double session – Page 2 – Learning to Surf

July 8, 2014August 20, 2014

New log in SC – Afternoon

2014-SCHK-07-08pm

Surf: 6.2 ft at 9.1 s from the WNW at 303Â°

After a solid breakfast an a tour of my friend’s place in Santa Cruz, I headed back out for a few waves more. Sunnier and a little more crowded, but still fun. Since I got so many waves in the morning I opted to work on my steps. I managed to do a full step over step over step cross step all the way to about 5 inches or so from the nose. YESSSSS. Once I get a little more confidence, maybe I can cheat a five or something. Rounded off the wave walking back for a little move, too. Starting to get somewhere! I just need more surf days and more smooth waves 😀

July 8, 2014August 21, 2014

New log in SC – Morning

2014-SCHK-07-08am

2014-SCHK-07-08b

Surf: 5.9 ft at 9.1 s from the WNW at 298Â°

Taking my new board out in Santa Cruz has been high on my list of summer goals. Today was a good morning for it. Small, clean, super chill. That board is so buttery! It swoops. I got in a few steps, too. Loving the new style. I’m going to have to work pretty hard to catch up with what the board can do, but I’m looking forward to trying. 🙂

January 5, 2014January 12, 2014

PM: Ocean Beach

2014-OBN-01-05a

Surf: 2.6 ft at 8.3 s from the WNW at 296Â°

Got a text from Tim after the morning surf saying he was paddling out further north. I was still in my wetsuit so figured, why the hell not?

Sure I was totally exhausted, and the first 45 min or so was steep closeouts (not super fun on the hull), but man am I glad I went back out. I eventually got some fun ones when the tide started heading back out. It’s nice to know that surfing that hull at ocean beach is possible. I’d given up after the last round of faceplants, but hey, there was some change for swish in all that whomp.

I swapped boards with Tim for a bit. He managed to get barreled on my hull. I didn’t scratch into anything on his 5’8. Nice watching someone surf my board well.

After wearing myself totally out, slammed some wings and pizza at Pizza Place. Nom. Good day.

January 5, 2014January 12, 2014

AM: Linda Mar

2014-LM-01-05

Surf: 3.0 ft at 9.1 s from the WNW at 289Â°

Took the hull out this morning since the waves were supposed to be small. Good thing, too, it was small, soft, and crowded. Having an extra half foot came in handy. I got one nice, long swooping left, but after that all the waves were short, crowded mushouts.

After a lot of floating around, we switched to bodysurfing the shorebreak. That was FUN, and dangerous, holy smokes. People were surfing the shorebreak, so some waves were a little too much party. All and all, not bad for total chaos.

October 1, 2013October 11, 2013

Birthday Beach Day – Afternoon

2013-SCHK-10-01

Surf: 10.8 ft at 14.3 s from the NW at 308Â°. Low tide to incoming. More wind.

The swell came down in the afternoon, but the surf was plenty fun. I took out my fish to sit further inside with Beamer and Brien on their fishies. Paddling out was a pretty amazing time to realize how completely exhausted I was. Whoops. I managed to sneak in one very long wave that made me very happy. I kept the fish snug in the pocket with lots of fast swooping turns. Managed to hold on to the very end of the wave. So stoked.

Sadly, an older guy on a log was fussing with his board, swung his tail around and put the fin directly into my rail. MAAAAAN. First ding on that board. The guy didn’t even apologize, he paddled off.

I shrugged the whole thing off with some hot tubbing and milkshakes for dinner.

Way too stoked on my wave to be as crushed as I thought I was going to be by the first ding on my baby.

October 1, 2013October 10, 2013

Birthday Beach Day – Morning

2013-SC-10-01

Surf: 11.8 ft at 15.4 s from the NW at 306Â°. Incoming tide. Light winds.

Birthday surf is pretty much my favorite excuse to skip out on work and head to the beach. 😀

It was Chris’s birthday yesterday and unfortunately yesterday was full of meetings so today we got up very early and headed south to escape the local winds.

The surf in SC was pretty solid. It had a little texture on it from all the winds out in open water, but otherwise was running just a little bit overhead and lovely. I took my longboard hoping to get a few extra waves in and hoping I could sit further outside for maximum birthday hooting. Of course, I wound up doing what I always do and camping out wide of the peak to get the soft sets that miss first peak.

I got some funnn ones. Big ole longboard swooshes and swoops. What a blast. Everyone else got some nice ones, too! We were out there for about 3 1/2 hours. I was starving by the time we were done.

Headed to Paula’s for some seriously syrupy breakfast. That totally hit the spot. Grabbed a new wetsuit for Chris (finally!) before head headed back north.

Napped on the beach waiting for the tide to change. 😀

May 17, 2013May 27, 2013

Last surf out

Surf: Soft, slow, but fun. Waist high with the occasional shoulder high set.

I packed up the fish, threw my clothes in the board bag and joined the guys for pancakes. Everything wound up taking less time than I’d planned so I figured I could sneak in one last surf.

Paddling back out I saw a puffer fish darting around and what I think was a skate cruising between sandy-colored spots. One of the guys out every day joked “shouldn’t you be on a plane?” I said one or two more, then he could have his wave back.

I got a few, but was having trouble making the section on these smaller waves. I was down to my last half hour before I had to go wrap the Vaquero up for the flight when a set finally came.

I got a nice wave. I swished around that section, no problem. I cruised down the then very end, then, in a rare act of competence, managed to lay down on my board and belly in to the beach with a little flair at the end to avoid the rocks. Not a bad way to wrap a lovely little trip.

May 17, 2013May 27, 2013

Friday Morning

Surf: Thigh to chest high, long waits between sets. Clean and fun.

Last morning! I woke up early to check the surf. It was pretty much the same as it’d been all week. Good enough for me.

I wanted to get in one more surf on the fish before packing it up, but with conditions as soft as they were, I figured the Vaquero would have a better shot.

I got a few fun ones off the bat. Gotta love these clean waves.

Chatted for a bit with a gal from Palo Alto who seems to spend most of the year surfing in Mexico. We talked about the bay area and boards. People usually have a lot of questions about my little hull. I mentioned Sunset Shaper’s class. Hopefully they’ll wind up with another customer out of it. 🙂

Cruised around till breakfast.

May 12, 2013May 27, 2013

Sunday Evening

I took the fish out for a sunset session. I think it’s conditions, but I feel like I’m less capable on the fish than I’ve been surfing it in SF. I’m not getting the weight right or the rail right. Something’s not quite right.

It also might be that switching between the hull (glide machine) and the fish (only a little glidey) makes the fish feel like it’s in slow motion.

Complaining about not knowing what I’m doing aside, I did have some really fun rides on the fish this evening. Every now and then I get a run where I catch most of the waves I’m going for (instead of missing them) and I’m starting to get more of the cruising pump down. It’s really fun to turn quicker. The waves aren’t exactly right down here, but it’s really fun to try.

May 12, 2013July 1, 2013

Sunday morning

Surf: Knee to Waist High. Little ruffled but plenty nice.

I took my fish out to try and get a little bit of time in on it. My rides were pretty short. I’m not sure if it’s the waves, or just me. I’m pretty sure there’s a big “me” factor in there.

I’m also missing so many waves. Beamer got a great shot by shot of what happens. Keep in mind that while it doesn’t look like I’m paddling, I am (just not enough.) I’ll be set up properly, but then I don’t quite get in and wind up watching the wave roll on by. Sad. Ahh well. Practice practice practice.

The mid-day winds came up. I decided to re-wax the fish in the shade. I really should have stripped both boards before flying, but laziness won out. After watching all my wax flake off into the ocean, I decided to do the right thing and clean up.