First, a treat - Sam's video from Saturday's session at 58th St. in Newport.
Surfing 58th Aug 31 2013 from Samuel Abeger.
Not sure if Newport today would have matched Saturday, but, with Labor Day crowds in the offing, Mark Ghattas, Paul Tordella, Neil Frank and I decided to meet up in the Park, where there was likely to be less swell but far less crowding in the water. A decent call.
Checking the cams before setting out, both San Clemente and Newport were totally socked in - the San Clemente cam was simply gray and Newport not much better. There was no morning surfline report, due to the lack of visibility.
Trusting the swell models, we expected - and got - a moderately consistent 2-3 foot swell (waist to shoulder high). We swam out at the Main Peak in warm-ish (68), glassy water and dense fog.
Due to the fog, which at times seemed to try to clear but never did, the photos are from after the session - still fairly dense at 11:00.
The swell was small, but well-formed, with some long rides - particularly on the lefts. Whether it was the fog or the fact that other breaks were probably doing better in the swell, we basically had the Main Peak area to ourselves for a 90 minute session. For a while, around 9:30, it got quite good, teasing that it might turn into a pretty decent session as the tide continued to drop. But by 10:00, the energy seemed to drop off and by 10:30 a mild onshore breeze started up.
Despite the lack of sun, by 10:45, the narrow beach that comprises SCSP was filling in with holiday beach-goers, seeking respite from the hot, muggy weather just a few hundred yards inland...with more arriving by the minute.
We've had some memorable Labor Day sessions in the Park. This doesn't qualify, but compared to the total flat of preceding weeks, we'll take it!
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