Half and Half

I last surfed four weeks ago. 

It was ok, but far from great.  Then, the next two weekends, swell and conditions were poor. 

Last weekend, the biggest swell of Spring arrived with some stellar days, especially Monday.  Just check out Hugh's Smug Mug Album how the Park can look when it's really firing!  Unfortunately, I was looking at the Gulf of Mexico from Southwest Florida.

What a difference a few days can make.  The swell backed off through the week with meager projections for today.  But I'm gone again next weekend, no wind was forecast and a warm, sunny day was in the offing.  After a bit of debate, I persuaded Mark to join me and committed to the drive.

On arrival, it looked ok - waist, even chest, high peaks and a smooth surface.  A passel of sticks were out at the Peak, a good sign.  But look a little closer, at the shot below.  The peak above turns very fat on either side - after the middle breaks, the sides just slide to shore without breaking.  Fun, perhaps, for a longboard or standup, but not much for bodysurfing.

Undeterred, we suited up to swim out.  Casey, a local friend of Hugh, who has been out bodysurfing with increasing frequency, came up the stairs from the beach, insufficiently inspired to go out.  Understandable, when just a few day ago, he was enjoying, fast, perfectly-formed, "DOH" (double-overhead) waves right here. 

When I first swam out, hands aching in the 56 degree water but the rest of me warmed by my 4-3, I immediately caught a wave.  Kind of.  As soon as I dropped in, it turned fat (see above), and most of the ride was a lot of kicking on my part.  Oh, well, there will be others...right?

Yes, but not for 25 minutes!  25 minutes as swells came in, not quite big enough to break over the sand bar, but enticingly close.  It's frustrating to look at what should be a nice, three to three and a half foot face that humps up and then just flattens out without breaking.  25 minutes can be a long time in 56 degree water, even if it it sunny and windless. 

Then, even though the tide was still rising, the swell started catching the bars and we had waves - small, but decent, some quite fun - for an hour.  Lefts and rights, even a tube or two.  Hugh came by on his SUP (stand up paddle) and started catching them with us.  Another of the local bodysurfers, also on SUP, paddled up and caught a few.  Yes, their surf mode of choice still was far more appropriate than ours, but we all were having some fun.

After an hour, I told Mark I was going in after one more wave.  I waited for the wave, and waited, and waited.  And waited.  Really.  After an hour where we were getting waves every 2 - 3 minutes.  But the code says you finish with a wave.  So I moved in.  Further in.  And yet further in.  Nothing. 

During our hour of waves, the pod of sticks gradually dissipated, leaving the Peak to just the four of us, while a gaggle of Easter visitors to the campgrounds above LG 1 floundered on their boards to the South of us.  During our lull, incomprehensibly, six or seven new sticks paddled out to wait it out with us. 

After 25 minutes, I was at the shore.  25 minutes without a wave. Again.  The morning was a tale of two halves.  The first and last 25 minutes each with literally, absolutely, nothing to ride.  No stars on a scale of four.  The middle hour, fun and playful surf...a weak 3 stars. 

But, again, it was a morning in the water, on a beautiful Spring day.  Beats about anything else.

Chillin' at the Park

Even though it had been three weeks since there had been anything to surf on a weekend, and shoulder-high peaks were presenting on a glossy surface, the Park was oddly uninviting as I checked it out from the rail.

The sky was grey, the air cool and the water looked even colder.  The sticks were nabbing rides but nothing impressive.  Usually, I'd be just itching to get in, but I was slow, suiting up as I awaited Mark's arrival.  Maybe that run of sparkling winter mornings with head high surf and little competition for waves in the water has jaded me?  I remember years past when something like this would have me jumping.

Even with the 4-3, the water was cold getting in.  Not as cold as some prior years, but at least the equal of the coldest of the 2011-12 season.  55-56 degrees.  It was a thankfully easy swim out and a nice set promptly arrived.  A soft right shoulder evolved gradually into a steeper face and, eventually, a nice open tube.  Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.... There were others over the next hour-plus, making the morning well worthwhile. 

Pickings were a bit slim, and there were more sticks out than would have been expected for the conditions, but the vibe in the water was mellow; good chatter & respect.  However,there were some long lulls during which the chill of the water, unbroken by a warming sun, would seep in.  Though the swell was forecast to be increasing and the tide was coming in, after the first half-hour, the sets were missing the sandbars and we moved inside to the inner shorebreak.  Smaller, it was actually playfully fun surf and, thankfully, more frequent.  Nonetheless, after a short, 90 minute session, it seemed enough.

We exited, grateful for something to surf but thinking of some earlier sessions of this exceptional season.  Now I write, mid-week, looking at forecasts for blown-out conditions next weekend, wishing I'd appreciated the opportunity more, whilst it was here.

President's Day Dispatch

Between an 8:00 high tide, uncertain winds and conflicting swell forecasts, it was difficult to know what to expect for President's Day.  No call went out, but Ghattas and I agreed to meet at 9:00.  

However, even as I was crossing the tracks from the lot, there was definite promise.  A breeze from the SE was combing a shoulder-high set.

Textured outside, the surface was glassy, glossy in the hazy sunlight, inside.  A couple of sticks shared the Main Peak with Casey, who is floating on the right below.

The tide was keeping it a bit fat, but there was a bit of size and the sandbar at the Peak was creating corners to ride.

Check the picture below - best in high-rez by clicking on it.  The bowling effect of the sand bar at the main peak is clear, as the ridge of the swell snakes out in the middle, then back in further south, with another bar jutting out just beyond.  Part of what makes SCSP so consistent.

Mark had arrived and we quickly suited and entered, north of the Peak, with the intent of drifting south as we caught the rights coming in off the NW swell.  It was surprisingly chilly at first, sharpened by the chill wind.  But sets were coming in pretty regularly, chest to head high, and for a while there was little competition in the water.  

Gradually, though, the sticks filled in .  This day, there was a fairly narrow take off zone, so for those of us who are less mobile, sans floatation devices, the pickings were growing slim.  So, after an hour or so, we moved south of the rocks and Mark worked the area in front of LG stand 1, while I roamed between the rocks and Mark.  Perhaps a tad less ideal shape than back at the Peak, that was compensated by the opportunity to pick & chose any wave.

The sun never really broke through the thin cloud cover, and the breeze gradually shifted to the south, but conditions, and swell, held up pretty well through 1-3/4 hours of another more than decent day at the Park.  Afterwards, surf scouts still lingered atop the bluffs above the parking lot as more & more fiberglass joined the growing crowd in the water.

Superbowl Sunday Summery Session

A chilly 40 degrees as Sunday dawned in Pasadena, there wasn't a cloud to be seen, following a series of summer-like days in the dead of winter.  Often, I'll commence the 72-mile drive in very different conditions than I find in San Clemente, but today I was hoping for sun and a rapidly warming day.  I was not disappointed as I navigated the access to SCSP Califia parking:

Not a single surfer was out - stick, sponge or body - which made the first few waves I saw a surprise. Shoulder-high, glassy peaks were combed by an offshore breeze, with a fun-looking bowl at Main Peak.  None of the crew had arrived, but within a minute or two, Brent "Crawdaddy" Crawford appeared, to validate my conclusion that we should waste no time getting out to enjoy fun-looking wave in solitude. 

Before we were suited, Hugh Berenger had appeared with a ken to actually swim out & bodysurf with us, rather than lugging the camera.  Shortly, we were in the chilling water, still in the mid-50's.  While the peak shown above would show occasionally, and there was a left here and there, mostly it was sweeping rights from the Northwest, like these two:

A little closed out, an occasional set, aspiring to head-high, would pop up, but chest to shoulder high crests regularly arrived over the next two hours.  Over time, a smattering of sticks came out, succeeded by a handful of sponges, but the Park was basically left to the five of us - Mark "Sailfish" Ghattas joined Hugh, Brent, a local, Casey, and me, about a half hour into the session. 

By the time we exited, a full, summery day had blossomed in Southern Orange County.

Sets were still lining up, cleanly.

And the fast right in front of the steps still peeling.

Brent, Mark and Hugh joined me at the steps, for post-session documentation, before dispersing.

A little better than last week, an altogether decent way to prepare for the Superbowl.  Wonder what it's like in Indianapolis?

Published in Water Sport Magazine

Check it - two of my photos from 2007 World Bodysurfing Championships - one of Krista Johnson and the other, I think, of Pat Castinelli, the women's & men's champions - published in Spain's Water Sport Magazine!  Click this link: WSM or open below & go to page 60:

Open publication - Free publishing - More kite

Fit for a King...

...of the Smallies!

Ok, let me explain: for many years, the most regular of regulars at San Clemente State Park ("the Park") was Eric Yeisley.  "EY_\", as he is known, would work the inside, getting three times the number of waves that I, for one, would, waiting outside for the sets.  More to the point, EY_\ could milk the most out of any wave, including those inside "smallies," turning spinner after spinner, grinning ashore while styling across the face, and loving every minute.  This earned EY_\ the sobriquet, "King of the Smallies."  

A couple of years ago, EY_\ moved to Colorado.  He stays in touch, occasionally making it out to the coast for a session.  Today was for him.  Not too much text, but I'll let the pictures tell the story of a fantastic winter day at the Park, but with only smallies for surf:

 

Above is a "set" wave from this morning.  Mostly waist to chest high...not too much more.  Fortunately, there were enough to keep the morning fun.

 

A local was in front of the steps, taking advantage of the brilliant early morning sunshine to shoot the sand textures in the tube.

 

Size notwithstanding, Neal, the "Real Deal," Frank arrived with a big smile.  The dean of our extended pod, let's just say he's well established as a septuagenarian.  I hope I've got that smile, and half his water time, in another 20 years!

 

On a brilliantly sunny morning, with Catalina a backdrop for the seals on the offshore rocks, you wouldn't suspect that the water was the coldest thus far this winter.

 

But while the sun sparkled over vistas north to Dana Point and south to Cottons Point,

 

the water was cooled to the lower-mid 50's by a sustained offshore wind flow, leaving "ice cream headaches" and aching hands, and a renewed appreciation for my new 4/3 wetsuit! 

 

There were lulls, but the swell lasted through the morning - these are taken after I exited, following a full two hours in the water.

 

Still a little offshore, and still the brilliant sun.

 

But the Park was offering up those peaky lefts and rights, as it so often does.

As EY_\ is fond of saying,  the Park....DELIVERS!

First Swell 2012 - Highlighted by some Hugh B photos!

All week, a big swell was projected for Friday, lingering into Saturday.  Anticipation was high for a good session to start off the year.  Since New Year's Eve, Southern California has been blessed with summer-like weather - blue skies and highs in the upper 70's.  

But Saturday morning dawned chilly (39 degrees) and gray in Pasadena.

Arriving in San Clemente, it was still gray and a steady offshore breeze combed the peaks, but brought a penetrating chill.  Chunky sets, 7 - 9 foot faces, were rolling in from the west as a handful of sticks and two bodysurfers struggled to maintain position at the main peak against a sweeping current running South.  It actually felt good to don the warmth of the new 4-3 wetsuit.

 

By the time we swam out - initially, only Sailfish (Mark Ghattas) and myself, the two bodysurfers were gone - turns out that Eric Ackerman and Dave MacPherson did dawn patrol while we were waiting until after the early high tide had started to drop, and only a few sticks were spread out to the south.  We started North of the Main Peak, at the "corner" visible in shot above.  For the first half-hour, I didn't get much and was beginning to worry.  Then, a repeat of the wave above - good 8 foot face - but with a softer corner, popped up.  A fast drop in was followed by nice, long slide on a fat face eventually walling up for full-tube end.  Even with no more waves, the day was made!

 

But there was plenty more.  After about an hour, the O'Gormans showed up, and Hugh set up shooting on the shore.  Shawn, Cheyne and Ian O'Gorman joined us in the water, while Heather and her daughters in law watched their husbands from ashore.  The cloud cover thinned and the sun sporadically peaked through as the wind slackened and the surface glassed over.

Sailfish appears above, while Shawn shows some real speed, below.  These shots - best viewed full size if you click on them - are courtesy Hugh Berenger.

 

Cheyne is caught styling, below:

 

This was one of my last waves.  A moderate, right wall, that I drove to the end, mindful of the photographer ashore.  I paid the price, though, as I scraped my forehead on a shallow bar underneath and came up a bit bloody.  Ah, well ... price to pay later with Heather, though!!!!

 

Hugh caught a quick-post session debrief amidst abundant white water...

 

A very satisfying start to 2012!