With a good sized, long interval swell, and mild winds, really expected something fun to emerge as the major high (7 ft at 8:45) backed off, but it just didn't happen.
It was clean but still swamped when I arrived at the Park at 9:15. As I walked up and joined Hugh and Neil, a big set with clear lines rolled in, and expectation soared. An hour later, it was still swamped, but Mark and I jumped in, swimming out through a lot of remaining flotsam in the water.
I worked the main peak, mainly, and found a few long lefts rolling off the rocks, but it remained inconsistent, weak and crumbly through our two-hour session. Even with head high, and even plus, sets, no real power or speed. We tried everywhere from straight in front of the steps to South of LG1, but nowhere was really working. A rare day of disappointment in the Park.
Hugh, Neil and EY watched from the rail for about an hour but never saw enough to entice them into the water. Guess Adele's had more appeal.
Video of what it looked like before we got in at YouTube - click here or the title above.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Best Surf Day Since Summer
Today was my best day in the Park since the big,late July Swell.
Early on, sets were consistently a couple of feet overhead and mild offshore wind held for the first hour & a half. Though the water was still chocolate brown from storm run-off, it's much improved from Friday and yesterday, and that was the sole complaint.
Arriving shortly after 7:30, overhead peaks were coming in everywhere from straight out Calafia to beyond LG1, all sporting spray combed by the offshore. A group of sticks were clumped at the main peak, a few were straight out but only one or two were South of the rock, so Neil & I concluded to head down to LG1, where it was consistent but fairly empty.
I got right in and, after a foot-freezing walk down the beach, spent the first half hour alone, just south of the rocks, with a couple of sticks. My first ride alone, a big right with a fast drop, steep face and gaping tube before close out, made the day worth it.
Great vibe in the water with plenty of waves for all as the bodysurfers gradually mixed in with the sticks. Neil was in about 1/2 hour after I swam out, and eventually Mark & EY showed up after testing the action at the main peak.
Great, fast rights, an occasional looong left, and more juice that we usually find at the Park.
Caught "Sailfish" Mark tucked into a few tight tubes while I went through a sequence of rights characterized by a fast drop, pull up onto the face only to find the bottom fall out, leading to an instant version of my brand of spinner: up and over!
From outside, I saw Neil catch a few good ones, following his progress by his trail in the murky back of the wave. I didn't see them, but knew that EY was getting his share, South of me, by the hooting from that usually sedate fishtah.
The first half hour was best, as both swell and offshore held. The swell started to slack a bit, and about 90 minutes in, we had a beautiful half-hour of glass before a bit of onshore started to put a little texture on the water.
But my day was MADE by the final wave. Lined up perfectly on right peak with an 8 foot face. Got the drop in and was able to climb back in and hold the face, for once. As I was screaming across the face, about 20 yards down, a surfer started to line it up and paddle. I whooped to call him off and shot past into a deep, close out barrel, ending a memorable, 8-second ride.
Frosting on the cake was the disk Hugh gave me from two weeks ago. About half as big, and green rather than brown, but some great shots from another beautiful day:
YouTube video of the muddy waters - click here or title above.
Early on, sets were consistently a couple of feet overhead and mild offshore wind held for the first hour & a half. Though the water was still chocolate brown from storm run-off, it's much improved from Friday and yesterday, and that was the sole complaint.
Arriving shortly after 7:30, overhead peaks were coming in everywhere from straight out Calafia to beyond LG1, all sporting spray combed by the offshore. A group of sticks were clumped at the main peak, a few were straight out but only one or two were South of the rock, so Neil & I concluded to head down to LG1, where it was consistent but fairly empty.
I got right in and, after a foot-freezing walk down the beach, spent the first half hour alone, just south of the rocks, with a couple of sticks. My first ride alone, a big right with a fast drop, steep face and gaping tube before close out, made the day worth it.
Great vibe in the water with plenty of waves for all as the bodysurfers gradually mixed in with the sticks. Neil was in about 1/2 hour after I swam out, and eventually Mark & EY showed up after testing the action at the main peak.
Great, fast rights, an occasional looong left, and more juice that we usually find at the Park.
Caught "Sailfish" Mark tucked into a few tight tubes while I went through a sequence of rights characterized by a fast drop, pull up onto the face only to find the bottom fall out, leading to an instant version of my brand of spinner: up and over!
From outside, I saw Neil catch a few good ones, following his progress by his trail in the murky back of the wave. I didn't see them, but knew that EY was getting his share, South of me, by the hooting from that usually sedate fishtah.
The first half hour was best, as both swell and offshore held. The swell started to slack a bit, and about 90 minutes in, we had a beautiful half-hour of glass before a bit of onshore started to put a little texture on the water.
But my day was MADE by the final wave. Lined up perfectly on right peak with an 8 foot face. Got the drop in and was able to climb back in and hold the face, for once. As I was screaming across the face, about 20 yards down, a surfer started to line it up and paddle. I whooped to call him off and shot past into a deep, close out barrel, ending a memorable, 8-second ride.
Frosting on the cake was the disk Hugh gave me from two weeks ago. About half as big, and green rather than brown, but some great shots from another beautiful day:
YouTube video of the muddy waters - click here or title above.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Crawdaddy's Video
Brent Crawford's video from 9 Jan:
(Click here or the title for video)
Also, a few stills from Hugh on Picasa
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Missed Opportunities and Expectations
A nice swell was coming through, on a beautiful, sunny & warm, winter weekend. But there were huge (6 - 7 foot) morning high tides and I was unable to clear the decks for an afternoon session. Great reports coming out of Newport jetties and the Park from Friday and Saturday have left me salivating over early forecasts for next weekend:
WNW swell at overhead heights
Daytime moderate low tides
Sunny & warm with mild winds
If the forecasts hold, I feel an expression session in the Park looming!
WNW swell at overhead heights
Daytime moderate low tides
Sunny & warm with mild winds
If the forecasts hold, I feel an expression session in the Park looming!
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