Santa Barbara Area Surf Reports

Comments:

Speant most of the morning driving along the central coast marveling at empty Well Overhead waves crushing anything in it's path. Tried to find new spots that could handle this swell and I failed for the most part. In the 1.5 hours I drove along 30 miles of coast I found 10 surfers out at 3 spots. My plan for protection along the north coast was foiled. Up there two bodyboarders were sharing waves at a pier, just getting pummelled by lightening fast closeouts being groomed by 10knt offshores. My "regular" spot was empty except for the bombs closing out 100 yard sections of beach. Further driving to try to locate a super protected local reef mostly failed. I may or may not have discovered it but I wasn't surfing it that was for sure.

So instead I went south for an afternoon session where the swell was smaller from refraction. A reef break that has 3 seperate peaks, I hung out at the middle one which was less crowded but had the bonus of a submerged rock in the take-off zone. I was OK with this rock until I was caught inside during a set and duck-dived into this rock. Either my duck diving is getting way better or that is one shallow rock. Some flesh wounds on my right hand from getting stuck between my board and the rock, but mostly the wounds were psychological.

Got a lot of mid sized waves at this spot, which is similiar to the ledgy takeoff at the Deveraux point. Takeoff is a little hairy where it boils up at the rock, then you drop into a bowl sucking up, perhaps go for a cover up, otherwise make it out the shoulder, make a cutback and then figure out what to do when it closes out inside.