Doheny Go Pro Day

I'm always so psyched to bring my go pro out so I can capture some good memories, but at the end of a ride or surf I usually end up dissapointed with the footage and distracted trying to use it. Today was no exception. I put the Go Pro towards the end of my paddle so I could hold it behind me and get some new perspectives. I caught about 15 waves and all of the vids were crap except for 1, but that one is golden and I can use it for future family movies. There was a decent NW swell today and I got a pic from Richard that ROTP at Creek was pumping, but its Creek and I avoid that place like the plague. I hit Doheny at 12:45, and the tide was dropping down to the 3.0 ft range so waves in front of the jetty were just starting to work. Today I caught the biggest wave I've had on the 12'1 Laird, and recorded it but had it facing down to far to show how awesome the wave was. It was probably 3 ft, but long and fast. There was one dude out on a big hobie boat looking thing that just paddle around the other 2 people out and even paddled his board right into me on one. So wierd, everyone else is usually chill out there. Oh well, overall it was a killer session and I love the 2 hour break in the day so close to home. Kind of want a smaller board now.  Might have to sell my Carbon Nomad frame and swap it for an aluminum Reign X so I can get a couple bucks saved up.



Late day SUP surf

Doheny is awesome in the off season.  I still haven't been in the summer and would prefer not to, I've seen pictures  and it looks like a busy day at disneyland.  More or less my worst nightmare.  Some of today's NW swell was still hitting and wrapping around the harbor, showing some 1-2 ft faces on the -.7 low tide.  The tide was so low I had to run the board down the beach, which is a huge pain in the ass.  Totally worth it, was in the water by about 4:15 and the NW wind was laying down and the waves were glassy.  I caught 2 of the best waves I've ever had on the 12'1 SUP, and I got that tank going about 90 mph down a steep 2 ft screamer.  I know 2 ft sounds wimpy but on a 12 foot long, 30 inch wide board it feels like a good size wave.  I fell a bunch today but mostly because the waves had a close out section on the end that pushed the board out from under my feet.  Anyway, this should be a good habit.  4:00 sesh with very few people out, so fun.

Middles

Who knew that middles threw out such long waves.  If you get a good one its like Rincon, and you can ride it for 200 yards.  But there isn't a great inside section, at least on the fat high tide today, so you are forced to wait for the big sets.  It was 45 degrees today and the water was maybe 58, pretty comfortable really.  Richard and I surfed near the top of the point, not far from lowers, with only a couple other guys around.  Some solid sets made it through and we had a good old time, even with all the waiting.  I remember when I moved here from SLO i was so pissed about the traffic and the crowds.  The problem was I moved to Newport, that place sucks.  Down south is so much less populated and the waves are 10x better, you just have to work a little to get them.  There are just 3 months out of the year that suck crowd wise, but even those aren't so bad now that I found Church.  So another spot to surf which is epic on its day, right next to all my other favorite spots.  Stoked!

Awesome day at Rockpiles

Awesome morning with the fam at Heisler Park.  It was cold and a littly breezy for 10 AM, but clear and nice and its critical to get out of the house with the kids to break up the day.  Otherwise 20 minutes feels like 4 hours and you fall asleep with your eyes open.  Rockpiles was breaking OK, so I snapped a pic of a guy out for a solo sesh.  Somedays are better to not surf and just enjoy time with the fam, and show the kids some new places.

Freezing cold waist high lines

Today was cold.  The air was probably 45 degrees at best, but the offshores were howling.  Wore my hood and gloves again, but Richard forgot his hood so his head had to be freezing.  Surfed the funboard since it looked pretty small, 1.3@14 W swell is generally going to be small.  But it was just the two of us for a while, and I was catching some rad waves into the bay.  I got one chest high wave that raced for a solid 60-70 yards, superfast and long and I got a high speed cheater five in.  The air was way colder than the water, and it was still super cold even when the sun came out.  Richard said he was bored but i was stoked, i caught plenty of fun ones that made it worth it and the cold is kind of a neat experience anyway, plus the clear skies always provide an awesome sunrise.  Now, 11 days off for Christmas Break, so stoked!

What were we thinking?

Richard sent a text at 5:15, O side buoys looked weak.  Billy-boy was up at 3 crying with a wet diaper that leaked so i didn't sleep well.  Didn't bother to check the Dana Point buoy and just went back to sleep since Richard wasn't into it; it was supposed to be 35 degrees again anyway.  Finally checked the DP buoy at 7 and it read 3.1@13 from 280, which means chest high waves at uppers and church.  I almost blew a fuse, I wanted to surf so bad and I blew it and it was probably empty.  F it, I decided to go to work late and go to Uppers.  I left the house at about 7:45 and parked up top close to 8.  Street parking was empty, 10-15 cars.  Sprinted my way down to uppers with my beard and lost fish, and saw chest high lines with 3 guys out.  WTF!  Beard it is!  As soon as I paddled out the bay started grinding out some long lines, and I was all by myself.  Consistent sets for 30-40 minutes, I didn't even sit on my board and my throat was getting cold from huffing and puffing (it was still about 45 degrees in the sun).  Finally the sets slowed down and about 17 people paddled out.  Caught several more fun small ones in the bay and stayed out until 9:40.  Stoked I made it out but would have rather had a 4 man surf sesh with Richard, John, and that Saffa guy thats always out there.  All good though, hopefully tomorrow will be funboard friday!  We're going Richard!

Coldest morning surf ever

Wake up text from Richard at 5:39 AM was the pic of his car's thermometer.  I was ready though, i put on my suit at my house, put on some gloves and my hood, and made it to Salt Creek in 8 minutes.  Met Richard and Matt in the water, swell was JUMBLED.  5.6@7 seconds, yet still 75% of the waves closed out.  I hate Creek, that place is never good and always crowded.  The water was easily 60, and felt warm compared to the 35 degree off shore winds.  My head was cold through the hood.  Waves were really mixed up, but I did catch a pretty fun one that went for about 30 yards.  It was doubled up really close to the wave in front of it, but ended up holding a fast, open shoulder.  Otherwise, all the other waves i caught were crap, yet somehow I was still really happy.  Just good to surf be in the water with my buddies again.  Maybe tomorrow will clean up enough for Uppers.  Will be super cold again.

Strong NW winds

This is from Saturday.  Strong NW winds have been pounding the coast all week, starting on Saturday.  The swell was small, about 1.1@14 from the south but that is enough for Doheny to break at knee high.  The tide was insanely high at 10 AM so I had to wait a while to get out there, but had to go at 12:30 since thats when the kids went down.  Doheny was probably the only place working with the wind, and it wasn't working when I first got out there.  But the tide was freefalling and within 20 minutes, some nice knee high waves were pumping through.  This other guy paddled out on a 9' Naish and was ripping, had complete control of that thing.  I should get one eventually, have to save some dough though.  All and all, a fun day but surf has been small and weather has been bad for 2 weeks.  Can't wait to get some waves with my friends.

Lowers in December

December is awesome in Orange County.  The weather is great, the mountain bike trails are wetter and in better conditions, and the crowds out surfing are cut by 3/4.  The only thing that sucks is the chronic high tides in the morning, which is the only time I can surf during the work week.  Today's buoy was 1.6@14 from the S, which is awesome for all of trestles.   But with a 6.5 ft high tide, the only place breaking is lowers.  I took a gamble and got in the water at about 6.  There were about 6-8 of us out the whole time and the waves were decent, breaking close to shore but still pretty fun, maybe waist to chest high at best.  Although even with 8 people the spot is an a frame and everyone is crammed into a small take off zone, I enjoy my SUP surfs more even if the wave isn't as good.  But I surfed the beard and caught about 10 fun waves, a couple really good ones, and got out after an hour.  Still worth it.

Doheny, new SUP secret spot?

This is from yesterday. 
Who knew that Doheny was capable of providing so much fun.  Kids went to nap again at around 11:15 AM so I split for a quick paddle surf.  Buoys were 1.2@13 so I expected nothing more than 6 inch waves.  Got there, no one was out.  Tide was super low, and a family just arrived with there soft tops.  I made my way to the south jetty to surf the 9 inch waves that I was seeing, which were still awesome on the 12'1 Laird.  Within 20 minutes, these sets started coming through, consistently.  2-3 foot waves were making there way in and only 3 of us were on it.  I must have caught 25 waves, I figured out how to turn really fast and late drop into these perfect little rights.  I only fell in twice and feel confident that i have figured this thing out.  Brought the go pro but set it up too high, oh well.  Man I am loving these mid day surfs in my short sleeve full suit in December.  As a kid I had to drive 45-60 minutes just to surf freezing cold crappy waves in Pacifica, now I can SUP surf the perfect spot that is 10 minutes from home while my kids are napping.  Life is soo good.

Doheny SUP day

After yesterday's 31 mile epic ride up to Santiago peak and down Joplin, i was wiped out.  I couldn't imagine peddling one stroke so surfing Trestles was out of the question.  The kids went down for a nap at 11:40 and there was just enough swell for Doheny to be 1-2 ft, plus low tide and the jetty blocking the NW wind, today was ideal.  There were about 4 people out when I got there and I immediately caught a long, lined up 2 footer.  I swear the 12'1 can surf a 1 inch wave.  After 30 minutes, there was only me and a couple 13 year old kids.  I figured it out a little better; the first time I tried this I fell on every single wave.  Today, I only fell about 4 times and caught over 20 waves.  Clearish hazy skies and still relatively warm water, I was able to wear the short sleeve full.  I'm really loving this.

2 guys at Uppers

Thank you Surfline for posting a 1-2 ft. and poor forecast.  Given that yesterday was still 3-4, and the buoys still had 2.8@10, there was a good chance that some fun little 3 footers would make there way through.  Bad weather gone, light clouds lined the horizon for an epic red sunrise.  Weather was 60, water was about 63, and waves were inconsistent 3 footers with the occasional almost head high set.  And just Richard and myself for at least an hour before a couple more guys came out.  Surfed the beard and did just fine, and some waves even lined up and gave us pretty long rides.  Rad morning, pics don't do it justice, no sets really came through.

Church, Hawk Drop, Doheny Trifecta

I'm so tired.  Billy was up at 3 screaming, i think his top teeth are popping out and its hurts pretty bad. Finally gave him some tylenol at 4:00 and he went back down. Then i got up at 5:15 to hit Church.  The waves were better, the crowd was smaller, but I didn't have as much fun.  I didn't recognize anyone and the weather was cloudy and less inviting.  But, I was still stoked and did a ton of cheater 5's on the funboard.  Got home and played with the kids until 10:30, then they went to Temecula for cousin Jordan's 10th birthday party.  Lina gave me a pass so I went riding with Ryan and Colin, and we hit Hawk Drop and Car Wreck.  Dirt was money today, just enough rain to make it super tacky but not too muddy. Got home and slept for 20 minutes then packed up the paddleboard and hit doheny.  I don't need much size to surf that tank out there, waves were 1-2 but the 12'1 flies on a 1 ft wave.  I did a lot better today, although I still sucked, but was able to stand up paddle into every wave i caught.  Of all the things i did today, I keep thinking of SUP surfing the most.  This should be an easy getaway for when I have an hour free during nap time.  I'm loving it.