California Surf Session Report

Lord Edward Is Back

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 15:22:00 +0000

A very low ceiling this morning but no fog. Very light NNW air, good surface conditions. Waist to chest, bigger on the sets (which are closing out). Typical Friday morning crowd, 30 ( doesn't anyone work in San Diego?).

Not the best shape but there are some corners and shoulders here and there and enough lulls to make it out without too much trouble.

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Everybody Is Smiling

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 15:08:00 +0000

Dawn patrollers just exiting the water are all grins and saying it is fun. Slight surface texture, calm winds, good tide, waist to chest high, fair shape. Not much going on in between sets. Looks like its probably worth a go out.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

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Manageable

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:12:00 +0000

Calmed down and cleaned up since yesterday. It's still short period energy with not much shape; just smaller. Waist to chest high, clean conditions, slow and lumbering. 47 degrees, 5 people out. The sets still have some size but those are not very often and you don't have to sit way outside in anticipation of getting smacked by one. All in all, a pretty nice day here in San Diego. Get out there and enjoy it.

Have a good one

Aloha
Gary

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BIG!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:38:00 +0000

In short, it's massive. A very large short period swell is battering DM this morning. 8 foot faces on the sets; the tweeners are shoulder to head high producing massive amounts of white water. Most who try are not making it out; being swept south and onto the rocks before they know it. including Kurt, who tried but gave up. Beautiful and scary at the same time.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

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Lookin' Kinda Confused

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:27:00 +0000

Pretty disorganized and unfocused swell mix this morning. Plus a a super high tide that is just now on its way out. Waist to shoulder high; larger sets. Steady off shores. Poor to fair shape. COLD. 7 guys out. It's been a while since I've been out but I think I'm going to wait to see what tomorrow brings. That cold, cold wind and the high tide mushiness have taken the edge off it for me.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

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Looking Good

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:45:00 +0000

Lots of short period windswell peaks and lines. Light offshore breeze. Fair surface conditions. Shoulder to head high, poor shape, no one out. As it should be after a rain/runoff event that had spewed countless millions of gallons of urban vomit into the sea.

Water quality should clean up enough to hit it on Friday. And speaking of water quality, what do you think of the EPA's budget proposal to eliminate funding for states to conduct water quality testing programs? No big deal or a major public health catastrophe? Or did you even know that was a source of funds for beach water quality testing programs?

Jake's concert at the Balboa theater last night was incredibly good. Sorry none of you made it out. You missed seeing one of the world's great ukulele virtuosos and all around good human being.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

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Hard to Believe

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:13:00 +0000

That there is an offshore breeze right now. This after an all night session of howling westerly gale force winds and rain squalls. The surf is pretty torn up with some monster swells peaking way outside, getting their tops blown off, slumping over and then pushing through till they peak again on the reef, creating massive amounts of white water.

Storm surf and not much on tap unless you happen to be a Pelican. They always get the best waves regardless of conditions.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

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Storm Surf

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:42:00 +0000

Is what's on the menu for this fine Monday morning. It's a lumpy, bumpy mess. Heavy chop, west winds, and 7-8 foot waves pretty much every where. Even bigger to the north. Not quite Victory at Sea conditions but getting there fast. Poorest of poor conditions and (I can hardly believe it) no one out.

Have a good one

Aloha
Gary

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How Big Does a Wave Have to be

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:28:00 +0000

To make a 6 foot high wall of white water? Cause that's pretty much what's going on this morning. It's not as big and relentless as yesterday but there is still some size. Sets are head high plus and closing out and the inside stuff is shoulder to head high. There are some lulls so if you time it right you won't get thrashed too badly on the paddle out. Still, don't plan on a "dry hair" paddle out to the line up.

If you're in the right place you might be able to snag a steep corner for a short ride. Clean conditions. 10 guys out chasing the shifting lineup and avoiding the closed out sets.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

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Ugly, ugly, ugly

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:42:00 +0000

Big, lumpy west swell unloading with unrelenting fury this morning. On the inside, head high to head + close outs. Out the back, overhead to waaaaay overhead bombs. Lots of water moving, tons of whitewater. Some trying to make it out; most not even getting past the whitewater. Turning around and skidding back in on their bellies.

Not a surf day here in Del Mar.

BTW, John told me this morning that his parking lot is in escrow. He expects to close late spring. An end to free dawn session parking?

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

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Super High Tide

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:08:00 +0000

4-5 foot with some 7 foot sets. Much the same as the previous week's swells with this hard west angle: long, walled up, and closed out. Some decent lulls so getting out shouldn't be an issue. Moderate surface bump, calm wind, 12 guys out. Shoulders and corners on the in between waves; not so much on the sets.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

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Super Bowl Sunday Swell

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:11:00 +0000

The surf has come a lot in the last 24 hours. Yesterday it was waist to chest high and this morning it was 5-6 with the occasional 7 foot sets. The swell has lots of west in it so it was pretty lined up and the sets were closing out. It was a tough paddle out and not much to pick from once you were there. It had it's moments though and here they are...

When you pull up and it looks like this you know it's not going to be easy getting out

Marcos snags a clean little right while Ian has a ringside seat

Nowhere to run to baby, nowhere to hide. Some poor unfortunate soul about to take this set wave right on the head

A sequence of Ian about midway through a ride; one...

Two...

and three...off the top

Hard to believe how wide this SUP board is

Marcos on his wave in

These guys were headed south in a big hurry...a pod of 20-25 dolphins about a half mile off shore.

Bill Harris trying to tiptoe over the whitewater; it didn't work

Grom on the inside section

Nice move off the top. Iguana man

Again

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:56:00 +0000

If you like long, closed out, head high walls, this is another good day for you. I'm calling this poor+ shape with a few right hand corners. Lots of white water to go with all the close outs. Did I mention it is inconsistent? So plan on some long waits in between the closed out sets. 20 people out.

Chuck just phoned in from Terra Mar and it's not even showing there; it's flat, flat, flat.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

Long, warbley

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:57:00 +0000

Closed out walls. Poor shape. Head high to head high + on the sets. Doubled up chest to shoulder in between. Moderately clean surface conditions, calm winds and haze. Lots and lots of white water and a monster rip off Tres Palmas. Line up is situated way outside and spread out from south to north across the reef. 20 guys out. If you like pulling into big, closed out walls, today is your day! Otherwise you'll need to find a set up that does better with the degree of west in this swell.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

Wind on the Water

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:08:00 +0000

Light off shore breeze has put a riffle on the water. Knee to waist high, clean, inconsistent and 5 guys out. It's pretty slow this morning and even with the dropping tide it's not breaking till well inside. Rights better than the lefts today but that's not saying a lot.

The swell is supposed to fill in throughout the day (it's not here yet) so an afternoon session (winds will be a factor though) might be something to consider.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

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The Thrill is Gone

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:21:00 +0000

And so are the waves. Ankle to knee high mushburgers, low tide and poor shape. Not a soul in the water. Or in the parking lot. Or even on the beach. Must be Monday. We still have some offshore flow so it's looking like another great San Diego winter day. Darn.

Positive vibrations to Clayfish on the day of his surgery.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

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At the Crest

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:37:00 +0000

Of Del Mar Heights Road one is presented with panorama of the eastern Pacific showing big, fat lines out to the horizon.

At the beach the vista is somewhat different; long, walled up, closing out 7-10 foot sets pounding the crap out of everyone in the lineup. Totally maxed out and totally wrong swell direction with no "good" swell in the water to break it up and provide some focus. Just raw, unrelenting WNW energy.

Not much wind, light bump, and head high white water. Lots and lots of white water and giant rips up and down the beach.

These are the conditions on the reef; north and south it's even bigger and meaner.

Have a good one

Aloha
Gary

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Rising tide

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:29:00 +0000

And a new swell. Long, walled up, closed out west lines. Small waist high dribble in between the head to head+ sets. Clean surface conditions, 10-15 people out.

This swell has a lot of west in it and not much else. Not the sort of swell direction that DM does best with. Nothing to break or shape it up. The line up is parked further out than normal; trying not to get swallowed by the sets. Not a great day at 15th street, this swell is going to be better at a point or deeper water reef.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

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Lumpy and bumpy

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:54:00 +0000

Pretty typical post storm surf. Large, peaky, unfocused and dirty. A jumbled up mess of head high to head high+ (and that's just the white water) with some bombs out the back. Poor shape. No one out.

Looks like a good morning to hit the gym. Which is exactly what I'm going to do.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

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Whoa!

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:25:00 +0000

And yikes! It's big and mean this morning. 8-10 foot closeouts. And lots of water moving every which way. As the incoming water bounces off the bluffs it creates a standing wave when the outgoing surge meets the incoming surge.

Clean conditions, almost glassy, ominous skies and no one out. Oh, and the dolphins are all over it. Having the time of their dolphin lives. Flawlessly surfing the biggest of the sets and leaping high into the air through the back at the last possible moment. Awesome stuff.

YouTube Video

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

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Offshores Have Picked Up

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:38:00 +0000

Stronger east winds aren't doing us any favors. Combined with a high tide and a localized wind swell all they are doing is holding up, and back, some pretty weak waves. Making them a challenge to get into.

Waist to shoulder high with the best shape about 200 yards north of the reef. These waves are right in top if each other so this is not a "dry hair" paddle out. Fair surface conditions, about 20 in the line up. I imagine that conditions will deteriorate more as the sun moves across the sky. Or is that just the earth's rotation? I can never remember.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

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Another cold, cold morning

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:53:00 +0000

Very short period (5-6 seconds) windswell waves about waist high. Good surface conditions, light offshores and no one (exept a sweeper) out. Tide is still fairly high so nothing is breaking till its well inside and then it's slow and mushy.

The sets are larger (shoulder high) but are walled up and closing out. Well, I'm headed up to LA for a day of fun and frivolity.

And Luke, I don't care what certain people say about the color of your new board, it looks good. So, are you going to get a wetsuit in a matching color?

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

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Great Sunrise

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:08:00 +0000

Short period, somewhat peaky, crumbly windswell. Waist to chest, moderate easterly winds, some surface texture. Fair minus shape. Not much juice to it at all. Chilly and no one out.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

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The Day After

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:16:00 +0000

Some heavy rains last night. And you know what that means, right? Some heavy runoff. And we haven't had rain in almost a month so you can expect that the urban drool was filled with all sorts of nasties.

But for those of you that must know, it's not a surf day anyway. Moderate surface bump and long crumbly waist high lines. No wind yet. 2 guys out with one more on the beach getting ready.

Feeling lucky punk?

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

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Kinda Small

noreply@blogger.com (Gary) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:28:00 +0000

Well, that last swell is now gone, gone, gone. Mostly knee to waist high with some slightly bigger set waves. Light surface bump. 8 guys out. Great conditions, just not much surf to go with it.

Have a good one
Aloha
Gary

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