Friday, October 31, 2008

10/31 PM

Time: 3 PM
Location: Turmo/Old Mans
Tide: +1 and falling
Direction: 214
Size: 2-4'
Board: "4" Fish
Water Temp: 64
Wind Conditions: Slight texture

Comments:
So I spent too much time at Costco because I somehow lost my Card in the store. No really, I lost it sometime after I showed it to get in and when I was about to check out. Anyway, I stopped by Calumet on the way home and although it wasn't epic, it was working. I went home and had a snack and rode my bike back down. But it was too late. Even though the tide was dropping, it stopped working. I rode over to the north stairs of Turmo and saw some workable stuff and went out there for a bit. But then I got worried that I didn't lock up my bike (confidence blown by the Costco fiasco) and I got out.

Sources:
Swell Direction | Size & Water Temp | Tide

10/31 AM

Time: 9:30
Location: San Raf
Tide: +4 and rising
Direction: 215
Size: 2-4'
Board: Wedding Board
Water Temp: 64
Wind Conditions: None really


Comments:
Really fun rides. Get in, head to the nose, get back when the speed picks up and work the wave. Longer rides than normal. Very nice, clear and warm.





Sources:
Swell Direction | Size & Water Temp | Tide

Thursday, October 30, 2008

10/30 AM

Time: 8
Location: Work
Tide: + 4 and rising
Direction:215°
Size: 2-3'
Board: Old School Fish
Water Temp: 62°
Wind Conditions: None noticed

Comments:
Fun summer/longboard kind of waves. Got some good nose time in and was able to work the wave for some fun little rides.

Also saw a shooting star around 8 PM last night. Which was odd because I didn't think the sky was clear enough. I haven't seen one in years and I don't know if I have ever seen one in San Diego proper.


Sources:
Swell Direction | Size & Water Temp | Tide

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

10/29 Lunch

Time: 12:00 (short session)
Location: Work
Tide: +3 and going down
Direction: 215°
Size: 1-3'
Board: Old School
Water Temp: 62°
Wind Conditions: None noticed

Comments:
Oddly, the fog was still around. Saw a rainbow too. Still summer like conditions. Had some really fun rides. Saw someone taking photos of their friend who was learning to surf.


Sources:
Swell Direction | Size & Water Temp | Tide

10/29 AM

Time: 8:30 (short session)
Location: Work
Tide: +5 and rising
Direction: 215°
Size: 1-3'
Board: Old School
Water Temp: 62°
Wind Conditions: None noticed

Comments:
Like a summer day. The high tide was making for swampy conditions, but if you were in just the right place there were fun rides to be had. I was able to really throw the board around, it's so maneuverable compared to the Wilken. That is to say the Wilken gave me the confidence to try more moves.


Sources:
Swell Direction | Size & Water Temp | Tide

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

10/28 AM

Time: 8 AM
Location: Work
Tide: +5 and still going
Direction: 219°
Size: 2-3'
Board: Wilken
Water Temp: 62°
Wind Conditions: Pretty glassy

Comments:
There were a few big sets, but mostly smaller stuff. Fun rides though. Wilken has that longboard glide. Bigger sets were sneakers that caught me off guard. Duck diving is possible, but a little tough on bigger waves. I had to remember how to turtle, felt like a mouse hanging on to a cork.

Wife comes home late tonight, so last night bachelor living for a while. No more eating mac & cheese out of the pot while lying in my underwear on the couch... Also, I think I'm going to leave Wilken at work since I'm out of room at home.

Sources:
Swell Direction | Size & Water Temp | Tide

Monday, October 27, 2008

10/27 AM

Time: 8:30 AM
Location: Work
Tide: +6 peak
Direction: 227°
Size: 2-4'
Board: Wilken
Water Temp: 64°
Wind Conditions: None noticed

Comments:
I packed both the Wilken and the pill today. Fog was thick and you couldn't see the breaks. I check Turmo first and talked to a guy that went out at the pumphouse who reported long waits, but some big sets.

So these guys are building some sort of monument at Turmo near the bathroom. This morning they must have hit a water pipe while digging because there was a geyser flowing at the top of the ramp. These guys were running around trying to figure out how to turn off the source while another guy was getting wet trying to unload fencing stuff from his truck.

Then I went to the end of Reed. Again, you couldn't see anything. I ended up guessing and taking the Wilken. As I was headed out, there was a guy packing up and I asked him if the board was too big and if it was closing out like yesterday. He the board over and said it was fine. You just have wait for shoulders.

The shoulder were few between and there were some steep sets that I let go by. When I did get in, they were mushier than the looked and I had a bit of trouble controling the tail. I think the fin is too small.

Sources:
Swell Direction | Size & Water Temp | Tide

Sunday, October 26, 2008

10/26 PM

Time:
Location:
Tide: +4 and rising
Direction:
Size: 2-4'
Board: Pill
Water Temp: 62
Wind Conditions: Windy

Comments:
Again, bigger than predicted. Saw some head high waves near the pier. I rode from Calumet park to Reed St. Calumet was breaking but with the tide filling in I thought it would be dying off. Reed street to the pier was big and closing out. I ended up at Law and too a few shoulders that I could find.

There were some kids body boarding on the inside. If it was summertime, I would have said something to them. And considering the size and impact they were looking for trouble in the impact zone. But, man, they were having a great time.

Sources:
Swell Direction | Size & Water Temp | Tide

10/25 AM

Time: 9 AM
Location:Turmo
Tide: +6 and dropping
Direction: 197
Size: 2 - 3'
Board: Wilken
Water Temp: 64
Wind Conditions: noticeable, coming from the north.

Comments:
Bigger than predicted. The point was going off. Guys on the outside with longboards were getting lots of good rides. It would break way out, kind of die out and then wall up and close out on the inside.

Sources:
Swell Direction | Size & Water Temp | Tide

Saturday, October 25, 2008

10/25 PM

Time: ~6 PM
Location: Tourmaline (Turmo)
Tide: +4 a filling in
Direction: 198°
Size: 2-4'
Board: 7' 2" Wilkin
Water Temp: 62°
Wind Conditions: some texture

Comments:
Took me a couple of waves to figure the board out, but it was fun. Good surf for Turmo. Several times I had to scoot up to the nose to get on the wave. The tail is kind of wide and square. I couldn't snap the board around. Should be a fun board that I might keep at the office... since I'm out of room at home.

Sources:
Swell Direction | Size & Water Temp | Tide

10/25 AM

Time: ~ 9 AM
Location: Tower 19, pushed north
Tide: + 5
Direction: 198°
Size: 2 - 4'
Board: 6' Pill
Water Temp: 62°
Wind Conditions: slight texture

Comments:
Water was really clear and the sun was shinning. Waves were very fun, but it was more packed than normal. Most rides were pretty long with very fun workable shoulders.


Sources:
Swell Direction | Size & Water Temp | Tide

"new" board

Wilken Late '60s Transition Era Single Fin Surfboarrd

From the ad:
If you dig boards from the end of the longboard era and dawn of the shortboard revolution, then you will love this board. This board is in very good condition. It has the original plastic fin (I believe it's a Waveset), and there have been a few ding repairs as you can see in the photos, but it should be water tight and ready to ride or just hang on your wall as a showpiece.



I met the guy at Albertsons. He showed up in a late 60's bus full of boards. The bus looked only slightly better than my old one. I was surprised to hear that he drove down from LA... I didn't think that could go freeway speeds.

Anyway, board in hand I walked home realizing it didn't have a leash loop. I pretty much always surf with a leash. Vince didn't look like a guy that used a leash and I didn't dare say anything about it. I dragged out my repair kit and googled away trying to figure out how to make one with resign and fiberglass strands. Then I had the brilliant idea to call a surf shop to see if there was some sort of stick on product I could use. Sure enough Surfco makes this thing called an e-z plug. It was easy to put on and worked great for the first session. Probably took me 5 mintes to do. I would recommend this if you have a similar situation.

The first session was fun and I surfed until it was dark. When I got out and was waiting to shower off, this guy asked me if it was a v-bottom. To which I sheepishly replied"Not really". He asked me what year it was, for which I didn't have an answer. He ran his hand over the hull tail and said he thought it was a 70's board. We also talked about the fin and he talked about how it was the "bees knees" back in the day. This guy had a nice quad Gordan & Smith and I kind of think he was affiliated with the brand. I should have asked...

Friday, October 24, 2008

10/24 AM

Time: 7:30 AM
Location: South of work
Tide: +5 and dropping
Direction: 198°
Size: 2-4'
Board: Quad Pill
Water Temp: 62°
Wind Conditions: None noticed

Comments:
Still pretty dry, but air temp was noticeably cooler. Wore my springsuit, but was still chilly. However, it was worth it. The shape was great and rides were pretty long.


Sources:
Swell Direction | Size & Water Temp | Tide

Thursday, October 23, 2008

10/23 AM

Time: 8 AM
Location: Law
Tide: +4 and falling
Direction: 199°
Size: 2-4'
Board: 6' pill
Water Temp: 62°
Wind Conditions: None noticed, but Santa Ana conditions have dried out the air.

Comments:
Little less power than yesterday, but better shape. Looked like a longboarder's dream, but I was surprised to effortlessly pick up my first wave. Didn't see anything over a couple of feet.

Sources:
Swell Direction | Size & Water Temp | Tide

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

10/22 AM

Time: 8:30
Location: Law
Tide: 3+ flat
Direction: 211°
Size: 2-4'
Board: 6' 8" Murphy Bonzer
Water Temp: 62°
Wind Conditions: None noticed

Comments:
Not as good as yesterday (more closeouts), or maybe just not as good a spot. The pier was looking better, but didn't have time to paddle over. Only got a few rides, but they were longer than I expected. Had trouble getting into a lot of 'em. Could have used more power... One ride I was kind of off balance and leaning way back on one foot. Normally I would have fallen, but I was able to recover on this board.


Sources:
Swell Direction | Size & Water Temp | Tide

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

10/21 AM

Time: ~8 AM
Location: Just south of normal, my typical peak was too crowded
Tide: +3, flat
Direction: 212°
Size: 2-4'
Board: 6' 2" keel fin fish
Water Temp: 62°
Wind Conditions: Nothing really

Comments:
Wore the rubber shirt. Surf was really fun, but crowded. Ended up walking south. Took a while to get the first wave a lot was rolling through that wasn't too makeable with this old school fish. But got a lot of fun rides that were long and really workable.

Sources:
Swell Direction | Size & Water Temp | Tide

Monday, October 20, 2008

10/20 AM

Time: 8:15 AM (late start, short session)
Location: In front of work
Tide: +3 and rising
Direction: 209°
Size: 2-3'
Board: 6'4" single fin Space Cake
Water Temp: 62°
Wind Conditions: not noticable

Comments:
Trunked it, but was pretty cold when I got out 45 minutes later. Not a lot of rides, but the shape was good with nice shoulders. Probably would have been more fun on a fish. Single fin just needs a little more push.

Sources:
Swell Direction Size & Water Temp Tide

Sunday, October 19, 2008

10/19 AM

Time: 9 AM
Location: Tower 19
Tide: +3 and rising
Direction: 210°
Size: 1'-2'
Board: 6' 8" Sunset egg
Water Temp: 62°
Wind Conditions: very light

Comments:
Super fun, the backwash was causing some bigger waves and drops than 1'-2' indicates. Actually swallowed some water trying to ride one all the way in when it exploded on me on the inside. You could time the backwash up with the coming wave and find the prefect spot, not many long rides though as they were quickly swallowed up by the next backwash.


Sources:
Swell Direction | Size & Water Temp | Tide

leg rope

At the poing this happened, I hadn't been surfing very long at all. I know this because I only had one board. It was a 9' 6" single fin Native that I bought used at PB Surf Club for $400. It was a beautiful... I'm gonna say late summer day. A longboard day with big fat green lines rolling in. Just rolling in and eh, barely breaking.

We came up the stairs near Diamond St. I bet I set my board wax up in the grass so it could get nice and melty. We were exhausted and probably thinking of beers and tater tots at Bubs.

"You know what your problem is?" This big goateed guy said to Frank. I didn't know who the guy was. Did Frank drop in on him? We are big guys, but this guy and his crew were bigger. I was already slinking away, like I don't know this Frank guy. I don't know if he said it twice, but it seemed like there was a long pause. It was very dramatic in a cowboy movie type of way.

"What?" Frank said raising his eyebrows, and I imagine he lowered his stance so he wouldn't be knocked over to easily. There were probably a few other guys out there with us, but at this point Frank might as well have been alone. I think the pigeons stopped looking for scraps and looked up to see a smackdown.

"You're leash" the guy said with a grin. "You'd catch a lot more waves if you didn't have that leg rope." Ah, he must have seen us struggling.

So this was our saying for a while. "You know what your problem is?" We would say and jab a finger menacingly at someone, sneering and eyelids scrunched. "You need to have better posture while sitting at your desk, here let me demonstrate!" or say something similarly benign and do a 180 with our demenour.

Now I don't see Frank that often anymore. We hardly ever surf together even though, sadly enough, he live less than a mile from me. But next time I see him I will pull that line out.

On a side note, I almost always wear a leash because I don't want to clobber some poor kids day. Nothing worse than getting a find stuck in your head while building a sandcastle. I always surf like I don't have one and try to end my ride one my board or with the board in hand.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

10/18 PM

Time: 3:30 PM
Location: Law St
Tide: +1 and lowering
Direction: 196
Size: 1-2'
Board: 6' 2" Quad fin fish (wedding board)
Water Temp: 63
Wind Conditions: strong from the north

Comments:
Third string type conditions with more blue Costco boards than regular ones. Tons of kite surfers too. There was a European couple on the peak that probably just started teaching themselves to surf. They were pearling a lot, but always came up laughing. I watched the guy kick and flail about and then stand up too early, but as the session went on he was picking it up.


Sources:
Swell Direction | Size & Water Temp | Tide

10/18 AM

Time: ~9 AM
Location: Tower 19, Mission Beach (MB)
Tide: +5
Direction: 196°
Size: 1-3'
Water Temp: 63°
Wind Conditions: None at start, enough for slight texture at the end

Very clear water and skies, rode my bike down to tower 19 and surfed the really high tide backwash waves. Again on the 6'2 wooden keel fish which provided some really fun rides that almost all ended up breaking on the beach. Not a lot of people were out.

Older reports

10/17

AM Session: ~ 9 AM, just south of the coaster in MB. 6' 4" Quad fish. A lot of tide, but fun shape. Longboarder type wave. It was pretty crowded and I sat right on the flag (after I got in trouble with the lifeguard. But that wasn't working so I moved right under a couple of janitors (stand up paddlers). I was probably out for an hour in trunks and rubber shirt, I wasn't too cold and got an frozen latte at Costco.

PM Session: ~4 PM, just north of Pipes in Cardiff after dropping off Nixon Super Hero SS for yet another service (don't buy this watch). 6'2 wooden keel fish, but could have used a longboard. Tide was really low and there wasn't near the same power as in the AM. And there was very little power this morning.I got a few waves and heard Pizza Port calling.

10/16

Lunch Session: ~11:30 with Miles and Keith and a few he knows. Great session and I'm glad I brought the 6'2 wooden keel fish. Lot's of fun shape, very workable faces.

First post / template

The idea here is to record each surf sessions details so when the conditions repeat I'll know what was working and what wasn't.

Here the format to start with:

Time:
Location:
Tide:
Direction:
Size:
Water Temp:
Wind Conditions: