Surfing Ruined My Life

December 2019 Surf Sessions

12-31-19 AM Session: 6-8+ ft, Silver Strand
Time in Water: 1 hr
Waves Surfed: 8
Miles Driven: 78
I had work at 2 pm leaving me plenty of time to sort out something to surf.  My first instinct was to go to the points.  Rincon was so crowded there was no place to park.  Little ‘Con had a line of fifteen guys and was lack luster at best.  The tide was too high for Pitas and I hate surfing Ventura Point.  Emma looked peaky and fun, but also had about forty guys on it.  While checking Emma I got a call from Dave that the Ship was firing.  On my horse I went.  Earlier this morning Angers had given me the opposite report. When I got up to the beach I thought Angers must have been nuts not to surf.  All I saw as fun looking off shore tubing A-frames up and down the beach.  There were around 100 guys out, yet lots of waves were going by unridden.  Ryan and Gordo showed up and we paddled.  As soon as I got out there I realized just how difficult it was to actually catch a wave.  With the wind and high tide the waves were holding up till they hit the bar then folding over.  The only way to get into them was to suicide drop under the lip.  I took three solid beatings from top to bottom on eight foot plus meat grinders, before I found a right barrel I made.  Then I got beat so bad I hurt my lungs on a bomb left that when I stood up I though I was in perfect position only to watch the barrel run away with out me.  The sets kept getting bigger, more walled and stacked out the back.  It was borderline dangerous out there.  Not feeling Gordo, Ryan and I decided to bail.  It was the first time I have been forced out of the water by the surf in a very long time.  I definitely felt humbled.  It just goes to show you no matter how much time, experience and skill you have the ocean can still make you look like a chump.  I had work at the New Years Eve party for the Magic Castle in Santa Barbara, this exclusive members only magic and cabaret club.  My boss was nice enough to cut me at 9 pm so I could be in my tux and out the door for the Wild Cat at 10.

12-30-19 No Surfing: 2-3+ ft
I had work all day doing prep for a New Years Eve party at the Magic Castle in Santa Barbara.  Luckily for me the swell was down and Santa Anna winds super hard.  I didn’t miss anything.

12-29-19 PM Session: 3-5+ ft, Silver Strand
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 20
Miles Driven: 78
I wasn’t expecting to find too much.  There was some long period NW swell on the buoys that might just be fun at Strand.  I cruised with my lady hoping for the best since I had work all day tomorrow.  It was solid, light off shore, head plus, long fast lines and barrels.  Stoked I jumped in with both Ryan and Angers.  It was a bit tricky out there for sure and at first I was thinking it might be a great surf.  Then this right came I was pretty deep for and late on.  I whipped around and slid right down into the pit.  I was so deep I couldn’t see out yet managed to get blow out the shoulder stoked.  Then I paddled back out and this set of macking lefts came through.  Ryan was deeper then me, but pulled back at the last minute leaving me in a free fall drop situation.  Luckily I caught my fins at the bottom and drove through one of the larger barrels I have got in a while.  Everyone looking on the shoulder was screaming as were people on the beach. Somehow I made it out of it.  After that I got a few more before it started to get more stretched and bit too low.  I can’t remember the last time I had two good surfs back to back.

12-28-19 PM Session: 2-3+ ft, Silver Strand
Time in Water: 2 hrs
Waves Surfed: 29
Miles Driven: 78
The wind was once again SE and swell down.  Ryan said he was paddling the Ship and Angers and I decided to join him.  Though on the smaller side, waist to chest plus it was very peaky and rip-able.  It also helped that for the first time in a long time I was feeling really good out there and went on a full on tare.  I can’t remember the last time I felt that in command of a surf session.  Ryan was having so much fun he surfed till dark making it a four hour session for him.  Sometimes even us old guys get lucky.

12-27-19 AM Session: 3-4+ ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 45 mins
Waves Surfed: 8
Miles Driven: 30
Traffic was insane going both in and out of town this morning.  I had work at noon and only really had time for a Rincon run.  Unfortunately the tide was a whopping six and half feet and the wind was light south.  It was bumpy, lumpy, wonky and a bit crowded for what was coming in.  I was out of time and options and ran out at the River Mouth.  I managed a few odd ones up there before surfing my way down to the Cove were it was a bit better though still very fat.  I would have surfed a longer session, but the traffic on the 101 was insane and by the looks of it from the line up it might take me a serious hour and change to get to work, a drive that usual takes around twenty minutes.  As it turned out the I-5 got snowed out and everyone had to take the 101 to travel up and down California.  I was fifteen minutes late, but still got my work handled.

12-26-19 No Surfing: 3-4+ ft
I had a solid nine hour prep day for an event tomorrow.  This left no time for surfing.  I heard Strand was decent and Rincon had a wave.  I was making money and come January when I have no work I will be happy for the money I made.  After work my lady and I went around town delivering our wedding invitations to her family.

12-25-19 PM Session: 2-3+ ft, Silver Strand
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 22
Miles Driven: 78
After blowing it yesterday I really wanted to surf.  I think I have surfed the last ten Christmas’ or so.  My lady and I enjoyed a relaxed Christmas morning in bed before headed down for some surf.  There wasn’t much swell in the water making Ventura Harbor my best bet.  There was a light south east breeze on it.  Knoll and Mouth were walled.  New Jetty was crowded and a bit fast.  On a whim I decided have a look at Strand.  There was a chest plus wave on the Ship side of the bowl with a light crowd on it.  Of course by the time I got my suit on the crowd had tripled.  With the wind and fast dropping tide it was pretty wonky out there.  I made the mistake of riding my short board which made it even more difficult to handle all the flat spots.  That being said I was happy to have gotten a few waves.  Angers came out and felt the same way about it.  Being that everything except for IHOP was closed that was where my lady and I enjoyed a Christmas repast.  The rest of my day was spent cooking dinner for a very prominent Montecito family who paid me handsomely for my efforts.  Finally I ended my night with a romantic candle light dinner with my fiance.

12-24-19 No Surfing: 3-4+ ft
A super fat morning tide, hard afternoon on shores and a terrible hang over kept me out of the water and in bed till 4pm. After that my fiancé and I had to man up and do Christmas Eve dinner at her aunts home. Though a lovely evening we were both hurting from last nights impromptu Prosecco party. We also began handing out our wedding invitations.

12-23-19 No Surfing: 3-4+ ft
I thought I might get lucky and sneak a session in the afternoon. My time window closed fast as more prep kept adding to my list till it was dark. Heard Strand had some barrels. Later I went home and continued cooking for Christmas Eve dinner at my girls family’s home. Then she and her sister showed up and somehow we managed to consume four bottles of Prosecco. It proved to a rather sloppy night where at midnight I pulled out my sax and began blowing Christmas tunes to my neighbors dismay. Fun times in Lisanti Land.

12-22-19 No Surfing: 3-4+ ft
I finacially got lucky and booked some solid work for the week including double pay for Christmas day. The downside is the work schedule doesn’t leave very much time to surf. I feel this has been the theme all month, money or surfing. I heard Strand was fun as was rincon.

12-21-19 AM Session: 2-3 ft, Emma Wood
Time in Water: 1 hr
Waves Surfed: 20
Miles Driven: 56
I had a work thing in Bakersfield at noon and was really hoping to find something fun. The tide was dropping fast and wind south. My time was limited so Emma seemed my best bet. It was looking pretty drained already, small and somewhat walled. The air was freezing. I was about to bag it when AJ showed up and convinced me to paddle. The quickly draining tide and south wind killed it. I managed a few micro backside tubes but overall could have left the session out. The rest of day and night was spent traveling and working The Grimms Family carrot farmer holiday party out in Bakersfield. 1100 people for a three course plated meal featuring beef Wellington. It was a gnarly affair to say the least and one of the largest plated events I have ever worked. Door to door it was a solid fourteen hour day.

12-20-19 AM Session: 3-4+ ft, Silver Strand
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 19
Miles Driven: 78
I had the day off, well just barely.  I really wanted to get some Strand barrels this morning.  I heard Little Rincon was fun and not crowded from Robbie.  I was waiting on Ryan and Angers Strand report.  Ryan said it was crowded, but decent shape.  Then Angers called screaming about the barrel fest it was out there.  That got me driving very fast.  When I got there it certainly was packed.  There had to be easily 200 guys from Jetty to Jetty.  The thing about Strand is that it can handle a crowd. There were spitting barrels every where I looked.  I was out there.  Right off the bat I snagged three really good right tubes and a sick double up left barrel. Then the low tide set in as did all of the strange rips that go with it.  Then the sets basically stopped coming in making good waves few and far between.  The only up side was that the crowd died.  Some how I managed to land on my fins doing a stupid ally-oop attempt.  Luckily I didn’t get cut and my fins didn’t break, but as of press time I have a rather nasty bruise.  After that I basically paddled around in circles taking lots of crap, before quitting on an alright on off the Ship.

12-19-19 No Surfing: 2-3+ ft
Today was going to be another fifteen plus hour day for me.  I had a window between my corporate gig and another Holiday party.  My schedule for my first job ran late leaving me only about an hour window to find some surf and paddle.  I heard Hammonds had a wave, but ultimately decided it wasn’t good enough to try and squeeze a smash and grab surf.  Instead I did a bit more Christmas shopping.  Besides being freezing my evening event went fine.  I heard Rincon was packed but flawless and that Strand was big and barreling.

12-18-19 No Surfing: 2-3+ ft
When I woke up in the dark at six this morning I knew I was about to embark on an easy 15 hour day. I had my corporate lunch, followed by the O’Riley Auto parts family Christmas party at their Montecito compound.  It was money day again and not a surfing day.  I think its time for a career change.  I heard Rincon was pretty darn fun as was Silver Strand.

12-17-19 No Surfing: 2-3+ ft
Once again after work it was super had off shore down south and the buoys looked even smaller then yesterday.  My fiancee and I wanted to take more mock up photos for our wedding website and decided to use the afternoon.  I heard New Jetty had a chest high wave.  I also heard that the West Beach side of Sterns Warf went off as well.  I am with out a doubt bummed I missed that.  It was probably good to rest my back anyway.

12-16-19 PM Session: 2-3+ ft, Strand
Time in Water: 1 hr
Waves Surfed: 22
Miles Driven: 78
I had mixed reports all day.  My boss surfed lack luster chest high Sands in the morning.  Ryan called and said Strand was off shore, but only about chest high at best and weak.  He took his soft top.  I really wanted to surf.  In the hopes that River Mouth might have a bar I raced down to the VTA.  It was solid head high at the harbor, but walled as far as the eye could see.  New Jetty had a lightly more palatable wave with a crowd of around thirty on basically one peak.  I just bit the bullet and ran to Strand.  It was tiny, clean and perfect.  I found my own peak in the south bowl and got to work finding some small tubes and sections.  When its small it really puts a lot of pressure on my back and a bit of a damper on my surf as a result.  That being said I had some fun.  It was freezing with stiff offshores when I got out making changing rather uncomfortable.  From there I had some Christmas shopping cause I always wait to the last minute like a fool.  When I got home my lady and I built a gingerbread house from scratch.  If want the recipe is actually here on this blog.  Click this link and have some holiday fun.

12-15-19 PM Session: 2-3+ ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 22
Miles Driven: 30
I was supposed to have the day off, when my boss called and asked me to go pick up all the equipment from yesterday’s drop off.  Drop was in Carp so I figured I could grab the stuff, take the catering truck surfing and then head back to the Goleta kitchen unpack and repack for our corporate gig tomorrow morning.  My lady decided to join me and had a fun look into the ridiculous amount of schlepping I do on a day to day basis.  At this point my job is like thirty percent cooking, and seventy percent logistics and schlepping.   Oh and zero percent profitable.  I suppose that is always the plight of the subcontractor.  Rincon was a bit cut up with the strange WNW to fluctuating ENE winds and bit windswelly too.  The Cove looked flawless and super fun.  It was also a lumberyard packed full of nine foot plus boards.  I wasn’t going to be able to get a wave in edge wise in that pack.  Up top has some fun looking short peaks with a light crowd.  I was not really in the mood to go on a goose chase and didn’t want to put unnecessary miles on the catering truck either thus I just paddled.  A bunch of other guys must have had the same idea cause as soon as I paddled so did around twenty other cats.  Everyone was a ripper or wannabe and it became a shit fight for waves that weren’t really connecting or all that ride-able.  It was especially hard on the back hand.  It didn’t help was ten to twenty years the senior to the pack out there either.  Now I understand why all the guy’s in their late thirties, early forties always hated me.  In my defense there was a bit of gap in numbers from my generation thanks to the lack of popularity of surfing in the nineties.  That next generation was strong and the one under them even stronger.  I’m just an old man complaining about getting old these days.   I made the most of it before packing it in.  Its going to a tough week ahead for me as I am looking at an easily seventy hour work week, but I’ll do what I can.

12-14-19 No Surfing: 3-5+ ft
The goal was to get up early and run to Naples before another double down work day.  Of course the wind decided to go super hard NW at 7 am thus ruining any chance of me getting a wave or two before work.  I heard Pitas and Rincon were pretty darn good, though very crowded.  Even Sand Spit had a few chest high tubes.  I spent my morning packing up a Christmas Party pack out and my evening making pizzas for The Corvette Club of Santa Barbara Christmas party.  Yet again money at a very minuscule level won over surfing.

12-13-19 PM Session: 3-5+ ft, Pitas
Time in Water: 45 mins
Waves Surfed: 9
Miles Driven: 41
Of course another run of WNW swell fell right smack into a very booked up weekend of work.  Surfing a bunch and attempting to make money is very difficult to balance.  At the moment it feels like I am blowing it at both.   All this is temporary.  That is what I tell myself at the very least.  I had a two hour block of time between my events and my evening job was actually the Channel Islands Surfboards holiday party in Carpinteria.   That being the case I decided to bolt down to the points for a look.  Rincon was solid and packed.  I pulled off at Little ‘Con and it was so crowded that there were absolutely no parking.  The same was the case at Hobosons, which looked the best with the south chatter that was on it.  Finally out of time I just jumped in at Pitas which was also crowded and a bit sectiony with the wind.  I found a place to park and ran out there.  The top was super walled and shitty.  I kept surfing down the point in the hopes to find a decent section.  Faria was tad better though still tricky and very difficult on my backhand between the wind chop and my bad back.  I got one runner through and then had to run back to my car to make it to my next gig.  As far as the Merrick party went, man did they house a ton of Pizza.   It was a fun crowd to say the least.  No free surfboard as a tip? Forget those guys I have my own surfboard company anyway: Clarks Surfboards.

12-12-19 AM Session: 2-3+ ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 2 hrs
Waves Surfed: 24
Miles Driven: 30
That west finally showed itself this morning.  It wasn’t anything to write home about, but enough to make Rincon break.  The channel was plagued with a terrible funk chop and a variable south wind.  Courtesy of the full moon there was also a 6.5 foot high tide to contend with at 9:30 am.  I headed straight to ‘Con and found it though bumpy, wonky, weird and fat to be the best option for my time window.  I jumped in up top and found a few.  I also found myself rather winded as well.  I think I may have partied a bit too hard celebrating my fiance’s gallery opening last night.  Either that or I am getting sick or just old?  Lets hope it was just a bit too much Chandon rose last night.  My back was also feeling especially tender out there.  Between that and how difficult it is to surf Rincon backside on a fat tide and south wind I had my work cut out for me.  I did manage some rides, yet felt behind the eight ball all surf.  The crowd was especially eggy despite how light it was.  I got burned a few times and ran into some idiot who didn’t get out of my way on a late drop. Then he had the nerve to yell at me.  Whatever, after that I was pretty much over it and began surfing my way in.  I lucked into a set wave in the Cove where the pack proceeded to drop in on me four times on the one wave.  The last guy was on a big log and I just yelled at him to keep going.  At least with him in front no one else would burn us and it allowed me to hit behind him with no interruption to my line.  Looks like lots more waves on the way and considering its on the weekend again get ready for more stupid crowding.

12-11-19 PM Session: 2-3+ ft, New Jetty & Surfers Knoll
Time in Water: 2 hrs
Waves Surfed: 22
Miles Driven: 64
I had a rough night sleeping last night due to way too many things on my mind at the moment.  As a result I treated myself to a late morning in bed.  There was a new albeit tiny WNW swell in the water and the left over south  as well.  Wanting to surf I headed to Ventura Harbor knowing it would be the only show in town.  There were mixed peaks up and down the beach from Knoll to River Mouth.  Though ok, there was a bit of south wind crumbling it up and to be honest none of those bars are really stand outs to me at the moment.  New Jetty looked fun again and was crowded as usual.  I was about to just paddle the Knoll when Ryan showed up and convinced me to paddled NJ with him and just control the outside peak.  We actually successfully accomplished this  but with the dropping tide good sets were few and far between and we were doing lots of sitting.  I wanted to go inside and scrap, but there were about twenty other rippers the oldest easily fifteen years younger then me chomping at the bit.  Rather than deal with that annoyance for scraps I paddled around the Jetty to the Knoll.  There I found an alright left and right breaking off a rip.  The same rip that was allowing the wave to have shape kept me in a constant paddle to stay in position. Then two guys came out and sat right on me, plus the wind came up.   I paddled back to New Jetty and all the young guys bailed with the wind leaving just Ryan, myself and a few Strand guys.  The wind had really began to deteriorate things.  I caught a few more and left.  Tonight my lady has a gallery opening at The Santa Barbara Historical Museum from 5-8 pm.  She always puts on a good show.  Admission is free and there will be wine, beer and appetizers so come on out if you are in the area.  I will be there.

12-10-19 PM Session: 2-3+ ft, New Jetty
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 22
Miles Driven: 78
I knew the Harbor was my best bet.  New Jetty looked great, but it was packed beyond my comprehension with really only one decent peak and no room for more guys.  For whatever reason I couldn’t really get sold on the Knoll or River bars.  Instead I went on a goose chase to Strand, which I knew was going to be too small, but had to look just in case.  I was right it was a perfect waist high.  Too small for me to be stoked on.  I had some errands to run around town and decided to go that then give the Harbor another look.  With any luck the crowd may have dissipated.  Before heading back I decided just to look at Dredge for no other reason then to rule it out.  There was a clean little wave there, yet it didn’t offer the size or intensity of the Harbor.  When I got back there everyone was out of the water thanks to slight bit of south funk and draining tide.  There were still a few choice lefts coming in with now only four guys out, Ryan being one of them.  I paddled and scored a few fun lefts right off the bat and ran into my old friend Dave, who has been making a name for himself in Ultimate Fighting.  Then he left as did everyone else leaving just Ryan and I out the back.  It has been years since we have shared that line up just the two of us.  There was a time when it happened on a weekly basis.  Sure it wasn’t as good as it was earlier, but to have it to empty was worth more to me then crowded and amazing.  I got my share and felt pretty good out there back injury considered.

12-9-19 AM Session: 2-3+ ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 2 hrs
Waves Surfed: 23
Miles Driven: 30
There were waves at all the beaches, though I didn’t get any enthralling reports from anybody to make me forgo Rincon and go straight down there.  ‘Con was a little bit underwhelming, yet up top had some solid chest plus lines coming through with a very light crowd.  Considering the parking lot was still empty when I got back to my car from checking it I decided to pull the trigger.  If a spot like Rincon is fun with a light crowd one should always paddle it.  I grabbed my Clarks Surfboards 5’7 fly guy and was super stoked to try it with these new FCS 2 Julienne Wilson fins I picked up specifically for that board.  The rake and shape of the fins seemed like something that might complement my style.  Right off the bat the fins felt great.  I was using a set of performers prior and only had to switch cause I broke the back fin and thought while I was at it why not try something new.  I must say there was a noticeable difference in a good way.  I felt more free on my turns and really like how they transitioned from turn to turn.  The first half of my surf was great.  I sat right in the River Mouth just about alone and found ten really good ones.  Then the crowd grew exponentially and surf began to really get sucked out and mushy with the dropping tide.  My section completely turned off forcing me to mix it up with the pack at Indicator, the section at Rincon I surf the worst out there.  Maybe I should have stayed where I started cause I ended up completely out of sync for the rest of the surf and then the wind went south adding a very annoying bump on the face.  I scratched around the line up picking off a bunch of average ones before throwing in the towel.  Later that afternoon my lady and I had to take photos for our wedding website and bought a Christmas tree for $100.  I always forget how expensive this time of year is.

12-8-19 No Surfing: 4-6+ ft
Another morning of bad winds, tides and conditions and another long ten hour day of work.  Once again I heard it was crowded and fickle at most spots.  That being said it was still a very hard pill to swallow especially while sitting at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural history running a food concession. The most difficult thing about being an adult is having to choose work over surfing even when its good.

12-7-19 No Surfing: 5-7+ ft
I had a feeling I was going to get fucked today.  So far every good predicted swell I have been stuck on a shitty work grind.  Today was not an exception.  I had a very short window from first light till eight.  Of course the west swell had not shown up yet and the wind was south.  By nine when I had to go to work Ventura Point was easily double overhead.  In Santa Barbara the wind stayed on shore all day and it never really got the size we had hoped.  For those who did score I hope you snagged a few for me.  I got the same window tomorrow.  Hopefully I can snag a few in town before another ten hour day.

12-6-19 AM Session: 2-3+ ft, Santa Clara River Mouth
Time in Water: 1 hr
Waves Surfed: 23
Miles Driven: 64
Five days, five different spots talk about variety.  The swell was down and I contemplated not surfing.  I knew my chances of getting waves tomorrow was slim thanks to what was shaping to be a ten hour day.  I cruised south.  The wind was off shore when I paddled and it was about chest plus and rather crowded.  I walked towards the Mouth and found a peak to myself. Though on the small side I was on a nice bar and picked off a few fun ones.  Then the south wind came up right as Angers showed up and trashed it.  Too bad cause I think it could have been a really fun surf.  I grinded out the rest of the session anyway.  I am glad I did cause work ended up being an eleven and a half hour day.

12-5-19 AM Session: 3-4+ ft, Dredge
Time in Water: 1 hr
Waves Surfed: 10
Miles Driven: 78
What a wild goose chase I went on this morning.  Few surf regions know the struggle of a surfer in the 805, where every five miles the surf conditions are completely different and it can be made by 5 degrees or 5 seconds of buoy readings.  There was some mid period 305 on the Harvest leading me to believe the VTA beaches would be solid.  I started at Harbor.  There were corners, though a bit walled and very crowded for what was coming in.  My time was limited and with the pick and choose corners out there I would need at least two hours plus to get  fun surf in.  Hoping Strand would pick up something I headed there.  It was only like waist high there.  Angers met me at Shores and it was also bad.  Ryan claimed he had been getting Dredge fun the past few days and on a last ditch, make it or break it effort we headed there.  Sure enough the place working even on the fatter tide.   I have not seen the sand that good out there in years.  It was still pretty racy and back wash riddled, but out of time we were out there.  Man I had some keepers.  Dredge is one of the few waves that keeps a pace to face ratio my back hand loves.  Angers almost got impaled on the rocks attempting to pull into some gnarly back washy double up tubes.  Then the wind went south right as Gordo and Ryan paddled.  It was a bummer, though worked in my favor since I had to get to work anyway.

12-4-19 AM Session: 2-3+ ft, Surfer’s Knoll
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 22
Miles Driven: 64
The swell was down a lot from yesterday.  Overnight the south wind had howled and created enough wind swell on the buoy for me to believe I could find something at the Harbor.  The wind was off shore down there as well.  It turned out to be way smaller then I had hoped or looked that way anyhow.  There were clean looking waist to stomach high bowls up and down the beach.  I paddled just north of the lot and found a fun little A-frame all to myself.  As it turned out there was the occasion chest to even head high one.  The quality varied depending on how it hit the sand bar.  That being said I got on a tear had decent enough time.  The rest of my day was spent finally back at work.  As it turned out my boss double and tripled book every day this weekend.  Meaning slave ship like hours, but beggars cant be choosers and after not working for almost two weeks I was desperate for the cash.  The life of day laboring chef isn’t always glamorous.

12-3-19 AM Session: 2-4+ ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 2 hrs
Waves Surfed: 19
Miles Driven: 41
There was still a fair amount of west in the water and I had Rincon on the brain.  When I got there it was a bit soft and small for the crowd that was on it.  Hoping Pitas might be better with small bit of South combo in the water I had a look.  It was all up top a bit walled, close to the rocks and had a solid fifteen pack on it.  Back to Rincon I went, grabbed my short board fish and ran up top.  Despite the crowd I got into a rhythm and got a handful from Indicator to lower River Mouth.  My back felt relatively good.  I am stoked to be finding my point legs again.

12-2-19 AM Session: 3-4+ ft, Naples
Time in Water: 2.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 27
Miles Driven: 43
The first real west swell of the season finally showed itself this morning.  It was a bit smaller then I would have hoped.  Still I had a feeling there would be enough in the water for Naples to be fun and took the gamble.  From the hillside look out I could tell there were some solid sets.  Of course as soon as I started down the trail the wind kicked up out of the south.  I passed a surfer leaving on the way and he said the size was good but wind sucked.  Sure enough had I gotten there an hour earlier I would have gotten my pick of whatever section I wanted to surf peeling at their finest.  Now all I was left with was scalloped out remnants of a once great line up.  I walked up to the Crack Peak and even on the high tide there was lots of beach, a sight I have not beheld out there in years.  There was a few lines that seemed alright and I was hopeful that the wind might die so I paddled.  It was solid head high plus on set and minus the south chunk it was running down the reef perfectly.  I noticed up at Naples Reef it looked much cleaner and was actually shelving out and barreling.  I paddled up there and got some real screamers,  The wind was just coming up the face and forcing it tunnel over.  I ran that for a bit before surfing back down to Crack Peak to get one out.  It was far from the best Naples ever, but I had the entire place to myself and that alone was worth the effort.

12-1-19 No Surfing: 1-3+ ft
Once again we had great off shore winds down in Ventura, but very small.  Jalama had some odd looking side shore south wind swell.  The cam definitely showed some size though the quality was suspect to make the drive and it looked cold as fuck anyway.  I put the word out to all my south friends and everyone came back with the consensus that I should save my gas.  I can’t believe it’s December already and with that another year of surfing basically in the can.  It was yet again one of the worst if not the worst year for surfing I have ever experienced in the 805. The winter had a few swells average swells and one or two size able ones that came with bad winds.  It was also riddled with unprecedented flat spells.  Spring I think for me was the best season of 2019.  There was lots of wind swell days at the points and Strand.  The first few south swells were fun too.  Forget about summer.  It was by far the worst summer I have ever seen out here.  There was not one macking souths, no really decent tropical swells and the crowds were dumber then ever.  Fall was almost non-existent.  Rincon didn’t break till November and besides a few choice days at Strand it was more of grind then a pleasure to surf.  That is a quick summary of 2019 in surfing here in the 805.