Bad Tide, No Surf for You!

We made a short trip to Santa Cruz to meet up with my big brother, and tried for a surf before heading home. Alas, the tide conspired against us - "No surf for you!"

38th Street on the east side

Privates is now public - the locked gate has been removed

High to Low (Hook/Sharks)

The tide dropped by about 2 feet per hour while I surfed. Waves at the Hook started off fat and slow, got good for a little while, then drained as the king tide pulled back to sea. While the water fell the crowd rose, from no one out when I arrived to about 40 at the end of my session, happily including Sabine.

Nemo got me a bunch of fun rides on the high water, but as the waves got stepper, my fish and I started to flop around more. I could've used a board with variable shape and rocker. It didn't help that the burgeoning crowd pushed me away from the Hook and down to Sharks. Still, I was smiling on a crisp sunny day with a lot of swishy board time. Leaving was bittersweet, since I don't know when, or if, I'll surf there again. Warmer waters are calling.

This house could be yours. Only $4.95 million.

Surfline: Primary WNW-NW wind/groundswell mix continues to offer up fun size 3-4' sets through the high tide this morning at select standout spots. More sheltered spots are staying small and nearly flat. Minor SSW swell is in the background. Winds are out of the N-NE and conditions are clean. Expect better surf in the late morning/afternoon with the dropping tide. Buoy 46012: (Wave) SWELL: 11.8 ft at 12.9 s NW 111 / WIND WAVE: 2.3 ft at 5.0 s WNW / WVHT: 12.1 ft / APD: 9.4 s / MWD: 321° (Met) WSPD: 12 kn / GST: 14 kn / WVHT: 12.1 ft / DPD: 13.0 s / WDIR: 20° / ATMP: 50° F / WTMP: 57° F. Tide: 4' falling quickly to 1'.

I wonder how many surfboards Waste to Waves will make out of this MINI-load of EPS foam?

Birthday Party Waves (38th Ave)

J-Bird, Perrin, Heather, Rose & Max

Unlike prior years, I didn't get a new surfboard for my birthday (I feel like I have more learning to do on Rocket anyway), and I didn't spend my birthday riding waves someplace tropical. Getting laid off has a way of throwing the usual plans - and life in general - into disarray. But I did get to enjoy a lovely sunny day surfing eastside Santa Cruz with three of my best surfer girl friends.

I showed up a bit late for my own birthday surf. J-Bird, Heather and Perrin had already arrived and the early 'Bird made the call for 38th Ave. We were joined by Rose and Max. I'd brought my 8'3" Magic for Perrin to try, and little Nemo for myself. The soft small waves at 38th were good for longboarding but a bit challenging on the fish. Dropping tide improved conditions, although with the weekend crowd I still had to sit inside and catch them fairly late. That put me near Max, who also had a fish but much bigger than mine. Big fish, little fish.

Seal! Otters were out today too.

Some random dude

Perrin started off sitting way to the right of the break, which had too much water on it to work initially. I called her over to my spot on the left close to Jack's house, then into her first wave on Magic. I hooted as she rode all the way to the inside, then paddled back with a big smile on her face. She said the board's much tippier than her beginner log and she expected to fall right away, then was surprised not to. Perrin got a bunch more nice rides during our two-and-a-half hour session. So stoked for her!

Perrin after her first Magic ride

Happy 'Bird

Just after I handed Perrin my camera, a set rolled through and she scrambled to keep from dropping it

Glass

J-Bird and Heather were riding longboards too and also getting good long rides. Mine were not so long, since the waves lacked enough push to keep my 5'4" fishie moving as they neared the shore. And I had to really paddle hard to get into them. Still I got a bunch of rides, lefts and rights, some with fun little shoulders to start. And I think I rode a wave with each of my friends, going left on the inside as they rode right from farther out. Great birthday party waves on a beautiful day! Yew!

Post-surf lunch at Margaritaville

Surfline: We have a mix of SSW groundswell and easing NW windswell. Conditions remain clean with light wind early, but many areas are very inconsistent at the moment. When the sets do work through, expect waves in the 3-4'+ zone, especially as the tide begins to drop out. Buoy 46026: (Wave) SWELL: 6.2 ft at 11.4 s NW 100 / WIND WAVE: 3.6 ft at 5.6 s WNW / WVHT: 7.2 ft / APD: 6.7 s / MWD: 313° (Met) WSPD: 16 kn / GST: 19 kn / WVHT: 7.2 ft / DPD: 11.0 s / ATMP: 53° F / WTMP: 55° F. Tide: 3' falling to 0.5'.

Ain't California grand?

Not-Really-Cold Water Classic (Pleasure Point)

Today I journeyed south to Santa Cruz to surf on the eastside and watch the O'Neill Cold Water Classic on the westside. The ocean is at its warmest now, 62°F/16°C per the strip thermometer on my surfboard, not really cold at all. And to top it off, we're having a late-season heat wave so the air was 80°F/26°C. They should hold the contest in January to better fit the name.

The eastside was dismayingly crowded for the middle of a weekday. As I'd snagged the last open parking space at the Hook, I was loathe to leave to check Capitola. I asked the usual question of a surfer returning to her car next to mine, and she said, "Not very good. The Point actually looks a lot better."

Blurry surfer, blurry otter

Oh, what a beautiful day!

I paddled out at 38th but it was too soft on the high tide, so I kept going toward Pleasure Point, where better waves beckoned in the distance. I thought to try for some of the closer inside waves, but they always backed off. More paddling, then, to get closer to the main peak. Getting a bit frustrated with the mushy waves and the crowd, I rode a few from whitewater after their riders had passed. Then I paddled some more toward the Point proper.

At last a wave swung wide toward me and I caught it green, turning midface, having a nice stokeful ride until it started to lose speed and I cut back toward the peak - then a longboarder who was riding straight down the line behind me in the whitewater called me off, and I let her have it. Not the time to quibble about right of way, but darn. It was nice while it lasted.

Another wave came close behind it and I rode energetic whitewater farther in till it fizzled out, paddling over the deep section to exit at the new stairs. Then I had a long walk back to my car along the cliff top, the blue bay below sparkling in the warm sunshine.

~~~

Over on the westside at Steamer Lane, the last heat of the day was underway. (Too bad I just missed Kelly Slater's heat; maybe I shouldn't have stopped for my surfer's lunch of a vegan donut from Whole Foods.) Matt Wilkinson (red jersey), Adriano De Souza (black), and Damien Hobgood (yellow) were in the water. I politely squeezed up to the fence, climbed over and even found a spot on a bench next to the stairs.

Damien Hobgood and Adriano De Souza

Matt Wilkinson, the winner of the heat

Not that warm

As soon as the contest ended, "recreational" surfers (the announcer's word) were allowed back onto the peaks. A really talented grom shredded a long wave and the crowd gave him a big cheer. Then a woman paddled out on a longboard wearing a bikini and I saw her get a good ride, but she didn't stay long. The water's not that warm.

Surfline: NW-WNW (290-310) swell holds the most size through the morning, before slowly easing later in the day, and mixes with minimal Southern Hemi energy. Better exposed breaks are running chest-shoulder-head high+, with sets in the 1-2'+ overhead range at good breaks. Standout focal points are even a notch better on the best sets. Conditions are nice and clean. Buoy 46026: (Wave) SWELL: 5.9 ft at 10.8 s WNW 98 / WIND WAVE: 2.0 ft at 5.6 s WNW / WVHT: 6.2 ft / APD: 7.9 s / MWD: 297° (Met) WSPD: 10 kn / GST: 14 kn / WVHT: 6.6 ft / DPD: 11.0 s / ATMP: 64° F / WTMP: 58° F. Tide: Just under 4' rising to 4'.

Thunder (Capitola)

My first surf lesson, in the summer of '03 on a waterlogged 10-foot foamie in Cocoa Beach, Florida, was cut short by a thunderstorm. That was after I'd stood up on the board and ridden a few tiny waves - after I'd been hooked on the feeling and reborn as a surfer. My instructor and I ran through pouring rain and growing puddles back to his shop, lightning flashing scarily close and loud thunder booming from an angry sky.

So when rare California thunder rumbled while I was in the water at midday, I well knew that I should head in lest I become a target for the lightning that accompanied it. Yet I saw no flashes, and rationalized paddling back out for just one more wave. And then one more, and another, seeking a better ride. After all, lightning would be attracted to the highest point, and there were sailboats, janitors and taller surfers in the vicinity. Riiiight...

I bagged some fun rides on Nemo, mostly long reform scraps scavenged from the wavehogs on the main peak, but one clean green left (which sadly ended prematurely when I dug my inside rail trying to get fancy). I surfed until the time ran out on my parking meter, reluctantly accepting that my last wave wouldn't be anything special as low tide served up mostly closeouts. Tomorrow is another day!

Surfline: Inconsistent but fun size, long period WNW groundswell fills in through the day offering up chest-head high waves at well exposed spots. Standout breaks that focus the longer period energy produce 2-3'+ overhead sets. Also some small, fading SSW swell mixing in with occasional knee-waist high sets. Buoy 46026: (Wave) SWELL: 3.9 ft at 19.0 s WNW 87 / WIND WAVE: 2.0 ft at 4.2 s WNW / WVHT: 4.3 ft / APD: 6.3 s / MWD: 286° (Met) WSPD: 10 kn / GST: 14 kn / WVHT: 4.6 ft / DPD: 19.0 s / ATMP: 57° F / WTMP: 57° F. Tide: Falling slightly to 2.5' low.

Post-surf rainbow on the Westside

Fishing with Janitors (Capitola)

The Hook

The waves in NorCal have been grim lately, mostly small hacked-up windslop. This morning I drove south to surf a bump of south swell in Santa Cruz. The Hook was overcrowded as usual, so I kept looking.

Although the tide was a bit high and going higher (shoulda been here earlier!), there were still fun-sized waves rolling through at Capitola and only a handful of longboarders in the lineup.

By the time I got out, three stand-up paddleboarders had joined the little group, waiting through long lulls for the groundswell sets. They weren't too greedy though, and I claimed a decent share of waves on my fish. Plus I rode every one I caught - no takeoff wipeouts - and that's a rare event. I'm having so much fun on Nemo this summer! I think my longboard will be gathering dust for a long time.

One of the janitors turned out to be Ed from Club Ed surf school, and he was giving out free advice to me and the other surfers. First, he said I should keep my knees closer together when I paddle so I'll know I'm properly centered, which will help to keep me centered when I pop up. Ed also said his forte is surfing big waves - Maverick's, Ghost Tree, etc (OK, now that's just bragging) - but one thing that's more challenging on a shortboard in small waves is getting into them. Since "you can't chase it down like on a longboard," he suggested getting into position, then pushing the board back/under and letting it pop forward to generate momentum right at the peak when catching the wave. I think I need to have one of my shortboarder buddies demo that one. It sounds a bit tricky to get the right timing and motion.

Eventually it was just me and the three janitors, who were chatting when I saw the first wave of a set incoming and began stroking into position. Ed called me into it with "Go for it, Cynthia!" and he and his friends let me have the wave, a sweet chest-high right with some facetime, a couple of turns and a floater before I bailed just inside the rocks at the base of the cliff. Stoked!

Surfline: This morning there's a primary South groundswell is mixing with some small SSW swell. Surf is 2-3'+ for exposed spots, while top breaks are hitting head+ high on inconsistent sets. Light/variable winds early for mostly clean conditions. Buoy 46026: (Wave) SWELL: 3.0 ft at 16.0 s S 79 / WIND WAVE: 3.9 ft at 5.6 s NW / WVHT: 4.9 ft / APD: 5.0 s / MWD: 316° (Met) WSPD: 17 kn / GST: 21 kn / WVHT: 4.9 ft / DPD: 6.0 s / ATMP: 54° F / WTMP: 55° F. Tide: 3' rising to 5'.

What a Surfer Sees (Hook/Sharks)

Surfline: Fun size blend of slow easing SSW groundswell and holding short period NW windswell. Foggy with clean, inconsistent surf working through in the knee-chest high range. Should improve with the morning tide push. Buoy 46026: (Wave) SWELL: 4.3 ft at 14.8 s SSE 71 / WIND WAVE: 1.3 ft at 4.0 s WNW / WVHT: 4.3 ft / APD: 5.9 s / MWD: 156°(Met) WSPD: 8 kn / GST: 12 kn / WVHT: 4.3 ft / DPD: 15.0 s / ATMP: 51° F / WTMP: 56° F. Tide: Less than 3' rising to over 4'.

2 For 2 (Hook/Sharks)

I drove for two hours to surf two decent waves.

 And that's all I have to say about that.

Surfline: Fun size SSW-S groundswell continues to offer up 3-4'+ surf at better exposed spots this afternoon while some minor NW windswell mixes in. Town spots remain mostly clean with WNW winds but the surf is a little on the inconsistent side. Buoy 46012: (Wave) SWELL: 3.3 ft at 14.8 s SSW 42 / 3.3 ft at 10.0 s NW / WIND WAVE: 6.6 ft at 7.1 s WNW / WVHT: 7.2 ft / APD: 5.6 s / MWD: 296° (Met) WSPD: 23 kn / GST: 29 kn / WVHT: 7.2 ft / DPD: 7.0 s / WDIR: 310° / ATMP: 54° F / WTMP: 54° F. Tide: 2' low rising near 3'.

On the Slow Mend (Hook)

It's been a difficult Spring, but I'm starting to feel like my injuries are on the mend at last. Wednesday morning the stitches were removed from my right elbow, and Ward had Emm ready after turning around the repairs in only 4 days. (I ♡ my shaper! A couple of weeks ago, his 14-year-old son won the Bum Rush pop-up surf contest at Steamer Lane and he's competing in more organized contests despite a broken scaphoid bone in his wrist, so I feel rather like a wimp with my mere sprain.) I'd hoped to surf the Westside when I picked up my 7'0", but had forgotten that it's not easy access, especially on a mid-rising tide. Looking longingly at the small glassy waves, I accepted that my right arm wasn't in good enough shape yet to safely make the scramble on wave-splashed boulders or worn slippery steps.

It was a hard choice but probably a wise one. This morning, after several more days of recovery, it hurt my elbows just wearing a wetsuit, rather surprising as it's been 2 weeks since I fell. But of course that wasn't going to stop me from surfing after 8 days out of the water.

There were a few other surfer girls in the lineup this morning

Although my sprained wrist isn't 100% better, I can pop up almost normally now; I just have to splay my fingers and keep my palm raised slightly off the deck to avoid a 90° bend. Which is good, since I bashed up my hand pretty badly popping up with it in a fist, and it took a while for the bruising and swelling to dissipate. I still have to move carefully in and out of the water, not tweaking the wrist nor bumping the elbows.

A fading southwest swell has been sending waist- to chest-high waves into Santa Cruz all week. An hour past dawn, the crowd was still reasonable, and I saw a few familiar faces in the water, including Lauren. There were long lulls between sets, and I got chilly too soon in my old Rip Curl Insulator wetsuit, chosen over my usual Xcel Infiniti for its easier chest zipper, a poor pick in hindsight. When the sets came I got a decent share, sitting on the inside and taking waves the longboarders let past. One right in particular was pretty sweet, as was a short left. Woot!

Hopefully it won't be long now till I'm injury-free and can get back to learning to shortboard.

Surfline: Glassy conditions prevail this morning as a fun-sized SSW groundswell holds, mixing with slowly easing NW windswell. Inconsistent but peaky knee-waist high waves show at decent exposures. Top spots see occasional sets to chest high. Light wind early. Buoy 46012: (Wave) SWELL: 4.6 ft at 8.3 s NW 36 / WIND WAVE: 5.9 ft at 6.7 s NW / WVHT: 7.6 ft / APD: 5.9 s / MWD: 310° (Met) WSPD: 16 kn / GST: 19 kn / WVHT: 7.6 ft / DPD: 7.0 s / WDIR: 320° / ATMP: 51° F / WTMP: 51° F. Tide: 1' rising near 2'.