Santa Barbara Area Surf Report

April Overview | 1996 Overview


Date/Time:
Monday, April 1st, 6:00 am - 10:00 am
Location:
Rincon Point
Weather:
Rain, light offshore breezes fanning the point.
Conditions:
Pristine glassy perfection.
Swell:
Fun consistent swell wrapping all the way through, head high with overhead and a half sets.
Comments:
Paddled out into a light springtime crowd atop the indicator, didn't even get my hair wet as I timed the lull perfectly. The morning breezes were fanning the waves back into perfect rolling peaks with a wide, steep shoulder.

Most of the sets were going all the way from the white house atop the point into the cove, some all the way to the freeway on the pushing tide. Minimal current made for an easy paddle back and light crowds meant no hassles.

Best wave was an overhead and a half late drop from atop the indicator, two cutbacks and then a drive under the curtain through the rivermouth. It slowed down a bit and then hollowed out atop the cove, the pit making a sucking foamy noise as it pulled at my leash. Yes! Watched the wave peel off continuously, pumping for speed just to keep up and got blown out about halfway down the cove and kicked out by the freeway seawall.

On the walk back from that one I got stopped by a photog who said he'd timed me in the barrel for 25 seconds. After signing a few Polaroid snapshots, I jumped back in for another couple hours.

Hunger got satisfied around 9:00 by some lovely ladies who brought out some sandwiches and Gatorade, munched a little bit between uncrowded set waves. I impressed them so that they offered to paddle me back up the point on their longboards after each ride. No problem, anything to keep my session going a little longer.

The swell started dropping and eventually went dead flat by the time I got out. Guess you missed it.


Santa Barbara Surfing -- Last updated 6/17/96.