Surfing Ruined My Life

January Surf Sessions 2011

1/31/11 PM Session – 2-4+ft, Rincon
Windswell/groundswell mix made for a rather fun session tonight at Rincon.  Surf was a bit smaller then I had hoped and the wind was a bit south causing a slight chop on the face, but there were still plenty of nuggets.  For a week I have not really been getting my share amongst the crowd, but today I finally was able to pick off a fair amount of waves.  Still I got burned at least seven times and some fat whale of a lady who always surfs the cove on a short board way to small to float her fat ass got in my way on a solid one.  I was paddling back out letting the whole bullshit ordeal go when she looks at me and says “were you trying to hit me”.  I nearly freaked out, but kept my cool said I did not see her till last minute (it is true I was looking down the line not straight in front of me and truth be told I almost killed her.  I would have totally trashed my board on her fat ass.  I mean she was like a god damn beluga whale).   Still it was one of the more fun sessions I have had a Rincon.

1/30/11 PM Session – 2-3ft, Rincon
Super fun wind swell session in the cove at Rincon.  I called boxed my last wave and Kelly Slater paddled out and absolutely killed it.  See The Champ Has Returned blog for more details.

1/29/11 PM Session – 2-3ft, Rincon
With very little light left after work I had to make it or break it at Rincon.  Some old guy in the lot was claiming it and since there were only a handful of cars I figured worse case scenario I could always go fuck around up at Bates.  Turns out there was still plenty of good ones on hand.  Lindsay was sitting in that lower river mouth area I enjoyed the previous night so I opted to join.  Although not a life changing session I got plenty of fun ones and brought down a rather nice backside air reverse I landed nose pick.  I ended up surfing till way past dark having to ride my last three waves near blind.  I only got out because I landed on my fins courtesy of a poorly timed floater in the dark.  It was a close call that I luckily came out with no board damage or personal injury.

1/28/11 PM Session- 2-3+ft, Rincon
After class it was back to the Con and although slightly smaller the crowd was still rather light and surf pretty fun.  It was just like the entire swell inconsistent.  I sat between Indicator and high river mouth for the first half of my session before making my way down to lower river mouth where I found a ton of decent waves.  Just another average day at Rincon.

1/28/11 AM Session – 2-4+ft, Rincon
Friday is the only day of the week I can have a double session right now with my current idiotic schedule and truth be told I was going to be completely lazy on it.  The only reason I got out of bed was because the dry wall guy was suppose to come and fix a hole in the wall made by the plumber way back in early December.  He came to fix a leaky faucet and the entire ordeal became an old woman who swallowed a fly situation.  Anyhow he was suppose to come at a quarter to nine and rather then have to get up then I decided to go for a quick Rincon session before class. FYI: the dry wall guy never showed, surprise surprise.  Im glad I went out.  I ended up scoring a bunch of fun ones up at the river mouth. It would have been a great sess except that I accidently made a kook mistake and snagged the rocks paddling out thus putting a little hole in the bottom of my board.

1/27/11 PM Session – 3-5ft, Rincon
Class, ding repair, surfing that was my day on paper.  The plan was always to go to Rincon but then a disturbing text from a friend had me considering other options “Rincon looks really good but really crowded”.   The swell was 288 on the buoy and the East Santa Barbara buoy was reading five feet.  I gave Hammonds a look but it was barely chest high inconsistent and crowded with long boarders.  By this point it was 4:15 and with little option left I cruised to Rincon for a make it or break it session and as every surfer knows those can go either way.  Well this one went south.  The crowd although very manageable on a most days was over bearing thanks to the one wave set consistency.  I sat in the cove for thirty minutes, caught half a wave got frustrated and then paddled up the River Mouth.  It was just as inconsistent there, except a bit more spread out plus the crowd is always easier to work up there.  I got one from Indicator to the top of the cove, but besides that had nothing but trash.  Then right before dark I camped out at high cove and after nearly a half hour and no more light I snagged a call boxer, but it was dark and I could barely see what I was doing.  Surfing sucks Im over it.

1/26/11 PM Session- 2-3+ ft, Emma Wood & Kooks Peak
I was almost stoked to surf today after work, especially after missing yesterday.  As I got to Carpinteria I could tell the ocean was all torn up, and as I passed Rincon it was more of the same and a bit on the smaller side.  Since the tide was just beginning to drain I decided to give Emma Wood a look.  On the way there I noticed a sick left at Kooks peak with only two guys riding surf rafts on it.  Turns out there was way too much kelp growing off the reef to make it worth a session, unless you were on a raft.  After a half hour I was over the kelp and made a run for Emma.  As I pulled up I saw a few fun looking clean bowls in front of the life guard tower with no one on it.  I ran into a friend of mine in the lot and he opted to join me.  We ended up getting some good ones.  I stuck a nice front side ally-oop and a backside nose pick air reverse.  I snagged a few solid claimable larrels as well. Sometimes its refreshing to surf a beachie over a point.

1/25/11 – 3-4ft, No Surfing
Tuesdays are going to be a tough one for me the next 15 weeks.  I have work till three and class at five, not leaving me much time to get a surf in.  Today being the first day of class I wanted to leave myself some extra time to find the classroom, plus I had some important business to take care of at the bank.  Thus I did not surf today.  If its really good I can most likely squeeze an hour in here in town.  But I figure four days a month for the next three months or so will only amount to just over twelve surfs.  Whatever surfing sucks and I hate it anyway.

1/24/11 PM Session – 3-4+ft, Rincon
Fuck surfing and especially fuck surfers.  I hate this stupid sport.  I dont know why I continue to bother.  After missing days of near epic Rincon mostly due to work, but also partially because of crowd I finally returned this afternoon.  To my surprise the parking lot was not too full.  As I walked down I saw an incredible six foot set four waves deep run through the cove perfectly.  There was only around thirty guys out in the cove and although I knew the consistency to be less then stellar I wanted to get a piece of the action.  I dont know if it was just bad luck or me not vibing with the situation out there today but I was definitely getting the short end of the stick.  I know I was not feeling 100% motivated that is for sure even while driving there.  I could not manage to get one set wave to myself with out getting burned.  One dude burned me so bad I hit him across the ankles with my board knocking him and me off the wave.  That would have been a call boxer and the dumb kook dropped in on me and then proceeded to blow it.  Even my last wave at dark which I waited at least twenty minutes for some fucking long boarder paddled me and I literally had to do a floater over him to continue with the wave.  I dont fucking get it, god damn donkeys!  Rude people that is the problem.  When I surf Rincon I almost never paddle on anyone who I think will make a section.  What a fucking joke.  Im going to kill some one errrrrrrrr!!!!

1/23/11 PM Session – 2-3+ft, Sand Bar
I was not even going to surf Sand Bar tonight.  My plan was to go and surf some shitty beach break at the Pit or the elusive North Point, which the buzz around town had been that it was good the entire swell.  What ever the case as I was driving past Lead Better a super solid set maybe overhead, six waves or so deep rocked the point.  That set had me flipping a u-turn back to Sand Bar.  If Leads is pulling in short board-able sets then Sand Bar has to have something.  I will take marginal Sand Bar over any other spot in town, with maybe the exception being Hammonds. Walking out on the break wall I could already tell it was better then the previous day.   The crowd was light with only around seven guys out and the only people controlling it were these three groms who all give me respect there anyway, but it was still small only about knee to waist high but consistently.  Then every so often a one chest high wave would roll in.   In the hour and a half I was out there were three real sets with at least four chest high plus waves in it and they ran the break wall perfectly.  I got one from each of these sets and even had one that I had a triple barrel on.  The other two I had double barrels.  Unfortunately I blew the wave of the session.  A rouge head high wave rolled in and since I was pretty much running the show out there went for it.  I took it from one flag pole in, way too deep for the day, especially backside.  I got into it before the back wash hit, which was my second mistake, and positioned for the tube.  As soon as I did this the back wash hit me and sent me careening over the falls.  Im sure that it barreled super hallow for fifty yards before opening up on the inside again.  Thanks to my carelessness no one else was able to shoulder hop leaving it to peel all by its lonesome.  After that wave I decided I was not leaving with out redemption.  It did not happen till at almost complete darkness, but Sand Bar is such a perfect wave it is often surfable at night, case in point there were four guys getting ready to give it a paddle as I was leaving.  I really could not see waves at that point till they were baring down on me so I was sitting a little inside of the rocks when I saw this wave stand up.  Since I was not so deep I easily slid right into the pit and ran the tube an easy thirty yards or so before speeding it all the way to the inside.

1/22/11 PM Session – 1-3+ft, Sand Bar
I have yet to have a good session out at Sand Bar this year.  One factor against me is the lack of time.  Sand Bar is one of those waves that can turn on and be unreal for an hour window and then be completely flat the next.  When I had more free time I used to check the place all the time and before I had a car out here it was one of the few waves I could get to surf so I scored plenty of good days, but my new busy schedule limits me.  In my defense I dont think from what I have heard that there have been more then three decent Sand Spit sessions this season and the sand is a bit to straight as well. After yesterday going back there should have been the last thing on my mind, but I did not get off work till 4:30 and with the extremely low tide was left with few options.  There was definitely more swell then the night before, Lead Better had some head high sets and I saw it breaking from Cabrillo near East Beach.  I made the gamble yet again (you know what the definition of insanity is?  Doing the same thing over again and expecting different results, maybe that is why all surfers are a bit insane) and when I got to the end of the break wall saw it was still pretty terrible with the drained out tide.  Resolved to get just one good ride to make it all worth the paddle I went out with the hopes of a Sand Bar miracle set (on any given nw swell Sand Bar is sure to give at least one three wave chest high set that will run down the point a session).   The first thirty minutes I did not even catch a wave.  Then as the tide turned around I began to snag a few racers, one of which I stuck a full rotation air reverse.  Right before pitch there was just myself and this older guy out and he was in position.  I saw the set bearing down on us.  The first one came in and I asked the guy if he was on it or waiting out the next one, which I knew to be the better wave.  He took the first one only to not get into it then turn around and watch me acid drop into the pit of a fifty yard screaming barrel, come out and then hit it three times, race into the next little tube section ending with a reverse.  Like I said sometimes all it takes is one to make a session worth while.  So far that is my best Sand bar wave this winter.

1/21/11 PM Session – 1-3+ft, Lead Better
Its a spot referred to as Lead Worser or Bed Wetter.  I live right on this point break that on paper should  be a great wave but instead it is this mushy sectiony barely longboardable wave.  I hate it.  Before I had a car out here a few years back I used to surf there way too much.  With the exception of one crazy twenty foot day three years ago the place is usually pretty sterile.  Once a year the beach break down from the point can have a sick left barrel.  The other 360 days of the year the place is absolutely terrible.   So how did I end up surfing there tonight when one of the best swells we have seen this winter was due to hit?  I had tons of ding repair to do and did not get done till 4pm.  I checked Sand Bar and it was about waist to stomach high and looked pretty fun, by the time I got there it was near flat thanks to the drained out low tide.  I surfed like half a wave among the little grommie boggie boarders before running to Lead Better to salvage a few waves before dark.  I ended up getting one really fun wave down the point that some kook ass woman got in my way on.  You cant really get made at a kook for ruining a wave at a kook spot.  I hate hyped up swells and I hate surfing.

1/20/11 PM Session – 2-3+ft, The Pit
I fucking hate the pit.  Santa Barbara does not have one quality beach break with in a 15 mile radius of it.  The pit is one of these terrible beachies.  Plagued by kelp, random rocks, shore break like conditions and close outs, not to mention a usual crowd on the only workable peak there, The Pit is far from any surfer’s dream.  When I first heard about the place I had good feelings considering there is this spot back in NJ called The Pit that I used to surf and actually where I learned how to surf as a kid.  That pit was a good wave though.  Some how I end up always having one session there a season, hate on it and then never surf there again.  This year with my crazy busy schedule Im sure I will be stuck surfing there again since it is only five minutes from my apartment and school.  Lindsay called me and said she was giving it a paddle and it was clean.   I have not seen her since before break way back in December so I figured at the very least we could catch up.  Turns out it was better then that spot usually is, but still far from good.  I had a few little rights that were ok and then a left or two also.  My boy Ryland was out fresh off a trip from Ecuador and it was good to surf with him and hear about his adventure as well.  Average waves but good company and a decent sunset, I guess I dont really have much to complain about.

1/20/11 AM Session – 3-5+ft, Hammonds
Six foot high tide, remnants of a west swell still in the water and clean morning conditions means one thing to me: Hammonds.  I have said this 100 times but let me reiterate, Hammonds is a great wave, probably one of the best waves in Santa Barbara when its working.  Sure its not as long as Rincon or as hallow as Sand Bar, but something about it is magical.  The wave just rifles down the reef so steep and fast when you get a good one you feel like your in a surf video.  I have comboed some of the best maneuvers into one backside wave there then any other spot.  Bottom line when you catch a good wave at Hammonds there are not awkward flat spots or strange sections, just perfect lip and wall for fifty yards or so.  There is a reason Tom Curren sites it as one of his all time favorite waves.  Today was far from epic Hammonds, but the crowd was light and I saw a six wave overhead set reek havoc upon the line up while checking it that sent me literally running back to my car.   Those sets were few and far between but there were plenty of fun insiders that I frothed all over.  I thought I had only surfed for two hours, but when I got out and checked the time it was more like three and a half hours.  Good stuff.

1/19/11 PM Session – 5-8ft, Little Rincon
I was all suited up and half way down the street to surf Sharks when some guy driving by pulled over, opened his driver side door (I guess his window does not go down?) and told me it was not worth it.  Said he walked all the way to the point (its a long walk) and did not even surf, it was so bad.  I figured anyone that adamant about informing me not to go out must be worth taking the advice of.  I resolved to just drive to Rincon and surf it no matter how obnoxious the crowd.  In my head I was all physched up and had my blinders already on.  When I got to the parking lot there was not one open space and the street and both high way ramps were all parked out as well.  I literally would have had to park at La Conchita and walk if I wanted to surf the Con.  On a last ditch effort to salvage my session I drove over to Little Rincon.  The crowd was light with only around a dozen heads spread all over the place.  There was absolutely no discernible line up.   The swell was solid over head with plenty of washy ones and a lot of big surface chop.  I saw a couple of good ones and paddled out.  Turns out it was borderline un-surfable and definitely California victory at sea conditions.   I found a couple of good ones but spent the bulk of the session either getting pounded by sections I could not make or cleaned up by sweeping close out sets.  Did I mention I was only riding a 5’10.

1/18/11 PM Session – 3-6ft, Loons
With a steadily rising NW swell I planned on going to Rincon but then while passing by Sharks Cove I noticed there were a solid twenty guys out.  If a nothing spot like Sharks has that many people on it forget about Rincon.  On a gamble I made a power play for Loons considering that Santa Claus was a solid chest to head and I saw waves up there from the beachie.   Pulling into the parking lot I saw a few guys leaving, upon asking if it was fun they replied “sick, but super inconsistent”.  They were not kidding.  I got five really great rides, but also I only got five rides in over an hour and half of surfing.  Not to mention that as the tide was filling in each set would bring you closer to the angry boulders that line the point.  There is nothing more gnarly then pulling into a double up suck out tube over nearly dry barnacle covered rocks.

1/17/11 PM Session – 2-3ft, Rincon
Swell was down a bit from yesterday and very inconsistent.  I spent the majority of my session up at Indicator which should give you an idea of how meager the conditions really were.  Top it off with more SE wind contributing  it to be marginal at best.  The crowd was light, the weather warm and with a beautifully setting sun and full rising moon the night shaped up to be alright.  At last glimpse of light I was all by myself in the cove staring at a gold, yellow, red and purple sky against the black outlines of the Channel Islands looking like pirate ships.  The oil rigs were all lit up like little floating cities and over my head was this gorgeous big round shinning white full moon illuminating the ocean splendidly.  At that moment I forgot about how shitty the session really was surf wise or all the worries and woes of my complicated over worked life and got a refresher course on why we are alive….to live.

1/16/11 PM Session – 2-3+ft, Rincon
South East wind left Rincon with a bit of a scallop on it but far from ruining it.  Surf was down a bit from the day before hovering in the waist to chest high range  with the occasional bigger set.  I started up and Indicator and surfed my way into the cove where I managed to snag a super nice barrel coming out clean through the doggy door.  Crowd was fairly light with maybe thirty guys on the whole point half of which was this super stoked crew of Japanese long boarders.  Looks like there is some serious swell on the way.  Time will tell my friends.

1/15/11 PM Session – 2-4+ft, Rincon
I sat at work all day thinking of the waves waiting to receive me at the Con, the crowd as well.  As I pulled into the lot there were a number of open spaces although being the end of the day, 4:30, I did not let it phase me.  I got dressed and ran down the trail.  There were some chest to head high lines coming through a bit inconsistent and smaller at the cove thus I found myself paddling out in the River Mouth section.  I snagged a bunch of good ones right off the bat and stuck a huge backside air reverse.   Crowd was light for a Saturday, maybe fifty or sixty people on the whole point.  I got burned on the the wave of the session through the cove, but that is how the cookie crumbles at Rincon.  Sometimes you win some and sometimes you lose.  I would far from call the session a loss though.

1/14/11 PM Session – 1-2ft, Mesa Lane
The convenience of this spot being exactly a six minute drive from my house has made surfing there a lazy bad habit.  In all actuality there was slim to no new NW swell showing yet and I had to take Nick to the bus stop for his trek back to NJ at 3:50pm.  For me to strike out south for a grovel sess made no sense when I could do the same right here at home.  Unlike the previous two days surf was a bit more inconsistent and quality not up to snuff either, not to mention there were four other guys out.  I stuck two very clean backside reverses I will take to the bank.

1/13/11 PM Session – 1-3+ft, Mesa Lane
The original plan was to go up north to Jalama or Surf Beach in search of some bigger waves, but last night’s out of control drinking escapades left us way too hung over.  We did not even get our shit show of an act together till like 3:30.  C Street looked small and windy so we made the call to go back to Mesa Lane.  Turns out it was still really fun there and even a tad bigger then the day before.

1/12/11 PM Session – 1-3ft, Mesa Lane
Sometimes surf sessions happen in the least expected of places and times.  I had not even planned on surfing considering the buoy was reading 3ft.  Nick and I went meandering about the Mesa to this park where from its highest point you get a 360 degree panoramic view of both the town and the ocean front.  While up there I noticed what looked like some lines rolling into Henry’s Beach.  Behooved I decided that we should check Mesa Lane this collection of average reef breaks not far from my apartment.  Sure enough it was oil glass and these perfect tiny knee to waist high rollers were pushing through.  I gave Nick the option and of course he was frothing so we paddled out for the last 45 minutes of light, the golden hour as it is referred to out here.  It ended up being a super fun froth session for both of us.  Another session I would not have surfed if it was not for Nick’s motivation.  I have to keep up that level of stoke after he leaves.

1/11/11 PM Session – 1-2ft, Tar Pits
I have never surfed Tar Pits.  I have checked the place many of times yet never found anything worthwhile.  Today was not an exception.  I got out of work late and Rincon was tiny.  As a last ditch effort we struck out for Tar Pits.  I figured it was worth a shot.  Sure enough there was a terrible wave, but somewhat clean and semi ride able. I gave Nick the option and since he is perpetually stoked out we went.  I did not even catch a wave for the first ten minutes.  About just before dark I frothed a couple of waist high close outs.  It was hardly worth while.

1/10/11 PM Session – 2-4ft, New Jetty
Swell was down today leaving me weary of surfing the points.  Truth be told I was looking to froth on a beach break.  Unfortunately for Nick and I the wind was bad and swell a bit on the small side when we got to Ventura Harbor.  I saw a few left and right nuggets amongst the chop when checking it that motivated me to get wet and Nick is perpetually stoked because so far every day we have seen is still really fun NJ.  Actually that is the exact term I would use to describe the surf today, a New Jersey session, windy, marginal and closed out.  That being the case I thrived in the crap conditions and found a bunch of fun waves and landed a very clean indy grab fS air. Nick to his credit did one of the best backside reos I have ever seen from him.

1/9/11 PM Session – 2-3+ft, Rincon
The days are getting longer finally my friends, not much longer, but just enough to allow for me to get a session in after work.  Nick and I cruised by Rincon which must have gotten some back board swell from the Islands and was still sporting fun looking chest high plus waves, oil glass with an almost no existent crowd.  Seriously there were only about twenty people on the entire point.  I started at the River Mouth and keep snagging tons of bowly little three and four hitters.  Then I got three in a row that ran for 150 yards each till I ended up in the cove where I surfed the rest of my session.  My best wave I picked off Nick after he was too deep.  On that wave I got a triple barrel just missing coming out of the last section by inches.  At dark it was just Nick and I in the Cove all by ourselves.  See it is possible to get Rincon to yourself from time to time.

1/8/11 PM Session – 2-4+ft, Rincon
The jury was out on where we were to surf this afternoon.  The swell was still holding and wind had calmed down a bit.  Initially I thought about giving the beach breaks a run, but then as we were passing Rincon decided it was worth a look.  As it turned out there was a decent little wave running through the cove with a light crowd.  I got a few good ones right off the bat, but then the tide got super low, crowd picked up and for some reason I just stopped getting quality waves.  Then this long fifty yard section appeared in the middle of the cove that I took way too many disconcerting beatings trying to make.  Right before dark I snagged one to the call box making me forget all the hardship. 

1/8/11 AM Session – 2-4+ft, Rincon
Fuck south winds, steep receding swell and high tide.  Each entity alone is enough to make a session less then desirable.  All three together is a nightmare.  That was exactly what greeted Nick and I this morning.  Hoping to steal some waves from the impending Saturday Surfline crowd we got up early and shot straight to the Con.  Not even checking it we got dressed and ran down the trail ignoring the fact that more surfers were leaving then surfing.  Turns out the wind was south, the tide was high and the swell being a little bitch. And it was frigid, the air so cold I could see my breath, water just hovering around fifty.  I was just about over it before even paddling out and if Nick was not with me I probably would have caught  six waves and left.   With the exception of a nice backside reverse up at the River mouth I could have happily stayed in bed.  Nick on the other hand surfed for three hours and caught the most waves at Rincon ever.   Isnt having low standards grand?

1/7/11 PM Session – 3-5ft, Pitas
See blog: Nick the Kook Receives a Hay Maker.

1/7/11 AM Session – 3-6+ft, Rincon
Swell was on the rise and so was the crowd, it became a race against time for Nick and I to get into a window of an under 200 crowd.  Luckily for us we had some fun lines with only around 100 people out.  At first things were slow going but then I started snagging some really good waves, one of which I called boxed from lower river mouth, an easy 600 yard ride.  My legs were on fire.  By mid morning the crowd grew to 150 and greater, but by then we had already had our fill.

1/6/11 PM Session – 2-3+ft, Rincon
Inconsistent chest to head high peaks was the standard at the Con this afternoon.  After exhausting every other possibility, Devin, Nick and I resolved to give Rincon a paddle.  I had a few good ones but overall spent the bulk of the session floating around in the cold.  I had a great one I call boxed just before dark.  Nick got a little barrel and a decent set wave through the cove thanks to the margin of error.

1/6/11 AM Session – 2-3ft, Sands & Devereux Pt
The initial plan was to paddle out at nearly double overhead semi walled Dredge, but as we were about to suit up Nick realized he left his suit at my apartment in Santa Barbara.  Thus being forced back into town I decided considering the  tide and swell we should give a look at Sands.  It was about chest high and oil glass.  The thing about Sands is that it always looks super ripable from the beach.  I always get all pumped thinking it will be a great session and come out very disappointed.  Today was no different.  Turns out most of the set waves were closed out and very inconsistent.  I had a few nuggets but overall could have left it out.  Then as the tide dropped we paddled over to Devereux where I managed to get a little right barrel off the slab at the top of the point before milking a few all the way to the beach and calling it quits.

1/5/11 PM Session – 2-3+ft, Hobsons
Hobsons is this shitty reef break in between Little Rincon and Pitas that I seldom surf.  As a matter of fact the only times I do surf it is only when Rincon is shit house crowded and every where else either shitty or crowded as well.  Nick the Kook had just got here and I wanted him to have a fun first session.  Rincon was packed and super inconsistent and everywhere else sucked.  We were about to just go back and deal with Rincon, on the way I noticed some nuggets at Hobsons and the left was actually looking rather fun.  Turns out we had a blast out there and it was some of the best surfing I have done on my fore hand in a while.  Sometimes the lower your expectations the bigger the surprise.

1/5/11 AM Session – 3-5+ft, Rincon
Truth be told I was hoping for a lot more this morning, well I needed a lot more.  A 6.5 foot high tide can make even the best of high tide spots swampy and Rincon is not the best of high tide spots.  I checked the point and there were some solid ones in the overhead range up at Indicator, but super inconsistent, sets an easy half hour apart and on high tide there are no in betweens.  Throw in a crowd of thirty guys and freezing cold water/air temps and you have a less then fun session.  I looked around, but Emma looked like shit and given the choice between Cstreet and Rincon I will always take the latter.  I managed a few good ones and a couple of shacks but man was it fucking freezing. My hands are still frost bitten as I attempt to type this.

1/4/11 PM Session – 2-4+ft, Rincon
Have I mentioned how much I love Rincon this week?  Let me reiterate; I love Rincon.  New Swell began to fill in allowing for plenty chest to head high sets.  There was a slight side chop as a result of all the offshore wind in Ventura but not enough to ruin the wave.  The barrels were all time.  My last wave I got a 100 yard tube through the cove before which I had three hard top to bottom reos.  The greatest thing about getting a sick barrel at Rincon is everyone is there to see it.  As I pulled into the tube I just sat there behind the curtain while watching everyone in the line up hoot and throw shakas. I came out hit the lip four more times, did a critical floater, snagged another fast tube and ended with a close out floater.  I was planning on surfing till dark but after a wave like that I could not even think of going back for more.

1/4/11 AM Session – 3-5ft, New Jetty
I used to always hear stories about surf spots where you actually had to wait for the swell to drop to surf and it always amazed me till I started to travel.  New Jetty is one of those places that if there is any type of NW in the water it will be at least 3 to 5 feet bigger then any other place around.  Of course that  being said it will also be on most big sets walled out as far as the eye can see.  This morning the surf was a bit down in between swells, the tide high and wind hard offshore.  With this combination I knew Ventura Harbor was worth a look.  On high tide there are usually all kinds of sand bars that could be popping off there.   It was far from epic but New Jetty had a  fun looking A-frame about fifty yards off the jetty and only three guys out, two of which Im friendly with.  I watched them surf it for about a half hour hoping they would sell the cold windy paddle.  They did and it was fucking freezing, air temp just around 50 degrees F, water 48.  I had one really deep long Front side barrel that made it all worth while, not to mention a handful of good right shacks too.

1/3/11 PM Session – 3-4+ft, Rincon
I always forget how much better the surf is out here then the East Coast until I go back for a spell.  I missed Rincon terribly while I was away.  She did not disappoint today welcoming me back with solid chest to head high surf, nice lines and plenty of barrels. Did I mention there was a relatively light crowd too.   I got so many little drainers through the cove I lost count.  I ended up surfing four hours straight.  Sure the East gets some great tubes but I would rather get barreled come out and then hit the lip another six times before pulling into an inside shack too, but thats just me.

1/2/11 – 1-3ft No Surfing
Cold, windy and rainy, that seems to be theme this winter in California.  Im glad the rain waited till I was back in town. I would have really hated it if the weather was 70 and sunny today like it was the entire time I was away.  I probably could have surfed today if I went searching, but with a great week on forecast starting tomorrow I was not about to brave the weather.  Call me lazy, weak, pathetic I dont care.

1/1/11 – 1-2ft No Surfing
I may have ended the year with a surf session but beginning it with one was not in the cards.  I was in transit from 6am Eastern Standard Time till 5pm Pacific time.  Im not doing the math but that is at least 16 hours of travel and three connections courtesy of Continental Airlines.  Even if I was in California it looked pretty flat flying in over Ventura.  Ironically Florida was like solid chest high today…Go figure!!??!!