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.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
Surf: 2.3 ft at 12.5 s from the SW at 231°
Slept in a little and packed up the van. We decided to take advantage of the Monday-morning status by hitting up Old Man’s.
People down here keep saying the surf is “weird.” I haven’t figured out exactly what that means. I guess it’s a little windy? It’s still plenty surfable and I’m happy to have it.
After having waves pretty much to ourselves all weekend, it was a little adjustment to being around so many people. It all worked out. I rode some bumpy waves through the crowd and made some little ones work all the way to the beach.
Not a ton of stepping on this trip. I guess I’m still getting used to the board? Not quite confident enough to really walk. Still, this has been a blast. I saw Chris get great waves, I saw folks from the luau get great waves, and I got so many waves. Fun fun fun.
We washed off, packed the boards, and headed back north. Had a lovely dinner on the way back up and saw an amazing sunset.
YAY road trip 😀
Surf: 2.3 ft at 16.7 s from the SSW at 206°
Camp may being emptying out, but the surf is still up from this morning. We tried the next trail up (I was beat from all the scrambling on the regular trail.) It was fun. Everything was a little gloomy and sort of reminded me of Montara (biggerish waves and an almost empty lineup.) A few sets has be feeling not so comfortable, but for the most part, I was getting stuff and making something out of the closeouts.
They were setting up for some sort of firefighter’s surf competition in the morning. Seems like the waves should still be good for it.
Got back up near sunset and cook up dinner in the dark. Our van has been so cozy and wonderful, I’ll be sad to have to give it back!
Surf: 2.3 ft at 18.2 s from the SW at 220°
Wow, the surf got bigger. I wasn’t checking the buoys (other than photos I was trying to go low-tech in the van) so I was quite surprised when I scrambled down the cliff. It had gone from lovely little waist to maybe chest high waves to shoulder high and up. I looked at my big board and gulped.
The board was a breeze to paddle out. The surf thankfully stayed pretty soft so I wasn’t battling too much. The board can take a bigger wave, which is good to know. I hadn’t expected the board to do all that much more than be a noserider, but I can hold up pretty well. Granted, I haven’t tried it in a steep wave yet.
Everyone’s packing up back at camp, it looks like there will just be a couple of us tonight. There’s quite a few people from the bay area. We’ll have to do a Surf-a-pig Northern CA luau sometime.
Surf: 1.6 ft at 15.4 s from the S at 185°
More surf! More sun! 😀 Little more wind…but still fun!
I’m loving this board. I’m surfing my arms into jelly (and hiking my legs into mush) but loving this board and this trip. Yeah, there’s some wind, but it’s so nice to be able to just get out and surf.
Went to be at sundown. I was too beat to stay up and chat. Zzz.
