A Slow Bleed

Smaller lined up overlapping peaks, some makeable sections:

Ireland

I was talking to some of the guys at breakfast the other morning about Ireland. Here are some cool pictures I've take of the northwest of Ireland over the years:

Some of you guys could use some help :) 

Directions to Santa Ana?

Yeats' grave in Sligo

More Ireland

A Guinness with a hand made shamrock using the tap

The view of Clew Bay from Crough Patrick

A lonely road near Achill Island

Ireland

Down Patrick Head

A left I surfed back in 2007 near Down Patrick Head

The Atlantic Coast

Groundhog Day

Same as yesterday, but a tad smaller.   Due to family commitments I had to cut it short.

Saturday

Crowded, lined up, shoulder high, rolly, glassy waves.   Got up late 5:15, almost passed, but was glad I got wet.

After four days in the mid-west watching surfline and crying in my beer I finally got to surf some of the leftovers this morning.   Somebody's got to pay the bills and travel is in my job description.

Today was 4-5 foot, somewhat drained out in the first hour but really fun playful waves.    I think the first Picture is Matt Parker.

Sunday

You know you're the first one on the beach when you walk your bike through the bushes and get a face full of spider web.   I hate that.  

Paddled out a little after 5am into some peaky head high waves.   Much more consistent than the past few days.  Nice warm water, a spectacular dolfin show and plenty of waves to go around.   Had to leave after a couple of hours to head out of town for a trade show.   Just in time to miss the next swell. 

Here's Phil and Tom:

Saturday 7-17-10

Windswell, that's all there was on tap for today.   After the crowd filled in I drifted into the bay a bit and picked off several that swung wide and realed across.    I also had an epic fail on a set wave going left, I hope nobody saw that one.

July 16th

Small inconsistent glassy surf.    I put my two hours in and jetted off to work.   It was a really cool morning though.   There was lightning just before dawn, a killer sunrise and a partial rainbow to the north.   Did anyone see last night's rainbow?

Below you see a strange species known as hootasaurus longboaratops (hooting longboarders) they were in their indigenous habitat hooting and hollering at every wave they cut each other off on.   Thank God they didn't drift over to the point:

Still Cold

I know, I know - enough whining about the water temp.   But the cold water promotes bone growth: http://www.eardoctor.org/conditions/surfers-ear.cfm  

The surf was more consistent and a tad bigger today (3'-4').   I was in a rush for a conference call and took some lousy pics inbetween sets:

Cold Water?

Damn the water was cold this morning.   I guess the northwest wind last night got the upwelling going.   But mid-July with a water temp of 58 - 60!

I guess I shouldn't complain because there were only 4 guys out with some decent windswell waves to play around in.

Almost forgot to take pics today - got one quick one before heading up:

Small But Workable

Checked the bouys this morning and decided to ride the longboard.
I was glad I did.   Caught some nice bay waves.

Friday, July 9th

Danger!
              Sharks?   No.
              Thieves?    No.
              SUPs?     No.

KOOKS!  -   There were a couple of guys on longboards hanging towards the bay that were a clear and present danger to everyone in the water.  Hopefully, they won't be back.       

I had one of those days where quite a few waves came right to me.    I stayed a little north towards the point (kook avoidance) and picked off several set waves and a few lefts too.

Thursday, July 8th

Thursday was great the first hour or so - Nice head high waves. 

The crowd thickened as the morning wore on and the waves became less consistent.  

Yesterday and Today

In an effort to evade the wind I went back to Sammy's yesterday, more consistent and less crowded.  Go Figure.

Today the wind seemed to subside a bit, although the drizzle was still heavy.   Uppers was really good.   Did the grovel thing on the inside and got some good ones.

Lego Surf Trip

A small diversion.

Sunday and Monday

Coastal Eddy, a serious problem this time of year.   After passing on Saturday's mess, I went and looked at some protected areas Sunday and decided to go out at Strands.  It was semi smooth when I took this picture; 15 minutes after I paddled out a hard onshore flow began.  Home by 7am.

Then today I opted for another wind protected less popular locale given that this was a well publicized swell.   We used to call this Sammy's - don't know what they call it these days.   There were a few waves to be had and not too many takers.   I'll be honest it was a bit inconsistent, I got about 10 decent waves in 2 hours, I wonder how uppers was?

Happy Anniversary

My wife and I just celebrated our 36th wedding anniversary. 

I remember my Mother-in-law asked that I get haircut.  So I had 12 inches cut off before the wedding.  She still wasn't happy; neither was I.

Friday July 2nd

On and off SE to S winds, shoulder high waves and just eight guys out.   NICE!

There is no South Swell this weekend; it's been cancelled.
No really; it's cancelled.

I had not read this before and thought it was worth posting.
Lifted from The Surfer's Journal:

In 1866 Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens) spent several months in Hawaii, writing on assignment for The Sacramento Union. The following excerpt from Roughing It emerged from his island stint…not bad for a haole:


In one place we came upon a large company of naked natives, of both sexes and all ages, amusing themselves with the national pastime of surf- bathing. Each heathen would paddle three or four hundred yards out to sea (taking a short board with him), then face the shore and wait for a particularly prodigious billow to come along; at the right moment he would fling his board upon its foamy crest and himself upon the board, and here he would come whizzing by like a bombshell! It did not seem that a lightning express-train could shoot along at a more hair-lifting speed. I tried surf-bathing once, subsequently, but made a failure of it. I got the board placed right, and at the right moment, too; but missed the connection myself. The board struck the shore in three-quarters of a second, without any cargo, and I struck the bottom about the same time, with a couple of barrels of water in me. None but natives ever master the art of surf-bathing thoroughly.

I think I'll go surf-bathing tomorrow, with a wetsuit of course.

Had a fine session this morning.   Paddled out a little after 5am with Jeff.   We pretty much had it to ourselves for the first hour.   What a difference a day makes.   The incoming tide kind of put the kibosh on the consistency.

Lowers looked good too.

Monday, June 28th

A little frustrating after the first hour when the crowd really got thick.