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^Everyone gets worked every once in a while. You can only get comfortable in more powerful waves by surfing more powerful waves, so you're doing it right and learning from it. Your comfort zone will be significantly elevated after this winter
I now have a belly full of bacon. I'm ready to paddle out at some glassy empty overhead A-frame and taste my bacon burps as I surf down the line
^^^^Did ya quit your job or something?
jtran, another thing to consider when the wave get bigger is finding the right spot. It is pretty easy up here, as for most winter swells, you can just keep heading east until you hit New Brighton.
Paddling for the smaller waves, when it is big, can be a recipe for getting drilled in the impact zone. You either get one, or don't, but that then puts you right in the impact zone for the bigger sets that come through. So getting into position for smaller waves is hard. This is especially true once the swell moves into the OH plus range. I have seen a few folks out on big days, the kind of days that you need an 8' plus gun, just get inside a bit too much, have a big set show on the horizon, and they never get out the back. Can be a session ender. I've had some of my worst beat downs by getting caught inside when it is big.
About a month back I had a session at Scotts. Not huge, but a few 8-10 footers rolling through with a new swell arriving. About 20 folks on short boards and step ups were lining up the 6 footers from the previous swell. I grabbed my mini gun, paddled way out the back, waited with one other guy for the big ones, and never dealt with a beating. Can't say the same for the crowd, because every wave I got, I saw plenty of folks sitting way inside of my ride, taking a good bomb on the head.
So find a spot that has the right amount of challenge, and sit out the back, and wait for the right ones is my advice.
That looks like it, but hard to be sure. Seems like he has a berth up in Oakland for it, but getting there right now is a bit of an exercise.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hugh Conway
Thanks guys. It seems like every couple weeks/months I have a session that makes me think more about what I need to do to get to a level that I can surf in the conditions I wasn't able to at the time. Last memorable time was the labor day weekend swell that I tried to catch the back end of but wasn't able to catch anything. After that I figured some things out a bit and had a great fall.
Good point on ending up inside after taking a small wave ottime. I sometimes notice that small waves are the precursors for a big set about to roll through - not sure if there's truth to that or just coincidence, but makes sense with your point.
Like I said, if I felt more energetic my risk taking would've been a bit higher, and I think I could've nailed the drop on a 6fter. I want to get back out there right now but am stuck at work.
Sometimes, but not always. And at some breaks, you can ride the smaller, inside waves without being in harms way. But at sand bottom breaks, a few feet difference in positioning can be the difference between being outside and inside. Or being on the bar or in the channel.
Timing sets can be crucial, especially at beach breaks. OB is a great example of a spot that can humble the best on the paddle out.
I didn't quit it but it might have quit me. Either way is good for the surf/ski time.
Some nice sets out there today but I think the HS advisory was early by 36-48hrs. If the surf builds more tomorrow then HS might be warranted. Even though the Norcal guys would laugh at our advisories.
Mainly just me and 1 other guy then got super crowded, probably 4 or 5 of us out at one time. Cloudy rainy and miraculously no wind, sheet glass until mid afternoon. Caught a cleanup set that headed straight for me, well overhead and lineup up perfectly across the reef, got a shaka from the other dude when I paddled back out, guess he approved.
South SD buoys seem to be on the rise, a few buoys are up around 9'@15. North SD buoys are still around 4.5' @ 12.5
Edit: Buoys dropped off since last night, hoping there's still a few to be found
Still pretty much victory at sea around here. A few making the most of it at the cove. PG could be good, but not really wanting to drive and hour plus to check out a boneyard. My buddy got a temp berth at the SC harbor, so he is stoked and been cleaning up the boat. Hope I get a sail on her before she is moved up to Oakland.
Looks like plenty of energy, but storm winds are just killing us. Will take another gander at low tide tonight. Guess I should just finish the last bit of my drain and make something of this weekend. Sun is out right now before the final stage of the storm moves in. Good news is KW is getting mostly snow with about three feet new at top and more to come.
Really fun NB today. Overhead to + everywhere. Wind pretty much held off. Crowded as hell but spread out. Blackies was a zoo, but much of the rest was doable.
a double session morning. 29 degree air temp, 50 degree water temp, and snow covering the beaches and rooftops. my favorite time of year to surf.
forecasts weren't calling for much with less than desirable winds. my favorite kind of forecast, means no one will be out anywhere. with the combo of short period and a 140 angle with ssw winds, i knew the rivermouth was worth a shot. it was. i was confident enough to put the suit on for the drive up. pulled up to find a nice peaky waist/chest high wave rolling through and not a soul in sight. paddled out and caught some fantastic rights and a coupla left hand nuggets. tide was coming in so i got out, left the suit on and drove down to york and scored waist/chest + slightly warbled but glassy short period a frames. only a few suppers out to the north and maybe 2 surfers the whole mile+ stretch of beach.
nice way to spend a morning, paddled my fucking ass off and score some fun ones. rest of the week looks active enough to surf pretty much every day, so i will:)
rog
Swell dropped off some today but still fun and had some punch at the beach breaks. Kinda walled but I found a few corners. Last wave was a left that held up all the way to the beach.
Yesterday was fun, high tide going low and some sets on the outter boil were putting out a few fun and pretty powerful waves. Friday was good, no wind and some cleanup sets. Body sore.
Three days of solid surf...finally.
ummm, ok, fkna.
my double session maine morning yesterday was fun and all, but my massachusetts/new hampshire sessions this morning were fucking insane.
left maine this am in search for a spot that does well when the wind has a bunch of south in it. was all set with the rivermouth as i expected the ogunquit/wells crew would have figured out that there were slay-able waves out there.
drove right to salisbury mass and a big smile came across my face at 1st look. salisbury, imo, is the heaviest, most powerful wave i've experienced living here. the place breaks boards and bodies even at barely head high. now today wasn't head high, but the belly/chest high grinders breaking in knee/thigh deep water were insane fast shot out of a cannon fun! best part? no other surfers out.
as the tide filled in i decided to hit up the pipe in nh and had the place alone at 1st then joined by 2 others for wicked perfect a-frame hollow bowly peaks. was really nice to get warmed up at critical salisbury then head to easy pipe.
smiled all the way to work this morning. unreal:)
ski tomorrow, surf the next day and beyond.
stay wet y'all!!!
rog
Surfed with a buddy in north SD today, still a few waves left over. Was about to shower but checked the cams and it's still sheet glass, might paddle out again instead...hmmmm
No long post about it, but went out Saturday and Sunday PMs. Saturday caught a big set wave that unfortunately closed out, but making the drop on a nice, slightly OH wave was pretty exhilarating. Again spent most of my energy trying to stay in position, etc, but definite progress from Friday. Sunday I finally had a good session with several waves and several "shoulda" and "almost" waves. Swell definitely dropped, but sets were still running almost HH where I was just north of Terramar/south of warm waters. Finally felt comfortable, very low fear factor, even on the big waves.
Definite progress throughout the 3 days I hit the swell. Set the alarm to go back out this morning, but decided at 6 I just wanted another 1.5 hours of sleep and some rest. Gonna hit it tomorrow for some leftovers before swell drops off more.
time, time, time, mileage, mileage, mileage. keep gettin on it jtran!
if there's a wave everyday, surf everyday
rog
It’s all over jtran, your hooked! Digging the vibe about your progression...Quote:
Originally Posted by jtran10
^ +1
Paddled back out and the waves down here are still putting out some fun sets. Much better than my AM session, more waves and slightly bigger. Caught 2 backside waves tonight that made my day.
amazing what a special wave or two will do for the soul. session makers.Quote:
Originally Posted by Piggity
now that i'm not skiing tomorrow, i may have to find a honey hole somewhere. right tide right spot.
rog
this morning ogunquit sucked donkey balls, but i went for it anyway.:D
thigh high grovel junk. managed some fun multi full rail carve right handers, miraculously enough. score.........;)
rog
Beautiful sunrise session this morning. Some nice chest high waves still. Highlight was having a pod of dolphins swim within 5 feet of me. When's the next swell?
Nothing significant on the horizon. We should be getting some gulf wind swell up here in the 5/6'@10-12s range. Doubt much of that will filter past Pt.C.
I do love where I live. One of the big plusses being often, when the waves go to shit, the snow is going off, and when the snow goes to shit, the waves are going off, Summer excluded. But right now, both seem pretty poor. If I was up in the snow, I can usually have fun running up vert on the cruisers, or talking a low angle skin with my son on my back, but to drive for that, and spend the money on gas, seems a bit silly. Guess I will need to go hunt out some surf this weekend and live by rog's rule of surf everyday there is surf. I've taken to surfing clean surf. If it is big, like starting at a three feet OH, a little bump is okay, and really to be expected, but other wise, I like my shit lined up. Might be why I think 14 seconds is the magic number. And summer wind swell is somehow way cleaner. Perhaps because there is only one running at a time, instead of shit tons of chop, warble, bump, lump, waves, and whatever is in the water right now.
Anyhoo, long term looks like we could move into a good pattern with a blocking high and some large storms moving across the NPAC and into the Gulf. So, maybe by the middle of the month. I was ready for some size a few weeks ago, when I was getting in the water 3-5 days a week. Now I have had maybe 4 sessions in 4 weeks. But I have not been putting on weight, so that is a plus. Long strolls and an 18 month old keep ya in shape. /blogpost.
funneh, when we are getting snow, we are getting waves. no snow? no waves. i'm talking significant waves, not rideable waves. rideable waves come everyday.
these days, it'd have to be pretty damn good snow, and shitty waves to pull me away from the beach to drive to the mountains.
oh the shit i surfed today. surf the shit and the non-shit seems so friggin good. then yer always in top form to play when things get good.
next 2 days are looking better than today.
git sum
rog
That's the difference between here and up there. This past swell was most often in the 5-6' @ 12-15s depending on the day with slightly higher readings during the peak, but we were all amped about getting waves and it's just another day up there. Not sure I could handle a maxing day up north.Quote:
We should be getting some gulf wind swell up here in the 5/6'@10-12s range.
session #6 for the month thus far this am. the river mouth was goin off. perfect chest/shoulder se swell a-frames with light offshores and no one else out. couldn't fucking believe it. no one surfs in maine this time of year? after an hour, at 930am, a gal paddles out and i said, "wondered when someone else would be smart nuff to join me". she was a very good surfer and couldn't believe no one else was out either. we traded off many waves. perfect.
tomorrow should be about the same, oh darn:)
rog
Super fun longboard session this morning. Out there all alone for 1/2 of it, 1 chick out with me the other 1/2. Glassy, small little waves without any lulls.
With 3 or 4 different mini swells in the water right now waves were coming from everywhere. Had them all come together for one shoulder high wave, wave seemed to be churning and grinding with all the water meeting at the peak - pretty cool. All the other waves were waist high or so.
Paddling the LB was so easy after a week on my shorter board. Paddling fitness definitely up.