who here has been surfing this week?

Got in an afternoon session today the wind cooperated and so did the tide. It wasn't much to really talk about just some waist-high peelers and enough to keep the longboard moving. I picked up a board I Stu Sharpe it's a 9 foot 2 in longboard all epoxy super floaty. But I'm a hundred ninety-five pounds and not in as good a shape as I used to be. Got a couple of hours in had a spot I hadn't been to in probably a year. Just got out of the ocean and not another Surfer insight. There's something about being alone in the ocean that just makes you feel good. But now I've got food on my mind and I'm going to head north towards home thinking it's going to be Taco City. Hey PJ if you're still reading these posts chime in brother

 

Amen to that, brother. Not only just being the only guy in the water, but being the only human anywhere in sight! True solitude... makes one appreciate the world around them a hell of a lot more. Period.

 

+10.... Small waves Wendsday, didn't look worth it but from afar I could see a wave break at a spot and someone on it, took a look and it was dead low with waist hi peelers, one guy out. By the time I suited up and got out he was done and I had it to myself. I got some fun inside ones skimming above the rocks but once in a while a bigger chest high wave would come in and I ended up sitting a little deeper waiting for those, less in wave count but definitely a longer, more fun ride when caught. All by myself, no hurries, picked and chose my waves, laughed if I blew it and laughed when I tore it up.
Sounds like similar conditions to yours Antoine, just a little colder

 

Yesterday was a good day. Shooting with a new camera and lens for the first time. Got some good results. Four frames pulled out of a 25 shot barrel sequence.

 

Great shots! Is it just me or does the face of the guy shooting from the water look super red? Like frigid!

 

I had actually quickly edited that shot for social media where it would be looked at on a phone. That's also why the shot is square in shape rather than a rectangle. The lighting sucked when I was shooting yesterday so if I wanted them to look good I'd have to put some time into editing them. Fixing his face is just moving a slider in lightroom to dial back the saturation on the red channel.

Normally I would have edited the picture so the other guy wasn't in frame or would have painted him out. In this case the water photographer's video showed up on insta so I posted the pic of him getting the shot. His video is here:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLSGXxWHSxs/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

 

Oh man where to begin. Got caught in the storm last night in the ocean. I'm going to guess gusts of up to 40 miles an hour. What a weird storm that blew through. There was no sense in getting out I don't think I could have held onto my board I just kind of waiting it out in the ocean near the jetty just kind of blocking everything out. Went back out this morning found a nice little Groundswell in the water. Went to a spot not too many people know about it has a cool little rock formation for about 60 yards it's always been too murky to really see it I tried to snorkel it a few times so I can't really tell if it's blocks of concrete or anything else. Anyway it broke right over the top of that formation almost at the point break going left and right so depending on where you sat was the ride you got. Once again have you ocean all to myself I just don't think you can say enough about surfing during the week

 

Got a cool little COVID sesh this afternoon between meetings. I was only in the water about 30 minutes but I managed to snag 6 waves including a couple shaggy coverups. I was the only guy on on a longboard, and the only person catching waves for that half hour at least.

I spotted the best wave of the session as the main peak heading right for me, about chest high, and down the line another smaller peak perfect for lining up a back door type tube. I had to scrap to get in with the hard side/off shores blowing. Popped up blind going straight down, managed to keep the nose up for the bottom turn, and as soon as I could get back up the face the wave/lip/froth came right across the top of my head. I got down the line for one more turn and straightened out. I could have stayed out longer but that wave was so fun I just decided to call it and head back to the "office".

Back at my desk now. No indication that anyone noticed I ducked out for a bit. I'm going to log off 15 minutes early so I can work on the garden this evening. I have 4 different kinds of habanero, jalapenos, 3 different tomatoes, catnip, and some other seeds sprouting indoors already. It was 70 degrees here today so nature is telling me it's time to sow seeds outdoors for my lettuce and herb gardens. Going to be an awesome garden year since this time I know that I'll be at the house all day every day to tend to it.

 

Drove down to washout yesterday early, had to get on the rocks to see past the fog. Looked waist to chest, fast. Drove back to the house, grabbed the board, suit and where the fuk are my gloves, booties. I was pretty convinced it was thrown out, being in a trash bag on the porch. Found em an hour later in the laundry room, where i put it and thought i might forget where i stashed it (correct). Couldn't do too much work seeing the fog cleared up, semi-bumpy conditions. Took a real early lunch, not many ppl out at all. Couldn't get on the end of it on the first few waves. Not my best out there, but got some on the shorty fish. One left had me on the curl for about 50 yds, my best ride out there. Waves dissipated towards the evening, but outside temps were in the 60s. Looking for some more at the end of the week

 

Great solo sesh yesterday in 50 degree sunshine on the log. Now that days are getting longer it's nice to be able to get a full two hours in the water after work.

 

Got out as well yesterday, had to take advantage of the 50 degree weather (back to the cold today). Paddled out mid afternoon, still cloudy and I could count how many were out on one hand, by 4 30 it was sunny and busy from end to end, but fun, great vibe. Clean with short period, lots of waves to be had, deep, on the inside, ect..
Stir fried cut up steak tips with red and yellow bell peppers and put it on some wild rice after, did not feel like cooking at all but glad I took the time instead of popping in a frozen pizza.

 

Last night I shared a magic session with a co-worker at the local jetty. The sand was in place for long peeling rights in the thigh - waist range that were perfect for the mini simmons to connect through the soft parts. Just my buddy and I at a spot that would normally have 10 -15 guys on it but it didnt start working until the incoming tide perked things up around 5 p.m. I had a work call at 6:30 p.m and I figured I could just surf till it was too dark to see, and there was no need to even check the time. I got out of the water at 6:15 and BARELY made it! So stoked to see some real daylight!

 

I've been negligent in posting my sessions lately. It's been pretty fun here for like, forever. Even a bit too fun for me for a good week.

Today was a combo of short period NW and long period SW. When the swells combined just right there were some super fun peaky waves. Got a few good ones before getting tired and clowning my last couple of waves. Made my 9:00 call with 10 minutes to spare.

 

Couple of sequences from Sunday Morning.

 

Both are great, but that second sequence....wow

 

Glad I kept my finger on the shutter for that one. Prior to that my best sequence was one I got of Jamie Obrien in NJ and I gave up on him as the wave seemingly shut down. On frame 25 you can see his arm as he exits the barrel. I missed him standing tall and riding out of it. OOPS!

 

We contemplated going to LA rather than CR, then we saw the water temps and said f that. You guys had the wave machine churning for last couple weeks when we were contemplating

 

Took to it down the street. Waist hi mush, but long lines on em. Took a 7'2 fish aka Hog Molly and surprisingly close to hi tide it was working. Had a few rides down to shore that i was able to cut back a couple times. It was pretty empty out there in the water, and slight drift south. Was able to pump down the line. Felt pretty good for the lunch sess

 

i went out Friday afternoon. It was raining, cold af. Never bought a surf hoodie/cap, but could've used one. Surf robe? not so much. They were stomach to chest hi peelers at the Washout, and it was pretty busy considering the conditions. Caught a baker's dozed pretty quick on the 6'9 loehr board. They were easy to catch, but was it worth it? i dunno, it was frickin cold

 

Had a really good run of clean, chest high + swell for the last 5 days. I'm almost...ALMOST surfed out. I got the best stand-up barrel of my young stand-up surfing career yesterday. The take off on the set was was a pretty easy roll in at the Powerplant. Saw one swing in that looked like it was going to wedge up nicely for a sweet little left. It did and I made the easy drop and top turned back to the pocket. Usually, at this point, the left would either shutdown or close out, but this one opened up and started to get steeper and steeper. In my mind I'm thinking "Is this really happening? Is it really going to barrel?" Sure enough it was and I got into a crouch and felt and saw the wave throw over my head and shoulder before it took me out. I was going to make that my last wave, but I was so pumped I paddled back out for another 45 minutes or so.

Decided to take a rest day today. Swell dropped a notch but still looks fun. The next few days should be pretty fun.