| December Overview | 1998 Overview |
| Date/Time: | Wednesday, December 30th, 8:00 am - 11:00 am |
| Location: | Stables |
| Weather: | Sunny and mild by midday, cold morning with moderate to light offshores. |
| Conditions: | Windswelly from northerly flow on the outer waters but otherwise excellent. Stayed clean all day. |
| Swell: | Decent WNW groundswell with northerly windswell atop it, 8-10 ft at 20 s from 285. 20+ kt winds on the outer waters. |
| Surf: | Very setty but head high to overhead and a half when it came in. Windswell influence making for shifty peaks and fun, mostly makeable sections. |
| Comments: |
Finally some waves after the longest December flat spell
I've ever experienced. Both Surfer Bob and I were jonesing
bad, as was everyone else on the coast. Despite the high
tide (6.5 ft) we hit it early, partially due to enthusiasm
and more because of prior obligations that I couldn't flake
on (not flaking: score some spousal points for Tim).
We checked Rincon early and both the indicator and cove were looking very lackluster and small, with no hint of big sets to come as everyone was sitting way in. The cove had a really funky backwash running straight out to sea and across the incoming lines, making some very persistent S-peaks writhing down to the freeway. Fun to watch but not very surfable. Feeling a little bummed, we moved on down the coast. Past Emma Wood and click the winds were offshore and the surf was pumping. Treated to the always-lovely sight of sets visible at C Street from behind the railroad tracks on the approach along Figueroa. Uncrowded, too, another lovely sight. I rushed into my wetsuit and out into the water with my 6'6", while Robert delayed and debated what board to bring. He got his 7'4" but eventually went back (!) for his longboard. I'm still trying to figure that one out. The long lulls and windswell-induced shifty sections made it hard to pick a good lineup, but we both managed to get a few waves despite that, watching each other land late drops and hooting to pull into barrels that weren't there. On the way back we swung back through the Rincon parking lot and met briefly with Will, down on his annual New Year's Rincon trip. Hope to surf with him tomorrow. |