Surfing Ruined My Life

December 2022 Surf Sessions

12-31-22 AM Session: 2-4+ ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 2 hrs 15 mins
Waves Surfed: 23
Miles Driven: 52
I always try to end the year on a surf. Some years are harder then others. I got a call from Pat early that the beaches looked terrible and he was thinking about heading to Rincon. I decided to jump in for the ride. My attitude was worse case I’d just go back and surf Strand or Little Sunset. Considering the south wind and drop in swell we were hopeful for a light crowd, even if it meant sub-par Rincon. Sets were chest high maybe a little larger up top, the crowd was light maybe forty guys on the point. Normally I’d walk away from Rincon with such conditions, but lately the crowds have been so intense that I was just happy to sort out a few waves to myself. We started at the River Mouth and as soon as I paddled out I snagged a four turn runner. Then while paddling back I snagged one through the impossible section between lower River Mouth and the top of the Cove, which I managed two turns and a clean backside air reverse. I haven’t successfully stuck too many, maybe due to fear, since I hurt my knee on a big attempt back in September at Hueneme. I hate being gun shy after a wound. That wave got me stuck in the Cove fishing around for weak runners for over a half hour. Finally I got one to the freeway and decided to walk back up top. Indicator was lining up and running past the River Mouth. There was a bit of south chatter on the face but with only Pat and three others on it I was out there. I caught a handful that ran all the way past River mouth. It was nice to get some empty leg burners at Rincon for a change. It felt strange actually waiting for the good runners instead of scrapping for any wave not being ridden. Pat was just getting over Covid and feeling very weak. At one point I saw him laying on the sand at the bottom of the Cove like a seal. I surfed my way out and somehow managed a head high runner all the way to the freeway. The rest of my day was spent in preparation for my New Year’s Eve festivities. This year my wife and I are giving the Crown Plaza Hotels party a look. Stay tuned tomorrow for that review.

12-30-22 AM Session: 3-5+ ft, Hollywood
Time in Water: 2 hrs 15 mins
Waves Surfed: 26
Miles Driven: 14
The swell had finally come down a bit along with the period. My first stop was Strand which looked the best I have seen it since Christmas Day. It was also shit house packed with easily seventy five guys from Tower 5 to Tower 3. The good waves were few and far between and the smaller waves were trash. I deemed it not worth the crowd and drove over to Hollywood. Upon walking up and I saw scattered peaks albeit a little stretched at times up and down the beach. The decision was hard whether to paddle or go back to Strand. I was sure the points would have waves also but was not about to fight a holiday and a Friday crowd. After watching it for about fifteen minutes I saw enough to just make the paddle. Ryan, Pat and Andy showed up about thirty minutes into my surf. I got some really good lefts, took off and raced a nutty bomb right that I easily chased for ninety yards and almost cleared to the open face. The waves were all over the place and very shifty peaks. Catching good ones really just came down to luck. It wasn’t epic, though clean overhead peaks with just three of your boys out this day in age is a blessing for sure. The rest of my day was spent hanging out with my wife at the Camarillo Outlets while she shopped for shoes and work clothes. I managed to come up on a baller suit at Express for sixty bucks. I’d say it was a pretty good day.

12-29-22 AM Session: 4-6+ ft, Hollywood
Time in Water: 2 hrs
Waves Surfed: 15
Miles Driven: 61
Today instead of just going back to Naples I decided to go on a goose chase. I guess it’s not truly a swell event if I don’t drive around like a chicken with out a head hunting for surf and getting frustrated at least one day. I started at Strand but it was a mess and all over the place. Then I headed to Pitas where it was stretched up at the top and insanely crowded for how bad it was and weak down the point. Solar was claiming Hobson’s left so I met him there. It looked ok if it was empty but not with two dozen guys on it. Then I did the Rincon loop. ‘Con was so crowded both lots were full and people were parked all the way up the road on Bates. Over it I pulled off at Little Rincon where it was also a zoo and sub par. Ryan was at Ventura Point and also unimpressed. We decided to roll the dice and look at Little Sunset. At this point the wind was already south making it a real option. The street had a load of cars parked. I hoped it was just holiday AirBnB people. When I got on top of the dune there were over a dozen guys out. Granted it was decent Little Sunset, but still I think it may have been the largest crowd I had ever seen out there. Out of options we decided to paddle. It was well overhead on set. Once out there I was reminded just how shifty the peak can be even though it looks straight forward from the beach. The current and rips are always an issue too. The bomb sets were inconsistent and on the softer side not to mention bogarted by old guys on 8 foot guns, which were unnecessary. I had a few really decent rights and blasted some turns I was happy with. Between the wind, rain, cold water and inconsistency of decent waves I got cold and bailed. If there had only been like six guys out it could have been epic, instead it was only palatable. I love driving sixty miles or so just to surf ten miles from my home.

12-28-22 AM Session: 3-5+ ft, Naples
Time in Water: 2.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 23
Miles Driven: 114
After yesterdays surf and even more swell on the buoys I saw no reason not to just head back to Naples. I dropped my wife off at work then cruised. Jeffery was already down there and stoked. I put on my mud shoes and rolled up my jeans for the walk. The trail gets super gnarly after it rains. When I came out on the cliff above seals I saw a bomb set that stoked me out. The solid dozen or so people out at Seals and another ten or so up at the Crack Peak had me a little less stoked. Still, compared to anyplace else it was empty. My first instinct was to grab my Clarks Surfboards Hacksaw model, my good wave board. The more I watched it while changing the weaker it looked with the incoming tide. I put my Hacksaw away and opted for my Clarks Fly Guy Model, my everyday rip stick. Not feeling the crowd at Seals I ran up to the Crack Peak. Turns out the few guys up there were all O.G. Naples guys some of whom I had not seen in some time and was pumped to surf with. I nailed three solid ones down the reef. As I was paddled back out following my third wave I felt a gust of wind out of the south. I hoped it was just a gust but by the time I got back to the line up a full on south breeze and subsequent chop had taken its toll. It’s too bad cause the lines where classic Naples. Yesterday was softer and more broken up where as today the lines were as far and as fast as you could surf them. My average ride was over two hundred yards. I was still getting waves all the way down the reef despite wind, except that little bit of chop was just enough to force a more survival style of surfing then actual ripping. Ryan and Gordo showed up and I actually caught my longest rides while they were out. I ended up getting one all the way to the Green Awning Peak just up from seals around 357 yards or so by my Rip Curl watch. At that point I was not feeling the wind and decided to just surf my way to Seals and out. The wind was really tearing through Seals so much that I actually went in on a left. I hate when the south winds throw a monkey wrench in what could have been an epic session. That’s what makes surfing so magical, the fact that when you actually score it’s spectacular. I’m not talking about those guys who are always claiming it. I’m talking about those days of days that are worth claiming. Looks like more days of surf and rain ahead. At the very least I’m happy it’s finally winter.

12-27-22 AM Session: 4-6+ ft, Naples
Time in Water: 4 hrs
Waves Surfed: 37
Miles Driven: 114
When I saw the models last week I definitely had Naples on my mind. This week is notoriously one of the worst weeks for crowds around these parts. Add to that what has shaped out to be the biggest swell of the season thus far and I knew it was going to be a very frustrating swell. The buoys and cams looked good and I heard there were waves up at Naples all weekend. Early on I made the call to head up. Rather then waste gas I took my wife to work in downtown Santa Barbara on the way. All the points that I passed looked solid so I was feeling reassured on my decision. One thing about surfing in Gaviota you never know what your going to get. There are so many minute factors that go into it being fun or terrible. Jeffery was already on the walk down when I got to the lot which had about a dozen cars parked. The few guys walking back that I ran into all said there were some solid head high plus sets. I lucked out that it began raining before I made the walk. Rather than getting my clothes soaked I decided to suit up and make the trek. Normally I hate walking that distance in a wetsuit but I hate wet clothes more. When I got to the cliffs edge I could see solid sets coming through. Seals had a solid pack on it including Jeffery. Although it looked fun the lineup was too crowded for my liking. I ran up to the Crack Peak where though a little bit more stretched and shifty I saw some solid ones. The waves had plenty of size albeit a little bit softer then I would have liked. I put in about two and a half hours up top and definitely got my share of fun ones. Was it what I was hoping for? Not entirely. Then I surfed my way down the reef to seals so I could get out. I actually got my biggest wave on this run. Ryan was out at Seals by himself so I surfed it with him for another hour or so before bailing. Actually as the tide dropped Seals was getting really fun but at that point I was so tired I wasn’t having fun plus I knew I had to save something for the rainy, muddy walk back. That walk back was absolutely miserable, as I slipping and sliding all over the trail. Basically I wore a wetsuit from 10:30am till I got back to my car at 3:30 pm, a horrific feat. Later that evening I was completely exhausted. Maybe I’m getting to old for this shit.

12-26-22 PM Session: 3-5+ ft, Silver Strand
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 22
Miles Driven: 14
If you read yesterday’s post then I don’t have to tell you why we got a late start today. If you’re too lazy to scroll below, let’s just say we partied a bit too hard at Christmas dinner. We had a look at Strand around 11. There was potential for the Ship though the tide a little fat. The bowl had a solid pack on it but I was in no condition for that. I decided to take my wife to breakfast and see how things would look with less tide. We had another look around 2pm. The surf was still all over the place and messed up. I got a report from both Ryan and CC that points were nothing special thus I paddled the Ship. I sat the Shit Pipe and relatively had a peak to myself. The tide was draining fast messing with the swell and adding a bunch of rips. I saw lots of sick ones but somehow was always in the wrong spot. I managed a few turns and maybe a barrel, plus lots of beatings. Overall it was another let down. After the surf we went to Lowe’s to pick up a new smoker that we bought for Bizarro for Christmas.

12-25-22 AM Session: 3-5+ ft, Silver Strand
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 24
Miles Driven: 10
I woke up this morning hoping for just one Christmas miracle, fun waves close to home in my time window. Not leaving conditions to chance like yesterday I headed out early, regardless of the extremely high king tides. Strand was the first stop. There were chest to head high waves in the bowl with off shore winds. The crowd was pretty heavy by Tower 3. I found a peak all to myself at Tower 4 and began meticulously packing barrels left and right. As the session wore on the swells just got bigger. By the time I quit I was a tad under gunned on the bombs. I took some serious beatings also. Stoked, my wife and I headed home to enjoy a nice breakfast and open presents. We enjoyed a few mellow hours before getting into entertainment mode and cooking another meal for more of my wife’s family. The Menu was Ossobuco, hand made cavatelli pasta, and green beans with an arugula pear salad to start and Tiramisu for dessert. Unfortunately my wife’s sister and Husband were running late. During that interim Us and our remaining guests managed to down two bottles of wine on empty stomachs. Needless to say we were all a bit tipsy. At that point the other group flat out canceled on us and I drunkenly got dinner served. By the end of the night we were six bottles of wine deep for five people. It was certainly a very merry Christmas. Talk about a splendid Christmas.

12-24-22 AM Session: 3-4+ ft, Silver Strand
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 21
Miles Driven: 12
Talk about making a bad call. I was about to paddle the river mouth in Hueneme when the wind came up stiff NW. At that point I should have cut my losses and headed to the points. I had to be in Santa Barbara by 5pm for Christmas Eve dinner with my wife’s family and I was in charge of bringing the food. Rather then deal with the hassle of bringing everything with me, surfing the north points and then head to SB from there I decided to hate my life and paddle torn up North Strand. Maybe I was just living in the moment of last night’s session. I paddled this left peak off of Tower 1 that was relatively uncrowded that being said there were easily a total of fifty guys from the Bowl to the North Jetty. I somehow was able to finagle a few ok rides early on. Then as the wind got worse and the tide dropped gnarly rips began to form everywhere at which point I spent the rest of my session paddling. I forced out a few more atrocious waves before calling it. As a result I surfed a bit too long thanks to a serious case of last wave syndrome or any wave syndrome for that matter, it was a mad rush to get ready and up to Santa Barbara. Luckily for us traffic was light and we got there a little early even. I steamed the tamales, heated up some enchiladas my wife’s mother made, heated beans and rice and dinner was served. Dessert was some crazy jello mold my wife and I found at the El Super in Oxnard, which reminded her is childhood and ice cream cake. We ended the night with a family screening of “Home Alone”. I’d say it was a success.

12-23-22 PM Session: 3-5+ ft, Silver Strand
Time in Water: 1 hr
Waves Surfed: 12
Miles Driven: 26
What can I say accept that I absolutely hate king tides, long period swell and Surfline’s incessant over hyping of every single blip of swell on the radar. I had a look around early. Every spot was flooded with the seven foot high tide and there wasn’t much swell showing yet either. Buoys were reading 8 ft from 285 @ 22nd seconds. Great size and direction but insanely bad period. I went home and chilled with my wife a bit. Around noon I set out for another look. Of course as the tide moved into an optimal window the wind came up. It wasn’t blowing hard but just hard enough to make the waves look rather uninviting. We went and picked up our Christmas tamales for Christmas Eve dinner with my wife’s family tomorrow. We do their traditional Mexican Christmas on Christmas Eve and then I do an Italian style dinner at my place Christmas Day. I had a friend on his way up to check the points. His report came up short and he didn’t even surf. I resolved just to wait till the last hour of light and paddle North Strand no matter how bad it looked. When I got there I saw a handful of inconsistent bomb sets hitting all over the place. The line up was very drained which caused it to be riddled with rips and currents. The NW wind was on it too. At the very least there weren’t too many guys out, not that I could blame them. I paddled and paddled and paddled. I did manage three decent waves. Some kid burned me on a good right that left me rather dumbfounded. All in all chalk it up to another surfing let down. Once home I employed my wife into helping me make hand made cavatelli pasta for Christmas dinner on Sunday. We capped out the night with a screening of the Irvin Berlin classic “A White Christmas”.

12-22-22 AM Session: 1-3+ ft, Santa Clara River Mouth
Time in Water: 1 hr 30 mins
Waves Surfed: 23
Miles Driven: 20
The buoys had a small fresh mid period WNW swell on them when I woke up. There was also a 6.8ft king tide at 8am to contend with. I started at Hueneme, it was smaller than yesterday. At that point my only option was to head to the Harbor. I was interested to see what was happening at the River Mouth bar. As usual New Jetty had about 40 guys on it with slim pickings. I had a look towards the mouth and saw some white water. Considering the dropping tide I decided to just suit up and give it a go. I ran into Solar in the lot and he decided to join me. Once out there it was very inconsistent and a bit more weak than we had hoped. There was a dude out there on a surf ski and another friend of mine on a hand plane. The wave was definitely more suited to their alternative equipment. The River was still running pretty strong adding a very intense rip on the bar. When I rode a wave there was so much resistance from the running water out to see that it almost felt like I was surfing a standing wave. It was definitely an interesting and rather challenging surfing experience. I had only one really decent wave that managed to run the bar. Besides that it was a lot of weirdness out there. The debris coming out of the mouth was also gnarly with decent size logs, a shoe and all sorts of other trash, not to mention the run off was freezing from snow melt. All and all it’s far from the best river bar we have had. The rest of my day was spent running the final Christmas errands with my wife. Tomorrow we are going to go find some reindeer. I have never seen live reindeer.

12-21-22 AM Session: 1-2+ ft, Port Hueneme
Time in Water: 1 hr 15 mins
Waves Surfed: 19
Miles Driven: 2
Just when you thought it was safe to come out and surf the flat spell continues. I had a look out front at the Pier. It was Micro but there was a small knee to maybe waist high wave to be had. I had a feeling the wind wasn’t going to hold and decided to just paddled the south side. When I walked up the beach I noticed this kid and his dad out whom I had sold a custom Pop Fizz to a few months earlier. Besides my friends I rarely get to surf with people who ride my boards. The kid was loving the board. I was stoked to see someone out there having a blast on a board I created. It’s those moments that make all the hassle of being a shaper worth while. Besides that the session was rather meager. Once again CC managed to show up right when the wind had come up and the tide was getting too low. The rest of my day was spent running around doing Christmas errands. I get a real guilty pleasure at watching the masses panic shop as it gets closer to the 25th. As for myself I got the bulk of my shopping done early on this year knowing how busy I was going to be with parties. Now I’m just cruising.

12-20-22 AM Session: 1-2+ ft, New Jetty
Time in Water: 1 hr 15 mins
Waves Surfed: 15
Miles Driven: 18
I think a surfers real resolve is truly tested during a flat spell. It’s easy to consider yourself a “core” surfer when the waves are fun, but when the waves drop to that knee high range that’s really what separates the committed from the non-committed. It’s hard to motivate to surf waves that are absolute crap. The older I get the harder it is. Luckily I was motivated by my friend Solar to paddle. We went out there at New Jetty and gave it our all. It was us and a handful of groms whom the waves were barely pushing. I boosted a sizable air that I landed a little too flat to stick that I should have quit on. Instead I stayed out and kept on plugging. CC showed up right as the wind had come up and we both decided it was time to move on. The rest of my day was spent in the service of ding repair. Once again folks if you have ding work that needs doing please reach out. I could certainly use the work.

12-19-22 AM Session: 2-3 ft, Santa Clara River Mouth
Time in Water: 1 hr 15 mins
Waves Surfed: 20
Miles Driven: 20
There were a bunch of very tiny south swells in the water this morning. I had a look at Hueneme and it was definitely a hair larger than yesterday. The shape was poor thus I headed over to the Harbor. New Jetty actually had a viable wave. It also had a crowd of twenty to go with it. Over that I had a look at the River Mouth. I heard mixed reviews about the bar that formed from it opening. It looked rather weak from my angle if it had not been for my old friend from back in my Oceano days Garrett showing up I probably would have walked on it. While checking it him and I got to catching up and in that time I saw enough waves to warrant a paddle. We walked down to the mouth. The bar was a bit on the softer side on the left and a bit walled on the right. Currently there is this deep water trough running along the bar making the wave a bit mushy. If we get a sizable swell I don’t think the bar will survive. The river was still running too making the water quality a bit to be desired. At the very least I made a session of it. Groveling in December. Later that evening was finally my last Christmas party to work of the season. It was the staff party of Birnam Wood Golf Club in Montecito. We used their kitchen and it always feels strange cooking in some other chef/crew’s kitchen. The food came out great and everyone was satisfied.

12-18-22 No Surfing: 0-1 ft,
Miles Driven: 2
Wow, is it really December and its flatter than it was back in July? Talk about weird. I had a look at Hueneme, there was a knee high closed out line at the Pier with two long boarders out. I was freezing just looking at it. I hate missing two days in a row but there wasn’t anything to even try and force a paddle. Pat wanted to make a mission way up north to the Guadeloupe Dunes, where I’m sure we could have found a chest high wave. I just wasn’t in the mood to do nearly six hours round trip driving just to get wet. Not yet anyway. In leu of the surf my wife and I went dress hunting for her for New Year’s Eve. We decided to check out the NYE party hosted by the Crown Plaza this year. Might as well ring in the new year in our new county. We lucked out and found the perfect dress rather early leaving us the rest of the afternoon. Since we were close to Malibu my wife and I decided to explore the hiking trails above Point Dume. I have been surfing the place for nearly twenty years and have never explored that part of the State Park. If you have never been it’s definitely worth a look. There are nice easy trails and beautiful vistas both to the north and south.

12-17-22 No Surfing: 1-2 ft,
Miles Driven: 20
It was about as small as it gets around here today. Knee high with the very, very inconsistent waist high wave was the call and that was only at Ventura Harbor. The wind was stiff offshore, the air and water cold, on top of that it wasn’t even fun looking small waves. Taking all that into consideration I decided to take the day off and join the holiday shopping hysteria. My wife and I had some last minute Christmas shopping to do. There is nothing more entertaining then watching people panic shop. The plan for the afternoon was to go check out the boat parade spectacular at Ventura Harbor, but then I got into watching the Pipe Masters and my wife fell asleep. Instead we made chilli relleno’s and capped the night off with one of the best Christmas movies ever made “Die Hard”. Its not truly Christmas till I hear “yippee kiaye mother fucker” and Hans Gruber falls off the Nakatomi Plaza.

12-16-22 AM Session: 1-3 ft, Silver Strand
Time in Water: 1 hr
Waves Surfed: 14
Miles Driven: 20
Small was the call this morning with only some minor WNW in the water. The wind was offshore making it worth while to look around. I started at Strand where it was waist plus but with some good shape in the North Bowl. I got word Fruit Stands was chest high and cruised over there. Fruits was larger but had junky shape. I got word the Harbor was the same but crowded. I headed back to Strand where although smaller had way better shape. It was still tiny with the hard offshore making it look less inviting for the diminutive size. I was too lazy to drive back to the Harbor for slightly better waves and just paddled the Bowl. I lucked into a couple of running lefts and even got one micro tube. Then I don’t know if it was the rising tide, dropping swell or increase in the offshore wind or maybe a combination of all three but the surf completely turned off. I was left out the back, freezing and scrapping for barely surf-able waves. I beat a dead horse for another half hour in an attempt to get a decent one in before conceding on just a junky wave to get me in. On a sad note the Army Corp of Engineers have moved the out flow pipes from Hueneme to the Strand and are soon to be dumping sand. The bars weren’t that great this year to begin with but historically they don’t get better from pumping. Who knows, time will tell. I had my second to last Christmas party to work for the year in Santa Barbara at 5pm. It was a super fancy shindig for a law firm. Everyone was stoked as usual. Looks like there’s going to be some rather tiny surf for the next few days.

12-15-22 AM Session: 2-3+ ft, Hollywood Beach
Time in Water: 1 hr
Waves Surfed: 11
Miles Driven: 14
I had a corporate party for the company Appfolio in Santa Barbara for eight hundred people. Given the vast size of such a party I needed to be up in SB by noon. I had a look at Strand first. The swell had went too west for the Ship. There were waves from the North Bowl to North Jetty. It wasn’t great and it was rather crowded for what was on offer. Considering how west the swell was I decided to give Hollywood a look. It wasn’t massive but there were chest plus peaks up and down the beach. I was basically out of time and had to paddle. I ran down to Little Sunset where Ryan and his son Dylan were on the beach suiting up. As soon as I jumped in I picked off a few fun rights. The waves were a little soft with the mid to incoming tide though still very rip-able. It helped that I was in the zone too. There were even a few fun wedging lefts. CC showed up and got a few. My time was limited, duty called and I bailed after an hour. The party I had to work was insanely crowded. I was working a grill cheese and tomato bisque soup station where we blew through five hundred portions in just an hour. Appfolio brought in a snow machine and made little sledding tracks for the kids. It was by far the most extravagant Christmas party I had worked thus far this season. By the end I was completely exhausted.

12-14-22 AM Session: 3-4+ ft, Silver Strand
Time in Water: 2.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 34
Miles Driven: 10
After yesterday’s goose hunt I decided to just stay local. My first stop was Strand. There was a chest to head high wave breaking at the Ship. The crowd was about thirty guys out most concentrated between the Ship and Tower 5. I saw some decent peaks towards the bowl that had no one on it and decided to paddle. It was super hallow although I couldn’t make a barrel to save my life on my first four waves. I made my fifth wave though I wasn’t very deep. After that the tide got funky as did the waves and I didn’t really catch anything for another half hour. Gabe and Bizarro showed up and paddled more near Tower 4. I saw him catch a few there and paddled over. As soon as I made that change I got on a roll and began picking off waves up and down the bowl. CC showed up and so did Ryan. The surf was far from epic, but it was glassy, there were still some sets coming through and everyone out was my friend. That being the case I ended up surfing another hour. I’d say it was a micro score. The rest of my afternoon was spent doing some last minute ding repair for Gabe so he had a decent board to surf back in Santa Cruz. It was nice to spend some time with him after nearly three years. It’s never too late to rekindle a friendship.

12-13-22 AM Session: 2-3+ ft, Emma Wood
Time in Water: 1 hr 15 mins
Waves Surfed: 20
Miles Driven: 72
Last night Gabe Clark showed up for a quick visit and to shape himself some boards. I woke up and the surf was down from the previous day though still solid at the VTA beaches with offshore winds. I started in Hueneme, which although clean with good shape was only about waist plus. From there I cruised to Strand where there were some good ones, but the surf was already tidy plus there was a solid fifty person crowd on it. Taking all that into consideration I couldn’t bring myself to paddle. Ryan was at Hollywood contemplating a paddle. I drove over. There was plenty of size except for the fact that it was weak and all over the place. Jeffery met up with me and he wasn’t feeling it either. We decided to go back to Hueneme and just surf. When we got there it looked even smaller then what I had seen earlier. We were still about to paddle when I got a call from CC that Rincon was chest high up top and empty. We decided to make the run up there. Once again I had work in Santa Barbara so it wasn’t any skin off my nose to drive. Gabe decided to follow me and since Bizarro was working with me he rode up as well. Of course when we got to Rincon it was barely waist high and junky with south wind on it. I watched CC and Jeffrey struggle to get a decent ride while fighting a crowd of thirty people. I just couldn’t bring myself to paddle. The tide was still pretty high so Gabe, Bizarro and I went back to Emma Wood. It wasn’t all that great there either but at the very least there were some boost-able ones with no one out. The first twenty minutes in classic Emma Wood fashion were fun. Then the wind came up and the dropping tide killed it. I suppose I just should have surfed Strand. The only salvageable aspect of the surf was that it was good to catch up with Gabe. Besides that what a stupid idiot mission of car surfing that was. The Christmas party was a piece of cake compared to the surf hunt.

12-12-22 AM Session: 3-5+ ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 11
Miles Driven: 52
The swell had picked up a bit overnight. I got word early that Rincon was head high. I also got word that it was absolutely packed. I had a look out front. Hueneme was waist to chest and clean with some tubes though a bit fast. Pat decided to give it a go. I had to be in Santa Barbara for work in the afternoon and decided to head towards Rincon. On the way I stopped and looked at Pitas, but the tide was too high. By the time I got to Rincon the wind had went a bit south. As I was checking it I ran into Brady. Apparently his board hit him in the face and he was bleeding pretty good. Luckily I carry peroxide in my car for such emergencies. We cleaned him up and despite a smashed nose the damage was not as bad as it could have been. I suited up and paddled up at the River Mouth and scored a few bombs. Then it got really slow out there and funky with the WSW winds. I floated around chipping at the block until I ended up in the Cove. It took a bit but I finally got a runner all the way through to the freeway and called it a day. It was definitely the biggest Rincon has been so far this season, but the quality was much to be desired. As far as the the Christmas party went everyone was pleased with the food and in fine holiday spirit.

12-11-22 PM Session: 2-3+ ft, El Capitan
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 15
Miles Driven: 124
The rain had brought with it a bit of WNW swell and was followed by stiff WNW winds as well trashing most spots. Knowing the north points were going to be my best option I decided to sleep in and enjoy a leisurely morning at home. Biz and I had to work in the Valley for a Christmas party in the evening so I planned to surf something on the way up. Rincon had a chest to head high wave but was way messier then I would have liked. I had a feeling that El Capitan would have waves and decided to roll the dice. I had to go past it anyway to get to work. El Cap was definitely a bit smaller then I had hoped around chest high, with broken up lines and a very thick crowd. I was out of time and options and paddled. I managed a few decent runners despite the smaller size. If I have said it once I have said it a million times, small El Cap is still better then most other waves. Mid way through my session I got yelled at by some crazy lady for catching to many waves. In retaliation she decided to burn me on a decent double up that I could have ripped. I think she was mentally unstable cause she was yelling at everyone. The place was packed easily seventy five people strong. Everyone was paddling everyone for waves. It was dog eat dog and I ate my fair share. The party was a Gainy Vineyard for Yale Alumni of the area. It went down with out a hitch.

12-10-22 AM Session: 2-3+ ft, Silver Strand
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 22
Miles Driven: 12
Another rainy day, I guess it’s going to be one of those winters. The very first winter, back in 2008 that I spent out in Santa Barbara was a very rainy and cold winter. I remember cause after about two weeks I was over it and about to bail to the North Shore. I had a buddy who had a place right on V-land who was itching for me to come. Then a solid swell hit and I scored Rincon, Sand Spit and EL Cap, no to mention a fun session at Hammonds. Needless to say I stayed, going on fifteen years now. The buoys were up and the wind was good this morning. Unfortunately so was the tide. Hueneme was small and Harbor crowded and stretched. I didn’t have to be in SB to work yet another holiday party till 4pm. Rather than force a shit high tide surf I decided to take my wife to breakfast and have a look mid day. Around 11am I headed over to Strand. It was still pretty fat but there was chest high wave coming into the south bowl with offshore wind. There was potential and I was out of time and paddled. Pat had a look as deferred. As soon as I hit the water the wind went stiff SSE adding a bit of cross chop to it. No one was out and though a bit tricky with the wind and the backwash I managed a few turns and airs. There were even a few tubes to be had though I couldn’t find my way out of them. Towards the end of my session my latest customer and new friend Amer showed up on his new Clarks Surfboards Pop Fizz model and we got a few waves before I had to bail. It wasn’t the best surf ever but it’s always good to get wet. As far as the party went it was your standard high end Santa Barbara Christmas Party.

12-9-22 AM Session: 2-3 ft, Fruit Stands
Time in Water: 1 hr
Waves Surfed: 17
Miles Driven: 20
The buoys had a very very small fresh round of NW swell on them. It was hardly showing on the cams. If not for Jeffrey being optimistic I don’t think I would’ve even bothered to leave my house. I checked Hueneme. It was tiny. From there I stopped by my new tailor to get my New Years tuxedo tailored since my condor like arms were too long for the jacket and it’s easier to take the arms out then the take in the next size up. After that I headed to the harbor where there was was waist to stomach high wave. With the high tide New Jetty was really the only wave breaking and it had thirty or so guys on it. There were a handful of guys trying to surf shore break at the knoll. Over it I decided to walk into Fruits and hope for the best. It was definitely still too high but there was a bar to the north of the trail that had potential. I took my time getting ready hoping that with each passing minute the tide would get lower. Jeffery showed up and we paddled. It was small and slow. By the time the tide got into a decent window the wind came up. I had two alright lefts and at the very least I got wet. My night was spent working a Christmas Party in Santa Barbara.

12-8-22 No Surfing: 0-1 ft
If I thought yesterday was bad today was about as close to flat as it gets around here. With the exception of Ventura Harbor or Cstreet which were both a pathetic knee high, one would be hard pressed to get a wave. A new minor NW was supposed to fill in for the afternoon but the wind was up and the cams still looked barely knee high. I made a $60 bet at my wife’s Museum’s holiday Christmas party that I could find a copy of the movie “The Holiday” for less then the $3.99 that Amazon was charging to stream it. Two Oxnard thrift shops later and I scored a copy for $1.99. That’s a solid profit if you ask me. After that I spent the afternoon shaping. Later that night some idiot kid came to my door trying to sell me magazine subscriptions, straight out of “Office Space” or something. When I looked at the list of what he was selling I was pretty at least three of periodicals were no longer in print. Better luck next time guy.

12-7-22 No Surfing: 1-2+ ft
Miles Driven: 4
Today was hands down the smallest day I have seen in Ventura since August. Add to that a 6 foot high tide at 8am and almost every spot was left not surf-able. Jeffery and I tried to talk ourselves into paddling knee to thigh high Hueneme Pier. The air was freezing and actual ride-able waves scarce and inconsistent. I was willing to paddle for Jeffrey’s sake. Luckily for me he wasn’t into it. I cruised home where I had a bunch of errands to run and ding repair to finish. Jeffery went back to the harbor and groveled it for like an hour. I was happy to take the day off.

12-6-22 AM Session: 2-3 ft, Silver Strand
Time in Water: 1 hr
Waves Surfed: 20
Miles Driven: 18
So much for the swell hanging around today. It was slim pickings and high tide early. I had a look at Strand around 9:30am. It had potential but needed about an hour less tide. I ran a few errands then cruised back. Unfortunately the steadily dropping tide was really messing with the surf. Also there was lots of small short period local wind swell to contend with which was not helping either. I paddled the south bowl hoping it might get better. It didn’t. At the very least the waves were really glassy and it was a nice day out, plus there was no one out. The peaceful solitude of a solo session is never something to be discounted these days. Besides that I’d say the session was a wash. The rest of my day was spent doing ding repair.

12-5-22 PM Session: 2-3+ft, Little Rincon
Time in Water: 45 mins
Waves Surfed: 9
Miles Driven: 70
Whenever I have an appointment during daylight hours I can almost guarantee that at whatever time it is will be the optimal surf window. I had a thing in Oxnard at 11:30. First thing I had a look at the beaches. There was some channel funk happening along with some fresh new very short period wind swell that was just making a mess of everything. I checked from Hueneme to Hollywood before throwing in the towel. I got word there were some waist to chest high waves at the points and made the call to wait and make a run for them after my appointment. I hit the road again around 12:30pm. The wind was already blowing stiff NW down here thus I headed straight for Pitas where CC had paddled an hour ago or so. Pitas was clean and had some chest plus waves. It was also way too drained and dumpy. I watched CC catch two close outs and left. Rincon was all over the place and broken up with easily a hundred guys on it. I was not about to go battle the crowd for what I had seen. On a last ditch effort I desperation paddled Little Rincon. There were only about six guys out. Mainly because it was dumpy, stretched and had a drifty current. I was out of options and at the very least the waves were glassy. I jumped in on the north side of the pier taking into consideration the shitty drift. As soon as I was in position I got a strange one that ended up being a wave on top of another wave. Talk about really short period wind swell. Right after that wave the wind came up atomic out of the NW trashing the place. I would have paddled Rincon had the wind been up earlier. On the upside everyone got out leaving me all alone. The wind also added one more negative factor to an already annoying surf. I fought the treadmill like current for a few more then called it a day. The wind is supposed to blow all night. Fingers crossed it does something positive for tomorrow.

12-4-22 AM Session: 3-4+ft, Hollywood Beach
Time in Water: 1 hr 45 mins
Waves Surfed: 20
Miles Driven:
Another round of rain was coming down when I woke up this morning. Between that and the six foot high tide I decided to sleep in and shoot for mid morning. The forecast was calling for variable east winds all day. Around ten I got to looking about. My first stop was Strand where it was a bit larger then yesterday though still not what I was looking for. There were also about forty guys spread out from the Bowl to the North Jetty. Not having it I cruised back to Hollywood where I was greeted to clean offshore peaky chest to head high peaks up and down the beach with just one other guy out. I didn’t hesitate to run back to my car and suit up. Unlike yesterday I grabbed my Clarks Surfboards Hacksaw Model as to not get cut short like yesterday. Positioning was a little tricky as waves were coming in from all over the place. I found the best strategy was to stay put, be patient and let the waves come to me. Ryan and Andy paddled out and the three of us were pretty stoked. Just like yesterday as the tide bottomed out the waves began to really slow down. Considering my foot was bothering a bit more then yesterday, most likely from the constant climbing up and down the ladder to hang the Christmas Lights yesterday, I decided to get one more in. On said wave I packed a double barrel that had me wondering if I was making the correct decision to bail. The rest of my day was spent running random errands about town with my wife.

12-3-22 AM Session: 3-4+ft, Hollywood Beach
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 21
Miles Driven: 18
There was a bit more WNW swell in the water. My first stop was Strand in the hopes something would be showing. It was clean but tiny. Pat was checking the south end of Shores where it was a bit bigger though stretched. I decided to have a look at Hollywood which likes this swell’s angle and period. There were clean chest to head high peaks up and down the beach. The tide was still a little fat though dropping quick. We paddled and right off the bat there were some fun corners to be had. There were also some kill-able close outs. I was a bit under gunned on my 5’7. It looked soft from the beach but in classic Hollywood fashion the waves always have more push then one thinks. The session was still very manageable on the smaller board I just needed to be more savvy about positioning. Brady showed up mid session and it really started pumping. I stuck two big airs and cruised through a solid backside tube. Then Ryan showed up and it completely turned off. The low tide seemed to knock some size off the sets, as well as making the waves very lully and dumpy. I caught a few more and bailed. I was stoked that my foot was feeling about 80%. At my age every injury can be a cause for concern. After the surf my wife and I went shopping for more lights for the outside of our house and bought our Christmas tree. Subsequently the rest of the afternoon/evening was spent decorating.

12-2-22 AM Session: 2-3+ft, Oxnard Shores
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 20
Miles Driven: 16
Talk about a let down today. First off I hate these cold damp rainy days. When I was younger I had no problem with then, but as I get older these days leave my body feeling stiff and the motivation to paddle lacking. It’s days like today when I have to dig deep to find my inner grom. The tide was high early allowing me to kick it till mid morning to start the hunt. Incoming tide in the afternoon could have been the window. On these storm days you can never trust the wind, not wanting to hedge my bets I headed out for a look at 10am. Strand was my first stop. There was a little more swell on the buoys, coupled with off shore winds I was hoping it would be on. As I trudged up the beach in the rain I was sorely disappointed by the barely waist high waves on offer. From there I cruised to Shores where it was a little bigger in the chest high range with the odd ball larger set and very inconsistent. The wind was SE adding a little side wobble on what could have been nice clean lines. Tired of looking I deemed it decent enough to paddle. Jeffery showed up and we found a peak to ourselves, not that it was crowded out there. The first thirty minutes there were some solid ones and my foot was feeling much better. Then as low tide set in the waves went super lully. Despite the lull I managed a really fun left tube and stuck the first air I have thrown since the injury. I was stoked to be feeling better. As the tide turned the sets began to get more consistent. I took a few more then left not wanting to push my foot any further leaving Jeffery out the back all alone. As I walked up the beach I saw him stroke into a solid one. It wasn’t a score by any means but we had fun. The rest of my day was spent getting my business affairs in order. All I can say is this holiday season is really starting to shape up.

12-1-22 AM Session: 2-4+ft, Fruit Stands
Time in Water: 1 hr
Waves Surfed: 16
Miles Driven: 20
The decision to take the day off from any real heavy walking on my foot yesterday proved to be the right one. I was still not feeling great, but definitely felt a bit better. The surf was looking down on the buoys though there was some fresh long period NW on the buoys. The wind was offshore keeping it clean. As much as I knew I should rest up and not surf I hate starting a new month out not surfing on the first day. To me it feels like I’m already setting a negative tone for the entire month, not to mention destroying any chance of scoring a perfect month. I headed over to Oxnard Shores to see if lightning could strike twice. There were plenty of waves but there was a strange channel chop on it breaking up what would have been decent waves. Jeffery was at the Harbor claiming it was a bit cleaner with stiffer off shore winds. He wasn’t all that jazzed on it either. We decided to meet at Fruits and just walk in hoping for the best. The waves were definitely all over the place but way cleaner and more defined then Shores. No one was out and we saw a decent bar just to the north of the trail. There was this fisherman marking the bar clearly. While I was changing I saw the dude pull out a fish that had to be four feet long. I’m always tripped out by the size of the fish guys catch off the beach. If that’s hovering that close to shore imagine what else’s is? Out of mind out of sight has always been my motto when it comes to sharks. We paddled and right off the bat I picked off a head high right that ended up throwing out a very dumpy, heavy barrel. I pulled in but with my current foot injury wasn’t able to make the correct adjustments to come out causing me to take a pretty gnarly beating. Then I pulled into a decent size left tube that also beat me good. Turns out there was way more power and size out there then I initially thought. After those two I got in the zone and managed a few decent barrels and some turns with in the limitations of my foot of course. I did an hour then bailed as to not press my luck. I actually got out at the right time cause the waves completely stopped coming in and the offshore winds stopped too. I watched Jeffery struggle to get an alright wave in. Talk about scoring the perfect one hour window. The rest of my day was spent working my first Christmas party of season.