Surf: 3.6 ft at 6.7 s from the WNW at 293°.
Ahh yes, the post-trip home break slopfest. Still, pretty fun this morning, way more fun that waves that sloppy really should be. 🙂
Old Man’s
Surf: 2.0 ft at 18.2 s from the SW at 228°
Packed up this morning and headed over to Old Man’s. As with just about every trip I take, the swell came up for the last day. Where last year was fun, gentle waves, this year it was a lot of water moving around. The waves were big, but mushy and a lot of work. It was still pretty fun, but after a few waves I was done.
Had a picnic on the beach and headed North.
Pig Luau: Sunday PM
Surf: 1.6 ft at 15.4 s from the SW at 215°
Half the camp packed up today and headed out today. Usually the SF folks stay around another day, but otherwise the site’s pretty empty. Got in a few more waves and another sunset surf. It was fun, Surf a Pig Luau! Can wait to see everyone next year.
Pig Luau: Sunday am
San O from surfer girl on Vimeo.
Surf: 2.0 ft at 15.4 s from the SW at 222°
Met up with Cynthia this morning. I was still a little on edge from yesterday and, since I knew I was going to be surfing with a short boarder, I though maybe I’d skip the leashless, big honking board and go for my trusty board.
The waves were a bit closed out and the morning was great, but eventually the sun came out and the waves cleaned up.
It’s been really great seeing SoCal friends on this trip. Last year we were a bit caught up with getting down here and getting to know the place and the people. This year I felt like we were a little more dialed in. Less gear, more social time. 🙂
Thanks Cynthia and Jon for making the drive up!
Multiple Great Whites
Surf: 1.6 ft at 16.7 s from the SSW at 212°.
Met up with Jon and his family to surf this afternoon. I hauled the Tuxedo pig (pictured below) down to the beach to try it out. As we were getting into the water, Jon’s wife said “Someone mentioned something about seeing a shark. Let Jon know when you get out there, please.”
I paddled out and let him know. We shrugged. These vintage and vintage style boards are heavy. It’s a long walk down from the cliff and I didn’t want to skip out on the waves because of a rumor.
The Tuxedo pig was fun. It’s definitely heavy and I was doing a lot of work to swing it around and keep it under control going leashless. I got a couple fun waves before swapping it for the Feral Pig CG was riding.
Just after getting my first wave on the Feral Pig, a helicopter buzzed us shouting over the loudspeaker. Now, helicopters are loud, and the ocean is loud, and while we didn’t understand all of what they were saying, we did get the message of “MULTIPLE GREAT WHITES” and I can’t image we needed to know more than that.
Of course, I’d only gotten ONE wave on the feral pig, so I didn’t go in right away. I got another wave. That board is fascinating. It’s big and heavy, but surfs like it isn’t. It has the flow-thru D fin, but is smooth and buttery. Basically the board did all the work. It caught the wave, it turned, it made a section, it got a reform, it held steady while I walked up.
I lost it trying to kick out of the wave. In the course of me swimming after it, I bumped some kelp and shrieked. I decided that it might be time to go in.
It glassed off really nice in the evening, but I was still spooked. Glad other folks scored the sunset waves.
Saturday am Pig Luau
Surf: 1.3 ft at 16.7 s from the SW at 222°
Up early and down to the beach. I snagged one of James’s board. I can’t remember which one now, but it was one of the lighter weight noseriders and it was a blast. The tide was a little low in the morning which upped the shallow water whomp. It was a little intimidating going leashless on someone else’s board in the rocks but I didn’t lose it once. Last year I was too worried about dinging someone’s board to borrow any. My goal for this year was to borrow a lot.
The waves naturally picked up right as I was heading back up the cliffs, but it was breakfast time.
Pig Luau!
Surf: 1.3 ft at 16.7 s from the SW at 219°.
Yay! We’re here!
After a long, round-about path from Ventura to San Onofre, we finally made it. Big thanks to our camp mates from Sunset Shapers, who got in last night and already had camp set up. We hit the water first thing for a lovely sunset session. The waves are small to medium, but so far pretty clean and fun!
Ventura
Surf: 1.0 ft at 18.2 s from the S.
😀 😀 😀
It’s surf luau time!
CG and I loaded up another Lost Campers’ van and headed south. This van’s name is Gilly. (Lost Campers names the vans, not us!) With the oil spill, there were very few places in the Santa Barbara-Ventura area to camp. Luckily, a friend of Chris’s offered up his driveway in Goleta. I’m still worked on a drawing or painting to thank them for letting us stay. It was a HUGE help and we got to hit up some Ventura surf spots on the way down.
The surf forecast for the week has been hard to read. Surfline said flat, but we found a small, long-period swell in the water that was certainly rideable and actually pretty fun.
Most of the waves were small, but long. Somehow I managed to pick off the larger waves for some really great rides. Since it wasn’t very consistent, I was totally shocked that these waves rolled my way. Yeeehew.
Week of glorious greys
Surf: 4.6 ft at 10.0 s from the WNW at 297°.
It’s been lovely surfing in this grey weather. My back is still sore, but surfing doesn’t seem to be aggravating it, so that’s a plus. I’m feeling somewhat in shape for the trip. Can’t wait. 😀
Skipping talks
Surf: 4.6 ft at 9.1 s from the WNW at 303°.
I skipped out on a lecture this morning to go surf. I’ve been hitting lots of lectures this week for Design Week. It was a tough call. Sitting is hurting my back, so I went with waves. Not too bad out there.