Memorial Day Weekend

Friday - Fun playful waves - but damn the water got cold.

Saturday - Pretty much the same,  fewer people then Friday?

Sunday - same as yesterday - four guys out for the first hour and a half??

Monday - Smaller with a south wind early, probably should have stuck around and gave it a go because the wind looked like it was backing off, but I had a lot to do today before I leave on a 10 day business trip.

Wood

Never tried it - looks fun.

May 24th

I feel like I'm in prison.  

First the eddy ruins a perfectly good swell and then I throw my back out. 

I'll be on the sidelines for a few days, hopefully I'll be back to normal by the weekend.  

After the long weekend however, I'll be off to the EU on 10 day business trip.  So there's 10 more days without saltwater.   I will try to get in the water in west Ireland while I'm there, we'll see.   

I Hate Eddy

Had an early meeting this morning and couldn’t make the trek to uppers. Actually turned out to be a good thing since our new south swell is being served up with a coastal eddy. A few crumbly lines were to be had in Laguna. Only stayed out for an hour, but at least I got wet.

May 20th

On the way to work today I stopped at Scotsman’s Cove to see if there were any signs of the new ultra secret south swell. No signs of it yet as the pic below confirms.

However, on the way out of the State Park I saw this older gentleman dancing with an imaginary partner. It made me wonder if he had recently lost his wife or someone special.

As a dear friend of mine once told me, while fighting back tears, long after his wife was murdered in a senseless robbery “You never know how good you have it until it is ripped away”. Hope all is well Pete.

Came across these photo's of the estuary from Sept 2004.   Check the Osprey eating a smaller bird.   We surf and enjoy while local wildlife is fighting for their lives.

May 19th

Small and Glassy - then a minor south wind toward the end.   Did I mention there were only three guys out?  I always have a lot more fun inbetween swells.

 

Saturday and Monday May15th and 17th

Who told everyone that there was a south swell on Saturday - Damn that Surfline.

Here's Tim Elsner:

Family commitments kept me dry on Sunday.  Monday however was significantly smaller, glassy at dawn, then bumpy with an on and off south wind by 7am.  I did manage to get a few really fun ones with a donkey or too mixed in to let me know I'm getting older by the day.

Wednesday and Friday

One of the few times I've rode back up the hill dry.   Wednesday was at best knee to waist high.  

Choo-Choo

Today the new south swell showed a liitle the first 45 minutes or so and then backed way off - I'm sure tomorrow will be much better.   Shhhhh, don't tell anyone.

THE CON

A very cool video......


Home Is Where The Surf Is from Branden Aroyan on Vimeo.

Castles in the Sky

Definately a movie worth looking into:

May 7th and 8th

Friday was really good with a solid south swell, good conditions and moderate crowd.   Got at least a dozen good waves.

Saturday on the other hand was smaller and twice as crowded.   Got a ton of waves grovelling on the inside.

I had an 8am meeting this morning and had to settle for a 90 minute session at Scotsman's Cove on the way to work.   Three guys out and plenty of waves to be had.   The tide was on the low side for this place and the boil was only a foot or two below the surface.   I'm sure uppers was way better.

Rode Jeff's Terry Martin Ice 9 today - I would like to have one and my birthday is coming up - what are the chances????

Today was inconsistent shoulder high waves, moderate crowd, and less eddy than was predicted.   The bay was probably better than the point this morning.   Got 4 or 5 keepers and was over it.

May 3rd

Again, I almost didn't go surfing this morning.   Yesterday had a south wind on it from the get go so I bailed on that.  And today was predicted to be really small.  When I woke up I could hear the freeway and I could smell the horses at the stables (off shore indicators in SJC).  Well, it was on the small side (waist to shoulder high) but where was everyone?     It was off shore, the water warmed up to 61 or 62, and the contest doesn't start untill tomorrow or Wednesday.  I paddled out at 5:30 and surfed for a solid 90 minutes by myself.   Matt, Dave and Gene paddled out just after 7.  

Here's Dave:

Saturday May the Oneth

After a week of business travel and rain and wind during the week; Saturday welcomed me with small, cold, wind swelly, drained out waves.   I got a few fair waves in the first hour but froze my tail off waiting for waves as the tide drained out what little juice there was.   It looks better than it was.