who here has been surfing this week?

sweet take on veggies bouyz with your magic seaweed cumquat wraps . yeeesh. Rising tide put on some size today. Paddled in a lil over an hour ago cuz i figured noon hi tide would kill my spinach-less arms. Took out the 6'4 alchemist and grabbed a few. Very sideshore, would get up to chest, maybe shoulder and current is still strong north to south here on Folly. Walked up Washout twice, would go down 6 blocks in 20 min flat. Best wave of the sess was a collapsing wave to the left. Saw the guy a lil to the left go for it, by the time i peeled around the whitewash scrunched down the guy made a turn and saw me coming. Nicely he stopped right there and let me get to hit the lip, back down the line then a cutback to ride a lil further down to shore. Got pretty cold down here fellas

 

More from Ted today.

 

Got some really long long long waves (100-150 yards) in the chest hi zone up at Hobe Sound just north of the Bahama shadow last week as Paula skirted way offshore and kicked us back some goodness. Took the 9′ single fin log, which was a good call since the wave had some wobble and the log just gained momentum and cut right thru it. Only about 10 people in 200 yards of lineup. Waves for everyone. Most folks traveled another 15 miles north for head high closeouts. I opted for cruising the wave like a magic carpet ride.

Then Sunday morning the golden window was here. A huge fetch set up from the NE pointed down here, and the wind field was due to hit Sunday afternoon, the swell beginning to hit overnight Saturday and fill in during the incoming tide Sunday am. The predictions were spot on, and the swell was well OH with 10-12 plus footers on the way way outside shoals at Jupiter Inlet. No wind. I paddled out at the Civic Center on my 6’9″ Kechle step up, and it took me a long time to get outside, and I drifted into Corners, and I got one really good solid 8 foot plus backside left and then took off on another one and didn’t make it, just got pushed in to the impact zone. And got pounded. It was a solid rising ground swell, and very powerful, and I said fuck it, I’m not feeling comfy, so I dodged it towards what was left of the beach, and the incoming shore pound sucked me up and I got sand/water tornadoed on the way in.

Spent yesterday nursing a tweaked shoulder (couldn't lift right arm over shoulder high) contemplating regulating myself to more old fart conditions. HH (maybe slightly plus) and long lulls max, no more way OH swell with jet skiis towing dudes in. It’s VAS now anyway. Street flooding at high tides. I'm gonna go for a float in the pool. Life is goode. LOL

 

visited a buddy in IOP yesterday evening, brought a couple of the bigger boarts. One was a recently acquired 7'4 "Third St" shaper out of Folly. Never heard of the guy, nor seen him before, but he gave it to a buddy who gave it to me. Kinda like a bullet w a rounded diamond tail, epoxy, so bouyant but i'd imagine fast. I say imagine cuz it was hard to tell on the thi hi waves at lo tide. The goal was to get out there and the guy just moved back a few weeks ago - he's in the cinema industry so the guy doesn't stick around for too long. Last chance of waves today, so i'm at the office plugging away and ready to abandon hi noon to make the last run at it. Whatever worx

 

Great stories and photos, guys.

After a week of solid waves and crap wind, the conditions finally turned around at my local. Got off work yesterday and headed straight down to the beach. Took the left turn to the north of the island where it can hold longer period swell.

I park and peek over the dunes to see big waves crumbling on the outside and speeding up for an inside barrel section. Most folks were on shortboards rolling in on the white water or catching shoulders, so naturally I pull out the 9'6 and paddle out.

I paddle past the lineup and see a set looming on the horizon so I keep paddling. I'm maybe 100ft past the furthest person, and I havn't sat on my board for 30 seconds when the first set comes right towards me. I turn around and see all little boards scratching to get out of the way of the cleanup set. It's super clean so I slide to the nose of my board and dig in to catch the nugget.

I'm right on the peak, spray blowing in my eyes as I punch through and pop up. Big fading turn to the left as the wave starts to break and I find the pocket. It's been so long since I had this much wave in front of me I hardly know what to do. Instinct kicks in as I glide up to the lip and cut back to the pocket 2 or 3 times before the waves really starts to speed up. I sit back on my tail and let the pocket catch up to me, I can hear the barrel right behind me and see some feathering lip above my head. I'm not super deep but I get that moment of zen where you're in the prefect spot on a great wave.

Up ahead the wave is starting to square up for the close out so I do one last bottom turn and smash my board into the lip for a big kamikaze floater. The rest of the session was more of the same.

We head in at dark and stop by (IMHO) the best Chinese takeout spot in town on the way home. Shrimp egg rolls, Szechuan beef, and Mai Fun Noodles were awesome but this place's Wonton Soup is next level. It's got clear, super flavorful broth, with tender wontons that taste like fresh ginger and some other bright herbs that I can't put my finger on. Wash it all down with a big glass of water (trying to drink less beer LOL).

Fingers crossed for a small but similar session tonight.

 

And my arms are officially toast. Longboard Heaven out there. Washout was packed. Lotta beauts tho and just a warm, wave friendly kinda day. Coulda been bigger, yea, but stomach to rare chest wasn't all that bad. Shorties had luck too but mostly LBs. Got next couple days off, just gonna enjoy this weather before its sweaters

 

New SW swell showed up overnight. Nothing spectacular, waist to chest on the better sets. What was unexpected was the wind going offshore this morning. Cleaned everything up really nicely. Got a late start this morning (my wife usually runs on MWF, but she bailed today), so I didn't get in the water until around 7. Just me and a couple hundred of my closest friends. Managed to snag a few good ones before I had to get out for work.

Trying to shed a couple unwanted pounds (like 25), so had a light breakfast on cottage cheese with some granola with my third cup of coffee before sitting down to try to create an EKS cluster in a completely private VPC.

 

Last night was bigger than I thought it would be, but the wind had too much south in it and was creating a frustrating side chop. Still caught a ton of fun waves though.

I was supposed to meet two friends out there, had the session lined up early in the day as they get off work a couple hours earlier than I do. These dudes are strict shortboarders. Even in the smallest, weakest surf their out there trying to look like Kelly.

So I drift down maybe 100yds, still no sign of them. I'm catching wave after wave up and down the beach and having a good time.

Get out when it's dark and shoot one of them a text. He said they got out before I even got there because it "SSSUUUCKKKEDD". I sent him a link to a Craigslist ad for a longboard.

 

Dead calm this morning for glassy, waist high waves, pushing to chest on the rare occasion. Took a little more foam today and I'm glad I did. The bigger sets were super long period, so kinda walled up. Drop, turn, close out. Pulled into a few and even found a pig-dog barrel that was super fun. Good day.

Trader Joe's Honey O's for breakfast and jumping on a call with AWS.

 

Onboarding a new client and kids tennis practice pickup and dropoff kept me out of the water Tues/Wed. I could've cleared 2 hrs and jumped in for an hour or so but...maybe its just me, but I can't really leave good surf. I like to paddle out and stay out until I'm shot (or swell dies out/wind shifts/tide fills in/lightning). The fact that sunrise is now 6:15 also slows my roll, because I'm a big dawn patrol guy. My energy level is super elevated when I wake up -- I've never used an alarm clock in my life - and by 3pm I'm done. So I cleared my morning yesterday, and surfed clean waist to occ. chest from 6-10am. Lots of epic wave recapping in the lineup and stoke-by-association from friends, so that also kept me entertained

I was in the office by 11, and at noon I had a lunch special from the pizza place next to my office, which, somewhat surprisingly, does a really really good angus cheeseburger and seasoned fries lunch special, $8.99.

 

Day 1: Fun wedging chest - head forerunners up in Maine. Tons of rides, great day to loosen up and remember that, yes, surf exists.

Day 2: Return to same spot, but now OH solid waves with occasional pits of eternal death. Reacquaint myself with waves of consequence, and exceed expectations. Surf until I can no longer push myself up on a wave of extra consequences, and eat sand, seaweed, and bits of clam shells, then float in.

Day 3: Join the hordes back in NH in sold waves with limited arm function. Get c0cccck blocked on several drops, and laugh at the pandemic mayhem that is surfing these days, but not caring because, well, yesterday.

Day 4: Sleep in, spend 2 hours outside in the chaise lounge reading the paper, eat pizza, then go golfing, which, actually hurt.

 

Asbury Park sunrise

 

Took advantage of the flatness yesterday morning and took the gun for a swim. My kid and I both missed a fish each. Guess it was just, "one of those days." Saw lots of baby stripers, small seabass and short tog. Nice way to spend the morning, though...

 

It was pretty fun today.

 

Under-forecasted surf Saturday and Sunday made for an awesome weekend. Got some of the best waves of the year with only one other person out on Saturday. Sunday the waves were a touch smaller but still super fun. Spent both afternoons working on the boat restoration and drinking beer.

Been "at work" for an hour now. About to open some spreadsheets and do some actual work, but I'm still holding onto this weekend by a thread.

 

Super fun weekend. Saturday was a gem. Chest+ and not a breath of wind. Nice punchy NW swell, mid period so it wasn't walling up. Peaks all over the place. Was really crowded, but there were plenty of waves to go around. I took out my 6'4" thruster and got a ton of waves during a 3+ hour session. One stand out wave comes to mind, drop in at the peak on a nice left. It barrels up right from the drop so I grab the rail and pig dog the short barrel section and come out as it lines up nice. I stand up and turn back down to the bottom just to see it lining up hollow again. Grab the rail and and and shoot that little section too.

Sunday was a notch or 3 smaller, but still super clean and fun. Not nearly has many people out so I had to catch all that waves. I got more than my share. Best one was a set wave, another fine left, pig-dog the barrel. I'm blind in the barrel and as I come out of the froth (not a clean exist on this one), I'm right in the middle of a pack of three starter kit surfers that decided to drop in on my while I was in the barrel. Paddle a little further up the peak after that one. It could have ended poorly.

Saturday was my step daughter's 7th birthday. She wanted burgers on the grill and I was more than willing to oblige that request. Topped mind off with a big slab of white onion and avocado on an onion role. She didn't want a cake, she wanted Rice Crispy treats, so I made a big pan of them and melted some semi-sweet baker's chocolate and topped them with that silky smooth chocolate layer.

Great weekend all around. Now, to prepare for another run of SW swell that should keep us in nice waves for the rest of the week.

 

That sounds so awesome. I missed my yearly trip to CA this year and I am jonesing to get back to the land of good waves and better burritos.

Big slab of onion on a burger is just *chef's kiss*. That, and some yeller mustard.

 

Got out yesterday, report said wind swell with onshore/sideshore winds. The fog cancelled any wind so it was glassy and only a few out, awesome. Nothing epic but got wave after wave for hours, close to four to be exact. Totally spent myself, shoulders were hating me. The last couple of waves, it almost hurt to pop up but it was so clean and easy it was hard not to keep going, long ass right and a long paddle back, lol, life is good. Couldn't do any work after that, decided on a lazy day, so I didn't even dare check today so I can get work done.
Slow cooked a big red pepper, some green cubenelas, a big tomato, garlic, in butter. Made some linguini and threw it in the pan with the veggies when I was done, stirred the whole lot. Add some salt, pepper, and fresh parm and had a good after surf meal yesterday and plenty of leftovers for my side tonight to have with pork chops in the oven now. Ready to partake in some shrubbery and watch the debates, should be fun.