Surfing Ruined My Life

February 2019 Surf Sessions

2-28-19 AM Session: 3-4+ ft, Santa Clara River Mouth
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 20
Miles Driven: 78
Finally we get some waves over waist high and the direction is all wrong for the majority of my favorite spots and there was south wind on all of the points.  I found myself standing on the bluff at the Knoll dumbfounded on why all of the bars that I was hoping would have potential looked like shit and also how there could be around fifty guys spread out from River Mouth to the south side of New Jetty.  Guess everyone is jones’n hard.  I decided to drive to Strand if not for any other reason then to rule it out.  It was barely waist high there.  Back to the Harbor I went and just desperation paddled a bar just north of where the River Mouth had opened up where it appeared to have an alright left off it.  Turns out it also had a heavy rip on it too making it very hard to stay in the right position.  Lakey and her Husband paddled and we had it to ourselves for a little while.  I guess we made it look fun cause another four guys decided to come sit right on us.  Not that it matter cause at that point what ever magic or lack there of was happeing out there had just about vanished. Then the south wind picked up a notch adding some annoying surface chop though not destroying conditions.  I had a few good lefts, but it was a bit wonky out there making feel a bit kookish.  Some how I managed to tweak my left knee on a failed frontside air reverse.  At the moment I am definitely feeling very tender.  Hopefully I can work through it and nothing serious comes of it.  I got work early tomorrow then hope to find something to paddle in the afternoon.  Tonight is my lady and I’s three year anniversary being together.  Its actually quite the milestone for both of us.

2-27-19 AM Session: 1-3+ ft, Santa Clara River Mouth
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 26
Miles Driven: 64
There was little and less me stress the term little, more swell on the buoys today with winds off shore down south.  I figured if I found something to grovel yesterday it had to be little bigger today. Though small there was a knee to thigh high with very occasional waist high rogue wave.   I opted for my fish.  It looked a bit larger at the Knoll, but there were also about ten guys on long boards out there.   I ran to River Mouth where there were only about four guys out or so.  Considering how bad it was the last two times I surfed 1-3 foot may as well have been 3-5 foot for all I was concerned.  I frothed.  Of course it helps that my fish game is very strong.  Thank good for Clarks Surfboards and there EPS stringerless grovelers or I would be going mad this month.

2-26-19 AM Session: 1-2 ft, Santa Clara River Mouth
Time in Water: 1 hr
Waves Surfed: 21
Miles Driven: 64
Normally I would have passed on today in lieu of saving my gas money.  My bud AJ wanted to try out some of our Clarks Surfboards round nose fishes.  I figured there is no better waves to test out a groveler then in the smallest waves possible.  Today was about as small as the surf gets in California.  We cruised to Ventura Harbor the only place next to Ventura Point that would have anything to ride.  I am not going to lie it was pretty pathetic out there.  Luckily AJ is from South Carolina and I’m from Jersey (though quite removed by this point).  We know how to grovel with the best of them. We paddled and actually found a few thigh high waves with the tide change.  The water is still fucking freezing too.  Nothing like having a few days off from work smack in the middle of a flat spell.

2-25-19 No Surfing: 1-2 ft
I have most of the week off and was suppose to be in Mexico.  Thanks to my chicks passport being expired that fell through.  Not that it mattered cause it would have been pretty small there too.  Rather then waist gas I spent some much needed time out in my garden.

2-24-19 No Surfing: 1-2+ ft
There are so many days in a row that I am going to drive to grovel.  Two is my limit. I don’t mind running out in front and just getting a few quick ones when its small and pathetic, but spending almost two hours round trip and sixty miles is absurd.  I need to get out of Santa Barbara or buy a long board and just give up.  Knowing it was going to be flat last night my girl, Bizarro and I hit the Wild Cat and had a fun night of drinking and dancing.  Being a tad hung over it was a prefect day to do nothing but hang out.

2-23-19 AM Session: 1-2+ ft, Silver Strand
Time in Water: 1 hr
Waves Surfed: 20
Miles Driven: 78
There was a left over NW wind swell from yesterday some small steep NW swell and a very minor WSW swell in the water.  The wind was off shore at the West facing beaches.  As far as I was concerned it seemed like a perfect morning for The harbor.  Unfortunately about eighty or so other guys had the same idea and every peak was crowded.  Everyone was hassling and about another twenty guys were getting ready to paddle.  It was far from good enough to warrant such a crowd.  Over it I cruised over to Strand hoping there was still enough steep NW energy to be fun at the Ship.  It was small maybe waist at best.  The lines were good and there were only about ten guys out spread among a number of peaks.  I grabbed my fish and just paddled.  had the tide not been reaching a five foot high at ten it may have been a fun surf.  The tide swallowed it up really quick making it pretty much a surf where I went through the motions.

2-22-19 AM Session: 1-3+ ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 29
Miles Driven: 30
Rincon may not have been the best choice of the day, but with the limited amount of time I had to surf before work this morning it was the best option for me.  My fish game is strong turning what once was absolutely horrible Rincon into a super fun time.   I was sure that Strand was the real call.  Someday when I live there I will never miss a day of barrels again.  Though then I am sure that I will complain about missing Rincon or Sand Bar.  We always want what we don’t have after all.  I started up at Indicator cause from the time I checked to walking down the trail way too many logs had capitalized on the Cove.  I could have scrapped a few, but it looked fun enough up top with only a handful of people out.  The water was freezing, maybe in the high forties.  My hands hurt.  The sun was out for a change so that was going for me.  It was nothing more then waist plus grovelly wind swell that got somewhat crowded for what was on offer.  Just like I am wave starved this month so is everyone else.  I managed a small tube and a few chill airs and a couple of eight turn connections through the River Mouth.   It wasn’t head plus tubes at Strand, but I was more then happy to have got wet.  The rest of my day was spent prepping for a charity dinner tomorrow for 100.

2-21-19 No Surfing: 1-3+ ft
Miles Driven: 56
I had hoped that maybe there would be a little something to grovel today.  The winds and tide and weather once again didn’t cooperate.  I checked everything from Rincon to Emma Wood with the largest sets maybe being waist high and all torn up and weak.  On the plus side I picked up a dinner gig for tonight and some prep work for tomorrow. Might as well make some money.

2-20-19 No Surfing: 2-3 ft
More wind and weather with very bad tide windows caused for yet another down day.  This flat spell is not only hurting my morale but also hurting my pocket as surfboard sales are down.  If there is no surf then no one is eager to buy a new or used surfboard.  I began re-working the Clarks Surfboards website.  What an arduous task this is.  If anyone out there would be interested in trading for some free custom surfboards to help redesign the website please reach out to me. I would be more then happy to hook it up.

2-19-19 No Surfing: 2-3 ft
I had the option of working or early or late today.  There was a small steep NW swell in the water.  The tide was 6.5 ft at 8:30 basically flooding everywhere that could have been fun especially with all the bars fucked up at all the beaches.  Ventura Point would have been my best bet and it looked rather pathetic on the cam.  I went to work first in the hopes that the wind would stay down (its still February after all) and things would pick up a bit with less water.  The wind came up leaving me wanting.  I am pretty bummed about how this month has shaped up for surfing.  In the past Feb is where I get my best days at the points.  All I had to look forward to was a potential Baja jaunt, but as it turns out my girl’s passport is expired killing that option.

2-18-19 AM Session: 2-3+ ft, Silver Strand
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 23
Miles Driven: 78
I knew I was in for a let down today when I left my house what I did not expect was for it to be the worst surf I have had all month. The tide was an obnoxious seven foot at around 8am basically flooding everything. I headed to Strand with the hopes that the steep wind swell would be solid and that the bars would be able to cope with all the water. As it turned out it was only about chest high at the Ship and the bars were trash. I literally got two ok waves. The wind came up with in ten minutes of paddling out too. There is nothing worse then windy weak surf. After the surf my girl and I cruised down to the Camarillo Outlets to do some much needed shopping. The day wasn’t a total loss.

2-17-19 No Surfing: 1-2+ ft
Miles Driven: 30
It was yet another cold windy rainy day out there, weather that has just become the norm at this point. The tide was high early and I figured like yesterday I would just go to Rincon in the afternoon for incoming tide. Sand Bar had a little wave but it looked very wind swelly and only about waist high. Rincon was also disappointingly small, brown and cold. There appeared to be no ground swell coming through only leaving knee to waist high broken up weak wind swell in the cove that was barely surf-able. Frustrated I watched it about forty minutes before calling it a loss and leaving. My best bet would have been to have just groveled Sand Bar in front of my house but I just wasn’t motivated to get that cold for such pathetic offerings.

2-16-19 PM Session: 2-3+ ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 23
Miles Driven: 44
I should have just went to El Capitan.  My boss went there and scored some fun ones.  I was hoping for a little more size over at Rincon.  I guess the small amount of ground swell wasn’t enough to push through all the wind swell and chop. Mostly it was short broken up lines with the occasional double up grower.  I had a look at Faria in the hopes that it would  be alright there.  The swell just was not big enough for it.  Rincon had about thirty guys in the Cove and it was a bit too many for the quality.  The entire first half of my surf I was just in the wrong spot and out of sync with the sets.  Rincon is funny like that.  If you start off with good momentum it usually will carry you through the entire surf.  I got a few down the point and then got out and walked back up and luckily was able to hit the reset button on my surf and got into a groove that lasted the rest of the session.  The air and water were freezing and dirty as well. It smelled terrible out there.  I got a few runners down the point that made it somewhat fun.

2-15-19 AM Session: 2-3+ ft, Emma Wood
Time in Water: 1 hr
Waves Surfed: 24
Miles Driven: 56
After missing last night I had to surf before work today. I sort of had an loose schedule as long as I got in by 3pm. This left me plenty of time to find something to surf. Sometimes having too much time is worse then having too little. In actuality I should have just surfed Sand Bar cause that was the best wave I came across in my hunt. Rincon looked fun, but as is always my luck the wind turned SE as I was checking it and trashed the place. From there I ran to Emma, which was the cleanest wave around. The sand still sucks there making it average at best. Ryan was having a look at Strand so I hung tight waiting for his intel. He was less then enthusiastic. Rather then waist the gas and time I just paddled Wood. It was very hard to surf backside and I just seemed to either be too deep or to far on the shoulder of everything I took off on. The only thing I managed to do was stick an alright backside air reverse on my last wave. I had a dinner party to work up at the Jordano’s home that went off without a hitch. To celebrate a solid run of work my girl, Bizarro and I went out to the Wild Cat’s annual Red and black ball. We had a grand old time for ourselves.

2-14-19 No Surfing: 2-3+ ft
Today was a full 14 hour work day leaving me with a very narrow surf window early in the morning. It was pouring rain and the wind was hard south making all of my options not surf-able. I was working a VDay wedding on the cliffs at More Mesa in the afternoon as I watched the wind go NW and all the texts that town was going off. I got to get the money while I can.

2-13-19 No Surfing: 2-3+ ft
Angers and I wanted to surf after I got off from work. The wind was offshore in Ventura and the hope was that some SE wind swell would pick up. None of that came to pass. Instead it was just cold, rainy, windy, and small. Thus I passed on it. Later on I celebrated Valentines Day a day early because I have to work a VDay wedding tomorrow.

2-12-19 PM Session: 2-3+ ft, Surfers Knoll & New Jetty
Time in Water: 1 hr
Waves Surfed: 15
Miles Driven: 64
The wind went from off shore to SE to nearly non-existent.  I finished up with work at 3:30 and though there was enough swell to warrant the drive down south.  Also I knew my schedule was too booked up to surf tomorrow.  I got the Harbor and It looked fun enough with peaks up and down the beach at the Knoll.  The best peak was being capitalized by this crew of Japanese rippers who came her to train for a little bit.  Nothing against those guys, but they have no respect and are constantly back paddling and acting like the entire session is one big contest.  After a long work day I wanted nothing to do with that.  The next peak over had three SB groms who I know from around the Mesa, one even bought a Clarks off me.  I paddle with them, but with the rising tide, inconsistent swell, plus the bars having deep holes in them finding a good wave was very difficult.  Add a little bit of backwash and you had a really bad time.  I got a few and then walked over to New Jetty where there was a few peaks coming through the middle of the beach that looked similar to what I surfed yesterday.  The back wash coming back at the wave was about the same size making the surf-ability low and dager factor high.  I found a few till I got thrown super hard onto the beach by the backwash and got the wind knocked out of me.  Over it I was heading back to my car when I saw a friend of mine get a good one at the original Knoll peak that I started on.  There was still a little light left and I was hoping I could get at least one good one to end the session on a high note.  That didn’t happen and when a set did come it was so dark I could barely see what I was paddling into thus I kooked it.  A total throwaway session for sure.

2-11-19 PM Session: 2-4+ ft, New Jetty
Time in Water: 1 hr
Waves Surfed: 16
Miles Driven: 64
I had work early after which the winds were still light down south and with a little bit of SW/NW combo swell I was hoping Emma would be fun. It was tiny and poor quality so I continued on to Ventura Harbor. All the bars down there have all been trashed and definitely need some time to settle out. New Jetty had a few rights coming through thus I paddled. It was super wonky, inconsistent and very hard to be in the right position. I found myself paddling up and down the beach with limited success. Ultimately I found a few ok wedges at the Bounce.

2-10-19 PM Session: 1-3 ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 1 hr
Waves Surfed: 19
Miles Driven: 30
I kooked it this morning by listening to intel from others and not just trusting my instincts. I had to wait for an emergency plumber to come fix my clogged pipes less face more sewerage seeping up in my sinks. When i finally got word that strand was fun the wind had come up. All I had left was the off chance that Rincon would have a fish wave. Though small I decided to paddle since there was only few guys out. of course as soon as I got out there the place got mobbed. On the windy days the waves hit all over the place so I just drift around and find my waves. I definitely got my share. Wasn’t epic but I was glad I at the very least got wet.

2-9-19 No Surfing: 2-3+ ft
Miles Driven: 41
Another day of getting skunked. It was raining and cams looked lackluster when I woke up. My girl was south to LA for a weekend with her girls. I going to surf mid morning with Gabe, but Pat and Ryan’s less then enthusiastic Reports put the kibosh on that. At that point my plan was to just go fish Rincon in the afternoon. It was very pathetic barely waist high, gutless and had no shape. There were about 15 kooks on it as well. I surfed better conditions there on Wednesday with less crowd. I cruised to Little ‘Con where it was completely not surf-able. At that point I bagged it and headed home.

2-8-19 No Surfing: 2-3+ ft
Same shit different day.  Considering the average quality of the surf on offer I opted to pick up an extra shift at work.  If I am not going to surf I may as well make some money.  Once again I heard it was small and lack luster everywhere.  I had a look around town in the afternoon, but it was way too small to temp me.

2-7-19 No Surfing: 2-3+ ft
I finally got a a sinus infection and my ears are all clogged up.  It as only a matter of time considering all of the low low quality of water I have been surfing in.  I woke up at seven and it was forty degrees out.  The surf was maybe chest high at best down south with strong off shore winds and a steadily rising high tide.  With a nine hour work day ahead of me I decided to bag it and relax before work.  All the intel I got as that I missed nothing special.

2-6-19 No Surfing: 2-3+ ft
Miles Driven: 56
I had work during the day leaving me with just a short window in the morning to surf. It was freezing when I woke up and the NW winds already howling. I figured I would just take my fish to Rincon and get a few deep water rock huggers in the Cove. The swell steepened up and most of it was missing the ‘Con. There were a few sets up top but they were being trashed by the wind. The Cove was way too high for how small it was, not to mention there were already too many people on it fir how little was on offer. I made a Hail Mary drive to Emma where it was windy and pitiful. I decided to just go into work instead. I roped into working a dinner till 8pm. It was also Bizarro and I joint birthday party as well making my night even more hectic than need be. All worked out in the end.

2-5-19 PM Session: 2-3+ ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 22
Miles Driven: 30
The wind came up super hard on the back end of the front and with it tattered conditions and some very cold weather. I had a corporate lunch leaving me the afternoon to surf. Sand Bar had a solid waist plus wave coming through. Taking that into consideration I was sure Rincon would be a tad bigger. The cove was chest plus and rather empty. Then Surf Happens showed up and dumped eight groms on it as did this other trainer who brought another three. That plus the after work crowd made it a bit hectic. There were plenty of waves and it was all over the place allowing for multiple take off zones. I opted for my fish considering how soft it looked. It was a good call cause the good ones were few and far between. It took a groveler to make the most out of what was on offer. I managed multiple ones to the freeway, my last wave my longest. I’d say it was worth the effort.

2-4-19 PM Session: 1-3 ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 26
Miles Driven: 60
I had to work a few hours on my birthday today which was fine because this month has been rather slow. The only real work I was counting on was the Pebble Beach golf tournament and that work fell through. Considering the shitty weather and surf conditions I wanted to go in early and shoot for the afternoon session. The waves were still going to suck but I always try and surf on my birthday. As I was about to cruise to work when my boss hit me up and told me we couldn’t get any work done till Jordanos showed up and the truck wasn’t expected till one. I headed south to Rincon in the hope that there would be something worth surfing. The wind was hard south tearing it to pieces. The fat tide and dropping swell didn’t help either. I hung around till 11ish to see if it would get better. It didn’t so I went into work. As it turned out the truck broke down and making my day very short. I headed back to Rincon with very low expectations. It’s a good thing because it was tiny. There was enough in the cove for my fish to be palatable. There were only four guys out so I paddled. It was way more weak then it looked. I made the most of it and was stoked to surf. After that it was home and out to Gianfranco’s in Carp for a birthday feast.

2-3-19 PM Session: 2-3+ft, El Capitan
Time in Water: 2 hrs
Waves Surfed: 28
Miles Driven: 41
I had to work early in the morning for a super bowl pick up. I almost pulled the trigger on a quick Sand Bar session, but with the high tide I wasn’t sold on it. After work I was faced with the choice to either go to El Cap or Rincon. I chose the former and it was tad smaller then I had hoped making me wish I had went to Rincon. That being said the crowd was barely twenty guys on it and everyone had their pick of waves. Though only about chest to head the barrels were super wide. My girl decided to hang on the rocks despite the crazy rain squalls. All and all it wasn’t a score but still very fun. We ended the evening with an early birthday dinner at my favorite Chinese food restaurant on the Mesa.

2-2-19 No Surfing: 2-3+ ft
Well I woke up to absolute hurricane like conditions out there.  It was torrential down pour and heavy south winds.  Forecast showed the wind tapering off toward the afternoon, which would have been awesome to head down south and see how some of the beaches were.  The 101 south was shut down thanks to flooding and mud slights leaving trapped in SB.  My only options then became local.  I had hopes for Sand Spit as it cleaned up, but it got crowded and very few waves were even make-able with the low tide.  Lead Better had some beach break barrels. Most were only around waist to chest with the occasional head high dumper. Nothing I saw seemed worth the sinus infection for so I passed on it.  Tomorrow is another day.

2-1-19 AM Session: 3-4+ ft, Silver Strand
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 21
Miles Driven: 82
I just couldn’t make up  my mind where to surf today.  Of course that is because it looked terrible to average everywhere.  I found myself doing two laps from Dredge to Harbor and back again.  I nearly put my suit on to paddle dredge twice.  On the second time I was serious about going out when I fielded a call from Ryan whom had just gotten out of the water there.   He said it was pretty weak sauce out there and that he got a text from a reliable source that Strand was chest plus and alright.  I will take just average Strand over good at most spots.  With no better options in mind what did I have to lose?  I got to the Ship and the wind was more SE there as it has been for all these rain squalls.  Still there were some fun looking peaks in the south bowl with a minimal crowd and potential barrels.  While I was changing another five guys who surf as a group all the time and seem to always sit right on me and team surf the shit out of me when I surf there suited and paddled.  Whatever I always get mine in the end anyway.  Between the dropping tide and the wind switching more south the waves went from average to poor rather fast.  Add a light but scrappy crowd and it was difficult to have a really good time out there.  I was learning a new board, a feat hard enough with out tricky conditions and a crowded line up.   It was one of those sessions where I felt like I was going through the motions the entire time, but was never really able to lock into anything.