Seriously wicked wave

Holy Crap! It was perfect today, just perfect. Overhead big swells pushing into a stiff hot offshore wind. The only drawback was the crowd because everyone KNOWS it is perfect today thanks to all the Surf Reporters and Surfline. The other thing was the winds brought some awful dust and grunge to all the surfaces and even the air. Still, I got a few waves today that were flawless from start to finish at Dogpatch. Overhead and just slightly slower than closeout, they were just rocket launchers when you could fight your way down the face with the strong offshore winds. Once you did, though, you got a seriously wicked wave!

Monster waves today

Lower Trestles is usually a cupcake of a wave to surf. Not today, though. It had teeth and claws and was just plain mean. Two deep water swells were crossing it up making really hard to paddle and just get out into the lineup. Also, all kinds of juice was kicking in and tossing lips, peaks and lots of surfers all over the place. I got my cookies crunched, but not before I made some spectacular waves, literally flying over the surface of the water at break neck speed. I did better than most, as boards and weekend warriors tumbled over the falls and got chewed up in almost every imaginable way around me in the surf. It was very entertaining to watch at least. Then, the Santa Ana winds kicked up, and made the waves have 30 foot plumes of spray and picture perfect. I just got out and enjoyed the 85 degree heat on the beach as I watched. As the 25 mph offshore hot winds made it almost unridable, but terribly fun to watch, It was an early trick or treat as everyone took turns and got chewed up by the monster waves today.

I am first in line

It does pay to live a few minutes from the beach in San Clemente. I waited and watched until the NW groundswell started to rise and the people left the morning surf bout at Lowers. The result was the rare mid day session when I get Lowers to myself for an hour and the new swell rears its head just for me. I got a smattering of wind swell waves but the NW ground swell pushed in some real waves to get tubed inside and really slash the 100 yard long walls. I even got a double tube! I like it when the conditions and swell finally get perfect and I am first in line.

Fun sized

When all else fails, head to Lowers. In small surf, that seems to be the best advice I give myself, and it worked today. Lowers somehow managed to squeeze out 3-4 foot glassy waves that kept me busy all sunny morning. Gutless but plentiful, I kept busy picking off one cherry wave after another. Seems an Angel was on my side sending me the best waves of the day, and even if they weren't perfect, they were fun sized!

The good stuff!

It was pretty good today, much better than me, that is for sure. I need to get out more! I rolled down to Lower Trestles and it was going off everywhere. I just paddled out straight out in front of the fire ring where I always park my bike on and got a lot a head high waves all to myself. It was nonstop fun, so I tired early, racing down the point doing insane little maneuvers I had no business even trying, but pulled them all off, mostly. Only when I tired did I start kooking out, but after a tube, a dozen slash-fests and lots of 100 yard runs down the point with the long paddle back, I tend just to remember the good stuff!

It w a s G O O D !

I can't even remember the last time the Surfline actually said "good" on the surf report, but they spoke the truth today. A Big Shouldered West swell, rolling into and meeting the morning offshore conditions, made the surf act like a skateboard park this morning. Carving it up like a big Thanksgiving Turkey, I sliced and diced up Dogpatch with long drawn out power turns the extra juice from the deep water swell provided. I climbed into a few, flew up and over a few more, and really smacked a few with full tilt 180 S turns, so as I headed off home as the backwash from the high tide finally got it, I had to agree...I t w a s G O O D !

The last resort

With the kids back in school and the crowds from the summer and contests finally down, I rolled down to Lower trestles on my bike rig to be pleasantly surprised with some nice waist high peelers in rather sunny Indian Summer Conditions. Small, but well shaped, the extra effort was worth it as Lowers once again was the only place breaking. In terms of getting any waves today, it came through, even though it was the last resort.