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!
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Winter Sunday Parking
An exceptional way to close out the year at the Park:
34 degrees as I left Pasadena, passing the empty stands erected for the Rose Parade and staring into the Southern winter sunrise as I toured South on 5.
Bret had driven up from Cardiff and was watching from the rail as I arrived. The swell was just starting to fill in. Very clean lines, well separated in long interval. Glassy surface with an offshore breeze combing the tops of the set waves. Sand bars fighting to create peaks in the straight lines coming in...sometimes working, sometimes close outs. Very hollow, sparkling under the early morning sun in clear skies.
A beautiful day. Hugh and Neil had pulled in by the time we went to suit up, and Mark eventually joined us.
From the North of Main Peak all the way to the steps, a stretch of surf to share amongst only six bodysurfers.
In the water, great aloha amongst the SCSP die-hards along with a welcome cameo appearance by Bret da
Threat, in cowl and all.
I lost count: smooth drop in over glossy surface that quickly steepened into a vertical wall onto which to cling as a clear curtain pitches overhead, morphing first into a wide tunnel centered on a Southeast morning winter
sun, then into an illuminated blue-green glow as the closed tube held wide open for elongated seconds.
Interlaced were a few well-placed corners offering long slides into the inside.
A sparkling morning!
A video of the morning and pre-session at YouTube - click here or the title above.
34 degrees as I left Pasadena, passing the empty stands erected for the Rose Parade and staring into the Southern winter sunrise as I toured South on 5.
Bret had driven up from Cardiff and was watching from the rail as I arrived. The swell was just starting to fill in. Very clean lines, well separated in long interval. Glassy surface with an offshore breeze combing the tops of the set waves. Sand bars fighting to create peaks in the straight lines coming in...sometimes working, sometimes close outs. Very hollow, sparkling under the early morning sun in clear skies.
A beautiful day. Hugh and Neil had pulled in by the time we went to suit up, and Mark eventually joined us.
From the North of Main Peak all the way to the steps, a stretch of surf to share amongst only six bodysurfers.
In the water, great aloha amongst the SCSP die-hards along with a welcome cameo appearance by Bret da
Threat, in cowl and all.
I lost count: smooth drop in over glossy surface that quickly steepened into a vertical wall onto which to cling as a clear curtain pitches overhead, morphing first into a wide tunnel centered on a Southeast morning winter
sun, then into an illuminated blue-green glow as the closed tube held wide open for elongated seconds.
Interlaced were a few well-placed corners offering long slides into the inside.
A sparkling morning!
A video of the morning and pre-session at YouTube - click here or the title above.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Breaking in Venice
Rode today more just 'cuz it had been three weeks and mostly to get in the water with Joe & Allan. I've not been in the water with Allan in ages, and Joe's just back from 5 months in Ghana. Joe had some great sessions in South Bay Thursday and Rincon Friday, but the swell fell way off for the weekend.
After a family brunch on the coast, I met up with Joe & Allan North of the Venice pier at one of Allan's regular spots. I'd not been in there, before. I can see the promise with a bit more size as there are some sandbars creating peaks and a little jetty that would throw off rights. They call the right off the jetty Romo's...but that's another story.
It was small - waist to chest - but very clean and glassy for most of the session. I've not been out in the afternoon since summer, but the conditions were great. Though many were closed out, there were some fun rides to be had on set waves, a few good tubes and a couple of longer rides. Chilly water, filtered wintry sunlight on a glossy surface. A handful of surfers spread out from the pier up to the jetty, four blocks North.
The real joy was being in the water with Joe & Allan.
After a family brunch on the coast, I met up with Joe & Allan North of the Venice pier at one of Allan's regular spots. I'd not been in there, before. I can see the promise with a bit more size as there are some sandbars creating peaks and a little jetty that would throw off rights. They call the right off the jetty Romo's...but that's another story.
It was small - waist to chest - but very clean and glassy for most of the session. I've not been out in the afternoon since summer, but the conditions were great. Though many were closed out, there were some fun rides to be had on set waves, a few good tubes and a couple of longer rides. Chilly water, filtered wintry sunlight on a glossy surface. A handful of surfers spread out from the pier up to the jetty, four blocks North.
The real joy was being in the water with Joe & Allan.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Duldrom Musings
Recently, Hugh referred to San Clemente State Park as "our" place. Got me thinking.
Five years ago, I'd never ridden SCSP. I found it through the Bodysurfers email list. Now, I really do feel that it's "mine." I love mixing in other places, and I'm still possessive of the Newport peninsula between 10th & 15th in summertime, but I've developed an attachment to SCSP that exceeds anywhere else.
Five years ago, I'd never ridden SCSP. I found it through the Bodysurfers email list. Now, I really do feel that it's "mine." I love mixing in other places, and I'm still possessive of the Newport peninsula between 10th & 15th in summertime, but I've developed an attachment to SCSP that exceeds anywhere else.
In five years, I've ridden the Park in every season; in ankle-slapping smallies and heavy slabs raging well overhead; in waters ranging from frigid to balmy; in every tide and every swell direction; in an enduring red tide pocked with jellyfish and in crystaline azure punctuated by dolphins; alone and in crowds; when there was only a skinny strip of eroded sand and when there was an expansive, sandy beach; in chopped up slop and glossy, slick glass; in sun, cloud and rain; with winds offshore, onshore and still; lefts, rights, peaks, peelers, closeouts, coming in hollow & tubular and weak & crumbly; with Golden /_\ ohana, good vibe sticks, a**hole drop-ins, aggro kneeboarders, clueless parkster longboarders, with both my sons, and many friends; at dawn, at dusk and every hour in between.
I may live 73 miles away, but it's mine. And I appreciate SoSideSC calling it "ours" more than you can know.
Looking forward to the next session at our spot.
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