Hope

I read a forecasters blurb the other day on shurfshot forecast. A possible swell showing up this coming Monday 12/03/07
THAT forecaster eluded to a swell model looking similar to the one that came on 12/21/05 and permanently changed my life( at least to date)
I remember 12/21/05. Wednesday.
I remember my frustration of not even being able to make the paddle out 3 days later
( thank youGod, for I was nowhere near ready).
This is a gallery of that swell, read through it. All of the pages of photos are great.
The comments are equally as great.
http://photos.signonsandiego.com/gallery1.5/sdbigwaves?page=1

I'm willing
I'm able
I hope

surf on

ThanksGiving WeekEnd Update

Thurs. went to the In-laws in Thousand Oaks. Lotsa food,fun, and family. No traffic or hassles. Beautiful weather. It was good to see everyone and indulge.
Fri. Did a dawn patrol and it was swamped out big time
Sat. 6am "" " " " " " " "
Sat @ 11am returned and went out in the spring suit. Alot of texture and some small sets every 15 min. Got 2 good rides outta 5 rides. Hung out with the Ted in the water and had fun.
Sun. Went in at about 630am. Glassy, high tide, close outs. Air was cold in the am, felt like Winter.
Did a long paddle south to watch the high tide waves slam the cliffs, as not alot of "ride ables" were there for me. On the paddle back caught a few. My son had showed up on the cliffs with a camera ( uggg ). I always have a little different "minds eye" view of my form than what the photos show. Always room for the improvement, hehe, shish.

Oh yeah, Im thankful very much so.

I love Thanksgiving day.
Count 'em up and think about it. Take stock in it. Its really all there is.
It's the right thing to do. Appreciate actively all the good things we have.
I try to do it daily and never loose sight of what I'm thankful for.

My wife and son, and the time we have together.
My family here now and in the great beyond, and their love for me,their guidance, and wisdom.
My home, my job and that they are close to work and Surfing.
Thank God and nature, mother ocean, the sun, the wind, and the rain.
My friends.

S U R F I N G

OK surfing. Surfing has turned my life around. It is a large part of me now. I go as much as possible. It cleanses me each and every time. IT is my fun, challenge, fear, thrill, workout that keeps me healthy in mind and body. It plugs me into nature and God directly, every time I go, every time. Each time is different. Different friends and acquaintance's, different waves,weather, and conditions. Different challenges, and different responses from my head and body and emotions. The glass, the warmth,the cold, the victory at sea, the "at one -ness". The whole thing changes and changes again, always interesting, always different.
The peace, the successes, the defeats, the chance to always improve. Hope of an epic day. Finding and epic day when you least expect it....from nowhere.
God...the water, water,water,water, and its ability to always fill me with wonder and amazement. Surfing is so sensual, it floods the senses, heart and soul.
I could go on and on, LoL and I do, for that is what this blog is. I have read alot lately about what surfing IS and whether or not it defines people.
Surfing has defined me, not the culture so much, not surfline or the crowds or any of that crap. Not the blogs I read, or the products I choose.
Surfing is what I choose to do for the reasons above. Not for any ones approval, disapproval or otherwise. It is what I love, and for THAT reason

I AM A SURFER.

Happy Thanksgiving Day

surf on...........................................................................................................................

Monday Eve

Got out with my son Jason @ 4pm. Glassy, and still s o m e size on the sets.
Cool water and air. Few people out. Got alot of waves and so did Jason.
So great going with my boy. I love that ! ! ! Its a real gift. Its "priceless"
Got lefts and rights compliments of the North Westerner. Winters comin back and just in time.
I love the way that just when Ive had enough of wetsuits the summer comes.
Just when I'm sick and tired of summer crowds and "noise" the winter comes and thins it out real good.
It's all good, ALL OF IT ! ! !

surf on........

Got size ?

Sunday morning we got some. Wow its been awhile since I've stood on anything that high. I believe Labor day was he last time I felt like that.
Got in around 7, but was missing my son. He had stayed up too late the night before, so he surfed the sheets. Bummer, I am missing him surfing with me. It seems he goes with me less and less now. Im gonna work on that, quick.
Was tempted to go a little north to WWJ, but.........the right was packed and pounding people.
Watched a single surfer ( a confirmed wave magnet and a contrary )
surfing a spot solo and observed the wave direction. Yep, winter style. Paddled south of him a bit and got a few rights. Some folks then paddled out who failed to have their big cup of shut-the-f*&k up beforethey came to surf and I paddled another 50 yds. south for the quiet.
Took awhile, but as the tide moved lower I was rewarded with some sets that had some real size, although a bit walled.
I think I handled the walls better because of my evening surf sessions last week. Surf by "feel".
Finally got a big, fat, tall ,fast right. I've been waiting for that for a long while.
Glassy,steep, high and fast. Sa weeeeet.
Looking forward to more of that, maybe with the next SantaAna's !

surf on......

Great GREAT stuff

The last 3 Nights were magic.
Pure glass, few people, warm air, and cool water with a slight offshore.
Off in the distance a silhouette of the islands against the fire red glowing band on the horizon . To the west clear skies fade from red to light blue to navy, to purple to black, the crescent moon surrounded by a few stars. This happened @ 5:20 pm
All of this, all at once, was spectacular !
THEN the W a V e S come in ! !
Shoulder + peaks, pure glass with lots of long navel sized shoulders. Rides from outside to the sand, over and over and over. A long board, soul surfers dream.
H e a v e n !

WED EVE SESSION WAS ........

Almost identical to yesterday eve. Too crowded @ Tamarack with too many short boarders on waves closing out too fast.
Went to home break where the swell has 2/3rds less size and waves but......... because all the folks were at other breaks I got my 6-8 good waves all to myself. I polled surfers from north and south of me in very crowded lineups( more than 20 per peak ) and the wave count was the same or less than mine. So.........

surf on folks, surf on

Damn you, shortboard bowling pins.

Tamarack was firing big for the first part of the arriving swell. 4 wave sets spaced 5 min between the sets, head high ++.
25 bowling pins crowed into a 10 yard takeoff spot. Not for me, I hate bowling for shorties.
Drove to Terra Mar knowing it wouldn't be as good and it wasn't. I went out.
Caught the first big wave ....... it WAS good.
In 1 hour I only saw 4 more biggies. Got all of them. In between there was NOTHING.
South to Igor's and further south were more frequent BIG FAT WALLS closing out fast.
I'm stoked, hell when Im in the water I'm ALWAYS STOKED, thank God ! !
I'm feeling good about tonight and Looking Forward to the next 3-4 days, hoping my little Private Idaho will pan out.
Hope is a wonderful thing.
Solitude is as well.

surf on........

Weekend Update

Saturday got out @ 630 and the tide was high and the push was weak. Did get a few. Paddled til I got a burn . It was functional. Functional is what I must get back to.


Sunday had higher hopes but nothing to write home about. Caught 2 right away with no one else within 100 yards of me. Warm Waters was curling. The beach was breaking real close in. A few saw my couple rides and paddled south to get some also. I saw a nice one break outside at the reef, heard a couple of ooos and ahhs from my immediate company, so I turned and made the paddle south.
I caught maybe 10 at the Igor's reef and south. One of those was a right ( rare for that spot ) where I got the longest nose trip ever. Both feet 2 inches behind the nose, the WHOLE TIME, a long time. I managed to steer from the front and was astounded by this and how it felt.
I am having breakthrough moments now, much needed after the last month of mediocre surfing.
Looking forward to this week and some decent sized stuff...I'm ready I believe !

Went out and GOT SOME

Haaaa, didnt expect that . Gray and coolish. got there @ 445 pm
No one out.
No chop either.
No wind
Saw some lines. paddle out was easy. water was WARM??.
Slow kinda SW swell sets showed.
My 2 best surfing friends showed and we had it virtually alone.
Caught about 10-12 nice loooooooong board waves. Very Very nice and un expected.
I love that ! !
Gotta keep it up 'til that Southie comes in Sun and then mid week..........

surf on.........