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We just got back from a Costa Rica trip, waves were fun - not epic - but fun. Got skunked at Ollie's for the second time but Witch's Rock delivered a couple of runners. Needless to say, getting back and seeing the current surf forecast from Santa Cruz to Point Arena.....depressing. Hoping an early OB season kicks off in September.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ottime
No doom and gloom here.....*
Nothing overly long period ( it's summer after all), but more than enough for the reefs to work. And off or side off at many spots.
*antijinx pending. The forecast is still pretty uncertain. It's not indo where the swell would already be on it's way.
So the real forecasting begins sunday [emoji3]
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Had some decent surf for a few days in OCMD a week ago, having a bit of FOMO this morning missing the good part of Debbie hitting NJ and offshores. Watching a few cameras waves look good, but is elbow to elbow at pretty much every spot!! Probably for the best to skip the ~2hr drive for that.
And so it begins.....I'm I'm terrible shape but fun waves right off the ferry.
To bad we'll have to drive 8 hours tomorrow because our Black water cassette is broken....and replacements for 20 year old stuff are rare in ireland.
Forecast is pretty nuts.
pics from my rv Window [emoji3]
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they turn off the faucet to the Salida surf wave today
The last few days have been pumping non stop. Today was pretty perfect. Headhigh offshore 8 guys on the a frame....
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Rain, pumping waves, reefs and indoor playgrounds( sometimesoutdoor :) ).
Im getting into the groove. 2 weeks left.
2 sessions today and a "cutback" reward [emoji6]
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A h shit...reward:
Local brewery founded by surfers.
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Trip is over and it ended at the river mouth from last year. Not as death defying this time around. Haedhigh breking in chest deep water. Solid fun.
All around pumping surf but not much of a family holiday. 4days at the beach vs. 5 indoor playgrounds.
120 Euros for Lego Sets vs. 10 Euros for ice cream in the stormiest year on record.
And yeah the locals were so jaded this year that the last picture is shoulder/ head high and empty. I had two sessions that day and couldn't paddle anymore.
https://www.surfline.com/surf-news/o...-record/207986
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Wow!!!
That's a reeling right!
Subtle Plague that looks like it was a great trip! Other than fullsuits in August:D
I was able to sneak in a mid-morning session today, south of the HB pier. It was fun, peaky and shoulder high with the occasional head high set. Sometimes it was too peaky, just a drop and nothing to work with after a bottom turn and one cutback, but some of them lined up well. It was clean, and the high tide didn't kill it the way I thought it might.
Surfline seems to be predicting swells to drop a bit early, which has actually been nice. I've seen some days where it's been 4-5, but predicted to drop down to 2-3 the next day, and the next morning it's still 4-5 or 3-4. This is a nice surprise. That being said, there doesn't seem to be much on the horizon for a bit down here, which sucks considering September is usually so good here. There have been some pretty good days, but nothing spectacular. The fun shape will get some use over the next couple of weeks.
Nice looking trip SP
Been getting in about once a week here chasing small swell for the most part. We had a few solid days a few weeks back, but otherwise its been small souths and weak NW wind swell. The last two sessions have seen a bump in the NW winds well, offering some should/head high drops at my favorite autumn ledge. Just need that period to bump up a few seconds and it would be game on. Have a window today and gonna go for a ride instead.
The NPAC charts look pretty good for the coming week, so maybe we will get an autumnal burst up here in the next 10 days. That would be nice.
Wetsuits in August sounds about right to me.
I would imagine so:DQuote:
Originally Posted by Ottime
Wednesday mid-morning ended up being REALLY fun south of the HB pier. It was a touch smaller than Tuesday, but not quite as peaky, a bit more wall to work with. It was crowded, but the crowd was spread out between peaks, so not a big deal as long as you were willing to get a bit away from the pier. I was able to find a nice peak with lefts and some rights and only a couple of us on it around tower 5. The nice thing was that at the end of the left you could bounce off the foam at the end of the right just to the north, I love it when HB does that.
It was lined up enough that there wasn't the usual dead section after the drop, so not as much bogging or hopping to get to the inside.
There is still a bit of swell in the water, although it has gone down, but yesterday I was too busy and today the wind is on it. Surfline being slightly off about when swells are going to dissipate has made for some unexpected fun mornings.
I was gone for almost all of August, but it really hasn't been a great season from the southern hemi of the Pacific, at least not in Orange County. Some fun days, but I keep waiting for another swell when Cotton's is a couple of feet overhead and the water is 70 degrees. I'm not sure it that's happened this summer, and the next week looks bleak to say the least. This weekend might have enough juice to take out the fun shape, we'll see.
Saturday AM was around waist high( occasional stomach high sets) at River Jetties, so I ended up taking out the funshape.
Far from great, but it ended up being fun. Some nice little sand bars helped form zippy little peaks, which were great with some volume. The water was around 65 degrees.
It always amazes me just how board choice on smaller days can turn a bad session into a fun one. The only issue is trying not to pearl when gliding down the line and making a bottom turn on a thigh high wave, I'm really not used to surfing a 7'6". The area around River Jetties is very shallow, so it's also easy to turn an ankle on an inside peak.
Fall Opener yesterday. After months mostly tiny south swells, a few 2-3' @ 12-13s and a few 4-5' @ 10-11s a swell finally came in. Thursday morning showed 8.2'@17s and it was sheet glass. Not a perfectly lined up kind of swell but what a start to the season. Big sets pushing DOH and all juice at my autumn ledge. The 6'7" step up was the perfect call.
Forecast was a quick drop to 4.5'@12s for this morning so I left the step up in the car. Buoy was still 7.5'@14s. Size was about perfect for the shortboard, but wind yesterday and over night and the wind field just a few miles off shore this morning put a ton of wobble in it. Sort of found myself wishing I had the step up, until I got settled on my feet. Catching waves and drops were a challenge, late and with bump, but that 6'0" was so much fun to crank turns on.
This next week looks like plenty of wind swell with 6-8' @ 12-13s forecast. Game on.
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Looking up the coast all the reefs were pulling in sets.
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Shots from Friday. Thursday was bigger, cleaner and way more lined up.
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FKNA, it's started again. My old body had a hard time with day 2 around 45 minutes into the session. Gotta keep working it.
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Sounds like a killer trip. This last pic is so nice. Reminds me of what I walked up to Thursday morning but with 8 more people on it.Quote:
Originally Posted by subtle plague
Looks good!
It's been consistent and solid down here, but lots of sideshore W/SW winds, so not crisp or hollow. This is from January; we got 5 big swells over 6 weeks right in the middle of summer. Lots of scared visiting tourists and broken boards/bodies. This is as good as it gets here:
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Where are you? Is that west Oz? That wave looks insane.
Saturday morning swell came back up. Period was a bit shorter but there was for sure some long period aspects to it. My favorite spot was empty and I don't like to surf there alone. Years ago that wave broke my ankle as I hit the lip. There is a cliff. There are sharks. There are a lot of things that could go very wrong and it is way more comfortable with a friend. There is no cell service up there either.
I didn't really have time to change course, as I had a soccer game to coach in a few hours. So I went home to make some breakfast.
Wind held off and I was out in the lineup after the game. My spot was still too empty, but the popular nearby reef has just 5 guys out over an area about 80 meters long. So it was pretty quiet.
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My usual spot.
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Not a long wave but when it's working, it's compact and powerful.
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Around the corner there is another reef. No cliff to climb but access is a good hike across sand and reef
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And just a bit beyond that is another reef. There is even a cove in between. The cove is super finicky as is this wave. In fact, this wave is rarely ever ridden because it's mostly a heavy drop, a short heavy sometime barrel and then backs off quickly.
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Consider I was atop a 150 plus foot cliff taking these shots. Solid surf for sure
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Good work, ottime. Looks nice!
I'm on NZ North Island west coast.
There is alot more going on for you guys than for us socal folks right now!
I got in the water on Saturday, but really just to get wet. Stomach high at the HB pier, which has been standard lately.
This has been a pretty bad September here, in what is sometimes the best month of the year. There doesn't seem to be much on the horizon, but hopefully that will change.
And booties. No session without bootirs this year.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ottime
I had forgotten what "average" water temperature means. 14-15 degrees ( communist , obviously) ist a lot less than the New climate change normal of 16-17 i was getting used to.
I only wore my new 3/2 three times.
I was considering a third session, but I would have died. I was the last one out just picking up Set after Set until I got one on the head could not get out anymore. Because i was so tired [emoji3]Quote:
Originally Posted by Ottime
The rivermouth was soo fun too.
Basically a mundaka style left where I left scared after two mid size sets at 4-5 foot pumping indo like power @15 seconds last year.
My first time at that spot.
Massive current going out into the bay big Sets nearly closing out the channel while i was going out to sea at 10kmh+ about 5m from the rocks.
This and the massive paddle across the peak back to the line up had me freaking out before I ever got a wave.
This year was more my cup of tea at shoulder to head and less period. 6 guys out on a mundaka style river mouth. Me being the only tourist and no one else from outside the county it is in.
Ireland is still worth it.
Late summer was terrible this year. Good until early July and then, blah.Quote:
Originally Posted by Long duc dong
Just this past week has turned up a bit. I do love this time of years. When the swell is just not big enough to get down to you guys, it is the perfect size for surfing the exposed breaks outside of town. A lot of these reefs become a bit too thick and fast once the big swells start arriving. But we still have the creek and of course there is Mavs and OB. Tho, I usually find myself edging into town at the state park once that kind of size hits.
Waiting for the next swell to drive later today. 4@14 developing into a 6@12. Sun is out and the mornings are calm. Hoping tomorrow morning will be another round of fun sized surf. Only problem is there is a typical summer wind field just a bit north and offshore adding some junk to the mix.
Super fun today. Far from perfect, but so consistent and just pumping. Attachment 501275
Can we trade places right now:D
I might try to fit in an early afternoon session today if the wind holds off. It's not great, but stomach high and rideable is something.
There does seem to be something stirring, hopefully a week from now. Fingers are crossed.