Coco's First Paddleboard ride

Back when Coco was just a couple months old I picked up a used paddleboard in anticipation of this day.  My friend from work, Sara (played volleyball with Keri Walsh at Stanford) told me her husband started paddleboarding with their son when he was 18 months.  Coco is 23 months so I am way behind schedule!  This morning was perfect, 73 degrees and a little humid and the water in Dana Point harbor was sheet glass.  Coco cried for about 5 seconds, but I layed down or kneeled right behind her so she calmed down really fast.  She loved the boats and dipping her hands an feet in the water, and tried to take off her puddle jumper several times.  She isn't the best swimmer yet, so its a must have for a while.  Then she let me stand up and paddle with the oar, it was awesome.  Can't wait for next time! 
https://vimeo.com/49531173

 

Classic Fall Morning

While its not quite fall yet, the mornings have had crisp off shore winds, glassy conditions, clear skies, and solid waves.  Today was no exception, Richard and I met up top again at about 5:30 AM and based on the crowd we decided to hit church.  Buoys read 1.7@15 so I decided the bring the 7'2 egg funboard.  We got down to Church to see some great lined up rights, about waist to chest with the occasional head high set sneaking through.  Light crowd again until about 7, maybe 6 or 8 of us all spread out around the northern point.  Wish I had the fish on some waves and was stoked to have the egg on others, that's the tough thing about this wave.  The sets are rippable for the fish and the small insiders are soft and long for the egg.  Need an in betweener, but I must have caught at least 25 waves in barely over an hour.
Richard was ripping on his fishcuit and caught a 30 second wave he timed with his Go Pro.  Awesome!  I'm so tired from dawn patroling 6 of the past 8 days, time to relax for a few and wake up with the babies!

From the Best to the Worst

Not as many cars up top today, so Matt took a chance on Lowers and Richard and I took a chance on Uppers.  Our first glimpse of the waves was exciting, chest high, glassy, and lined up: very fall like condidtions.  Still no one out yet at about 5:45, STOKED!  The first 30 minutes out there were all time, perfect steep lines and really rippable, even for a kook like me.  Hellen Keller could have smacked the lip today.  Richard was shredding the beard and we were having the time of our lives.  Within a 20 minute span the crowd went from 3 to 30 and only the northern most peak was working and everyone was jammed in one spot.  It felt like a Lowers crowd but there was only a right breaking.  Richard didn't catch a wave for 20 minutes and I was getting away with some inside scraps until a few others caught my drift.  Wish we went to Church, but that first 30 minutes was still very memorable.  Also snapped some pics of the wife and kids greeting me when I got home, I love that!

Clean, glassy, fun and got the band back together

Richard, Matt, and I met up top at 5:40.  Tons of cars already and we were bumming on the crowd so we went to Church (again!), and scored today.  Water was glassy, clear, and comfortable (about 65).  And the waves were fun, big sets still walled up but a lot of the chest high waves had some nice long shoulders, the fish was perfect today and i am really liking this wave.  Its a little soft but you can get good speed on it by S-turning through the flatter sections.  Matt went left a bunch and was clearly really happy to be back in the water, and he was shredding.  Crowd was pretty light, maybe 8-10 guys out there.  Forgot the camera so no pics today, but it was a beautiful morning and felt like fall.

Church again, better than Saturday

Got to Church at about 5:45.  Buoys read 3.2@17, the waves were still sectiony and the sets were walled, but the in between waves lined up well.  The ride down the hill was downright cold, a good sign that fall is near and these crowds will be cut in half.
I was one of the first guys out and there were only a handful of us until about 6:45.  By 7 there were 50-60 people and that was my trigger to go.  Surfed the fish and caught several decent rights with some steep faces.  Pulled off a couple rad wrapping turns today that I can't really do with the funboard, why i don't surf that thing all the time.  Tried to record with the flip but it does not work very well.

Not that good and crowd at max capacity

It is labor day weekend, should mark the peak then the end of the tormenting summer crowds.  I did find some solace this year when I started surfing Church.  Spread out crowds, mellow vibe, and really fun waves perfect for the fun board.  Woke up at 4:50 AM today and got to the parking area at 5:20.  Street parking was full already, only time all year I had to park at the Marine Base.  Finally got down to Church and it was just OK.  2.5@20 should be epic but it was pretty walled, and 3@11 from Hurricane Illeana really jumbled it up.  Hopefully its cleaned up a little tomorrow.  Will start taking pics and vid tomorrow.
For now, I surf either Uppers or Church and on rare occasion Lowers.

Date day with Lina

For our date day, Audrey and Jeff came over to watch the babies for 3 hours so Lina and I could do something together, just the 2 of us. We hiked up and down Pine Crest trail in Laguna, and had awesome fish burritos at Bear Flag. Thanks Zac for hookin it up!