Surfing Journal

December 5, 2013

Very cold this morning; the coldest day so far this winter with record low temperatures inland. San Francisco was the warmest spot in the Bay Area. The sun shone brightly and the sky was cloudless and a milky blue at Ocean Beach. There was just the slightest breeze when I got in the water about 1 PM; not even enough to ruffle the surface of the water.

A crew out at Kelly's but not a single surfer out between there and VFW's. It was beautiful although the waves weren't large enough to tempt anyone else aside from the lone surfer leaving the water as I was entering. He gave me a nod and a half-frozen smile. After half an hour and two fun rights and a left, I looked over and saw a fin in the water and a porpoise surfing a wave not 10 yards from me. My heart jumped It's always a thrill to see porpoises in the surf. I looked up and a line of pelicans was swooping low over the water, heading north. I looked again for the porpoise and saw a pair of them glistening in the sunlight gracefully parting the waters just beyond the break.

It was then that I really noticed the seagulls. There were hundreds of them floating on the water, just outside the break, and as I looked I could see seagulls on the water all the way down to Kelly's. Walking down the beach on my way to surf I had seen the sand cross-hatched with their foot prints but hadn't thought about the complete absence of actual birds. I wonder what made them decide to float rather than stay on the beach. They weren't doing anything that I could see and, in any case, seagulls don't fish. Perhaps they were hoping for some detritus from a passing trawler?

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Strong surf and glassy conditions. The rip carried me down to VFW's before I caught my first and only wave of the session. I caught it inside, grabbing onto the shoulder of the fast breaking wave, a left, and had a fun ride. I walked back up the beach and paddled out again but, on my one wave, only managed to get to my feet for a few seconds before I had to straighten out as the wave closed out.

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Perfect conditions and big waves. The sun shining, the air warm and a slight off-shore breeze. Conditions like we rarely get except for this December which has seen a record number of spare-the-air days with no wind and the consequent glassy conditions. The break was close to shore and the set intervals were long enough to make it easy to get outside between sets. I caught two thrilling waves, a precipitous drop and a short ride before they closed out. In between I got dumped on take-off on a close-out as it pitched out.

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Conditions looked excellent when I checked it at 11 am but by the time I got in the water the wind had come up a bit. Beautiful waves but I couldn't catch any. The strong rip carried me down to Fulton St. before I was able to catch my one wave. By that time, I was so numb from the cold water I couldn't get to my feet and rode to shore first on my knees and later prone. A lot of surfers in the water. I walked back up the beach and paddled out again but couldn't catch a wave. Somehow I missed the rip and was off of Cabrillo the whole time but it didn't help. Got some good paddling in anyway. It's always good to get in the water. I realized afterwards I could have caught more waves if I had stayed on my belly.

Friday, January 3, 2014

Conditions a little milder than on Wednesday. Got three waves, all rights. I had to do a lot of paddling to get them. I could have taken off on some of the bigger waves I let go by. I thought they would break on me but I realize now that with the high tide and deeper water the waves would have allowed me to take off even though they were starting to break.

September 20, 2016

On Sunday we had perfect conditions at OB.  I hadn't been in the water since May.  In over 20 years surfing at OB I think this was the worst summer for surf we've had.  Everyday was either flat or blown out.and apparently the month of August was the coldest and foggiest on record.  But all that changed on Sunday afternoon.  All morning and into the afternoon conditions were windblown and waveless but by 3 pm the wind had died and the swell had come up.  It was one of those rare days at OB. Perfect.  There was a crew near Kelley's who were tearing it up but I was happy to have a wave to myself at Cabrillo.  I got a right and a left and paddled in happy.


Tuesday, February 14, 2017

First time out in months. Heavy swell but not breaking until the inside sandbar. I didn't get a wave, just happy to be out in the mild weather and sunshine.

Monday, May 7, 2018

First time out since March 11. Used my new 8' Costco Wavestorm. It's much heavier than the other boards and so wide I can't comfortably carry it under my arm. Walking down to the water, I put it on my head for some of the time, which I haven't done in decades. It is a little awkward to turn but I'll get used to it. Very stable and catches waves easily. It was the first sunny and mild day in months that wasn't too windy or wild to go out.

Wednesday, August 29

Got in the water for the first time in months, it seems.  A beautiful, sunny, windless morning like we never get at OB.  I'd forgotten how glassy it can be.  Took the Wavestorm out which I can only do when there's no wind because otherwise I'd never get to the water.  Caught some waves.  Fell off immediately on my first wave, which usually happens when I haven't been out for a while.  I am stoked to catch some waves once again.


 Wednesday, October 3

Caught one wave, prone, on the short board. A very exciting few seconds.

Tuesday, October 16

Mostly closing out but windless conditions. Sitting just outside the break I suddenly found myself in the midst of a pod of dolphins. One was so close it startled me, sleek, powerful and silent. A multi-hued gray composed of overcast skies, a dark ocean and the silvery gray of the dolphins softly illuminated all.

Thursday, November 1

Surfed surrounded by dolphins. They were so close I could have paddled to one in a few strokes. A perfect sunny day with a mild breeze blowing and only two other surfers out at Cabrillo. Caught five

waves and felt very blessed to have had this peaceful time with the ocean and dolphins.

Monday, November 26

A beautiful afternoon; glassy conditions and a three to four foot swell breaking at Malcolm X, mostly closing out. Two dolphins were catching waves not far from me. As I watched one leaped out of water from the face of the wave. I didn't stay out long as there weren't many good waves and I was a little tentative from not having been in the water for a while but seeing the surfing dolphins was a rare and beautiful moment.

 

Friday, February 5 2021

 

Beautiful sunny day, a little breezy.  Took the Kauai board out.  Caught one wave, after it had broken way outside, prone,  and had quite an exciting  ride to the beach.  Decided to get out of  the water as too many guys were showing up.  My usual spot, out in front, seems to be popular now; waves are breaking there.