Santa Barbara Area Surf Report

Checked here and then went down to the beachbreaks looking for more size; overhead but formless there. It was midmorning by the time we got back, suited up, and paddled out. Crowded but fun for the first hour or so. We surfed up at the top of the lineup, not quite in the rivermouth but just down from it. Leo had a beefy 6'8" twin-fin and got a lot of waves while I had to struggle a bit more on my 6'6".

Then it happened. I paddled into a good one, offshore spray blinding me as I got to my feet. Rode it about halfway through the lineup, even getting a fun coverup/head-dip on a little shoulder high bowl section, then kicked out and was slapped in the face by onshores. The wind switched while I was riding my wave, and switched hard. Suddenly the session seemed to get miserable, with the crowd's attitude souring along with the conditions. We weathered it, so to speak, and after everyone else went in I got my best two waves of the day, head high and fun, though a bit messed up by the wind. Leo was pretty philosophical about the whole thing, with 2 kids and 1 more on the way he's happy if he can just get water time, and considering how flat it had been when he called me on Wednesday about surfing that weekend, I'd have to say we scored.