Surf Sessions for August 2011:
8/31/11 PM Session: 2-4+ft, Hobsons
Time in Water: 1hr
Waves Surfed: 10
Since the new South was filling in quite nicely and I wanted to be part of the hype I figured it was in my best interest to go for a second surf. After passing many good waves like Rincon and Little Rincon. I decided upon surfing shitty Hobsons after seeing a flash in the pan left. It turned out being crowded, cold and inconsistent. Still I caught four really fun lefts that made it all worthwhile and hit a frontside air reverse over the inside rocks. Good times. Stay tuned for more on the super hyped up Labor Day Weekend south swell here tomorrow.
8/31/11 AM Session: 2-4+ft, New Jetty
Time in Water: 1hr 45mins
Waves Surfed: 28
Ahh a late season macker of a south swell. I love front runners. We watched this swell hit Tahiti where Slater took yet another unprecedented world tour win, look for a blog about that soon. Then it hit south America and finally is on its way here. The hype on this one is as retarded as it gets. Surfline is blowing it up. Conditions have sucked monkey cock all month and it is a holiday weekend. Hello ridiculous crowds. Not that it bothers me being I have work every morning at 11am. Dawnies mean no crowds for me. Plus I have a secret little spot up my sleeve. Got to love a return of real life in Lisanti Land. I had to turn down what would have been an amazing three day trip out to the islands last night. Aint I just the responsible mother fucker? It sucks being an adult, even in Lisanti Land. Anyhow I had another late start thanks to fun morning sex followed by snuggling with my new chick. My boy Ryan failed to call me to tip me off to the Jetty being fun, not that it mattered since it was the first place I went anyway. Surf was solid chest high with bigger sets and super long lefts off the Jetty. It was a bit fat and windy but plenty of fun and Ryan and I had the entire spot to ourselves the whole session. Absurd!
8/30/11 AM Session: 2-3ft, New Jetty
Time in Water: 2hrs
Waves Surfed: 22
I decided to turn over a new leaf and surf as much as possible. Now true I don’t have a lot of time these days, but what little time I do have of daylight hours I intend to spend surfing. There was been plenty of little wind swell in the water the past few days. Lindsay and I got a late start but the wind was light so I made to call to go check New Jetty. There was a mushy left coming off the rocks and although skeptical it had a look like the session could really suck or be fun. We made the gamble. The first 45minutes were on, tons of super fun lefts, some 4-6 hitters. My boy Ryan came out after getting all motivated by watching us have the place to ourselves and as soon as he did it turned completely off. The water was fucking freezing too.
8/29/11 AM Session: 1-3+ft, Emma Wood
Time in Water: 2hrs 15mins
Waves Surfed: 45
I was determined to surf no matter what this morning and the report looked semi promising. I got down to Ventura Harbor and it was already windy and looking rather fat with the impending 6ft high tide. Left with very few options I went to Emma Wood where I saw a few fun looking right and left bowls coming in. It was a bit crowded but it seemed more people were leaving then showing. I had a few good ones as soon as I paddled out. Then the tide completely turned the place off. I was about to leave when my boy Ryan had showed up on my call. If someone shows up to shitty surf that you talked up to them and they paddle out you are obligated to at least surf an hour with them. I did my requisite hour and was glad I did cause I found a few fun ones. Killian and Curren’s kids were surfing the peak by the trailers leaving us the peak in front of the gate house.
8/28/11 No Surfing: 2-3ft
Yeah I probably blew it. Initially the plan was to wake up for an early surf. My lady wanted to get wet having not surfed in a while herself. Then we ended up meeting a bunch of friends downtown Saturday night and made a night of it. I found myself at an after party at 3am where everyone was passing around an 8ft Boa Constrictor. I did not turn in till 4am, had to be at work at 11am, no surfing. I heard the points actually had some little waves on the afternoon low tide, not that it would have done me any good if I had not drank since I had to work all day anyhow.
8/27/11 No Surfing: 1-3ft
Went out with my new girl. She met some chill chicks from LA and we decided it only proper to show them just what downtown SB had to offer. We ended up meeting this funny ass Korean guy and his strange Moroccan roommate. They had gotten bottle service for the Korean dude’s birthday, yet they were sitting at an empty table. Well my friends for a few small drink contributions Chris Lisanti will bring his party to yours and give you a fun night. They definitely were not sorry for drinking me out. Needless to say I was rather hung over and not all that eager to surf before work.
8/26/11 AM Session: 1-3+ft, Emma Wood
Time in Water: 1 hr 15min
Waves Surfed: 33
A small rise in wind swell had me scrambling down to Emma Wood for a little grovel session before work. Far from spectacular it was about chest high and glassy although a bit weak and inconsistent. There were only three people out and I was there so I went for a paddle. For whatever reason I was surfing very well sticking all kinds of good shit including a backside air I rode out fakie, a frontside ally oop and nice backside reverse. I even had one wave I managed to get three solid top to bottom reos ending it with a small backside air reverse in the shore break. Then all these grommies came out and clogged it, but it was fine cause I had to go to work anyhow.
8/25/11 No Surfing: 1-2ft
The flat spell continues and it was my first day at work. I got promoted to dinner cook, although no extra pay, just more responsibility. Isn’t Westmont grand? Whatever, the hours are better and I will learn a bunch more thus enriching my career as a cook.
8/24/11 No Surfing: 1-2ft
I cant remember the last time in my life I went so sporadic with my surfing. For once it was not by my own fault. Truly the surf has just sucked. Sure I can always grovel but it is just not worth spending an hour and half of driving, five bucks in gas for a frustrating hour of slugging it out in absolutely horrible surf. I decided to go skim boarding after class instead and had a ball. I was destroying the tiny waist high shore pound at Lead Better Beach. Then I saw this pack of ten year olds going crazy on their little wooden skim boards and thought, “Man I am thirty and am doing the same thing these ten year old kids are, there must be something wrong with me”. Then I thought, “hey it’s Lisanti Land, life is not suppose to make sense”.
8/23/11 No Surfing: 1-2ft
Small conditions left me highly unmotivated. I used the time to give my apartment a much needed clean.
8/22/11 PM Session: 1-2+ft, C-street
Time in Water: 1hr
Waves Surfed: 16
After a night and half, I awoke to my boy and current couch mate Ryan milling around the apartment. He was looking to roll down south to find some surf. Having a few hours before class and not having surfed in days decided to cruise with. After a fun little car surf session we decided to surf some of the shittiest knee to waist high C-street ever.
8/21/11 No Surfing: 1-3ft
I was hoping to score an evening session upon arriving back in SB, then my flight got delayed two hours and by the time I got home it was too late to surf. Instead I went downtown, sung the worst rendition of Hall and Oats “Sara’s Smile” at karaoke night at the James Joyce , followed by a shit show of a night at the Wild Cat.
8/20/11 No Surfing: Flat (NJ)
I actually did get out of bed, or off my couch to be literal at 8am to get a surf in for I always like to get a session in before I fly just in case. I know plane crashes are about as common as getting hit by lightening, but I know five people and myself who have been hit by lightening. I am probaly going to die in a plane crash tomorrow now that I have jinxed myself. If that happens, well I hope everyone has enjoyed reading this blog the last few years. Don’t cray for me, its been a good run!
8/19/11 No Surfing: Flat (NJ)
I wanted to wake up and attempt to grovel but at this point I leave this cursed place in a little over 48 hours and right now I am still on California time and if I stay that way I will have no jet lag when I get home. Jersey was flat as usual and it hot as all fuck. Looks like my Cali boys have been scoring in my abscence. I told you guys you would be gaureenteed fun surf if I left. Just checked the surf report and its back to small crap just in time for me. Hooray!
8/18/11 No Surfing: 1-2ft (NJ)
I wanted to wake up and try and grovel before making my way into Manhattan for the opening night of the play I have been working with. Exhausted from getting back really late I decided to sleep in. I hope to find some motivation to jump in tomorrow morning.
8/17/11 No Surfing: Barely 1ft (NJ)
I forgot what flat truly looks like. It only took a few days on the east coast to remind. It was fine because I needed to be in NYC all day for previews of the show.
8/16/11 PM Session: 1-2+ft, Manasquan Inlet, Manasqaun, NJ
Time In Water: 1hr 15min
Waves Surfed: 35
I Finally got some fins on my board thanks to Nick the Kook coming through all the way from Chile. That guy is still the greatest surf caddy in the world. The surf was still atrocious barely finding anything over waist high and absolutely weak as hell wind swell. I rolled with Micheala again who was nice enough to take me to get a set of fins and a lift to the surf. Whenever I come home its like I am fifteen again living in my parent’s house with no car. Regression is great. I jumped in and did my best grovel attempt at the shitty blown out peaks coming in. I did manage to stick a backside air reverse on this old fish I used ride years ago with a broken toe courtesy of my fin less venture yesterday. I heard Cali has been going off, cant wait to get back home.
8/15/11 PM Session: 1-2+ft, Philadelphia Ave, Sea Girt, NJ
Time In Water: 1hr
Waves Surfed: 31
I woke up this morning and there were some little waves. The tide was super high but a brief beach mosey I saw enough to believe there may be a session on low tide. I went down to the crawl space of my parent’s house where I had a few old boards I left behind. Unfortunately it became quite apparent that I had five boards and zero sets of fins. My friend Micheala was already on her way and had a limited surf window. I said fuck it, if Jamie O can do it so can I, I am going to ride fin less. We cruised to Philadelphia Ave in Sea Girt where there was a small little right coming off the jetty. Surfing fin less was definitely an adventure, but I did manage to get a few. People were pretty astounding that I was even getting up on the thing let alone getting rides. Shoots I was in a pair of trunks, under the sun having a blast. Dont think I could ask for much else.
8/14/11 No Surfing: 1-2ft (NJ)
All stormy with rain and wind the ocean managed to stir up some knee high waves. Low tide looked rather weak to me and I thought I would wait for the tide and swell to fill in more. I forgot that NJ is not California and high tide does not make things better. End result I went to the liquor store and bought a few bottles of wine and got drunk instead. I cant wait to get back to Cali.
8/13/11 No Surfing:2-3ft
A full day of traveling back home to New Jersey left me no time to surf and when I got to NJ it was flat as usual.
8/12/11 PM Session: 1-3+ft, New Jetty
Time In Water: 1.5hrs
Waves Surfed: 20
Another late night that turned out going completely wrong thanks to this girl I have been seeing freaking out left me not getting to sleep until 5:30am. I awoke around 1pm feeling a dejected to say the least. In no mood to go surf plus minimal conditions I contemplated going for a zen hike in the hills to think things through. Then my friend Alex called me to go for a surf, this really chill French guy I met at a party a few months ago. We had been trying to link up for a surf ever since but our schedules or conditions just never came together. We cruised and had a splendid time. The surf was way more fun then I had expected. Glad Alex talked me into surfing, I am really glad to have him as a friend, even if he is French.
8/11/11 No surfing: 1-3ft
A late night as a result of celebrating the opening of my show and lack of surf left me uninterested in getting an early surf in. I met my buddy Ryan down at New Jetty later, but there were still just not enough waves to stoke me up. I ended up playing with him and his kids on the beach.
8/10/11 AM Session: 1-3ft, Santa Clara River Mouth
Time In Water: 1.5hrs
Waves Surfed: 23
Very minor south swell left overs were all that was on offer this morning. Emma looked fun but there were ten guys scraping the only working peak and about at least another 5 getting dressed. Not looking to scrap for waist high waves I rolled over to Ventura Harbor. River Mouth had the occasional wave and it was pretty clean for this summer. I ran into my friend Gordo in the parking lot and convinced him to paddle with me “its always better once your out there” philosophy. Turns out it was really inconsistent with the high tide, but we had three peaks all to ourselves. I ended up getting one fun little shack, stuck a full rotation ally-oop and got a hand full of other fun ones.
8/9/11 AM Session: 1-3+ft, Santa Clara River Mouth
Time In Water: 1hr
Waves surfed: 21
I had a late night last night. I was planning on making it early till a lady friend of mine showed up at 11:30pm, get your minds out of the gutter people we just kissed a bit and held each other. I’m taking this one really slow, trying to build a house on a strong foundation this time. There will be a blog on this possibly to come if I see fit. I woke up a little later then I had intended, 7:45am. I had to be at play rehearsal at 11am so I needed to get on it early. I was exhausted and thinking about bagging the session, when I checked the surf report and surfline.com was claiming 2-3+ at cstreet. The cam did not look like it but the buoy did have 7 feet of combined swell on it. I drove. I got Emma Wood and although very clean it was also very tiny. Frustrated I peeled out of the dirt lot and ran down to Ventura Harbor. New Jetty was weak and flooded. The sand bar has really sucked there the last two weeks. I saw a few chestish looking south sets break at the random sandbars at River Mouth and with a very limited surf window I got dressed and ran down there. As soon as I got to the water’s edge the wind came up south adding just enough bump to make it annoying. None the less I had the whole place to myself and snagged at least 10 fun ones, got a shore break tube and stuck a huge ally-oop.
8/8/11 AM Session: 2-3ft, Fruit Stands
Time In Water: 1hr 45mins
Waves Surfed: 44
Fruit Stands has been the out performer this season. Although a tad bit smaller then the day before and slightly more windy there were still plenty of boostable bowls and some barrels. I turned the place into an air show. Oh and did I mention My boy Ryan and I had the place to ourselves yet again. I love surfing.
8/7/11 PM Session: 1-2+ft, Lead Better
Time In Water: 45mins
Waves Surfed: 4
My buddy Ryan from Orange County was in town visiting and came up to say hi. Well he ended up getting lost in Lisanti Land. We enjoyed a nice bottle of Washington State Riesling and then in our drunken stupor decided to go grovel Leads on long boards. We bare backed it, the water was freezing and we pretty much just ended up plowing little kids and kooks over the entire session. Neither of us could stop laughing the entire time.
8/7/11 AM Session: 2-4+ft, Fruit Stands
Time In Water: 2.5hrs
Waves Surfed: 35
Small drop in size, with a big drop in current, light wind and peaky little bowls up and down the beach led to an amazing session. My new roommate decided to roll with me. The whole line-up consisted of myself, him and my boy Ryan. My Roommate way out of surf shape got swept down the beach by the usual current at Fruit Stands. I found a killer peak all to myself, while my buddy sat a bit north of me and we just ripped the shit out of these fun waves. It was like a fucking skate park. Sooo Good.
8/6/11 AM Session: 3-4+ft, Fruit Stands
Time In Water: 2.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 31
With a peaking tropical south, mixed both wind swell and a fading southern hemi south I knew the morning was going to be action packed. The wind was down for a change and the Saturday crowd was all over it. I met my bud Ryan over at Fruit Stands to beat the crowd and we managed to find some fun left peaks. Turns out the current was terrible and despite a few in and out barrels I was rather frustrated. Well to be truthful I had some personal issues that were bogging me down mentally as well. I was going to quite after my third drift when Ryan convinced me to go for one more. The current died with incoming tide and the sand bar we were surfing turned on. I started having a dream session. I stuck a huge ally-oop, big frontside reverse in the foam ball and tons of other cool shit. I even found a few little barrels.
8/5/11 AM Session: 2-3+ft, New Jetty
Time In Water: 2hrs
Waves Surfed: 19
The south swell finally arrived this morning coupled with some odd wind swell. Tide was super low and there was already, common theme this summer, some wind on it. New Jetty had a few draining lefts coming in off the jetty. It sort of looked like Nor’easter Cape May, NJ and it was the best waves I have seen since the Island trip. On the walk out I ran into my good friend Devin who I have not seen in some time. He decided to join me and we actually had the lineup to ourselves for the first hour. Turned out the current was terrible and good sets very inconsistent with plenty of close outs. It was more of a work out then a surf with plenty of paddling. I did manage to snag a few fun ones and got beaten super hard in an attempt to bring down a frontside tail whip backwards. I got the wind knocked out of me and as I write this my ribs still hurt.
8/4/11 No Surfing: 1-2ft
Last night was the first night of Fiesta. I took my new roommate out with me being that he has never been to a fiesta celebration here in SB. I got wasted off mini shots of Sailor Jerry’s I bought a JJ’s Liquor for a buck taking them on the street. Some how I ended up at the Pressidio at the beer garden and ran into some old friends. I thought ten minutes passed only to find out I had a solid hour and half of time completely unaccounted for. God I love blacking out. I woke up at 11ish only to find out that the surf was trash anyway.
8/3/11 AM Session: 1-3+ft, New Jetty
Time In Water: 1hr 25mins
Waves Surfed: 14
The buoys had some minor increase in both south and NW wind swell. I was jones’in for a surf and made the leap of faith. New Jetty appeared to have a fun looking left. As it turned out the water had gotten very cold, 58 F and the surf very weak. I jumped in and tried to force out twenty waves but I was too cold and unmotivated.
8/2/11 No Surfing: 1-2ft
Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. The buoys still looked like shit. I took advantage of a little extra sleep. Not having done anything physical in a while I decided to go for a skim board session down at Lead Better. I have not skim boarded since last summer. I think every summer I go and hit it up once and remind myself that my body is too old to enjoy a sport mainly populated by 10 year olds.
8/1/11 No Surfing: 1-2ft
More crap conditions led me to a car surf session from hell. I love wasting gas.
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