Zoner Tom in San Diego on his Sunova at Sunset Cliffs

[supthecreek]

Erik
Shiiitz dude.... all I can say. Sucks. Keep hanging tough!

Google distance map has Sunset Cliffs at 1.8 miles from flat beach parking at Dog Beach... you get a nice 4 mile paddle thrown into a Cliffs session

[surfcowboy]

HEy guys, fell off this one for a bit.

Linter, I'll be down there today, in-laws have a boat around the point in the bay and I'm not much of a fisherman so I tend to sneak off.

Tom, I'd love to hook up with you for a tour, if you would. I'm considering being dropped off in the dinghy after reading the thread. Lol

Might hit something easy today with the nephews (they're just starting to surf at 7 and 9.)

As to the wide tailed boards, I have one and a lot of us surf them but they tend to be on the short side as a design overall. I think that Wardog has it right with his mid-length (8'6"-9'6") wide tailed boards for sure. I only ride mine in hollowed small waves as I can't really get on the wave when it's mushy.

[clay]

that wave is screaming for a foil....

I am thinking the same thing!  Sounds like access carrying a foil would be twice as difficult...

Excellent camera work and making the most of a soft waves, thanks for sharing.

[TallDude]

  i'm going back to sd in a few days and boy o boy i wish i could figure out a way to navigate those stairs.  don't they have an access spot for the officially handicapped?  i got my placard the other day, which gives me primo parking everywhere, but what about access to the best spot i've seen all my winters in the area?  my supping days are at an end anyhow, so i'm going to be returning my sit-down ass to an infinity waveski.  not going to be any easier with the stairs, though.  shit.

Sorry to hear that Linter. Most the butt boarders I know love their skis. At Dog Patch it's a little bit of a gang mentality early mornings with waveski crew in the line-up. They group up right at the premium break and split the waves among themselves. Some of them are disabled, so I will cut them all the slack they need. If you know them well enough, they will share a wave or two With a waveski you can paddle straight into the face of a wave as it's breaking and pivot 180 degrees and be on that wave. Even if it just white water, those guys can pivot and catch it. Those center mounted rudders give you a lot of control. Waveski's are a great transition from SUP to surfing in a seated position. Steve will get you dialed in with the right board. Sunset Cliffs is probably not the right spot for entering on a Butt Board. Someone might be able to carry it down the steps, and get it floating for you? Then helps you get out when the session is over.

[PonoBill]

If you don't mind a long paddle you can access sunset cliffs from Ocean beach or from the marina around the corner. With the right board it would be a nice warmup. The first time I "discovered" Sunset cliffs was a surf session with a zoner friend about ten years ago. We got in the water at dog beach and then paddle a mile or so to surf at the cliffs. We didn't go as far as the stairs--at least I don't remember seeing them, but the break we used was fun and friendly. I don't recall who the zoner was. Anyone still here remember that?

[SUPcheat]

Erik
Shiiitz dude.... all I can say. Sucks. Keep hanging tough!

Google distance map has Sunset Cliffs at 1.8 miles from flat beach parking at Dog Beach... you get a nice 4 mile paddle thrown into a Cliffs session

That's about the distance from Capitola to Pleasure Point.  I see guys on SUP doing that all the time.  I go down about a mile or so myself on occasion.  for some reason, I still have a fear of paddling around Pleasure Point over to the Santa Cruz Harbor, a persistent ocean phobia.

[Billekrub]

HEy guys, fell off this one for a bit.

Linter, I'll be down there today, in-laws have a boat around the point in the bay and I'm not much of a fisherman so I tend to sneak off.

Tom, I'd love to hook up with you for a tour, if you would. I'm considering being dropped off in the dinghy after reading the thread. Lol

Might hit something easy today with the nephews (they're just starting to surf at 7 and 9.)

As to the wide tailed boards, I have one and a lot of us surf them but they tend to be on the short side as a design overall. I think that Wardog has it right with his mid-length (8'6"-9'6") wide tailed boards for sure. I only ride mine in hollowed small waves as I can't really get on the wave when it's mushy.

Surfcowboy,

Please explain more about using your short board when it is mushy (or not using it).  With soft waves, the predominant action I view is so many paddlers trying in vain to catch waves, and getting exhausted doing it.  It would help if they knew better how to position further inside and if they knew how to use their core instead of their arms when paddling to catch.  But still, even then, unless the break is highly predictable, folks complain.

Which short board?  How big are you?  Any general rules of thumb?

[Tom]

I'm in the Bahamas on.a bareboat trip with limited internet so I missed th thread. If anyone wants a tour of the cliffs just let me know. Eric, hope things work out for you. Bill, that was me at dog beach 10 years ago.

[PonoBill]

Ah, of course. Was that after you got the Ke Nalu paddle from me at the BOP, or was that a different year? Things kind of run together in my geezer head.

[surfcowboy]

I have a 7'5" Simmons shape that I use when it like waist high. I really can't get in early, which I like, but I sit inside and catch things when they are peaking up a bit. But for somewhere like sunset cliffs, (I was there scoping it out last night) you need a longer board so you can get in earlier and have a real ride. I like getting in before it's really breaking and having some fun and setting up for the fast section on mushy waves.

The shorter board is really fun when things have some push or when it's a small day but you still want that skateboard feeling. Super fun.

Linter, the North End of Sunset Cliffs is pretty close to Ocean Beach, you could easily put in and paddle down there.

If I can get ever get this longer board done we can paddle in from the marina or tow our boards over with the dinghy for some fake adventure. Lol. (Hard to call it an adventure when you can get a gourmet meal within 1/4 mile.

[linter]

hey, guys -- thanks for the thoughts and encouragement.  supcheat: i did that paddle to pleasure point with sam george once.  we started off together.  by the time i got to pp, i think he'd already caught a half dozen waves or so.  ha!  surfcowboy: thanks for the hint; i might be able to make that paddle.  i'm not sure i'm off the sup completely.  i haven't been able to stand the last four times out but during the time i did manage about 15 minutes of same old same old before i went all wobbly and feel.  and that was done in completely calm water, glassy conditions, no backwash.  so ... we'll see.  i haven't given up yet, although indications are it might be out of my hands.
    my disease came on well before the advent of sup, so i do have some experience with waveskis and, in fact, once nearly lost my life on one at dogpatch.  so ... i might go try that again, too. 
    thanks again, all.  hope to see you in the water soon, one way or another ....

[Zooport]

I'm amazed at how well that Sunova turns from the middle of the board.  Tom, you were a couple of feet from the tail and yet you were cranking that thing around quite well. 

[Tom]

Zooster, I think the 'can't turn from the middle' on the Speed is somewhat overstated. The speed doesn't turn from the middle as well as a board with a lot of curve in its outline, but it does turn when the tail and the rail is weighted. When the rear foot is on or behind the side bite, it becomes a different board altogether and turns very aggressively. Stand in the center and its fast down the line and able to roller-coaster on the wave, step on the tail and it bottom turns like a short board.

Creek, your Google Map measurement is a bit short to get to where the breaks are at Sunset Cliffs. I'd say its about 2 1/2 miles to the good surf. From there on South for another 2 or 3 miles are numerous breaks and the farther South you go, the less crowds.   

[SUPcheat]

8.10 Speeed turns from the center, just long turns.  You can kind of dial in the turn radius from lazy arc to a long board type rotate snap stepping back on the tail.

[Zooport]

  i'm going back to sd in a few days and boy o boy i wish i could figure out a way to navigate those stairs.  don't they have an access spot for the officially handicapped?  i got my placard the other day, which gives me primo parking everywhere, but what about access to the best spot i've seen all my winters in the area?  my supping days are at an end anyhow, so i'm going to be returning my sit-down ass to an infinity waveski.  not going to be any easier with the stairs, though.  shit.

Sorry to hear of your disabilities, Linter.  Glad to hear that you still have the wave ski option.  I used to have a couple of Infinity waveskis and had a blast on them.  Even 3ft waves are overhead when you are on one!