditions.  3 to 4, fun peaks all over, slight off shore conditions and warm.  Very few people out, saw two other SUSer’s.  One guy on a Nash 9 footer (we talked a little), we were having fun.  After 2 hours I had, needed to go get some Christmas shopping done.  Could have stayed out all day.  I have to imagine today will be firing.

Were you out at HB Pier on Sunday? 

[mik911]

Torrance Beach in the SoBay, just south of Topaz Jetty today.
Ron House Coastal Cruiser 12'6" cruising up/down the coast in search of waves.  2'-3' swell, clean, but walled over as usual. At least the 12'6" got me in early, so could get a bottom turn and a few seconds glide before the beach break dumps.
Board shorts + 1mm top---Can't beat that for Xmas surfing.

[Newps]

Saturday was ok but did not get much of a session.  I had a paddle out memorial service at the HB pier.  As soon as we were done the winds hit, chop city, victory at sea. 

Sunday however was a completely difference scenario, damn near perfect conditions.  3 to 4, fun peaks all over, slight off shore conditions and warm.  Very few people out, saw two other SUSer’s.  One guy on a Nash 9 footer (we talked a little), we were having fun.  After 2 hours I had, needed to go get some Christmas shopping done.  Could have stayed out all day.  I have to imagine today will be firing.

Were you out at HB Pier on Sunday? 

South of HB pier, Magnolia-ish St.

[Zooport]

Passed up a trip to SanO with a friend and it looks like that was a mistake, fortunately, had a fun session near my house.  Checked out Power Plants, looked a little walled.  Looked at Bolsa Jettys which was OK but a little crowded for my tastes.  Blackies was a ZOOOO, no thanks.  Went out on the South side of Newport Pier.  Waves were much smaller but very clean.  Mostly closeouts but some ridable corners.  Surfed it alone for about 1 1/2 hours, then 3 more susers came out.  A half hour later 3 more.  We had seven guys in the water, and now two beginner proners as well.  My stomach muscles were beginning to cramp from 2 1/2 hours of continuous paddling, so it was time to go in.  Lots and lots of fun little rides and my balance and confidence is getting better each day.  Gotta figure out a way to stretch stomach muscles now!!

I have the next two weeks off of work and I'm hoping to SUS almost every day.  

[Zooport]

Saturday was ok but did not get much of a session.  I had a paddle out memorial service at the HB pier.  As soon as we were done the winds hit, chop city, victory at sea.  

Sunday however was a completely difference scenario, damn near perfect conditions.  3 to 4, fun peaks all over, slight off shore conditions and warm.  Very few people out, saw two other SUSer’s.  One guy on a Nash 9 footer (we talked a little), we were having fun.  After 2 hours I had, needed to go get some Christmas shopping done.  Could have stayed out all day.  I have to imagine today will be firing.

Were you out at HB Pier on Sunday?  

South of HB pier, Magnolia-ish St.

Oh nice.  I like that area.  

[supsnork]

Went to Scripps / La Jolla this morning, low tide, no wind, 1-2 feet.  Mostly it was 1.  I paddled around a bit instead.

[Zooport]

Went for a nice flat water paddle with my son-in-law while waiting for Christmas dinner to come out.  It was relaxing and nice to chat as we cruised around on the backwater behind my house.  The only bummer was that he dropped my 10'6 and put a big ding in the rail.  No big deal; I can do board repair.  It's great to have family that likes hanging around with their in-laws.  Not everyone has that and I am grateful.    

[SUPcheat]

I was too weak with this cold to get out of my chair two days ago.  Yesterday, feeling a little better, I went out for paddling practice on the harbor.  Haven't been there for a while, it reminded me that I have a ways to go with rhythm, stroke, continuity, glide and paddle technique. The flat water challenges remain. I was alone, saw two SUP briefly, but mostly by myself.  The tour boat went by, everybody on deck waved at me and I waved back with my paddle.

Felt a little stronger today, went to Private's/Sharks.  I was alone at west Sharks, then about five SUS showed up and a handful of proners, so I retreated back to Private's where there was one SUS and two kayak surfers.

At Sharks, I managed to turn standing up to catch a 4-5 footer, do the step back, feel the board rise way up then take the drop, and surf it all the way in without falling off. Even tried stepping down the back to roll off, but couldn't quite do it, just turned back with the paddle to go back out but didn't fall. Done it about three or four times on a wave that size, rumor is it takes a dozen or four to get it depending on one's balance potential.  At least I feel progress is occurring. Caught or fell off of a bunch of smaller ones, or just rolled them for a bit on knees or standing.

Absolutely gorgeous, warm day, incredibly clear water(a little spooky, don't want to see any sharks down there, a few jellyfish), nice Christmas present from the guy in the clouds.

Nice guy when I was loading to go home asked me about the inflatable, said he is grateful to Stand Up because it has allowed him to become a better surfer.  He surfed when young, started again in 50's 7 or 8 years ago and says he is getting better at larger waves.  He made me realize I shouldn't be too impatient and just give things time.

Tomorrow looks to be similar with a little more wave action, maybe I will be cleared up by then but going, anyway.

[Zooport]

Got stung by a stingray this morning.  Argg!  I thought they were a summer phenomenon in SoCal.  Funny thing was that my foot was not even on the bottom.  I was in some minor whitewater laying with my legs hanging off the back of my board about to climb aboard and stand up as soon as it cleared.  I felt something roll across the top of my foot and cut in pretty bad.  Stood up on the board and looked down at my foot and found it to be bleeding.  Within a few minutes the pain began.  I managed to SUS for awhile until it started hurting so much it wasn't worth the knee high waves.  

The last time I got nailed by a stingray, I stepped right in the middle of his back.  But not this time; feet were dangling.  All I can think of is that maybe the ray was getting tumbled in the soup and was mad.  Seems strange but that's the only explanation I can think of.  Went home and hot water plus some Advil took care of the significant pain.  I'm still planning of SUSing tomorrow.