Surfing Ruined My Life

September 2010 Surf Sessions

9/30/10 PM Session – 1-3+ft, Rincon
I got out of work at 4:30 and got the intel from a friend that Ventura was windy and that Rincon looked the best to him on his way home from Lompoc.  I made a straight shot for the Con’, its not like you have to twist my arm to make me surf the place.  It was definitely windy at the top of the point, a bit too high tide and kelpy from a long summer of hibernation.  Crowd was light and every so often a head high wave would sneak in up top.  I fucked around between High and Low River mouth for about an hour and half before giving the cove a shot.  There it was only like waist to stomach and somewhat inconsistent, but there was not kelp and only a handful of people on it.  I grabbed a few grovelers there before retiring home.

9/29/10 PM Session – 2-4ft, Rincon
After about a two hour car surf/flash in the pan mishap I got to Rincon just before 6pm.  More people were leaving then coming so I figured I may be in for a good session.  Turns out the swell had dissipated way faster then I had expected making it only around waist to head high and super inconsistent.  The crowd was lighter with only about 25-30 heads in the cove but with the inconsistency it might have well been maximum capacity.  Everyone was burning everyone.  It took me an hour to get what I would even consider a wave at Rincon and to get it I had to smoke two people (one dude was a revenge burn since he got me on a good one earlier) and then got smoked another two times myself before passing them.  I found a few nuggets towards dark but then the visibility was not there so whatever.  You win some you lose some.  Its just the beginning.  There is plenty more Rincon to go.

9/29/10 AM Session – 3-5ft +, Rincon
Monday may have been opening day (see blogs: “There is Nothing Like Opening Day” & “Opening Day Revisited” for more that) but this morning can definitely be categorized as pumping Rincon.  I got there at 7:30am and I could see it from the top of the trail, no need to walk any further down.  That was all I needed to see to know where I was surfing.  I tore on my wet suit and posted up at Cove snagging waves to the highway (not quite call box, the sand bar is a little straight right now at the bottom of the point).  By 10:45am I was exhausted and considering I got ten good hits and then stuck an air on the close out for a last wave I not wanting to get greedy decided to head in for Breakfast.  Crowd was definitely heavy with a solid 75 guys on the entire point, 45 of which were riding cove.

9/28/10 PM Session – 3-4 ft, Cstreet

Now that I am part of the working force on my days off I make every effort to surf as much as possible.  I knew this evening would be favorable with a negative low tide and slowly rising long period NW swell.  Lindsay and I car surfed down the coast all the way to Cstreet to be pleasantly surprised with solid chest high surf with long period head high plus sets and oil glass conditions.   The crowd was a bit tight with a solid 60 guys spread over the entire point with about thirty of them concentrated at Pipes where I was surfing.  Despite the crowd I finagled plenty of three to five hit rides and even snagged a great left barrel.  My last wave at near pitch black I pulled into this right tube and could not see anything when next thing I know Im out on the shoulder styling.   What a fucking session.  I love NW swells.

9/28/10 AM Session – Surf 3-5 ft, New Jetty
After a tumultuous night of sleep thanks to the strange SB heat wave I rose early on my day off (7am) in the hopes of scoring another Rincon session with the incoming tide push.  Lindsay and I cruised straight there only to be let down by the meager and already fat conditions. I thought Emma would be good with the combo swell action only to find nothing more then knee to waist high closed out shore break.  As a last resort we trucked it down to New Jetty in the hopes that the swell had dropped enough for it not to close out.  The surf was rather stretched with most sets closing out jetty to jetty, but there were a few corners and between that or Cstreet we both agreed it to be our best shot.  Turns out it was super fun with clean to semi side shore offshore conditions all morning.  I had a few really good right barrels and a left larrel or two.  Lindsay was killing it, by far the best I have seen her surf in my presence yet having a strong command over the fast rights.  We ended up surfing 3 hours in what I thought was going to be over in about an hour.

9/27/10 PM Session – Surf 2-3 ft, Rincon
Read blog: There is nothing like Opening Day.

9/26/10 – surf 1-3 ft at best, No surfing
I wanted to go surf but having to work at ten in the morning on the weekends really makes it difficult to gamble on waves especially since I would have had to drive 45 minutes each way to Ventura Harbor most likely in search of a purple unicorn.  I woke up a 6am checked the buoys they were not too exciting so I went back to bed.  A solid NW is suppose to fill in for tomorrow and the remainder of the week so it should be some point break action!

9/24/10 & 9/25/10 – Surf 1-2 ft at best, No Surfing

9/23/10 PM Session – Surf 1-3 ft, Cstreet
I got out of work at 4:30 and actually was not planning on surfing till I saw I had a message from Lindsay who was looking to surf.  I went home and checked the buoys and they still had some NW on them and the Cstreet cam looked like there was a nugget or two.  We cruised down and after some unnecessary traffic getting out of town were surprised with some small waves at Cstreet.  Unfortunately I hit a pot hole with my car and got a flat tire while entering the parking lot.  Not wanted to lose time I decided to go surf and figure it out later.  Turns out it was way more inconsistent then we thought and there was so much kelp it was nearly impossible to get a good ride.  Over all it was not worth all the aggravation.  I think I caught one alright wave.  I may have had more fun changing my tire.

9/22/10 AM Session – Surf 2-3ft, New Jetty
Feeling a bit lackadaisical this am I got a bit of a late start not leaving SB till a little after 8am.  I was to meet my friend John for a sess some where in Ventura.  Considering last night I was hopeful there would be some left over NW out there.  Unfortunately the swell had dropped significantly and the wind was already on it.  I checked Emma, Cstreet and Ventura Harbor, picking New Jetty as the lesser evil although still looking rather putrid.  I had not surfed with John in at least two weeks since the Surf Beach session and was eager to have a surf with an good friend.  It was miserable and the water was still rather cold.  John put in about an hour and I lasted about another half hour after him before throwing in the towel.  Looks flat for the next few days or so.

9/21/10 PM Session – Surf 1-3+ft, Emma Wood
After a stellar am sess (see below), knowing an incoming flat spell soon to pass and the fact that I have not surfed with my friend Lindsay in some time led me to a rare afternoon session.  Unfortunately the swell had dropped a bit and the wind as usual to the afternoon was up.  Never the less we found some fun little waist to chest high nuggets at Emma Wood and the way it was coming in reminded me of Jersey on a SE wind swell.   It was fairly crowded for the conditions with a solid 15 heads on it.  Soon after we paddled out the crowd dissipated one by one and the wind subsided till we were left with adequate glassy conditions with just the two of us and a stunning sunset almost making me forget I surfed like hell.

9/21/10 AM Session – Surf 2-4ft, New Jetty
A day off meant I could sleep in till 7:45 and take advantage of the gentleman’s shift.  Having some extra time I enjoyed checking a few spots instead of just paddling out.  New Jetty one of my favorite haunts was about chest to head plus, little inconsistent and closed out, but with glassy to offshore conditions and only around 5-10 guys out I was not about to pass it up.  I ended up putting in 3.5 hours and although you had to  pick and choose there were some real nuggets.  Brook-o cut his face ending his session prematurely as a result of the poor water quality and his open wound.  I think Im starting to feel out this new board finally and we may be soon coming into our stride together.  Everyone kept asking me where Ive been and then sympathized on my “growing up”.

9/20/10 AM Session- Surf 2-3ft, Emma Wood
I hate early morning dawn patrols but with work at 11am I had no choice but to charge it at 7:30am.  The water was fucking freezing and the surf average as usual.  Wind was semi-side shore, what else is new at Emma Wood.  For what ever reason I was actually surfing decent for a change almost bringing down a rodeo flip and landing a full rotation backside air reverse, which I bogged after landing clean in th flats.  Brook-o got the longest barrel of his life on a right. Woot I love surfing:/.  For the mediocrity of the conditions it was pretty crowded too with easily 12-15 heads on one and half peaks.