Tag: half moon bay

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Still Grey

2015-JT-05-29

Surf: 3.3 ft at 14.8 s from the SSW at 199°. NW winds at 17kn. Rising tide.

Woke up feeling like this low back pain was just a blip on the radar. Unfortunately when I pulled up to the beach, it was right back to being a mess. Doing what I always do, I said “well, I’m already down here, I’ll just suit up.”

Paddling around wasn’t too bad. I brought my 9’4 and had a much easier time getting in to waves, but with my back hurting, I wasn’t feeling great about the drops or the steep inside section. It was better than being skunked again, but I don’t think I did myself any favors. Hoping all this heals up before my San O trip! :S

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Skunked

2015-JT-05-28

Surf: 3.9 ft at 17.4 s from the SW at 214°. High tide. NW winds 20kn.

Was hoping for more waves like yesterday, but the wind was up and all the usual spots were junked up.

Further south there was a beautiful peak with a crowd on it, but otherwise clean. I didn’t get a single wave, but had a great time watching everyone else take off.

Big downside: after driving back up to the city, I got out of my car and my back was really sore. It seemed pretty out of the blue. Ugh. I so don’t need another chronic thing keeping me out of the water. Hope this eases up soon.

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Jetty

2014-JT-09-16a

2014-JT-09-17b Photo by sarahvgrives on instagram

Surf: 2.6 ft at 21.1 s from the SW at 214°. Incoming tide. Calm winds.

I know I’ve said this a few times, but I’m trying to get back out there, slowly but surely. Today’s plan was to go walk on the beach if I was too sore to surf (or there was no surf.) After checking a few spots, I was in the tricky situation of: 1- that wave looks really fun 2- it’s the only thing breaking and 3- it’s also a little too big/steep/closed out/excuse for what I was hoping for for an easy morning out. It was also too crowded to bodysurf safely.

I paddled out with a plan of mostly watching and picking up the little mushy waves. Saw Greacen get lots of really fun long waves. There were some grom kids shredding till mom yelled at them to come in for school. Seals swimming around. I did catch a few softer ones. It was tricky with everyone trying to go for every way, but I got one or two solo waves that made the paddle out worth it.

Also have enough sand in my ears for the rest of the year. Uff.

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Spicoli

2013-HMBD-06-18a

Surf: 2.0 ft at 8.3 s from the WNW at 291°

Having been out of the water almost two weeks, I figured I’d take a look at the surf.

I hauled Aaron’s 9’6 Junod roundtail to the beach. I’m holding on to it while he moves to a new apartment. It’s a big ole board. Heavier than mine. Round rails. A coat of housepaint from a previous owner.

While a little slow and probably better suited for nice Santa Cruz waves than dumping beach slop, it does have some good weight to it. I was able to sneak up pretty far towards the nose. I got some fun swinging pivoty turns that were unexpected.

The board will probably hang out at the office for a while, I don’t have the space for it. But nice to try something else.

2013-HMBD-06-18b

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Drop

2013-JT-02-12

Surf: 11.2 ft at 16.0 s from the WNW at 297°

Last week’s winds seem to have teamed up with this morning’s unfavorable tides to make the surf less than exciting looking from the shore. I’d been out of the water for a week, so I passed on the usual spot and went looking for something working a little better.

That’s not to saw what I found was any better. It was passable and passable seemed worth getting wet for.

For the most part, waves were warbly, reflecting, or closed out, but I managed to sneak in one really nice drop.

I’ve been poking around on my Vaquero lately, picking up mushy beach break waves rather that waves with a little more push. This wave had some push. I forgot my little board could go that fast.

I took a wide bottom turn, way out in front of the wave, leaning super far into the face, just holding on by my toes. The board snapped up into the pocket like those little hulls do. Now this would have been the makings of a _great_ wave (for the day that is), but as I set up to take the line, the whole wave started pitching over and I jumped into the face hoping to avoid get smacked by the lip. Not only did it not work, but I should’ve just gone for it. Ahh well.

Oh, the guy in the photo I took for today’s surf, made the wave, got a nice drop, then claimed it big time. 😀
It made me smile. On days like today you need all the wins you can get.

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2013 – Sunset

2013-JT-01-01

Surf: 8.2 ft at 13.8 s from WNW at 294°

Morning waves in SC were windblown and not terribly appealing. We wolfed down some breakfast and did a spot check of everything between Capitola and San Francisco.

Most places were big and burly.

Heading up the coast, I saw a bobcat hanging out on a dirt road.

As the sun was setting, we snuck in a quick cold one at the Jetty. Surf wasn’t great. Super closed out and ranging from waist high to head high in a bit of a jumble. Ah well. At least the ride, and the sunset, was beautiful.

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Boom.

Surf: 5.9 ft at 13.8 s from WNW at 292° SLight texture and wind.

Went hunting for some waves. The usual spot was crowded and uninspiring. The second usual spot was big and mean. Another spot was warped and weird, but the last spot on the hunt seemed okay. It seemed a little large, but workable with a few folks out.

By the time we’d suited up, everyone else had gone in and the waves had come up. I’m not quite in shape for this kind of stuff yet. My first attempt paddling out, I got tossed pretty good trying to get through a closeout. I’m not sure what happened, but I couldn’t catch my breath. I had to dive the next two waves without a good lungful of air. As the fourth wave approached, I called for a do-over and bellied in.

Huffing and puffing and coughing up water on the shore, I briefly though going back to uninspiring usual spots might be worth the wet car ride of shame. Chris seemed to be doing fine, so I put my fears aside and paddled back out.

I got one good, fast ride down the line into closeout city. BOOM. The rest of the time I spent dodging outside waves and bailing out of other waves like a big ole chicken.

Saw a guy get a really nice hollow one as I was getting out (or rather, struggling to get to the beach on the inside), but as soon as we’d packed up the gear all the other folks were gone too.

I think I need to hit the gym a little before heading back out in conditions like that again.

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Summer slowdown

Surf: 2.6 ft at 13.8 s from 210° (SSW) Light winds.

Small and glassy all to yourself is a upside of the summer slowdown. That and not wearing booties.

Had some fun trading my 7’4 for Chris’s battleship 10’6. I’m pretty sure at one point that big longboard was riding two separate waves, one for the nose and one for the tail. I tried to cheat some fives but the waves were just too little. Slow motion faceplant! Chris got plenty of waves on my little wobbly board too.

A seal, some moody, atmospheric fog…fun enuff little session. 😀

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Back in Half Moon Bay

Surf: Waist High. Somewhat peeling.

I had my expectations set to “low” and they got lower which each junky, barely-breaking spot we passed. By the time we reached this particular side-road-of-a-side-road, my expectations were set perfectly to have a nice litte morning taking some small peppy lefts. The lulls were long and you had to use the wave reflection to your advantage, but hey, it worked!

No whales in sight, but a few cruising pelicans and several people who watched from the cliff but didn’t find our little wave to be that exciting.

Nice to be back in cold water.