Topics

31

Share the Stoke / The long and short of it

« on: July 12, 2017, 12:16:22 PM »

32

Sessions / Sunday traffic

« on: June 28, 2017, 01:29:48 AM »

If you are a socially adept person a crowded lineup is hell. Playing nice won't get you waves. So we search out the empty spots where we can hunt waves and not offend.

But now in the summer lull of the years swell cycles, on a Sunday, entering the fray is what we do.

Ran into Colas and his camera crew/charming wife on the beach after his early go.

33

Sessions / Solstice surf

« on: June 24, 2017, 12:00:13 AM »

I'm 57, 6', 200lbs and a goofyfoot. The camera is in my mouth giving the view of what I see. The board is 10-6x31 and a thin 148l. Edit is chronological.

Nice small summer swell. The next peak over had 30 and up to 50+ surfers but this peak was enjoyable. 
When the board disappears from view I've stepped up to the nose, some nice noserides here. The last ride was a vid success showing some pigdog action, in a full squat grabbing the left rail to hang on.

34

Sessions / Less is more

« on: June 05, 2017, 10:09:45 PM »

So with nice conditions and the name spots packed I decided to slum it again.
Not a lot of waves for the time spent, but more than enough headspace to enjoy.

35

Sessions / Still fun

« on: May 17, 2017, 10:42:47 PM »

The web cam showed Colas's spot full of a black dot infestation.  My other spot would be likewise overrun. The day was just too nice. So even though someone seems to have stolen the sandbanks from my local, it was....

Surfing in a crowd or alone, fighting for quality, or enjoying the water and session on a lesser wave
Seems like an easy choice.

36

Sessions / A regular day

« on: May 10, 2017, 10:15:00 PM »

Most days here are average at best, like most places. I'm lucky to have started surfing in NY as it leaves me very pleased with average. My threshold to fun is very low.

There was a crowd here not evident in the vid. Only 8 but it was enough with a long wait between sets and a small peak area to make for few waves in a 3 hour session.
I out waited this early morning crew for a nice finnish lbut the battery didn't make it.

37

Sessions / La la land

« on: May 01, 2017, 01:44:19 PM »

After arriving in LA at the end of the afternoon, getting the rental car then board, I pulled up to Hermosa pier with just enough time for a surf. The wind and swell had come up and the uninhabited overhead onshore chunk looked like fun body surfing, but I was whipped. Save it for the dawn patrol.

The jet lagged body clock had me up at 4am and the strong north winds where shaking the windows very un- LA like. I had been planning a dawn patrol up           Pt Dume way but on the flight in we turned right overhead and I saw very little of the north wind swell wrapping in.  Aviation weather reports were showing light easterlies south towards Orange County so off I went before the traffic.

At SanO only the overflow lot was being used and though already closed, I was only number 4 to get in.
With the rare empty lineup I picked the pointbreak, what's a California trip for anyway.  Form a small group to all alone, chest to head high, morning and afternoon for six hours of surfing.  At one point a big dolphin porpised a set wave past me to the inside.  A classic surf day.
My beautiful ugly betty rental Focus 8-9X32. Caught waves easily and turned effortlessly. Maybe shaped by Pat. Shout out to Olympus board sports in Torrance.




Hit the afternoon 405 jam but I didn't care. Sloopy's in Manhattan Beach for chow and then crash.


 
Up again in the dark I'm greeted to light Santa Ana's head to close by PV.
I follow locals down the cliff side and enjoy another smaller pointbreak session at the empty inside section for three hours. Dolphins, seals, diving pelicans, a paridise next to a metropolis.



The wind turned west at noon but the cove sides and kelp kept it quite surfable.

 i

The next morning made a quick dab in the quickly crowding but beautiful beachbreak. Then off to the airport and home, some visit.

38

Foil SUP / Cringe!?#%!

« on: April 30, 2017, 12:00:30 PM »

So the Lord himself visited my corner of the world to promote new technology.

He picked the most surfed spot on the coast. Though the day pictured wasn't all that great, it was probably the only ridable spot for the prone crowd.  The better locals weren't out.

This is my favorite spot. However it's highly localized and sup unfriendly. When I go  out there, best behavior and thick skin for the love directed my way.

Needless to say, when the homeboys got wind of this vid, they went bonkers.
He set me way back to be accepted there.

39

SoCal / W to NW winds?

« on: April 20, 2017, 12:46:12 AM »

I'll be surfing the LA area the end of next week and windguru is showing at least the afternoons and quite possibly the mornings getting a bit of wind out of this direction.
Any tips to a spot that can take some of these onshores?

40

Foil SUP / Dreamy

« on: March 31, 2017, 05:35:58 AM »

41

Foil SUP / Foil vid

« on: March 18, 2017, 05:09:58 AM »

42

Sessions / One of those days...

« on: February 26, 2017, 06:43:22 AM »

In a good sense. All the factors lined up to yield a nice midweek surprise.

These vids are as much to share as for remembrance. Being chronologically edited it makes reliving the session a breeze. Except for individual waves my memory of surf days seems to fade and blend together.

43

Sessions / With some friends (or what 31 does to your 28)

« on: December 30, 2016, 02:30:57 PM »

At a certain size, about 2 times overhead, the choice of spots starts to reduce from plentyful to a hand full. Combined with a warm Sunday afternoon and there you have it.  Be happy for what you get, wherever in the lineup you can find it.

The last bit is a warning to myself, too much time on my wider boards, 31"ers, hurts me when I jump on this 28".

After two hours I found myself suddenly alone on the first peak when a rare set rolled in.  In spinning to get the first wave, I splashed.  With the second wave about to mow me down I thought quickly about the little bit of fray I saw on the nylon box to leash cord, and then took a deep breath.
After I swam in.

44

Sessions / Pass the bar

« on: December 28, 2016, 11:04:03 PM »

Sandbar that is. Getting in worked out fine, threading the channel in between the peaks. Usually the safest bet getting out is to ride one in. This time that didn't work out so well. I ended up spending about 5 minutes stuck in the foam bathtub about 30' out, couldn't touch the bottom and the current and breaking waves worked against each other.

 

45

Sessions / Into the dark

« on: December 23, 2016, 11:22:18 PM »

After a six month pause I prepared the camera again for a surf.  Small long period and offshore, mostly grabbing the shoulders of the shorebreak.  Just before dark the only set to break outside surprised me and led to a 30 min surveillance, but no more came through.