Surfing Ruined My Life

September 2015 

9-30-15 PM Session: 2-3 ft, Emma Wood
Time in Water: 2 hrs
Waves Surfed: 48
I had some work over at Trevor’s catering gig.  I though it would take all day, but ended up being much shorter then I had expected.  I got home and looked on the Ventura Point cam and sure enough there was some minor wind swell running.  The wind was light and I wanted to get wet.  The tide was super low.   I had a look at Tanks, but there just wasn’t enough size to make that work.  Emma had some bowls coming through on the north peak.  I paddled and although on the smaller and weaker side there were some fun ones to be had.  Dane paddle for a little bit. I will take it to the bank.

9-29-15 PM Session: 2-3 ft, Jalama
Time in Water: 1 hr
Waves Surfed; 22
I had some errands to run and other random bull shit to attend to in town.  After which I had a look at the Jalama where I noticed a small amount of south swell getting in with light winds.The Surfline forecast called for smooth seas and light winds all day.  My decision to go was an easy one.  Of course when I got there the wind was howling out of the NW destroying what little surf was out there.  I walked down to Cracks anyway.  I figured worse case scenario with the extreme low tide I would just go abalone hunting.  I did just that for a bit though rather unfruitful.  I was about to walk back to my car, when I noticed a few terrible looking south sets come in.  Since I drove I surfed. Yes it was as bad as it looked. I had the place to myself and Jalama is always a good place to spend time anyway.

9-28-15 No Surfing: 1-2 ft
Not much swell out there still thus keeping me out of the water.  What is with these insipid flat spell?

9-27-15 No Surfing: 1-2 ft
Surf was shit. My lady asked me to stay in bed.  Cuddling over groveling.  What can I say.  I should have went surfing…

9-26-15 AM Session: 1-3 ft, New Jetty
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 28
I knew it was gong to be small, but I also knew the forecast looked grim for the next few days and thought It might be my last chance for a surf.  The Jetty had a terrible wave that managed to make the most of.  I found myself surfing a little suck up left off the Jetty that worked for me.  Good times.

9-25-15 AM Session: 2-3 ft, Santa Clara River Mouth
Time in Water: 1 hr 15 mins
Waves Surfed: 23
I got down to Ventura harbor and sure enough the wind was off shore.  The swell was a bit smaller.  I decided to run down to the River Mouth to the same sand bar I was surfing the day before.  With the off shore winds and the sand bar what I thought was going to be a marginal surf became a super session for an hour I was getting tubed and kill-able peaks.  Then the wind changed and it all went to shit.  That was fine since I had to work anyway.

9-24-15 AM Session: 2-3+ ft, Santa Clara River Mouth
Time in Water: 1 hr
Waves Surfed: 19
I didn’t really know what to expect this morning.  There was a some NW wind swell and SW combo in the water.  The wind was light so I cruised to Ventura Harbor.  New Jetty was crowded and average at best.  The tide was kind of high though I noticed some peaks down at the River Mouth.  I ran down that way and it wasn’t much more then pick and choose corners. It was with out at doubt one of those surfs you had to have a little local knowledge to get the good ones.  Luckily for me I put my share of time in down there.  I managed a few sick ones.  There was a heavy ledgey wave breaking off this rip on a small sand bar that did me well.  It felt really sharky out there though. The water was rather murky and the lighting strange.  I was all by myself.  I just sort of had the feeling I might get munched.  Hey I got a barrel or two.

9-23-15 No Surfing: 2-3 ft
Not too much happening on the cam this morning.  Then Ryan called and confirmed it was small and barely ride able at Ventura Harbor.  I had work at 11 and was super tired from the day before’s Jalama mission.  A few more winks was the decision.

9-22-15 PM Session: 2-3+ ft, Jalama
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 24
I decided to hang around for the incoming tide push.  It was a nice day at the beach allowing me to hunker down under my umbrella, do a little reading and take a nap.  When I woke up there were two guys out and some really solid sets pushing in with the rising tide.  I jumped in and snagged a few good ones right off the bat.  Then after about an hour and a half the wind got stupid hard and the tide just completely turned the session off.  All in all I would chalk my day up to another fun one at the “J”.
9-22-15 AM Session: 2-3+ ft, Jalama
Time in Water: 2.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 43
I needed a Jalama day today after the hectic past two weeks I have had to put up with over at Westmont. When I saw that it was clean and suppose to remain so all day on top of some holding new south swell and steep NW wind swell I pulled the trigger and cruised.  Though smaller then I would have hoped it was still solid chest high with a bigger set or two thrown in for good measure.  The crowd was somewhat stiff for a fall Tuesday morning, but I guess Jalama was the only game around for the Santa Barbara area.  I took my time getting ready and watched the crowd dissipate steadily.  By the time I paddled out there were only four heads left on it and plenty of waves for all of us.  The sand bar is still a bit slow though better then it has been the previous sessions.  Unfortunately it looks like the kelp cutters harvested a good chunk of the outer kelp bed.  There goes our wind protection.  I committed the session to really trying to make my new board work for me.  The plan was wishful thinking cause the board is still too thick and I just can’t make it go. I did manage a few fun ones though nothing super notable.

9-21-15 No Surfing: 1-2 ft
Not much out there today, but small trace NW wind swell and barely residual fading south swell.  Over it I took the morning off and kicked it.  I hope to find some fun wind swell up north tomorrow.

9-20-15 AM Session: 1-2 ft, Emma Wood
Time in Water: 1 hr
Waves Surfed: 16
I knew it was going to be smaller then yesterday, but I was still expecting a few fun ones.  Unfortunately it was windy at Ventura Harbor.  I thought I saw a few at Emma driving by from the Freeway.  It was way smaller then it looked.  I drove and was out of time thus I desperation groveled it.  I rode my new board since I busted the other one yesterday.  The board is still a dog.  Anyhow it was small and terrible and was basically the worst session I have had in a month.

9-19-15 AM Session: 2-3 + ft, Emma Wood
Time in Water: 1 hr
Waves Surfed: 15
Wow what a reward at the end of an idiotic car surf.  First I backed tracked to Rincon after seeing a solid set on the look back of death.  After further recon I decided it was way too weak and crowded with loggers for my liking.  Ryan said River Mouth had waves and hoping for some combo action  rolled down there. It was way too walled showing more NW then south and the wind was slightly on it.  Then I cruised to the Shores in the hopes of some killable peaks, but that was small and shit.  On a last ditch desperation I paddled Emma, which looked crowded and average at best. Turns out it was super fun and a total rip fest.  I hate using the cliche surf term “It was a skate park out there”, but it was.  I was on fire.  I stuck  huge bs air reverse followed by a big ally-oop on my next one.  Unfortunately I creased my board sometime during the session.  It was one of my favorites, but it was old and I had put it through the ringer,

9-18-15 No Surfing: 2-3 + ft
Last night Bizarro and I went to Fancytown super hardcore thanks to some extracurricular party favors Bizarro picked up for us.  All I know is somehow we managed to get a shot at every club and bar downtown.  Basically I was black out by 12:30.  Apparently we had an after party and at some point I managed to mangle my hand, hurt my back and my foot.  I probably ate shit somewhere at some point.  I was way to fucked up to surf in the morning and didn’t even wake up till 11 am where I was still in my suit and tie.  Was totally too drunk to get that off in the night.  So yep I heard there was some fun combo in the water.  I blew it.

9-17-15 AM Session: 1-2+ ft, New Jetty
Time in Water: 1 hr
Waves Surfed: 22
What a let down.  So much for that Tsunami warning, not that I expected it to enhance the swell any.  The buoys all showed the same combo as the previous day and the cam at C street looked fun.  Maybe they accidentally re-ran yesterday’s feed.  When I got to Ventura Harbor it was super small.  The NW wind swell had been cut down by half its size and the south swell too.  The south sets were about all that was worth while.  It was clean and no one was out plus I drove so why not paddle.  Actually it was a bit more fun then it looked though still not worth the gas.  Fuck, it was a beautiful morning the water was clear and warm, a perfect Indian summer day.  How could I really complain about that.
9-16-15 AM Session: 2-3+ ft, New Jetty
Time in Water: 1 hr
Waves Surfed: 26
It certainly wasn’t anything to write home about.  When you throw in some north wind swell with a minor south ground swell you get peaky super consistent waves.  Add a light crowd of older regulars and offshore winds and it becomes a rip fest.  I had a few super fun ones and even a couple of barrels.  It was a rare treat to get the Jetty with the original crew that I have been surfing there with for the past ten years instead of the new crop of home school groms and pros.

9-15-15 No Surfing: 1-2+ 
More super small surf, a fat am tide and some bad wind kept me in bed this morning.  I thought I would hold out for an afternoon Jalama session, but then the cam looked small and windy so I passed and saved my gas.

9-14-15 No Surfing: 2-3+ ft
After a night at the Wild Cat that proved to be rather fruitless except for the damage done to our livers I was a bit tired.  Still around 8 I was up and about and ready to cruise for a surf.  Then Trevor hit me up and said it was pretty small at Ventura Harbor with the fat incoming tide things were not going to improve.  Since I was just coming off such an amazing run of surf I decided to just bag the surf, save the gas and get some well needed rest.

9-13-15 AM Session: 3-4 + ft, Santa Clara River Mouth
Time in Water: 1 hr 15 mins
Waves Surfed: 24
Once again my time was blown by yet another running race this time going down in Ventura that left me stuck in a half hour of traffic getting to the Harbor.  I had already blown some time checking a terrible Emma Wood.  The contest was still going on at New Jetty leaving me to settle for a less then stellar fat and semi windy River Mouth.  What I thought was going to be a forced paddle turned out to be my favorite session of the swell.  The waves may have been average but I was in the zone.  I was sticking everything and for the first time in like two weeks I felt completely in sync with my surfing.  I was on.  Good mother fucking times.

9-12-15 AM Session: 3-5+ ft, Santa Clara River Mouth
Time in Water; 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 30
I hate fucking weekends.  Its not just the crowds but all the stupid  bullshit that goes on,  As I was leaving my house there was some stupid breast cancer walk or thingy ma bob going on that delayed me.  Then I got to Ventura Harbor and there was some fucking contest going on at New Jetty forcing me to surf a fat looking River Mouth.  Upon paddling out I found it was way more hallow then it looked and was barrel city.   I got so many shacks I lost count.  Well that is a lie since I count all of my waves.  God what a run of surf it has been!!!!

9-11-15 AM Session: 3-5+ ft, Gold Coast
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 26
As I was cruising to Ventura Harbor for another super session I noticed the north end of the Gold Coast was doing it’s thing.  It had a solid crowd, but the waves were shifty and there was plenty of room for one more.  It was one of those bull shit crowds composed of average surfers who all wanted to be hero and were constantly pushing the line up way too deep.  Basically there were four of us who actually could surf and we were being bullied by this pack of morons who were constantly blowing good ones.  Despite their efforts I still got some really really sick tubes.  I would say it was another solid surf.

9-10-15 PM Session: 4-6+ ft, Santa Clara River Mouth
Time in Water: 1 hr
Waves surfed: 16
I wasn’t expecting to get a second surf in today.   I got home from a day of catering work and got a call from Ryan that the wind was down an it was going off at River Mouth.  I cruised with Bizarro in the hope of getting some photos.  The waves were sick but the light was strange and it was hard to line up a good shot.  I had some sick tubes and good rides.  I just don’t think we got any real keepers though I have not looked the photos over yet.  Good times. Line up photo courtesy of Christopher Dunlea.

9-10-15 AM Session:  2-4+ ft, Gold Coast
Time in Water: 1 hr 15 mins
Waves Surfed: 19
I really wanted to surf Santa Clara River Mouth, but my time window was short and when I was passing the Gold Coast the most southern end right before Emma Wood was doing it’s hurricane thing with a light crowd.  I didn’t hesitate swing around and paddle.  Unfortunately the tide was steadily on the rise making it rather backwashy and a bit less hallow then I would have liked.  It was a bit too small to get properly barreled and a bit too fast and throwing for proper turns.  Still I had a few shacks and angry hits to satisfy me for the morning and subsequent work day.

9-9-15 AM Session: 2-3+ ft, Emma Wood
Time in Water: 1 hr
Waves surfed: 25
I headed south before work with the hopes of getting some Ventura Harbor action.  The wind and crowd had otherwise to say about such. Over it I found myself in the parking lot at Emma looking at below average racy, shore breaky, small south bowls. There were only three guys on it and no one was really catching anything.  I paddled it for the hour I had available.  There was not much to speak though I did mange one sick suck out left tube that made it all worth it.  I am still feeling really out of sync.  Maybe I got hit on the head on Sunday night harder then I thought.
9-8-15 PM Session: 3-5+ ft, Jalama
Time in Water: 1 hr
Waves Surfed: 15
The wind turned off shore slightly and things looked like with the incoming tide that it was going to turn on.  I paddled out and it was far from as good as it looked.  Instead of things getting better with the tide it just got fatter and more useless to me.  The wind switched and went more north fucking shit up even more.  I got string of random ones.  I guess I pulled together a few lefts before I quit.  I just cant get into a rhythm with Jalama at the moment.

9-8-15  AM Session: 4-6 + ft, Jalama
Time in Water: 2.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 25
Today I put such a big carbon foot print down on the ground I think it will take a week to let it dissipate.  I started out down at Oxnard shores a mere 45 miles from my house.  As soon as I showed up the wind came up on it from the NW.  I knew it wouldn’t be long before the entire place was trash.  Hoping there was enough swell for something up the coast along Sea Cliffs I cruised that way.  Emma was terrible.  Solimar offered a slight hope till about 15 long boarders showed up and clogged the place.  At this point I was left with two options to salvage my surf day either go to Malibu another thirty miles down the coast or run back up north to Jalama close to 100 miles on my car at that point.  Jalama won out for optimal wind, wave size and crowd.  So over 100 miles and three hours later I found myself staring at semi-clean, light crowd, overhead Cracks.  Stoked I paddled and found a few bombs, which were well overhead.  The sets were few and far between and setting up the cherry ones were near to impossible.  Truthfully I only really lucked into one amazing wave and it was a bomb of a right hander that I managed three money turns on to the beach.  The wind definitely had the look that it may go off shore before dark thus I hung around.

9-7-15 No Surfing: 3-5+ ft
What can I say for myself except that I got black out drunk got into a fight at like 3am on the street and basically was a complete mess all day.  Whoot party!! Heard it was really fun.  I blew it.

9-6-15 AM Session: 3-5+ ft, Oxnard Shores
Time in Water: 1 hr 15 mins
Waves Surfed: 16
This morning was unreal. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I came up the beach and saw flawless overhead barrels spitting up and down.  It was about as good and hallow as waves get.  I was super tired from the past few work days and surf sessions.  The crowd was super heavy, but there were peaks everywhere making it not much of an issue.  Pat and Mcgill were on the peak we have been surfing the past few days.  It was a little busy over there so I paddled a peak over and as soon as I got out there a bomb came right to me.  I was still a little sleepy paddling into it thus I got in late and was facing an acid drop or going over the falls.  I air dropped to the bottom and stuck both my fists into the face of the wave stalling perfectly into the pit.  I as so deep all I could see was green room and then I got spit right out onto the shoulder.  Then as I was paddling out the back and lucked into another drainer.   Then another after that.  My fist three were some of the best tubes I have gotten in months.  What a surf.

9-5-15 AM Session: 3-4+ ft, Oxnard shores
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 25
Another Shores session.  I can’t remember this much action at the Shores since the fall of ’06.  Once again I found myself some sick tubes.  Pat met me this time and we both traded off fun lefts and rights.  The crowd was a bit more annoying with the holiday weekend and all.  The wind was also a tad bit on the funky side of things.  Still I managed to get barreled off my ass.  My last wave I was so deep I couldn’t even see out of the thing and somehow threaded the needle and quit.  What a sickie.  I love surfing.

9-4-15 AM Session:  2-3+ ft, Oxnard Shores
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 26
I pulled up to River Mouth where Pat had said was fun and peaky.  It may have been when he first go there about an hour before me. By the time I got there it was pretty much walled out and drained.   He was the only one out and not selling it.  I booked it to the Shores, which although a bit smaller then the previous morning was clean, peaky and hallow.  My first few waves were super fun tubes.  Then the wind came up out of the south and things got weird yet still surf-able.  By the time I got out it was absolute crap.  The Shores is either super fun or terrible with nothing in between.

9-3-15 AM Session: 2-4+ ft, Oxnard Shores
Time in Water: 1 hr
Waves Surfed: 20
Honestly my surf started out terrible. I got stuck in a rip, pulled out to sea and sucked down the beach before I even caught my first wave.  After that I walked up the beach and had trouble getting into a rhythm. Then in the last half hour I picked off five draining barrels each so deep I couldn’t see out of them.  I was in need of such a surf.  These waves were so good I quit with a half hour to go.  What a surf. It is amazing what a few good tubes can do for your outlook on things.

9-2-15 PM Session: 3-5+ ft, Jalama
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 25
We decided to hang around for the low tide afternoon surf hoping to do a little better then earlier.  Besides the crowd dropping to non-existent the waves still stayed on the average mushy quality.  There were plenty of waves on offer but little shape.  I found a few, yet never got my momentum.   Started on the new board and quickly shifted back to my old one.  Every time I looked  back at the beach I saw Bizarro with a pack of dogs who’s owners were surfing.  Hey, Jalama is always a good idea.

9-2-15 AM Session: 3-5+ ft, Jalama
Time in Water: 2 hrs
Waves Surfed: 30
Bizarro and I got an unexpected day off together and decided to make the most of it and the swell on offer and go film Jalama.  I brought my new board and my old faithful to get a feel for the comparison.  As it turned out I still hate my new board.  It’s a dud.  Unfortunately the sand up there although better then a few weeks ago is still pretty non-existent making everything a mush burger.  The crowd was sort of insane for a Tuesday as well nearly thirty strong.  Still I got mine and I suppose we got a few shots though I have yet to review the work.  Look for the cream of the crop on my instagram and facebook.

9-1-15 AM Session: 2-3+ ft, Santa Clara River Mouth
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 25
I was really hoping for an excellent day of surfing today and had I went up north I may have just gotten my wish.  Unfortunately I had to get my hair cut since my bosses decided I looked way too shaggy for my current employment status.  I had that appointment mid day thus I cruised to Ventura Harbor where I met up with Pat, Ryan, and Gordo.  It was far from good though definitely the best of the worst.  We chose to surf River Mouth since New Jetty already had a few to many guys on it and wasn’t much better anyhow.  As soon as we paddled the wind came up and with the steadily rising tide it soon became terrible.  My new board has been giving me trouble for some time and today was the final tell tale session that the board shall not be a keeper.  Whatever, Bizarro and I are going to go shoot Jalama tomorrow.