Surfing Ruined My Life

March 2011

March Surf Sessions In Review

3/31/11 PM Session: 1-3+ft, Mesa Lane
Waves Surfed: 33
Time In Water: 1hr
I spent the beginning of my day in my office (this means I had tons of backed up things to do on my mental check list, which I have put off till as late as it could possibly go and then finally sat down and got it done.  This am for example I had to fill out a new fasfa form for the 2011-2012 school year then handle some more financial shit incorporated with the new car.) after which I immediately whisked myself off to J7 to bang out as many boards as I could.  The plan was to work till around 4ish and then go try my luck at some incoming tide Rincon.  All the buoys pointed to a lack of new swell showing yet so I made the decision to keep on trucking till 6:30pm.  Then I ran down to Mesa Lane for a little grovel sess.  I ended up talking to this racist as hell 52 year old Italian American who had a little to say about everything.  Maybe I ran into a version of me in twenty years?

3/30/11 PM Session: 2-3+ft, Emma Wood
Waves Surfed: 36
Time In Water:2 hrs
I took the afternoon off from ding repair and headed south with the hopes of scoring some incoming tide Rincon.  Unfortunately the wind/ground swell mix that had the buoys spiking this morning had greatly diminished. Rincon was perfect for a long board but not for me.  I did manage to find some choice pieces of sea glass while checking it though.  After that I car surfed all over Ventura for about an hour before finally decided to surf out at Emma after seeing a sick set of three rights unload near the toll both and spit.  There was no one out thanks to the still drained out tide and wind.  I had the peak to myself the entire session.  A crowd showed up at the very end but they stuck to the left in by the camp grounds.  Virs and crew were hanging out on the beach.  Dane paddled out and monkeyed around on the left.  I had two really sick backside barrels that I will take to the bank with me.  Then as I was changing out of my suit in the lot this dude pulls up to me is some souped up BMW convertible with a surfboard in the passenger seat.  We start raping for a few before he asks to burrow a bit of wax.  I obliged and then he asked me my shoe size after which presented me with a pair of slippers that supposedly allow you to take your wet suit off and on easier.    Whatever, never look a free pair of anything in the mouth.  Another bit of Emma Wood parking lot festivities.

3/29/11 PM Session: 2-3ft, Mesa Lane
Waves Surfed: 21
Time In Water: 45 mins
More work at J7 forced my hand into another fun Mesa Lane session just before dark.  It was a little less consistent then the day before and I did not get out till about 7:15 leaving me not much choice but to scramble for anything I could.  I had one decent frontside barrel.  Who can really complain about chest high glassy bowls with only three guys out?

3/28/11 PM Session: 2-3ft, Mesa Lane
Waves Surfed: 35
Time in Water: 1hr
I showed up expecting nothing more then a solo grovel session right before dark to wash off both the grim of the kitchen and dust from the J7 work shop.  Turns out it was solid chest high and offshore.  There was a heavy crowd for the spot of about ten guys, but no one was on the left peak.   I will gladly surf the left peak when it works out there.  Its such a fun little bowl that even has the potential to barrel.  I actually snagged a handful of little larrels and then one legit tube right before black out.   Basically I had a full on froth fest.

3/27/11 PM Session: 2-3+ft, Emma Wood
Waves Surfed: 44
Time In Water: 1hr 45mins
Surf was really down today as I got out of work.  I knew given the tide and combo swell action that Emma Wood was the place to be.  Unfortunately the Ventura “pro-show” was all over it when I pulled up.  Dane, Virs and another four b and c list guys were frothing all over the best two peaks.  They had their video and photog entourage scattered about the beach and sea wall.  Rather discouraged not in the mood to deal with that competitive of a line up I had another look at both Gold Coast and Solimar.  Neither sold me so I went back to Emma.  There were another two peaks more near the over head that were bowly and fun with no one on it.  I struck out for there.  On the beach Dane’s videographer said what up to me and I did the pointless surfer chit chat for a few seconds with him while I stretched. I got out there and it was fun as hell with clean little chest to head high peaks all over the beach.  I stuck one really nice ally oop and a backside air pretty much over Virs that turned a head or two.

3/26/11 PM Session: 3-4+ft, Rincon
Waves Surfed: 18
Time In Water: 2hrs  10mins
The swell had dropped a bit from the night before, but the wind was light.  I checked Hammonds unfortunately it was a little too small and crumbly with the light onshore wind for my liking.  I cruised to Rincon and made a session surfing the entire stretch of the river mouth.  Right off the bat I nailed like eight really fun waves, then as the tide continued to fill in it got more lully and the peak kept shifting all over the placed making finding a good one a game of luck.  I was surfing really well sticking a hand full of different backside airs and just feeling good overall.  It seems like I always put down my best performances when the conditions go stale.  Whatever the case it was a good time and the crowd was non existent, 15 people on the entire point.

3/25/11 PM Session: 6-10+ft, Rincon
Waves Surfed: 12
Time In Water: 2hrs 10 mins
If I had to claim it I would have put tonights session into the top three biggest days I have ever surfed out at Rincon.  Unlike the morning before where it was big and clean this afternoon was as unruly as Rincon can be.  The wind was Hard WNW, the buoys were reading 15ft at 15 seconds and there were like ten different swells mixing in.  There were wide sets, big sweeping close outs, bombs, and a few that went from river mouth all the way to double call box.  I dropped into one wave where the side chop was eight feet before I dropped into another eight feet of face.  There were some epic barrels too.  It was a fucken free for all out there.  I rode my trusty 5’10 despite the fact that I had a perfectly good 6’1 step up in the car leaving me way way way under gunned.  I had a few choice rides but overall just got my ass kicked by huge close out sets, wide swingers and getting run down by lips I could not keep up with, not to mention one way over head stand up barrel at the call box that after getting hit with backwash and opening up so wide you could have drove a mack truck through shut down on me like an axe. When I came up I was almost down to La Conchita.  The current pushing down the point was one of the worst I have ever experienced.  If  you were not paddling you were going to the bottom and if you were paddling sometimes you were going backwards.  It was insane Rincon that Im still not sure was worth the effort.

3/25/11 AM Session: 2-3ft, Sand Bar
Waves Surfed: 11
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
I probably could have scored Rincon again this morning, but feeling a bit lazy I slept in leaving me less then optimal amount of time for the excursion.  I gave Sand Bar a look and it was around waist to chest high, inconsistent but there were definitely some runners out there.  The crowd was super light with only four guys on it so although it was a bit smaller and inconsistent then I would have liked I decided to give it a go.  It was far more inconsistent then I had hoped and there were these two little dick heads that kept paddling the line up too deep.  You cant drop in three flag poles deep on a small day with a 1 ft low tide.  its just not possible.  I got pissed and started paddling them even deeper so that when they took off they would hit the break wall.  After about the third time in a row I think they got the hint and laid off.  I had three really good barrels and one wave I snagged a double barrel on.  Who can really complain about that.  The water is still freezing.  I think I am going to have to bite the bullet and get a new wet suit.

3/24/11 AM Session: 5-8+ft, Rincon *****
Waves Surfed: 14
Time In Water: 1hr 45mins
See blog “Bad Decisions Lead to Great Outcomes”

3/23/11 PM Session: 2-3ft, Gold Coast/Emma Mar
Waves Surfed: 32
Time In Water: 2hrs
Wind was up hard out of the SE tearing up all the points.  I headed south with the Gold Coast in mind considering its facing would allow such winds to be offshore.  Sure enough I pulled up to very well groomed waist to chest high A-frames up and down the beach with out a soul out.  I jumped into the frigid and rainy conditions and found some very fun little barrels.  Then the sun came out and the wind subsided a bit.  The tide dropped it got really hallow.  It was a small wave barrel fiesta.

3/22/11 PM Session: 2-4ft, Rincon
Waves Surfed: 15
Time In Water: 1hr
Surfing on Tuesdays is always such a crap shoot.  Unless its good its not going to happen.  Today there was still plenty of NW in the water and I had an itch to get some before class.  This meant leaving working at about 2:15 over an hour early in order to be able to squeeze in an hour before my 5pm class.  I got all my work done early and cleared it with the sous chef.  Rincon bound.  I forgot of course that the tide was still pretty high and with the decrease in swell the ‘Con was a bit swampy and weak for my liking.  Thats not entirely true it may have been fun but after yesterday my expectations were all skewed.  I mean it was still clean fun chest to head high Rincon.  As usual it had to be a full on froth since I only had an hour to grab as many waves as I could.  I ended up surfing down the whole point from River Mouth three times, snagging every wave in my power to get.  I brought down a really nice nose pick BS air reverse and a really clean front side ally oop on a wide swinger at the top of the cover that opened up a fast left.  If your a goofy foot at Rincon you cant ever pass up the opportunity to go left, if not for any other reason then to piss off everyone out in the line up.

3/21/11 PM Session: 6-8+ft, Rincon
Waves Surfed: 20
Time In Water: 2 hrs 45 mins
When kooky was here we surfed some pretty good Rincon but not great.  I told him the difference between a good and bad day at Rincon is that on a good day you dont ever have to pump.  Today was just that scenario.  Minus some texture from all the crazy weather and ten different short period swells in the water Rincon was lining up perfectly.  I double call boxed at least half my rides, and call boxed the other quarter.  Bobby was out absolutely killing it.  Killian and I saw him get one barrel through the cove that had to be an easy 50 yards long and super deep.  Killian was blowing it up too.  I had plenty of great ones.  Bobby kept looking at me strangely out there making me feel a bit uneasy.  Every time I was setting up for a huge turn dude was just on the shoulder looking right at me.  Whatever it was a great time for all.

3/20/11 No Surfing: 3-5ft
Absolute storm chop/victory at sea conditions today after work.  I looked around a bit and it all just looked like shitty waves I would have surfed in Jersey.  It was rainy, the water was brown and I did not feel like contracting Hepatitis for crap surf, not after the week of surfing I just had.  I know there is more surf on the way too!

3/19/11 PM Session: 3-5ft, Loons
Waves Surfed: 26
Time In Water: 1hr 45 mins
Once again Plenty of swell and adverse south winds.  Kooky and I gave a check over at Rincon which was a bit beat up with south texture but it was definitely solid overhead.  Bobby was  running up the point as we were checking it.  I was not really frothing on the torn up line up and there were about another twenty guys or so about to paddle.  The swell size and direction were right  so I decided we should give Loons a look.  From the Santa Claus vantage point it was solid and there were a few guys on it.  Kooky was game for the adventure and I figured anything was better then sitting at windy mushy Rincon.  Loons was solid but all scalloped out with the wind.  Still I managed to find a few down the point and snuck into a gnarly barrel or two.  Kooky had a couple as well and we had the entire point to ourselves.  Then the wind went from bad to worse completely trashing what little semblance of a wave that was left.  Back in the parking lot some random guy claimed he had some pictures of me surfing Sharks Cove a few years back.  I gave him my email and he actually had a few ok shots of me trying these weird backside ally-oop rodeo things I used to attempt.  More on that later.

3/18/11 PM Session: 2-4+, Rincon
Waves Surfed:19
Time in Water: 2hrs
Ahh, Rincon, nothing washes a long day of classes and other bullshit like hitting a wave 12 times and getting barreled to the call box.  Although a little bit crowded thanks to some short period wind swell there were still plenty to be had by all.  I had two sick barrels through the cove and plenty of other good waves.  It was a most splendid session.

3/18/11 Am session: 3-4+ft, Hammonds
Waves Surfed: 19
Time in Water: 1hr
There is no greater feeling in surfing then when you check a spot and the wind and conditions are perfect and then by the time you get your suit on and get to the beach it clocks around the totally opposite way ruining what could have been a great session.  What a waste of time I had one decent left and one decent right overall it was a laughable bullshit session.

3/17/11 PM Session2: 3-6ft, Hammonds
Waves Surfed: 10
Time in Water: 45mins
After our triumphant EL Capitan session Kooky and I were cleaning some shrimp for dinner (making my tasty Shrimp Scampi Recipe ) and decided to hit up Hammonds for a sunset session.  It seemed like a stellar idea on paper, plenty of west swell, light winds and high tide.  Turns out it was all jumbled up and super inconsistent.  I had one bomb that opened up for me on my second wave but other then that it was rather forgettable.    I should just stayed home and studied for my midterm in Culinary Fundamentals that I am now going to fail tomorrow cause Im writing this garbage instead of studying.

3/17/11 PM Session1: 3-5ft, El Capitan
Waves Surfed: 29
Time In Water: 2.5 hrs
EL CAPITAN!!!  EL CAP, damn it finally broke and broke well too.  I wanted to get there by 11am, but thanks to an early morning appointment at the career center at school that ran way too long Kooky and I did not make there till around 1pm.  Upon checking it I could tell it was solid chest to head high with offshore winds and moderate crowd.  We were on it.  It was probably the best El Cap I have ever surfed of course given the fickleness of the place it was also only my 4th session out there ever.  It works out that I get about one session there a year and this was it (maybe I can squeeze one more in, only time will tell).  I ended up getting a solid 50 yard tube through the bottom of the point.  Sure I had to scrap like a mad man to do it, but I made it happen.  Then in the last half hour the place just got mobbed to the point where it was so crowded I could not even turn to take a wave with out running into someone.  Apparently a group of rascally locals threw rocks at Kooky and told him to go home and some old guy cracked his head open and was bleeding all over the place.  Cheers, Jeers and epic barrels, just another great day at EL Capitan.

3/16/11 PM Session: 4-7+, Rincon
Waves Surfed: 29
Time  In Water: 2.5hrs
Chunky, Lumpy, and Dumpy was the best way to describes tonight’s Rincon Session.  That being said it was well overhead with a light crowd and the right wave was with some knowledge and finesse easily called boxed.  For whatever reason I surfed very well which always proves a good session.  Towards then end the wind died and with the higher tide things smoothed out a bit and I ended up nailing three really good barrels.  All I have to say is that Kooky is scoring it.

3/15/11 PM Session: 2-3ft, Sand Bar
Waves Surfed: 40
Time In Water: 3hrs
The best eight dollars ever spent.  I have been racking up way to many parking tickets over at Sand Bar lately.  As a result I have begun parking in the harbor pay lot  where it costs $2 an hour rather then paying the exuberant $48 in parking fees.  Truth be told I was not even very into the idea of surfing there after a less then stoking pier side surf check and onshore conditions.  Kooky was super frothy on it so being the fact that it is his time here I gave in.  Turns out it was a good choice cause sand bar was the best it has been to me all year with plenty of great rides.  It was not super hallow but completely rip able.   Killian was out destroying it and although the crowd was heavy at times there were plenty of waves to go around.

3/14/11  PM Session: 2-3ft, Rincon
Waves Surfed: 23
Time In Water: 2hrs
I was not planning on getting a second session in today, but on the way back from a tiring day of car shopping Rincon ended up have a fun looking wave in the cove.  There was some bump on it but some waves were doubling up and going square.  The crowd was stupid light and solid chest high.  I ended up having a ball and even call boxed one wave.

3/14/11 AM Session: 3-5ft, Dredge
Waves Surfed:15
Time In Water: 1.5 hrs
Points were on the small side and a bit swamped with the tide.  Kooky and I headed out for Harbor, but were less then satisfied with what was in front of us.  We cruised over to Dredge which looked to be a bit small and weak.  I left it up to Kooky and he was up for a paddle.  We get out there and it turns out its more like solid head high and doubling up.  The peak was rather shifty and a few too many close outs for my liking.  I ended up getting one good one all the way in and stuck a text book backside air.  Kooky got sucked back pretty hardcore trying to dive through the back of a close out.

3/13/11 PM Session: 2-4ft, Rincon
Waves Surfed: 25
Time In Water: 2.5hrs
Some new reinforced NW swell showed up this afternoon with light south west winds to provide some solid lines through the cove with a  very light crowd.  I had not surfed Rincon in a week and after my last few sessions being at shorter waves left me a bit out of whack.  I definitely bogged more then a few good sections, but had some good ones too.  Im going to blame it on the fact that I was still recovering from being sick the other day.   Kooky had a good one through the cove.

3/13/11 AM Session: 2-3+ft, Pitas
Waves Surfed: 44
Time in Water: 2hrs
The last time I surfed Pitas I got run over by some kook and got my board destroyed (see I hate Idiots for more on that one).   This morning the swell had dropped a bit.  Rincon was small and Emma Wood already too drained out.  We were heading back to Rincon, Mauriello, Kooky and I when I decided we should just give Pitas a look.  It was about chest high with bigger sets up top, only around eight or people on it and the crowd was on the kooked out side.  It was far form the best Pitas I have ever surfed but the waves were adequate enough.  I stuck a really nice backside air early on I was happy with.

3/12/11 PM Session: 2-4ft, Hammonds
Waves Surfed: 12
Time In Water: 45mins
My plan was to surf all day, but then thanks to a crazy incident of alcohol poisoning (look for a blog on that one soon all I will say here is that it was the worst fit of vomiting I have ever experienced) I ended up spending the entire day in bed and on the couch.  Right before dark I decided to suck it up and jump in for a surf.  Turns out it was a great choice cause Hammonds was firing.  Two fun Hammonds sessions in a row who can complain.

3/11/11 PM Session: 3-4+ft, Hammonds
Waves Surfed: 30
Time In Water: 1hr 20mins
I wanted to get  a morning session in but then all the beaches were closed thanks to the Tsunami that ended up being yet another nonevent.  I tried to sneak in at three different spots only to be chased away by the cops.  By the third attempt I was out of time and had to go to class.  I hate closed beaches if I want to drown in a Tsunami it should be my prerogative.  Afternoon came around and my boys Mauriello and Brennan rolled into town and Kooky was beginning his Chris Lisanti Adventure Tour.  After a failed Sand Bar mission we ended up at Hammonds thanks to all the traffic on the south bound 101.  As it turned out the session ended up being super fun even if there was some cross wind on it and sectiony.  I stuck a sick full rotation backside air reverse.   Everyone had fun, Brennan got a great wave.  Good times for all.

3/10/11 PM Session: 2-3ft, Mesa Lane
Waves Surfed: 44
Time In Water: 1hr 45mins
After putting in yet another full Thursday at J7 I thought I would just swing by Mesa Lane to see if there was even a grovel wave available and was pleasantly surprised with some chest high wedges.  Although a bit sectiony and dumby at times there were definitely some  almost fun waves on offer.  I always say any session at Mesa Lane where you dont end up impaling yourself or your board on a rock is a good session.  I guess I got my one shitty Mesa Lane session in for this month.  I stuck a nice backside air reverse on my last wave.

3/9/11  No Surfing, 1-2ft
The only thing worse then not surfing for two days and only surfing four times in the last eight days is pour partially spoiled milk into your cereal at breakfast and then being too lazy and cheap to  throw it out thus eating it anyway.  Guess who both those things happen to?  If you did not guess me stop reading this blog immediately and go drown yourself in a puddle of knee deep water.

3/8/11 No Surfing, 2-4 ft
My plan was to sneak out of work at 2pm and snag an hour in the waves before my 5pm sanitation class.  Unfortunately my boss caught me slinking out the back door and had me zest 40 Oranges and Limes.  The I had to hand squeeze what was left and make a marinade for 50 lbs of chicken.  There went my surf session.  Anyone who has hand squeezed  or zested even one orange can understand what a pain in the ass and how time consuming forty would be.

3/7/11 PM Session – 2-3+ft, Rincon
Waves Surfed: 27
Time in Water: 2.5 hrs
The wind swell I spoke of yesterday finally filled in even if it was not nearly as big as I would have hoped it would get considering how windy it was.  Still there were some chest high and bigger sets coming through at Rincon with a light crowd, minus all the surface chop it was fun enough.   It felt like a drifty windy south wind swell day at Sandy Hook and a friend of mine who moved to Carpinteria from Ocean City, NJ like 19 years agi said as soon as I saw him “just another shitty day in Jersey”.  Truth be told it was more like a pretty damn good day in NJ and there were definitely a few hundred yard plus rides to be had.  I personally only found three of them, but that being said manged to average four turns a wave.

3/6/11 No Surfing – 1-2ft
I really had high hopes for a surf today.  I even had a gut feeling.  A few of the kids that surf up a Westmont went to Rincon early afternoon and came back with a less then knee high report.  I knew it was highly unlikely for a surf, but the wind was blowing, the tide was rising and the buoys were suppose to spike.  Taking all that into consideration I figured I would go as a far as Rincon and have a look.  There have been plenty of times when I have absolutely scored Rincon just before dark on similar conditions.  I have always lived by the mantra “you dont know unless you go.  Well I went and it was skunk city.  There were a handful of long boarders messing around on the barely knee high mush coming through the cove and two groms who were barely able to get a ride on their short boards.   As I always say if a grom cant get moving then dont paddle out.  I could have surfed some absolute waist high wind chop that looked like bad Florida at Santa Claus, but I decided to pass and bank on tomorrow.

3/5/11 No Surfing – 1-3ft
Slim pickings out there today.  Looks like there is a solid run of swell on the way starting tomorrow so I was not about to sweat the flatness.

3/4/11 AM Session – 2-3+ft, Santa Clarita River Mouth
Waves Surfed: 21
Time in the water: 1hr 15mins
Full knowing the swell was to steadily decline through out the day as the wind increased I got up before my 11am class and headed to Emma Wood, where I hoped the combo swell of W, NW wind and SW along with the high tide would make for some killer rampy bowls.  There were rampy bowls but they were only like waist high.  I ran to the harbor with the hopes of scoring some of the new sand bars set up from the rain, recent dredging and the river mouth opening.  It was still pretty small around chest high with the rare head high set, but conditions were glassy and it looked like there were a few high tide A-frames coming in.  I had about three really good lefts and one fun right.  Overall though it was a less then stellar session and the water and air were frigid.

3/3/11 PM Session – 2-3+ft, Rincon
Waves Surfed: 16
Time in Water: 1hr 20mins
Its pretty ironic that just yesterday I was bitching about how long it would be until I had a chance to surf Rincon again, then this evening it happened.  Lindsay had hit me up late morning with the report that she surfed Rincon and it was fun.  This sparked my interest and although I had tons of work over at J7 I knew I could sneak a session in if Rincon was truly doing its thing.   I luckily finished all my work by four and called Lindsay to let her know I would snag her for another surf.   I was still rather skeptical on Rincon being fun but as we passed the look back of death confirmed all doubt.  Rincon was solid chest high and clean although a bit wobbly from the short period swell.  I did the U-turn of death (how I have not died on that small stretch of the 101 between Rincon and Little Rincon is beyond me, all I have to say is that the surf gods must still be on my side) and pulled into a fairly empty lot considering that the place has not really broken in over two weeks.  Cove had about thirty guys on it, River Mouth only had about 15 spread out.  Being already late in the evening and wanning light I opted to start up at the River Mouth to get my numbers up, plus there was a tad bit more size there.  I ended up getting a few really fun ones before surfing my way into the cove where I found three real gems before running out of light.  Not the best ‘Con ever but after not surfing for three days I will take it.

3/2/11 No Surfing – 1-2ft
More flatness.  I could have found a wave at Ventura Harbor this afternoon.  Winds were light enough and buoys looked as if there was enough swell, but it was cold and rainy, plus I was exhausted and not about to spend a 1/4 of a tank of gas for just a possibility.  Gas needs to come down in price, Rincon needs to break again and I need to fucking surf.

3/1/11 No Surfing – 1-2ft
Still very little surf out there today and with my afternoon class I was over the whole thing.  Looks like some possible swell for Thursday.  Time will tell.  All I know is I need a surf soon.  Forget about the last time I had a surf at Rincon.  Why does Santa Barbara have to be so torturous at times?