Surfing Ruined My Life

February 2018 Surf Sessions

2-28-18 AM Session: 4-6+ ft, Silver Strand
Time in Water: 1 hr 45mins
Waves Surfed: 19
Miles Driven: 78
Looks like I am back into the Sliver Strand groove these days.  To be honest it is the only place any palatable sand, what lack there of there is.  Reports claimed the wind swell was suppose to be on the way down.  I already had a car load full of boards as it was and Cody as a passenger since he needed a ride down to Ventura.  Fitting in a step up would have been near to impossible.  After yesterday’s tail incident I was learning a new board as well this morning, my last one for a little bit too.  I got to the Ship and it was still a bit fat making it look smaller then yesterday, but still very fun.  I jumped in on my 5’10 and grabbed a few sick ones right off the bat.  The wind was on it a tad, out of the SW adding a bit of side chop on the face and keeping it less hallow.  Still there were a few pits if you found the right one.  It was a bit more inconsistent too.  As the tide dropped the sets kept getting bigger and heavier as they hit the draining bar.  At this point I began to feel very under gunned.  The waves felt like they had a lot more power behind them then yesterday as well.  Right smack on wave number 11 a bomb bowl came right at me doing the sideways thing some of the real cherry ones do at the Ship.  I paddled for it, but as I was getting up got hung up in the lip and tried to lean over the back.  Instead I got taken right over the falls and went from top to bottom easily eight feet.  When I hit I didn’t penetrate the water deep enough so that when the wave broke it just picked me up and threw me back over the falls.  At this point I hit the bottom, probe 12 feet down or so.  Ryan said he saw my board tombstoning for easily thirty seconds.  It was cold, dark and I was quickly running out of air.  There was so much water moving around I couldn’t push through to the surface.  When I was just about at full lung capacity I luckily got into an up draft that sucked me up to the surface with just enough time to grab a quick breath before the next macker landed on my head.  I easily took another three on the head before getting my board back.  The whole ordeal spooked me pretty good.  The last time I took a beating that bad was probably at Jalama two years ago.   I would have to check back into this surflog to be sure.  After that I eased my way back into charging the bombs. Finally when I got my confidence back up I airdropped into a solid ten foot pit only to land a bit too flat and twisted my front knee a little funny on the bottom turn.  I got two more after that and called it a day.  Luckily my knee is fine, just a little sore.  Remember I had two major knee injuries in my early twenties from surfing.  When my knees tell me its time to quit I do.  Still I would say it was quite fun to get back into some juice again.

2-27-18 AM Session: 4-6+ ft, Silver Strand
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 16
Miles Driven: 78
Wow! That was the only expression on my face as I walked up the beach at the Ship and watched an over head bomb double up, throw over and spit.  Then I saw it happen a handful more times.  It wasn’t long after that, when I found myself running back to my car.  By far it was the biggest waves I have seen in over a month.  The heaviest I had surfed in nearly two.  A bunch of other guys pulled up and paddled at the same time.  There were plenty of waves with two wind swells in the water and with frigid water coupled with a brutal paddle out after every ride the crowd was not an issue.  Dane was out in the south bowl and my boy Kevin too.  The first half of my session I was a little hesitant and with out a doubt held back a bit on the bombs and performance.  Fuck, the largest wave I have surfed as been maybe chest high all month.  I was on a relatively new board that had never seen anything of the likes of what was out there.  After a few barrels I got in the groove and began getting some really sick ones.  My last wave was a way over head bomb.  I air dropped to the bottom of and then pulled into a huge stand up tube.   I shot out of it and then was blown off my board by the spit.  The wave was followed by a classic Strand twelve wave set pushing me all the way into the beach.  At that point it was easier to come in and paddle out by the jetty then struggle with all the wash in the bowl.  as I was walking out next to the rocks I noticed that I had somehow managed to crack the entire toe rail of my tail.  I went back to my car to switch boards, but realized I was freezing from the cold water and the fact that my suit is pretty old now.  Then the wind started to come up as well putting the nail in the coffin.  Thus I decided to quit while I was ahead.  I had a look at Rincon on the way home to see about a second surf.  Though short board-able it was only about chest high plus, crowded for what it was and not that good of form or shape on the point.  If I didn’t already surf I would have paddled, but I couldn’t find the motivation to freeze while fitting for below average surf.

2-26-18 AM Session: 2-3+ ft, Silver Strand
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 20
Miles Driven: 78
Just another day in the winter of a Californian surfer’s discontent.  I actually got up early this morning thinking I could score some really fun surf at the Ship before the tide got too low like yesterday.  Even though the buoys showed more swell then yesterday, the beaches showed the opposite.  On top of that there was some really bad channel chop left over from yesterday.  I was going to just cruise back to Rincon with my fish when Ryan asked me to have a look at the North End for me.  After watching it for like 15 minutes while he checked Dredge I saw enough to encourage a paddle.  He met me and out we went.  The water was fucking freezing and after ducking diving five on the head I seriously considered just paddling in.  I forced myself to continue.  It was about as weak and gutless as it looked in the chest plus range with lefts and rights scattered up and down the beach.  The sets were actually alright if you happened to be in position.  Then the wind came up and blew the place out and made it even more cold.  For whatever reason with the wind up the waves began doubling up better on the inside and I actually started getting some good ones.  I even brought down the largest ally-oop I have pulled in a while.  I don’t know why, but for whatever reason I got on a tear in the horrible conditions.  I guess I am channeling my inner east coaster in order to stay surfing this winter.

2-25-18 AM Session: 2-3+ ft, Silver Strand
Time in Water: 1 hr 15 mins
Waves Surfed: 21
Miles Driven: 78
I wanted to go up north to Jalama, but after checking the weather decided that I couldn’t trust wind.  Instead my lady and I headed south in the hopes that the wind would stay down long enough that i could take advantage of the beach breaks and what little wind swell/ south swell/ WNW combo was in the water. Of course as soon as I got to Ventura the wind was on it.  Ryan called and said he was at  Strand and it was still clean.  Sure enough the wind was oddly off shore there.  The sand at the Ship is a bit fucked up at the moment.  There is a weak ass outer bar and then some semi-kill-able inside shore break.  I chose the later. Until the wind switched made the most out of the less then desirable conditions, which has become the stock standard this whole month.  Hey, at least I got wet.  Don’t let the photo fuck with your mind, the outside was completely gutless.

2-24-18 No Surfing: 2-3 ft
Last night my girl and I had a little date night, steadily turned into a drunken night at the Wild Cat.  No shocker there.  We had a lazy morning.  I wanted to surf, but by the time we got our act it was mid day.  The cam was small and all reports were average at best.  We had some errands to run in Goleta and I had work at 4:30 thus keeping me out of the water.

2-23-18 PM Session: 1-2+ ft, Little Rincon
Time in Water: 1 hr
Waves Surfed: 15
Miles Driven: 57
Well what can I write about today’s let down? Last night the wind was whipping out of the NW.  With that in mind I thought there would definitely be some semi decent local wind swell in the morning.  I woke and it was small.  Still I figured that on incoming tide Rincon could at least be fun on my fish.  I got there mid day and it was absolute crap.  To add injury to insult there were twenty guys on it, two vans filled with the Surf Happens kids.  How are we letting this dude load up buses of groms that end up clogging our breaks.  Someone need to off this guy.  I went for a beach walk and found lots of cool shells and sea glass. In the hopes that more swell would come in with the tide and the crowd would diminish.  None of that happened.  I decided to have a quick look at Little Rincon.  On minor wind swell sometimes though a bit more messy it can have some more juice.  It was terrible there, but I did see enough to push my fish around and no one was out.  I did drive after all I ought to surf.  I paddled and it was just about as bad as it looked.  I did manage a few cause my fish is a god among surf boards in garbage surf, which has become par for the course around here these days.

2-22-18 AM Session: 2-3 ft, Silver Strand
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 34
Miles Driven: 78 
I knew it was going to be small since the buoys and cams were showing minimal surf.  It was my day off and I really wanted to surf something.  Armed with my short boards and my fish I headed south on a wing and a prayer.  Let me stress the prayer, well I am not really a religious man so I suppose hope would be a better choice of antonym.  I passed Rincon and it was barely knee high.  The winds were still light, thus I continued on.  When I got to C-Street, my back up spot, the wind was south completely fucking the break.  On a last ditch effort I found myself at Ventura Harbor.  From the looks of things the army corp of engineers has just about finished with the dredge project.  Unfortunately all the sand bars got buried and with a lack of swell no new ones were formed.  I think it is going to be a few weeks till that area is even worth a look.  Out of any real options I decided to burn another five bucks in gas and check Strand.  The ship was tiny, knee to waist plus with two guys out.  It was glassy with somewhat consistent wind swell bowls.  With the tide on the rise I figured I might as well paddle and hope for the best.  I grabbed my short board, but took my fish down just in case I had over estimated.  As it turns out it was a perfectly fun day in Florida.  Sadly it was some of the more fun waves I have surfed all month.  Fuck. La Nina is killing me slowly.  I need a surf trip.  If anyone out there wants to take pity on me and hook up a sick little surf trip I would be more then grateful and would totally promote everything on this blog and my social media.

2-21-18 No Surfing: 1-3 ft
More wind, small waves and morning work kept me from the waves today.  I heard Strand had something to ride, but was blown out by the time I got off.  I kept an eye on the Sand Spit Cam, but it never got over ankle high.  Anyways it was probably for the best since I was still feeling a tad bit under the weather.

2-20-18 No Surfing: 2-3 ft
Miles Driven: 30
I had a choice when I woke up; got to work in the morning and surf later or surf first, work later.  I chose the former thinking that it would be too windy and torn up at the beaches and two high for the points.  I also figured the wind swell would hang around since the off shore gale on the central coast was predicted to blow for days.  I was wrong.  Turns out Strand was super fun till about noon and when I got off Rincon was barely a two foot, gutless and crowded thanks to Surf Happens after school program.  Whoo Hoo.  I guess it was better the surf was shit anyhow cause on the drive home I started to feel really sick.  By the time I got home I pretty much crawled under a blanket and balled up on the couch.  I think the cold walk back from the break wall last night all wet didn’t suit me well.  I really hope I am not getting sick.

2-19-18 PM Session: 1-2+ ft Sand Spit
Time in Water: 45 mins
Waves Surfed: 15
Miles Driven: 32
I had some brief moving errand running work to do in the morning.  After that I thought I would have a look at Rincon and see what was happening with the wind swell.  It was tiny and since a holiday crowded for how shitty it was.  I knew the afternoon would be better with the low tide and rising swell.  My girl was getting back from SD on the 3 pm train keeping me in Santa Barbara.  I was still hopeful for something in town before dark.  Lead Better had some size, but with the lower tide and short period swell it was all over the place, short and weak lines.  Sand Spit had a tiny wave on the Cam and I figured I could grovel one or two on my fish.  Being that she had been cooped up on the train for six hours my lady came along for the fresh air. It was tiny knee to waist at best.  Sand Bar is a perfect wave and even at it’s smallest on the right equipment can be fun.  I actually managed on little tube the of which is pictured here.  This month has been absolutely horrible.   Thanks to my fish I am at the very least staying wet.

2-18-18 No Surfing: 1-2+ ft
I was really hoping to surf today.  The morning was a bit on the crappy side and the afternoon was no better.  This has been by far the worst winter I have experienced surf wise in my twelve years living in California.  As you know I have the data to prove it.  I challenge you, pick any day from this year and then go to the same day any other year in my surf log and I would say 95% of the time the archive session was better.

2-17-18 No Surfing: 2-3+ ft
Last night was doozy.  There may have been a window early in the morning at River Mouth, but I was not waking up for that.  Instead I cruised around town with Brennan before having to go work a billionaire’s birthday party up in Montecito.  Opera was one of the guests.  You can imagine the extent of the extravagance of everything from the house to the food.  When I got home the boys were already dressed and chomping at the bit to go out.  Thus I had to suit up and get on it with them.

2-16-18 PM Session: 1-2+ ft, Lead Better
Time in Water: 45 mins
Waves Surfed: 16
Miles Driven: 0
I could have found real waves some where south or north today.  The dish washer at work had asked me to fill in for him for the day.  It was a solid eight hours of work that in my current state I would have to be a fool to turn down.  Unfortunately the shift was from 9 am -4:30 pm killing my entire surf day.  I got out and had a look at Leads.  As usual I saw that one magic set that sent me running back up the hill.  The point was absolute crap.  The outside reef, the indicator of Lead Better so to speak was channeling the small south swell making a two to three turn waist high wave when it came in.  I messed around out there till dark, then groveled my way to the beach, where I managed to cut my hand on a rock coming in.  From there I headed over to my boss’ place for a make your own pizza party.  After that my boy Brennan from SF made it to town and we all hit the Wild Cat.

2-15-18 PM Session: 1-3+ ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 24
Miles Driven: 64
What a fucking bust today was.  I had a look at the cams around 2 pm and the wind was side shore/offshore in Ventura.  With the wind swell mix in the water I had reason to believe that Strand would be fun.  I grabbed Bizarro hoping to get a few shots.  It has been so flat getting a few decent pictures has become a bit difficult.  By the time we got to Ventura the wind switched hard onshore making it absolutely shit everywhere.  On a last ditch effort we checked Rincon.  Though tiny it was a slightly bigger then yesterday.  I ran into Tony G checking it on his last day in town.  He talked me into paddled with him for a final session.  Biz was cool with just hanging on the rocks anyway for a bit. Up top looked fun.  We actually saw a solid three wave chest high set that provoked us to paddle in first place.  Once out there the swell was all broken up and just not lining up as a result of the bottom being so bad.  If we even had average sand there It would have been short board-able and fun.  As it was I gladly sported my fish.  I stayed up top for the duration of Tony’s session, before working my to the Cove, which was mildly better.  It was far from good enough to stay and I worked my way in.  That night I took my girl out to Stella Marris, this French place by the Bird Sanctuary.  I have wanted to eat there for quite a while and I was very impressed.  Totally worth eating at and the price value was good too.

2-14-18 PM Session: 1-2+ ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 25
Miles Driven: 30
Finally I got finished with all my prep obligations early enough to sneak down to Rincon for a session.  Though small there were some knee to thigh high runners coming through the Cove with only a few guys out.  My fish eats that small shit for breakfast anyway thus I paddled.  As I was about to paddle the Cove I saw a set that looked in the wait high range hit up top.  Despite the sand being shit up there I figured I may as well start up there and work my way down.  Though bigger the shape was shit and after a few from Indicator and River Mouth I worked my way into the Cove.  With the negative tide and the long lines I actually had a rather good time.  For V-day my girl and I kept it simple.  I made a nice shrimp and Chicken Alfredo with tri-color pasta.  For dessert my girl made us semi-heart shaped sugar cookies filled with jelly.

2-13-18 No Surfing: 2-3 ft
Once again I had the early shift a work thanks to a cooperate lunch.  My day ran later then I had intended taking me out of the Rincon game.  I had some last minute Valentine Day shopping to handle.  I looked at Lead Better, but was not about to go ankle grovel after yesterday’s poor showing.

2-12-18 PM Session: 1-2 ft, Lead Better
Time in Water: 45 mins
Waves Surfed: 11
Miles Driven: 0
I had work in the morning and I had hoped to get out early enough to maybe run to Rincon and get a few on my fish.  The day ran a tad longer then I had hoped leaving with nothing more then an hour of light.  For whatever reason I always end up checking Lead Better right as a four wave alright looking set rolls in provoking me to paddle.  When I get there and it’s absolutely terrible which was the case.   Whatever I pushed my fish around on a few ankle slapper before bellying my last one in.  One of the upsides to my fish being 5’3 it easily doubles for a belly board when necessary.

2-11-18 No Surfing: 1-2 ft
I wanted to surf this morning, but I had work.  The buoys indicated a steep NW wind swell that Strand would have definitely picked up.  It was too high in the early morning and by the time I got out of work the wind picked up super hard out of the WNW killing my hopes at a surf.  Fuck this month.  I heard from Ryan strand was only about waist to chest and weak anyway.

2-10-18 No Surfing: 2-3 ft
Miles Driven: 78
I had to be down in Ventura to help Gabe with a this new batch of boards.  I was hoping to get some more of the south swell at River Mouth.  The sand was all fucked up at the River Bar making the worlds mushiest A-Frame.  There were some good ones right in front of where they are dredging the harbor, but the water was so nasty black and smelly I was not about to get sick for waist plus waves.  Since the surf was flat I got to the shaping bay early and began learning fin placement from Gabe.  After that I had my first solo gig working for Chef Micheal.  I was a bit nervous, but everything turned out famously.

2-9-18 PM Session: 2-3+ ft, Jalama Beach
Time in Water: 1 hr 15 mins
Waves Surfed: 20
Miles Driven: 128
I noticed some solid little south on the buoy before work this morning.  I decided to keep an eye on it and if conditions looked optimal head up to Jalama.  Around two it looked like a go.  My chick left early and with the exception of getting delayed a half hour because forty pounds of Salmon got dumped into my lap that needed portioning we set off.  There was gnarly thick fog up the entire Gaviota coast leaving us very skeptical if we would get any beach time at all.  The cam was still showing blue skies at Jalama thus we continued.  When we got there it was a beautiful sunny evening, with glassy waist to chest plus south sets in the water.  I saw a few come in at Cracks and decided to make the walk.  In retrospect I should have just surfed the River Mouth at the campground.  The tide was a bit high and decent sets inconsistent.  Still I managed to find a few choice waves that made the drive worth while.  After the surf we drove up to Lompoc to get dinner at my favorite Italian restaurant in the Santa Barbara area, La Botte.  It is by far the closest thing to a New Jersey Italian spot I have discovered out here.  For just $85 bucks we enjoyed three courses and nice bottle of wine.  In Santa Barbara that would have cost at least $150.  It was a nice date night to say the least.

2-8-18 No Surfing: 2-3 ft
Miles Driven: 30
I cruised over to Rincon to get a few waves before work.  There was just a small left over bump from that not really a WNW swell.  I was thinking about cruising down the Ventura Harbor till the wind came up.  Rincon had some small waist plus sets with a somewhat busy crowd on it for what was on offer.  Still after yesterdays lack there of a surf. I wanted to get wet and I saw enough that I could float around on my fish before work.  As I was walking back up the beach I ran into Tony G from Ocean Hut Surf back in NJ on his yearly Rincon trip.  We got to catching up and time flew by.  I still could have paddled, but after watching it for a good half hour while bull shitting I was left completely unmotivated to take part in the mushy crumblers on offer.   Instead I just went to work.  Fuck is it February or June I don’t know anymore.  I think we skipped winter and have went right into Spring.  Ugh!!!

2-7-18 AM Session: 3-4+ ft, Hollywood By the Sea
Time in Water: 1 hr
Waves Surfed: 11
Miles Driven: 78
Another day another let down.  I had somewhat low expectations today.  The only thing I knew was that I wanted to surf no matter what.  There was a lot less swell in the water then yesterday with about the same number of takers around.  Ryan said him and Gordo were paddling Hollywood and that it was far from good but there were a few sets.  I got down there and saw a few decent lefts.  What I failed to see was that sets were inconsistent and all over the place.  Bars were spread out with deep holes and being in position was near impossible.  Considering how bad it was I entertained myself by attempting to keep my head dry, which I managed till my second to last wave where I flopped over on an off the lip that the wave died out on causing me to fall.  Before that I stuck an ally oop and a frontside air and managed to stay dry.  Whatever, at least I surfed.  I hung around, ran some errands then had a look at Strand.  It was tiny and the wind was on it.  I was over it.  There was a wave at Rincon, but it was still more crowded then I wanted.  Fuck surfing, I am over it all.

2-6-18 No Surfing: 3-5 ft
Miles Driven: 78
After over a week of no real swell in the water a let down of a WNW decided to grace us.  Though the perfect angle it came in way too long period for Santa Barbara and was super inconsistent every where else.  Since there had not been waves for so long and the fact that Surfline had predicted it days ahead of time.  The end result was place that had a wave was packed.  I heard Strand had waves and after checking crowded below average Rincon decided to head straight there.  The Ship was flat and the south end average at best and I hate that wave when it’s good let alone average. I checked the rest of the beachies to no avail before heading to my glasser to pick up some boards.  He got each just under five pounds.  I am pretty pumped.  From there I headed to Sea Cliff to see what I could find.  I pulled off at Emma and there was actually a fun looking waist plus wave that I was considering when about fifteen other guys pulled up all in two or three crews and decided the same thing.  That was enough for me to be over it.  Pitas had wave, but was high and average with a light crowd.  In retrospect I should have paddled there.  Rincon was my last stop and I figured I would just paddled and wait till I got my cut.  It was stupid crowded with the majority kook and out of towners and was way smaller and inconsistent that I wanted.  If I had paddled out there I may have stabbed someone.  I checked the buoys and thought I could just go back to town and fish Naples.  The mistake I made was that I stopped at my apartment to drop off my new boards.  I had a look at Lead Better and it was fucking tiny,  At that point it was two in the afternoon I had been on the hunt since 8 am and I was completely frustrated and over it.  Fuck surfing in Southern California.  I never thought I would live to see the day when I was fed up with this place.

2-5-18 PM Session: 1-3+ ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 2 hrs
Waves Surfed: 15
Miles Driven: 64
Everyone was hoping that new swell would have been on the buoys this morning.  It was hardly there.  I had to go do some surf board business in Ventura mid morning and figured I would have a look around.  Everything was pathetic on the way down, not to mention cold, damp and foggy.  I got to River Mouth and it was barely waist high with toxic water courtesy of the harbor dredge project.  If it were firing I may consider going out in what was literally black water, but not for crap. I got my errands done and then headed back to Santa Barbara.  I stopped at Emma.  It was tiny.  On a last ditch effort I pulled off at Rincon.  I figured at the very least I could take a walk, collect some sea glass and have a look at all the giant boulders that have been pushed out in to the line up at the River Mouth section.  Sure enough the extent of the damage to the point at the River Mouth is awful.  There are about ten giant boulders right in the middle of the wave on high tide, when that section is usually a its best.  I saw a couple of waist high sets with only three guys out up top and grabbed my fish for a paddle.  Once out there I realized it was way more inconsistent then I had thought.  With all of the new rock configurations it is almost a different wave up at low Indicator.  My fish will plow through anything and I got a few fun ones.  With the wait so long between sets it didn’t take long for me to go into a deep freeze and get over it.  Lets hope a bit more swell fills in tomorrow.

2-4-18 No Surfing: FLAT
After getting waves one very birthday I have had since I was fifteen a 23 precedent was broken.  Shit, I have spent a third of those at Rincon and more then half at points.  When On my 19th birthday I almost drowned in New Jersey due to shallow water black out.  Not this year.  One would have been hard pressed to find anything over knee high in a 100 mile radius around Santa Barbara.  After going super hard last night for my party, where the after hours dance off at my apartment raged till 4 am I was not about to spent gas and hours chasing down minuscule surf.  Fuck, one would think having a birthday smack in the middle of winter and the WNW season I should have been able to get my feet in the wax somewhere.  It really has been two consecutive years of sub par surf here in California.  Instead I lounged around my place with my chick watching the final day of the Volcom Pipe Pro.  The night was ended with a nice beach walk and dinner at Brophy Bros.

2-3-18 PM Session: 2-3+ ft, Surf Beach
Time in Water: 1 hr
Waves Surfed: 18
Miles Driven: 128
“Stupid is as stupid does”…A return to Surf Beach.  Sometimes when I think I can’t get anymore dumb I go and amaze myself.  When lighting strikes twice in one spot the usual contemplation is to stay away.  When it happens six times one should avoid that spot like the plague.  I wrote Surf Beach off years ago after the third fatal attack took place.  The surf has been super flat and today was more of the same.  On top of the flatness though the wind has been epic.  I missed out on a boat to the Islands yesterday by one spot, where they absolutely scored.  I was a bit jonesing. When my girl said she wanted to go up to Solvang for Breakfast and then spend the day up in the Valley I figured I may as well bring gear just in case.   We ended up at the Purisma Mission in Lompoc, where a good time was had despite the new no feeding the animals policy.  I still fed them.  At that point Surf Beach was only down the street.  My chick had never been there so I decided we would just have a look.  Of course it was one of the thirty days a year that it was not windy there.  Actually it was a super splendid afternoon weather wise and there were lots of people on the beach.  The lot was full.  I have never seen that.  One guy was surfing already and it looked fun enough.  Yeah, I paddled the peaky chest plus surf.  I found an alright bar to the north of the parking lot that put up a fun enough right and left.  The thing about surfing a sharky spot is that you are on alert the entire session, always looking over your shoulder for the men in grey suits. I managed a few fun ones and made it back to the beach with all my limbs.  Any session at Surf Beach where that happens is a good day of surfing.  Tonight is Bizarro’s and my birthday celebration at the Wild Cat.  If you are in the Santa Barbara area feel free to come join us.  We will get there around 10:30 pm or so.

2-2-18 No Surfing: 1-2 ft
At this point in the flat spell I have just about gotten tired of chasing sub par waves up and down the California coast.  Last night we may have celebrated my girl’s good job a bit too hard as well leaving me even more unmotivated.  Finally a call from Phil denouncing all the beaches down south had me throw in the towel.  I did stare at the Jalama cam a bit, but it just looked too small and weak to make that trip and Friday afternoon is never a bargain there as the weekend campers show up all frothy.  Looks like another lay day tomorrow.  At this point I am just hoping something pops up for my Birthday on Sunday.  Just like that my hopes and dreams of a perfect month ends before it even got started.

2-1-18 PM Session: 1-2 ft, Lead Better
Time in Water: 45 min
Waves Surfed: 11
Miles Driven: 0
Today was probably the best day of the week swell wise.  My plan was to wait out the tide and then head down to Strand for some fun beach break.  Of course I got a call to make some food for a fund raiser for the Montecito mudslide victims.  Normally I would try to fit in both work and surf or just surf, but work has been so scarce lately I have to take whatever I can whenever I can.  Still I was hoping to get out at noon, and I could have, but the cams and buoys were not great and there was definitely potential to make a bit more cash thus I bailed on surfing down south.  My afternoon was shot cause my lady had a new gallery opening at the museum and with traffic these days it would have been risky to try and get back into town on time if I had went down south.  I had a look at Lead Better and saw a little waist high set come through that inspired me to grab my fish and paddle. That was a mistake.  I must have seen the last set before the low tide lull.  Once out there I was hard pressed to even snag an ankle slapper.  I literally belly rode my last wave in.  Later I heard Ryan got Strand pretty fun and I’m sure there were a few sets at Rincon.  At least I got wet.  My girl did an amazing job on the showing.  She is really coming into her own and I am proud of her.  Looks like the flat spell is going to hand around for a few days longer.