Santa Barbara Area Surf Reports

Comments:

Just as Venus and Jupiter put on a show with the moon in middle the other night, my surfing buddies of the past re-unite. Brother in Law Steve flew down on Horizon 2453 from Seattle for a weekend with the in-laws, and Unkle was declared fit to surf by the doc so we did what we used to do: hit up our little break along the PCH at 6:30am on Saturday. I had speant the last few nights with not one, but two nephews of mine and caught a bug from those little bug sponges so I wasn't on top of my game, but I wasn't going to turn down a session with these cats.

We walked a ways up and passed Jack, a surfer in his 70's who we've seen out there a lot, he thought we were crazy for trying to surf in such small conditions but he followed us anyway. Waves were small, with good form but dying out quick. It was mostly a social session, catching up with Unkle and Steve and talking for awhile with Jack. He seemed disturbed that I live in Santa Barbara but surf a Walden, he said I have to start surfing a Beatty, although he did confess the Waldens noseride better.

There were a few nice party waves, Steve was getting the swing of it real quick, and it was a fun session. Afterwards we met sister, nephew and aunt at Art's, then headed over to the new Walden shop for my first time. New boards are selling for $700 now, as high as Santa Barbara shapers. I was astonished, having picked up my Walden for $550 on December 24, 2002. Afterwards it was time for vitamin C.

Later that day I surfed in Carp with LB and Bill. Another Three amigos session, I having not surfed with Bill since we lived up in SLO last winter. All three of us were wave catching machines. Left, right, straight... it didn't matter we were going mad. My most successfull fin first takeoffs to date, never quite pulled it off successfully but did manage to surf backwards for somewhile before getting the board around about 135° before stuffing it.