Surfing Ruined My Life

October 2011 Surf Sessions

October 2001 Session Stats

10/31/11 No Surfing: 1-2ft
I was sick as a dog today.  I don’t really understand that phrase and not sure while I am using.  Dogs get sick of course but I doubt they felt as bad as I have the last two days.  Believe it or not it is not alcohol related, unless I am in the first stage of cirrhosis, which may very well be the case.  Drinking oneself to death is a rather difficult endeavor after all so if it truly is the case then it is nice to know that I am succeeding.  Yesterday I woke up all feverish and was almost about to call in sick except for the fact that I would have been throwing my boy Kevin under a bus.  Not being able to find anyone to cover me I sucked it up, took three ibuprofen and two Dayquils. Let me tell you what a shitty day of work that ensued.  Sunday night was horrid for me coughing and feverish, not to mention I broke out in hives thus getting no sleep.  Today I spent the entire day on the couch to try and recoup.  I must say I am feeling slightly better.  Here is looking to better health soon.

10/30/11 No Surfing: 1-2ft
What is it summertime?  I don’t really care I have been going so hard this weekend I have been too torn up to surf anyway.

10/29/11 No Surfing: 1-2ft
More minor conditions and another good night of party tells me to sleep the fuck in.

10/28/11 No Surfing: 1-3ft
I could have found some bad waves to surf at New Jetty or Emma Wood, but after a crazy night at the bar I decided to sleep in for a change.  Unfortunately it looks like conditions are going to be rather meager for the next couple of days.  That is ok cause Kooky and I are on a five day Halloween rager.

10/27/11 AM Session: 2-3+, New Jetty
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 25
You know those sessions when you feel like  God? I had one today.  It was only about chest to head high and a bit crumbly with the wind, not to mention a larger then optimal crowd.  I was on and that was all that mattered.  Every good wave seemingly came right to me.  All my turns were crisp. I stuck a bunch of airs.  It was just one of those days.

10/26/11 AM Session: 3-5ft, New Jetty
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 16
Thanks to a six foot plus high tide, light Santa Ana winds and combo swell New Jetty became one of the only games in town and the place everyone decided to flock to. I was not feeling so well this morning and being lack luster after trashing my former roommate’s room in a drunken tantrum over him eating the biscotti I baked by hand the day prior kept my wave count down.  I just did not have it in me to battle the crowd.  That being said I got two nice front side tubes, a backside shack and stuck a solid ally-oop.  Kooky had a few nuggets too. 

10/25/11 PM Session: 1-3+ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 25
Initially the plan was to go surf New Jetty, but when we got there it was packed and inconsistent.  Kooky and I decided to go do a bit of pumpkin picking instead opting to let the crowd thin out.  We got two good size pumpkins, a small white pumpkin and a squash the cashier told us was amazing for roasting (she was right, I cooked that shit up for dinner) for just under $25.  Then we cruised back to the Jetty which was now crowded and closed out.  We checked Dredge and it was fun looking and we were about to pull the trigger when I saw Virs and ten of his cronies on their way out thus motivating me to go else where.  Pissed we check Pitas on a Hail Mary and it was terrible leaving me rather disheartened and angry. Then my dad happened to call me and thanks to his motivating pep talk that my life will get better if I keep up the hard work I decided to go to Rincon and class after.  Rincon was small.  I did my work up at Indicator where I caught more lefts then rights.  I did manage to get one from Indicator to low River Mouth.  It was better then not surfing.

10/24/11 AM Session: 2-3+ft, New Jetty
Time In Water: 1.5hrs
Waves Surfed: 23
I slept in for a change not expecting to even surf.  On a long shot I hit up my Ventura sentinels and my boy Dave got back to me and was claiming New Jetty to be about chest high and glassy.  Kooky and I pulled up to some pretty decent looking left and right corners with a light crowd although a four man pro show on the Jetty.  They left shortly after we got in and enjoyed some really fun boostable close outs.  I throwing tons of huge airs with a reckless abundance.  Broke the nose off my board while landing a huge FS ally-oop nose pick.  Good times. Then Dave, Kooky and I enjoyed breakfast at our favorite janky eatery Christie’s.

10/23/11 No Surfing : 1-3ft
Left Sf at 5 am to make it to work at 11:30am.  I left SB at 8:30am Saturday and got back at 10am Sunday Morning then worked all day Good times oh and now I am on my way to the Wild Cat.  Yeah think you have problems, guess again. 

10/22/11 PM Session2: 1-3ft, Waddel Creek
Waves Surfed: 34
Time in Water: 1hr 45min
Waddel Creek is a great collection of reef and beach breaks.   It was tiny but Kooky was frothy and we decided to give it a paddle.  Turns out we both found a ton of great waves.  Kooky and I went one for one. We were out all by ourselves surfing clear blue water, under perfect sunny skies, enjoying a great sunset.  Behind us were huge pine trees and desolation.  I was stressed out all week and as soon as I got up north and breathed some clean air and got out of the facade of SB.  Good waves or bad it did more for my psyche then anything has in a long time.

10/22/11 PM Session: 1-3ft, Moss Landing
Waves Surfed: 20
Time in Water: 1hr 15min
Moss Landing is one of my favorite beach breaks in the world.  I played hooky at work to go surprise my friend John for his bday in San Francisco.  On the way up Kooky and I stopped up at Moss Landing and from the beach it looked super fun.  By the time we got out there the wind had picked up and the was funky.  All I know is the good waves we saw were null, but I still had to get mine.  I did stick an FS air that was bigger then the wave I caught.

 

10/21/11 AM Session: 1-3+ft, New Jetty
Waves Surfed: 18
Time in Water: 1hr 15min
I got a surprising call from my old friend Beth Anne.  We had been on the outs for a while and truthfully I though she hated me and was shocked to hear from her.  She was my surfing buddy back in NJ and became my party friend after my wife and I split up. She took my wife’s side and did not talk to me for a bit.  She moved out to California, but down south like everyone from the East does. Now she is doing the nanny thing and that is what got her up to Santa Barbara.  She wanted to get a surf in with me so I picked her up and brought her to New Jetty with Kooky and I.  It was pretty much trash conditions. Kooky paddled me twice for two of the better waves, but I was busy catching up with Beth.  Minus the waves I would say it was a good day.

10/20/11 No Surfing: 2-3ft
kshhfieeioajdkdiiifiehieoaieofjdidjf.  Thats all I have to say.  I drank a ton last night as usual, went to the Wild Cat woke up on the floor of my bedroom at the foot of my bed fully dressed at 7am.  Surf was down and I wanted to sleep so I did end of story.  Kooky said It was average at best and I heard the same from another friend of mine. Whatever. I am going to get drunk again tonight. whooooooooooooooooooot!

10/19/11 No Surfing: 1-2ft
Barely ridable conditions, shitty winds and a serious lack of motivation had Kooky and I running a muck at the Thrusday Ventura Fair Grounds Swap meet.  There is nothing better then peddling other peoples junk so that it can become your junk.  I love wasting money.

10/18/11 AM Session: 2-4+ft, Surf Beach
Time in Water: 1hr 50mins
Waves Surfed: 27
Ahhh, Surf Beach and just about the one year anniversary of the fatal shark attack that happened there. With minimal swell and a need for adventure Kooky and I threw caution to the wind and went up to the wild north.   Upon pulling into the lot we were greeted by fun looking glassy chest high plus bowls with out a person in sight.  As we were changed this crazy old man who had to be over eighty and was born in Lompoc in 1924 and lived there his whole life began telling us all these gnarly stories of way back in the day.  He lost his wife of like thirty years last year and found himself a bit lonely these days.  I always find it really sad when old people lose their spouse after all that time.  I could not imagine the heart break.  Turns out he should not drive cause he has dementia but does anyway cause he does not give a fuck.  First thing he said to us was “I’m 86 years old and lost in life, maybe I always had been”.  Those words always win me over.  Then as we are about to paddle out this lady whom I have surfed both there and Jalama with claimed some guys saw a 12 foot great white there yesterday. I told her “well that was not today now was it” and paddled out.  Turns out the session was super fun and both Kooky and I scored some sick waves.  I got a few barrels.  We stopped at the Jalama Cafe for Lunch,  my favorite eatery in the area and ran into that same old guy.  What an awesome day.

10/17/11 AM Session: 1-3ft, New Jetty
Time in Waer: 1hr 40min
Waves Surfed: 32
Minimal swell had Kooky and I up on the dunes trying to scrape the bottom of the barrel for stoke.  We were super hung over from the previous nights Kooky Kyle Wild Cat Birthday Extravaganza.  Literally my couch mate Ryan got so faded he wandered out and took a piss in the the ally and somehow managed his way home.  I smoked some pot under the table at a booth out back and Kooky was just plain old drunk.   I would like to say that I got laid but it was not in the cards for meaning it is now day 16 of no sex :(.  I may have to buy a flesh light if things keep going this way.  I saw a few rid-able lefts and since I wanted to try this janky breakfast place at the harbor decided to give it a paddle.  There were ten guys out, conditions were glassy with a little texture and it was about waist to stomach high or so. By the time we paddled out after a nice parking lot bs session the crowd was down to two and then they left shortly after we paddled out.  Some how I managed to get some really good lefts and had a rather fun time.  I think it was because it still would have been a fun day back in NJ.  That janky breakfast joint was the shit.  I love really bogus ghetto eateries.   

10/16/11 AM Session: 2-3ft, Santa Clara River Mouth
Time in water: 1hr 15min
Waves Surfed: 16
After not surfing yesterday and full on knowing that there was still some south swell on the buoy.  Turns out the tide was a bit high and swell a little weak.  We opted to  surf River Mouth over the crowded mushy New Jetty.  It looked really hallow but as it turns out only the sets were ride-able and they were few and far between.  Never the less I managed to snag four pretty fun barrels and got to see my boy Robbie who I have not surfed with in like two months.  

10/15/11 No Surfing: 2-3ft
I went to the Wild Cat, had too much to drink, ran into Fifi and danced the night away, pun intended.  I did not go to sleep till 4am thus opted to stay in rather then surf.  I was surfed out anyway.

10/14/11 AM Session: 2-4ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 1hr 15mins
Waves Surfed: 23
I love surfing still drunk from the night before.  Last night was gnarly my bartender at the Wild Cat hooked me up with talls all night leading to Kooky and I getting slammed. We ended up at a table talking with a fat girl, a Russian chick, and this other chick who was eating out of my hand but then claimed to be married at the end of the night.  I did not see any ring on her finger.  Whatever she was fun to talk too.  The whole night sounds like the beginning of a bad joke.  We ended up floating out of there at last call and apparently I threw an empty bottle of wine at Kooky when we got home. All I know is I woke up on my love seat with the my neck all bend.  The surf was super fun and relatively uncrowded.  I did most of my damage around the River Mouth.  Some how in my less then functional state I managed to pull off a ton of crazy shit and call boxed my last wave in the cove.  I had a mother fucking ball out there.  Thank You Rincon and Winter!!!!!

10/13/11 AM Session: 4-6ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 2hrs 45mins
Waves surfed: 27
Oh man, Rincon.  Today was the first day I have to say Rincon really cooked for me this season.  Kooky and I got there and the lot was packed.  I was going to drive away, but my rule of thumb is that if I can get a space in the front lot the I will surf the place regardless.  I ended up snagging a spot and was stoked I did.  The place was on.  I started up at River Mouth and surfed from there down three times.  I had some sick ones.  Out of the 27 waves at least twenty had no less then 9 turns.  I got two from high River Mouth to Low Cove and called boxed one from high cove.  Killian was out and had some guy filming him with a 35mm lens.  I has so many sick ones it was incredible. I love Rincon.

1o/12/11 AM Session: 3-5ft, New Jetty
Time in Water: 1hr 45mins 
Waves Surfed: 31
My hope was to surf Rincon this morning but high tide and a slow rising swell had me back at the jetty looking at chest to head high stretched peaks. There were some corners, it was glassy and no one was out.  How could I turn that down?  It was Kooky’s first session out here and I figured why not make him endure some shitty closed out New Jetty.  I had one sick left that I got into really late sort of got tubed, came out hit it, followed by a hard round house rebound and ending with an air.  Then I stuck a few more front side airs before the wind came up and the NW filled in making everything go to shit.

10/11/11 Am Session: 3-4ft, New Jetty
Time in Water: 2.5hrs
Waves Surfed: 38

Waning south swell and slowly rising NW ground and wind swell meant some serious combo action at the beachies.  That means peaky fun bowls.  For me courtesy of light off shores and some solid waves it meant a Ventura barrel session.  I snagged some killer frontside tubes along with some killer beatings.  Surf was one of the best I have seen down there in a while.   Unfortunately I was surfing like shit and blew almost everything I went for.  I did bang out a sick back side reverse. It was a fun session nonetheless.

10/10/11 Am Session: 2-3+ft, New Jetty
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 23
Well besides a nice headache courtesy of my couch mate baiting me to drink an entire bottle of Chianti by myself last night I had the urge to go and surf. I am usually good for a half bottle no problem, but that assholes drunking goading just put me over the age.  Isnt alcoholism grand? I downed three ibuprofens, the master plan for athletic success when your over 28 and headed south.  There is nothing better then further damaging your liver in the morning with pain pills, Yesssssssss!  I got to New Jetty where I met my friends Dave and Ryan.  There were peaky little bowls up and down the beach and it looked totally boostable.  The water was fucking freezing and the wind slightly on it.  I had a few decent rides although nothing to really write home about.  Then the wind came up and ruined it.  Surfing Ruined My Life and winded ruined my surfing.

10/9/11 No Surfing: 2-3ft
Sometimes you just need a break from life.  The last few days I have spent the bulk of my time sleeping.  Maybe that is the true signs of depression setting in.  I was suppose to meet this girl downtown who drove down from SLO last night. Not just to see me, but still we had plans.  I got home from work and fell asleep on the couch not to wake up till 11am the next morning.  She called me like six times.  I was a little bummed too cause it would have been nice to hang out with her.  Whatever I needed the sleep apparently cause  I awoke with a new lease on life except for the entire bottle of Chianti I drank later that night.

10/8/11 AM Session: 2-3+ft, Emma Wood
Time in Water: 45mins
Waves Surfed: 17
I had a lazy morning despite passing out on my couch after drinking 3/4 of a bottle of wine while watching Joe Vs The Volcano.  I got up around eight and with a limited window was hoping the ‘Con would have a wave.  It did not so I high tailed it to Emma Wood where I found some fun little left and right bowls.  Unfortunately with high tide, waning swell and it being a Saturday the crowd was stupid with 35 guys spread out among 4 peaks.  It was a shit fight.  I managed to snag one really good frontside tube.  Oh and the water was fucking freezing too.

10/7/11 AM Session: 2-3ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 1 hr 15mins
Waves Surfed: 22
It was a bit wind swelly and far from epic but there were some chest high waves at the point and it was glassy.  I polled the whole point for waves.  I did three drifts from Indys all the way to the cove.  Nothing really all that phenomenal took place.  I had a few fun ones.  It was more fun then not surfing.   I am taking a brief break from down town this week.  My plan is to not rage it till Sunday although I am suppose to meet up with this chick from SLO tomorrow evening so time will tell.

10/6/11 AM Session: 2-3+ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 2hrs
Waves Surfed: 21
Winter is definitely here.  Last night the air had that cold bite of NW winds blowing down the coast.  This morning it was just above sixty when I woke up.  There is nothing like winter.  Back to fun surf and the dimension of being a little bit more hardcore to brave the elements.  Elements, who am I kidding a sixty degree dawn patrol is far easier to stomach then the twenty degree ones I used to endure back in Jersey.  The wind was still up when I woke so I cruised to Rincon.  I saw Santa Claus had a chest high wave and with that intel did not bother to check it instead just suiting up.  I got down there and the cove had a solid chest high wave running through it although a bit on the weak side.  The top was a bit bigger and more consistent.  I started in the cove, snagged two to the high way before walking up top.   Upon getting there my understanding was correct.  It was too disorganized to be any good although bigger.  That chick was out again. The one with the photo shoot from yesterday.  We got to talking since we had our rainy shitty Cove session in common.  Turns out she is a California girl now living in NYC in an attempt to make as an artist/surfer/model “and not the other way around”.  That shoot from the previous day was for some Carpinteria based clothing company who had a house on the point for the week to shoot the fall line.  She was pretty chill for a chick that surfs.  I ragged on her ability a bit yesterday but she could definitely hold her own out there.  I got about five to the high way and stuck a small but critical backside air up at River Mouth.

10/5/11  AM Session: 1-3+ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 1 hr 40 mins
Waves Surfed: 23
Ahh surfing in the rain.  The first rain fall of the winter is always a magical paradox.  On one hand it means light crowds and usually good waves.  On the other it means dirty water and possible illness.  This morning I got the Cove all to myself for about an hour.  I showed up at the point and it was a bit torn up from the south wind and on the small side.  Then I saw a set of about six chest high waves peel through the cove and pulled the trigger on the session.  I got down to the point and there was a women out on a cut down long board with someone shooting her from the water and a guy on the beach with a telephoto under an umbrella.  Now the waves were not nearly worth filming and neither was she.  She split after 30 minutes and I had the entire point to myself.  I was a little slow after hitting the James Joyce the previous night where this strange country folk type band was playing.  Their lead singer was Asian but he had a deep cowboy voice.  So weird.  I hit up the Kitty afterwards, but it was all the same usuals I always drink with and did not feel like their delusional bullshit so I went home.  I had six I connected all the way to high way.  Then the tide got lower and the wind got stronger thus making it more sectiony and less fun.  I cruised to work early and enjoyed a relaxing lunch.  

10/4/11 AM Session: 2-3ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 2 hrs 15mins
Waves surfed:  22
I was not expecting much of anything at Rincon today.  Reports showed some new NW but it seemed a little bit on the steep side and a little bit slow going.  I got a later start and by 10am the buoys were reading 7ft at 15 seconds.  My sentries down in Ventura were claiming the beachies all walled meaning the swell was showing.  I knew at the very least Emma Wood definitely should have something to surf.  On the way down I noticed waist high waves at Santa Claus.  If there are waves there at that size then Rincon is most likely breaking.  I got to the lot and this old guy I surf with there all the time said it was solid and to just get dressed.  I took his word for it and was stoked when I walked out to the point and saw nice long chest to head high lines running.  The swell was a bit too steep for the Cove so I started up a low Indicator before finding a really nice niche down at low River Mouth where I spent the bulk of my session.  Some prick hot headed cocky twenty something paddled right in front of me on one that looked like it would have connected all the way to the high way.  Then he called me a kook for almost running him down.  I gave him a dirty look and paddled away.  I thought about causing a problem, but realized I was a dick like him when I was his age and rather keep my dignity.  Besides that I had a bunch of fun ones.

10/3/11 AM Session: 1-2ft, La Conchita
Time in Water: 1.5 hr
Waves Surfed: 21
My Couch mate Ryan and I needed to get some air.  We knew the surf was going to be absolutely deplorable, but figured at the very least we could hang on the beach a little bit.  The sun was out the weather was gorgeous and visibility so clear you could make out the islands perfectly.  After some doughnuts and free coffee from my bank (thank you Santa Barbara Bank and Trust) we cruised.   It looked like something I would barely surf in NJ.  Ryan was into it and ran down and got in the water.  I was considering just taking a nap a bit hung over from the previous night’s festivities at the Kitty where long story short I had two single young twenty something mothers living in a maternity home in Goleta all over me on the dance floor.  Almost pulled them too.  I saw Ryan get a few ok looking rights and decided to join him.  We switched boards mid session and it was hoot to ride his long board terribly and watch him struggle on my little match stick.  I stuck a backside air on my last wave.  Nothing epitomizes the California surfing dream like  surfing knee high waves with just you and your bud on the side of the areas busiest high way, looking out onto oil rigs, a fake Island and garbage on the beach.  California wooo hoooo.

10/2/11  AM Session: 2-3ft, New Jetty
 Time in Water: 1 hr
Waves Surfed: 18
Talk about miserable conditions. I thought there was suppose to be a resurgence in the NW swell and the buoys were showing surf.  My intentions were to charge it to Rincon.  Rincon sucked so I kept cruising south ultimately ending up a New Jetty which was chest high at best and complete garbage.  I had to watch it for a half hour to even convince myself to paddle out using “Well I drove here” and “If this were Jersey you would be all over it” as motivators.  Turns out just as Taj Burrow says once your out there its always more fun then staying on the beach.  I found a few little nuggets despite the 15 person crowd.  Aren’t weekends awesome!

10/1/11 No Surfing: 1-2ft
I partied my ass off Friday night with my couch mate Ryan, his girlfriend and my co-worker Hector,  who although my subordinate apparently makes 25 cents more an hour then I do.  We went to the Joyce and had a grand old drunken time.  The band was fun, hector from what I gather claimed he had Aztec blood and threatened Ryan with a concealed weapon thus getting kicked out of the club.  I stumbled to the Wild Cat, hit on some girl with a sleeve tattoo on her left arm who was barely a six cause I thought she was giving me the eye.  Turns out she was interested in this guy who tried to sell me weed and looked as if he were homeless.  Good times.  I woke up the waves sucked and I opted to sleep in for a change.