Is it me?

[seadart]

n CA, I'm absolutely the worst guy in the water, day after day after goddamn day.  If you want to find me in the lineup, look for the sole SUPer who can barely stand to his feet and rarely catches a wave.  That's me.

No actually that would be me. I moved to a much lower volume board (for me anyway) and I suck.   I think with surfing you just have to go out everyday and give it a shot no matter how bad the conditions, you slowly learn and then you become the local guys who have no problem. The bottom has changed in the last two years at the south end of LJshores where most SUPs hang out, it's gotten so small waves break early and make kind of a confused mess.  Try up at the other side of the pier away from the short boarders or try The Slide early in the morning at the Slide when the tide is above 2' and wave height less than 5'. You might see me headed down there from the parking lot around 7;15 in the mornings.  There are also spots near Cardiff that actually have great shape and few surfers, best to do some exploring instead of following the crowd.

[PonoBill]

I've been exploring quite a bit, and enjoying the surfing more as a result. The river mouth break at Cardiff gets super crowded, but moving down the cliff yields some nice waves in uncrowded conditions until you hit the Swamis area. then it's ridiculous until you get a few hundred yards further north, and it's great. One or two guys out (and glaring at me) but plenty of good waves if it's breaking well.

I also discovered the next break south (I don't know the name) is a fine SUP wave, and continuing along the cliffs to Del Mar and beyond is excellent and uncrowded. It seems whenever I paddle that way that the wind is in my face all the way back, so it's a workout getting back to the truck.

Last, but not least, further south than Del Mar, hwy 101 drops down a long hill to a long stretch of beach. The parking along the beach is at a premium, there are always cars waiting for someone to pull out. I think it's mostly people wanting to walk the trail up to Torrey Pines who don't want to pay to park. The break starting from the base of the hill and going north is uncrowded, and the waves peel in a nice right--long ride. And if you paddle towards Del Mar there's no one out. Totally empty breaks as good as anything I've found in Cali, not a soul in them every time I've gone.

I'm still out of the water until the hole in the back of my neck heals, and we're getting ready to head back to the Hood. We're going to pack up tomorrow and do a slow cruise up the coast, surfing everywhere that looks good. Almost certainly a day or two in Santa Barbara (I'm hooked on Rincon) and a couple in Santa Cruz. We'll see how it goes after that. I've got a bagful of waterproof bandaids, and the thing has stopped draining, so I think I'm more or less good to go.

[SlatchJim]

Try Mussel Shoals, the point with the pier just south of Rincon. It's a paddle but if rincon is breaking then there's usually great surf peeling there for nice long rights.

[SUPcheat]

I finally got out today.  You would think with all these storms, there would be massive wave energy instead of this ceaseless churn.

It was also windy, which added cottage cheese to the swell.  However, there were two foot "hammer on anvil" ground swells that were strong enough to carry me and give me a nice handful of rides.

I am so out of shape with all these perpetual virii and rainstorms.  I jogged for two miles on the gym machine the other day, and that just made my flu come back weakly for a day or two.  It probably takes two months, if not longer,  for the viral particles to be completely cleared from the body.  I think runny nose and rheumy eyes are almost forever, now.

[stoneaxe]

Found a few fun ones today at Nantasket. Had to hang around in the morning to see and respond to an email on the new house...signing the P&S this weekend...so i couldn't get on it early. Thought I was going to the Cape to hang with Creek but the late start kept me more local. Stiff offshore...10-15 and gusting more but they were holding the faces up nicely. Lots of rides standing on the logo, they weren't huge, waist to chest for the most part but they were pealing. One or two lonely head high waves that i saw early enough to paddle out for....nice long rides on both, one right, one left. The right was a series of turns and a long floater that I actually rode beyond the section then dropped back in and into a hard bottom for a clean exit...great feeling ride.  The left was just a long cruise down the line standing on the front rail with a step back into a huge slashing cutback that I didn't quite hold but put up probably the biggest rooster tail I've ever thrown. Bonus to run into my buddy Tim, had fun swapping waves and stories for a few hours.

[maxsonic]

I've been exploring quite a bit, and enjoying the surfing more as a result. The river mouth break at Cardiff gets super crowded, but moving down the cliff yields some nice waves in uncrowded conditions until you hit the Swamis area. then it's ridiculous until you get a few hundred yards further north, and it's great. One or two guys out (and glaring at me) but plenty of good waves if it's breaking well.

I also discovered the next break south (I don't know the name) is a fine SUP wave, and continuing along the cliffs to Del Mar and beyond is excellent and uncrowded. It seems whenever I paddle that way that the wind is in my face all the way back, so it's a workout getting back to the truck.

Last, but not least, further south than Del Mar, hwy 101 drops down a long hill to a long stretch of beach. The parking along the beach is at a premium, there are always cars waiting for someone to pull out. I think it's mostly people wanting to walk the trail up to Torrey Pines who don't want to pay to park. The break starting from the base of the hill and going north is uncrowded, and the waves peel in a nice right--long ride. And if you paddle towards Del Mar there's no one out. Totally empty breaks as good as anything I've found in Cali, not a soul in them every time I've gone.

Very good description of what JimK has told me as well...start at Cardiff then Paddle North (or South!) to find uncrowded peaks of choice. Advantage - SUPers! I'll be following this trek more often this Spring.

MAX