Surfing Ruined My Life

December Surf Sessions 2010

December Surfing in Review

12/31/10 PM Session – 2-3ft, Juno Pier, FL
Today was more like the Florida I know completely blown out wind swell trash.  The morning started out slow so I opted to sit it out and wait for the wind to build the surf a bit more.  I came back down just before dark at 4:30 just for a quickie.  It was still only around waist to chest and trashy.  I jumped in anyway figuring it would be the last waves I was to ride for the year.  I ended up getting a few four and five turn nuggets some how and a larrel.  Who would have thunk it?

12/30/10 AM Session –  2-3ft Juno Pier, Juno Beach, FL
What a shit show of a larrel fest I had this morning.  Surf reports were calling 1-3ft and far from worth the effort.  Im on vacation in boring south Florida with my parents, what the fuck else am I going to do?  I gave it a look and sure enough on the south side of the pier about 200 yards or so was this little sand bank producing a clean quality looking chest high left with no one out.  I swore I saw some barrels while scoping it.  I jumped in and had the place to myself for about a half hour before one other guy paddle out and we shared the usually stupid crowded spot, being it is the only “real” wave in this area, for over an hour.  I ended up surfing for three hours, got one legit suck up tube and countless larrels.  Then about eight more guys showed up, some kook ass chick on a fun shape ran me over, another dude on an old man fish back paddled me. Thus I was over it.  The water is a crystal clear azure blue.  I saw a sea turtle swim at me, dolphins were jumping around.  It was a good day of surfing for the meager waves on offer.
12/29/10 AM Session- 2-4ft, Civic Center, Jupiter FL
I checked surfline.com before I turned in last night and they were calling for weak 1-2ft at best shit windswell conditions. With that report I was set on sleeping in, which I did.  I went up to the shore for a walk with my Parents and sure enough it was solid waist to chest high and semi-clean.  After breakfast (since I have assumed the role of personal chef for my parents, I made my featured French toast, click here for that recipe) I decided to go for a paddle.  How god aweful the surf is in Florida.  I always forget that fact everytime I come here.  I dont think I have ever surfed “Epic” Florida in all the years I have been coming here.  I have seen it some what fun, but epic????

12/28/10 – 3-4ft (Jupiter Florida), No Surfing
Today was a traveling day from NJ to South Florida.  There was actually surf there but by the time I got into town it was dark.

12/27/10 – 3-4ft, No surfing
Snowed in! I went to bed there was about a foot of snow outside more door, when I woke up there was a little over two.  I really did think about getting some frigid waves today, but the shit ass town public works department had three  plows, two broke thus my street remained buried.  No surfing, but then again it was also freezing windy and from what I heard definitely not worth the effort.

12/26/10 – 3-4ft, No Surfing
California should thank me for cruising to the East coast cause everytime I leave they do alright.   No surfing windy, cold and snow.

12/25/10 – 2-3ft No Surfing
It was Christmas, it was cold here in NJ and barely waist high.  I was over it.

12/24/10 – 2-3ft No Surfing
I could have surfed before my flight this am but I found that with less then stellar swell and a few fun Rincon sessions under my belt I felt a little break from surfing would do me good and considering I am writing this from New Jersey I dont plan on surfing for some time maybe not till Im safely back in good ole Santa Barbara in the New Year.

12/23/10 – PM Session – 2-3ft, Rincon
For my last session in California for 2010 Rincon dished up fun glassy waist to chest bowls with the occasional head high set up at the river mouth section.  I floated amongst the multiple peaks picking off tons of three to four hitters.  I even managed to snag a pretty decent barrel.  My knee felt a little stronger today but I still did not push it minus the three BS air reverses I landed.  Its hard to approach a heavy section and pull off the wave instead of going for a suicide air, floater or close out barrel, but I would rather see it go by unridden then get even more injured.  Im looking foward to a few days off from surfing.  Between both Jersey and Florida it would have to be pretty epic conditions to get me back into the water.

12/22/10 – PM Session – 2-3+ft, Rincon
I really didnt know what to expect out of today.  Once again shitty winds and weather kept me in bed, not to mention the fact that my knee was in pretty bad shape after I nuked it on a floater yesterday.  I will tell you first hand Im falling apart.   My boy Ryland hit me up while I was running some errands to see if I intended to surf.  We cruised to Rincon with low expectations.  Upon pulling into the deserted lot (a bad sign) we were greeted with two guys who had just gotten out raving about how much fun it was.  Then Brook-o came up the trail also going bananas about it.  We get to the bottom of the trail and it is solid chest to head, oil glass, chocolate brown water and five guys out!!!  Did I mention there were barrels too.  It was strange though because the swell was a mix of WNW and SW wind swell so the waves were coming straight in to the beach instead of running down the point.  It looked like a beach break.   I got a legitimate left barrel in the cove came out and hit the close out end section.  There were plenty of shacks to be had and I yelled at some rude little shit who kept blatantly burning people, myself included.  I waited for him to get a good one and then dropped right in on the kid as he was bottom turning, nearly ripping his head off.  Then I proceeded to ride the wave hitting the lip three times as he trailed behind.  When I kicked out I looked at him and yelled “Is it fun to get burned on a sick one?  No?  Then dont do it to other people.  There are five guys out here wait your fucking turn or go home”.  Chris Lisanti does not take that kind of shit from anyone.  It was a fine session if there ever was one and the sun showed itself for a beautiful sunset, the first time it has been seen around here for at least a week.

12/21/10  – PM Session – 2-4ft, Rincon
I knew it was going to be a hit and run swell after last night, yet when I woke up this am the East Santa Barbara buoy was still reading 8ft.  I dragged myself out of bed despite the frigid and rainy conditions (going on day 5 now!!! so much for that California sunshine!) and went to Hammonds, which would have been all time had it not been for the side/offshore winds more on the side then the off.  I was still going to paddle out when a ten pack of groms showed up and mobbed the place with their idiotic screaming and yelling.  That was the kicker for me to go home and wait for the tide to drop for Rincon and the wind to hopefully die out.  Later the tide dropped but the wind did not allowing for plenty of lump, bump and scallop on every wave through the entire point.  Still it was solid chest high with the odd ball head high plus set and if you were savvy there were definitely some 5 and 6 hit waves out there.  I was having a somewhat alright time till I landed a fifty yard section floater a little shallow right onto a perpendicular chop causing my knee to hyper extend a bit.  I was going to go in but decided it best to surf through it so that it would not get stiff.  I moved down to the cove where it was a little less wild and found some fun nuggets for a hour so.  A bad day at Rincon is still an epic day at most line ups.

12/20/10 – PM Session – 6-8+ft, Rincon
Sometimes Christmas comes early and today it came early at Rincon.  Epic Rincon is one of those things that happen at best a dozen times or so a winter and today my friends was just that.  The day had a slow start with a super high tide, small swell and rain.  I decided to stay in bed and wait for the afternoon of which I knew more swell would fill in.  I checked the buoys at breakfast and it was 8 ft, by noon it was ten, by 2pm it was twelve by four, 14ft.  The swell grew six feet in a matter of hours and that set the pace for the entire session.  I got in the water at 1pm and it was about chest to head high and every hour it grew by two feet till the occasional ten foot clean up set would wash through.  Up until today I had yet to legitimately call box a wave.  My first three waves all went double call box and then I had about a dozen more that were single call box.  I think the worst wave I caught all session I still managed to hit ten times, on average I got around 15 hits a wave.  Soooooooooooooooo Gooooooooood!!!!!!

12/19/10 – PM Session – 2-3+ft, Rincon
When a grom tells you its not worth a paddle in the parking lot and the water is so chocolate brown you can almost see the Hepatitis bacteria dancing around the lineup with your naked eyes you would have to be an idiot to physicke yourself up to paddle out.  My friends I am that idiot.  I sat in my car and considered all the pros and cons to surfing, except the only pro I could find was that there was only one other guy out.  Then again Rincon with only one dude out is a rare occurrence definitely worth braving potentially infectious disease for.  I ran down the trail passing another hardy soul just leaving. He said to me “Go get your share 50% is yours”.   Upon stepping into the water traversing tons of garbage, wood debris and cacti pieces I realized what a bad decision I had made.  The water was so brown I could not even see my hands while sitting in the line up.  By far it was the dirtiest water I have ever surfed in.  Then I got barreled through the cove in a black disgusting pit and forgot all about why I shouldnt have been there.

12/18/10 – 1-2+ft No Surfing
More fucking rain, I swear Im going to build a mother fucking ark.  Small conditions prevailed and my back pain came back with a vengeance.   I resolved on building a ghetto fabulous gingerbread house instead.  Look for more on that in this weeks recipe d’jour tomorrow.

12/17/10  – 1-2ft No Surfing
Cold, rainy and windy plus small conditions and a near epic session last night were all enough to keep me out of the water this afternoon.

12/16/10 PM Session – 4-6ft, Dredge
My afternoon surf was purely based on the wind dying out, which luckily it did.  I cruised to Rincon where it was perfect oil glass but only around chest high or so at Indicator.   Discouraged I called my boy Ryan down in Ventura who was claiming Dredge was solid and no one out.  Dredge never has no one out especially in the afternoon.  I mean the place is the exclusive surf spot of the entire Pierpont community, a society made up of 90% surfers.  Dane Reynolds lives there along with my good buddy Adam Virs.  With no better options I took the advice and tipped my boy Kevin off as well who was just getting off work from making mass quantities of food.  I got there and it was definitely well overhead on sets and although fast more then make able if you chose the right one.  Of course by this time there were 5 guys out and about another ten in the parking lot frothing.  There were plenty of waves and with the strong southerly current that always plagues Dredge the crowd was not a big issue, still I managed to get a long board to the head courtesy of this decrepit old guy who was blowing every set wave he paddled for.  He very courteously ditched is board right in front of me after straightening off on an over head close out.  I came up from my duck dive into his board.  Besides that I managed to get a ton of great rides and boosted a few huge backside airs but came unglued on the landings.  I would have to say it was by far the best session I have had since Loons last week and one of the best in December.

12/16/1o AM Session – 2-4ft, Rincon
South wind and Rincon, or any point in this area for that matter, do not mix.  I had no intention of even surfing Rincon this morning but as I drove by I noticed a more then usual flurry of sets coming into the indicator and river mouth.  I decided to do the U turn and consider it on a second pass.  Sure enough there was still plenty of sets pushing in.  I got off the 101 and decided to give it a go.   As soon as I walked up to Upper Indicator to paddle out the wind turned a stiff SW adding just a enough scallop to piss me off.   I was already dressed and too lazy to go any where else so I paddled out.  I surprisingly snagged a few really good rides with at least a dozen or so eight hit waves.  It was the first time I felt comfortable surfing since I injured my wrist.  Just another junky day a the ‘con but a good day any place else.

12/15/10 PM Session – 3-5ft, New Jetty
I have not surfed New Jetty for so long I cant remember when the last session was.  Today was classic New Jetty.  It was oil glass all the way till I got into the town of Ventura where the wind was WSW just hard enough to add that annoying bump.  I got to the Jetty and it was solid chest to head plus mostly walled but more corners then usual.  Despite the wind and far from epic conditions there were still six guys out.  A year ago I would have been begging to find another soul to paddle out with me.  I hate when a surf spot blows up.  As I pulled into the lot I got to witness an undercover bust of some kind go down.  All I saw was a couple of plain clothed officers escorting a suspicious looking Mexican hand cuffed to an unmarked van.  After which the proceeded to search him and then put him in the van.  That is the third bust I have witnessed at the Ventura beach front and then my friends who live there wonder why I chose Santa Barbara to be my home.  As far as the session went it was rather uneventful.  I found a few fun rights and a few lefts but mostly ended up with a bunch of straights.  Whatever the case I still was better off then that Mexican who may or may not have been led away by the police.

12/14/10 PM Session – 2-3ft, Stanley’s
Stanly’s is hardly even a spot just off the northern most end of Sea Cliff Drive (PCH).  I guess at one time it was one of the better breaks around this area back in the 40’s and 50’s.  Then construction of the 101 put an end to this fabled great wave.  If you google Stanley’s Dinner and Santa Barbara Im sure you can find some information on what used to exist.  Now it is  40ft seawall that protects the off ramp to the PCH from the 101.  On the rare occasion this break wall can produce a wedgy, heavy right hander that grinds for about twenty yards before shutting down in a double up close out.  I have only surfed the place a handful of times all being average sessions at best.  Today was yet another one of these could have been all time but no quite sessions Stanley’s seems to love to dish out.  Truth be told I was headed to Emma Wood but as I got off the 101 I saw a solid glassy wedge peel off the break wall and just had to pull off for a look see.  It was true there were fun looking although tricky and fast nice chest high right hand wedges to be had with no one out.  I jumped on the opportunity.  I had a few good ones but overall found myself doing more fishing around for what was not really there.

12/13/10 PM Session – 1-3ft, Santa Claus Lane
I knew there was not going to much but slim pickings going into today’s session.  There was only a faint little NW wind swell slowly building and a really late season south swell.  I drove to Rincon which was super small.  On the way I noticed some glassy little biscuits at Santa Claus so I went back.  Turns out it was rather weak, rather small and rather uninspiring, but at least I got wet.  Heard Jersey was 8ft and barreling.  Bet it was cold there.

12/12/10 – 1-3ft, No Surfing
Last night we raged like rock stars till four in the morning drinking half a handle and a fifth of Bacardi Gold from the hours of 2-3am.  It was bad news and I had to work at 8am.  It was a shit show of a day at work behind the grill for me today.  Consequently I did not go surfing.

12/11/10 – 2-3ft No Surfing
Between a bad morning tide and wanning swell, added to that my ailing wrist I opted to sit out and not bother with the super early dawn patrol session that is afforded to me on weekends.

12/10/10 PM Session – 3-4+ft, Rincon
With another super low tide and decreasing swell I went to Rincon and passing by Santa Claus on the way I saw it was solid head high there and actually looked peaky and fun.  There was plenty of wind swell mixing in but conditions were clean except for the strange bump that had been plaguing the channel for the last three days.  Not bothering to check it I suited up and ran down.  Immediately I had thoughts of going back to Santa Clause.  The wind had completely reeked havoc on the little bit of NW ground swell that was still coming through.  Rincon was so sectiony and broken up it looked like a beach break.  At first I was super bummed.  I opted to surf the river mouth where if you were lucky you could pick off a few four turn waves or so although most either closed out or sectioned off.  Towards the end of the session I managed to snag this over head bomb that doubled up and had me cruising through a stand up tube which I barely made.  I ended that wave with a clean air reverse.  I quit on that note stoked I did not end up doing donuts like I had on a few other ones that session.

12/9/10 PM Session – 1-3+ft, Sand Bar
After a brief repast at Garretts with McGrath we decided to make a play for Sand Bar.  I had not gotten a session there yet this year and was eager.   We heard it was chest high and fun, but upon getting there it was chest high and inconsistent.  I snagged a few nuggets at the beginning with the hope that it would get better with the tide.  Unfortunately Sand Bar can go either way with the low tide and today it went poorly.  I had a few alright waves but it was far from life changing  and Shaun was definately a bit bummed on not getting to try the new Al Generick he just bought this morning.   Not to mention my injuries are restricting me to a point where Im just frustrated to death.

12/9/10 AM Session – 2-4ft, Sharks Cove
My plan was to surf slammin’ Hammons, but it was not really slamming at all and fairly crowded.   I was over it and ready to move on.  As I was walking the trail back to my car I ran into Jersey Shore surf camp tycoon Shaun McGrath and was all like what the fuck are you doing here.  Turns out he flew in from Hawaii to visit his sister in San Diego and decided to make the trip up for the swell.   He was set on surfing shitty Hammonds while I was torn between Rincon or Sharks.  I opted for Sharks knowing that in my current weakened state, I like to think of myself as half a surfer.   Im not in the condition to scrap with a pack and Sharks had only about six people on it at its peak busyness.  It was about chest high with the occasional head high, but the shape was real nice and I had a few good ones and even snagged two larrels.

12/8/1o PM Session – 3-4ft, Loons
See Some Times Miracles Happen blog.

12/7/10 PM Session – 1-2+ft, Rincon
See FML Blog

12/6/10 PM Session – 2-3+ft, Rincon
Finally after three weeks of stupidity it seems the WNW are beginning to fill in.  I knew it was on when students kept coming up to me all through lunch talking about the how the angle was 255, an almost absurd swell angle.  From that intel I knew Rincon would be on but I also wondered about town and the possibility of Sand Bar being fun.  There was a negative low tide after all, but I only get a limited amount of surf time with how early it gets dark so I opted for the sure bet, Rincon.  Crowd was light maybe forty heads spread the entire point.  I sat in the cove and had a ball dismantling the fun chest to head high peaks rolling in.  I got plenty of 7-10 hit rides.  All I can say is the lack of surfing has left me totally out of shape cause after my tenth turn I was too tired to boost on the end close out.  This is just day one of a great week of surfing to come!!!!

12/5/10 – 1-2+ft, No Surfing
On the weekends its got to be good for me to get wet and today was once again not even close to what I would entertain to be ridable unless one was very desperate.  Waves tomorrow though!!!!!!!

12/4/10 – 1-2-ft, No Surfing
Im pretty sure that it was near flat with the occasional ankle slapper and for that I was not about to get up in the dark.

12/3/10 PM Session – 1-3ft, Cstreet
Small, cold and over crowded with groms made for a less then stellar session tonight.  I used to not care either way about groms but now that Im getting older they just piss me off with all their stupid conversation and childish screaming and splashing about in the line up.  “hey did you see that air I just pulled”.   You mean that ridiculous fly away spaz thing you just did?  But the biggest thing I hate about groms is that when I check the surf it always looks way better due their diminutive size.  I pulled up and upon checking it thought I saw some one ripping a solid chest high wave up a pipe and not waiting to see anymore ran back to my car and got dressed only to find out when I got out there that it looked that size because the rider was about three and half feet tall.

12/2/10 PM Session – 2-3ft, South Jetty
“The Wedge” at South Jetty is one of those waves that is more a myth then a reality.  At one time I heard it was really good though I have only surfed it once where it was worth anything, this time not being one of them.  I guess it was better before the army corp of engineers built up the break wall higher from constant pummeling every winter courtesy of huge NW swells.  Now this gigantic Break wall stands a good twenty feet out of the water on the north side of Ventura Harbor basically blocking South Jetty from working its magic except for rare occasions and then it is still more novelty then a wave worthy of real mention.  Basically what happens is the wave hits this huge jetty that curves slightly into the harbor mouth, bounces off it creating a perpendicular to the beach wedge that a some point meets up with the inside sand bar in a crazy fast heavy barrel (usually a close out) or a sick air section.  This wave in particular is rather hard to surf backside.  There was a very minor NW bump in the water unfortunately too insignificant for the points to really even pick up, but a bit too walled for the beach breaks.  My boy Kevin and I got off from work at just before three and cruised to the harbor.  It was close out city, but then we saw a fast wedgy peeler off South Jetty and thought why not give it a shot.  For an hour and a half we traded perfectly good close out barrels (PGCB yeah!!! At the spot where that quote was said!).  It was far from any good but after seven days being dry Ill take it to the bank.

12/1/10 – 1-2-ft, No Surfing
Another day with less then knee high waves on offer.  Supposedly there is some NW swell to fill in for tomorrow, one can only hope otherwise Im going to have to hang myself from the ceiling fan in my apartment.  Oh wait, I dont have a ceiling fan in my apartment….Darn!!!!