Santa Barbara Area Surf Reports

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Yet again a small day at sands, a quick half hour session in trunks and a rashguard. Last day of September, you could smell fall in the air although it was still hot. Just a few surfers out, all picking up anything that moved. Caught a lot of waves for such a short session.

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A quick lunchtime jaunt down to Sands with the Fish and trunks. Half hour surf session bookended by the walk out and back. About half a dozen people out there on longboards and shortboards. Shortboard was the best vehicle without a doubt, although the fish was a good runner up. Water was cold for trunking it, but when you were planning on your fullsuit coming in and you got rid of both your springsuit and old 3/2 and don't feel like putting on a 4/3, you trunk it.

Rights and lefts of equal fun, talked to a kid on an epoxy Santa Cruz board that was very similiar to one I was thinking about buying used. He says it surfs pretty good and is quite fun, but I still can't get behind the pop out board idea.

Super, super hot out.

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Headed up to Sands, figured it was my best chance of getting something to ride with the least amount of driving for a Sunday afternoon. Bear went running, I took the Fish out, just west of the Snowy Plover docent. Ended up surfing most of my session right in front of the docent, while a pack of 20 or so were just to the east at the main peak. The main peak looked dangerous, a lot of rookies out there and a lot of boards flying and near misses. School is back in session and so enters a new crop of students in the water. I was all by lonesome mostly, picking off tons and tons of thigh high waves that would usually close out but sometimes offer a a fun left or right on which to try some move that would eventually have me running to the beach after my leashless board.

I knew the Kelly Slater white wetsuit thing would catch on, and sure enough a white wetsuit kid was out there, I mistook him for Kelly Slater with the CI and white wetsuit. Since most people had potato chip shortboards out there and the waves had no power I ended up catching a lot, and soon I had a pack of 6 guys just west of me and 4 or 5 on the other side of me. However, without much foam these guys weren't really going anywhere.

An awesome show by some local dolphins and yet again a curious sea lion. What is it with curious seals these days? I had one follow me all over Rincon yesterday, they were like paparazzi in Carp a few weeks ago, Mike had one rest his chin on the tail of his board this weekend, and people are getting their toes nibbled along the coast. Crazy Sea Lions.

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Took ye old longboard out at Rincon, a no look, no leash jaunt down the path, heading out no matter what. The cove looked flat, so I figured I'd just paddled over past indicator and back for fun. However once out near Glass House, a "set" came in that kept me their for the session. Waves were breaking way to left, and not your typical Rincon peel that is fun at any size. It is the first time I've seen the cover break like a beachbreak. Morning sickness was prevalent and the waves headed straight into the cove and folded over like some shifty afternoon windswell at the Mesa or something.

The rides were shorter than a typical Rincon ride, but some of the sets had enough size to make for a fun drop, bottom turn and then a cutback. Right towards the end of the session two girls came out in trunks. That must have been cold considering the cloud cover and touch of wind.

Aftewards it was the French Bulldog for coffee, where I once again got 5 pennies as change. I think this is their gig. Then Bear and I headed to A Frame Surf for their giant sale. Picked up a used 6'3" of special significance and a few raffle tickets.

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Took off at 5:20am from SB to surf somewhere on the way to Jonah's in Santa Monica for the begginnning of his bachelor party trip to Baja. The first place I stopped was Leo Carillo and so I headed out on the shortboard. About a 50/50 mix of longboards and shortboards. I don't surf there enough to know the right tides, but I do know that you couldn't get from the rocks to the shore, there was a big closeout section that was fun to race but was not makeable on the sets.

This was some super long awaited "monster" swell that surfline predicted. We had a bad summer, fog, red tide, and flat conditions so everyone was hungry for waves. There was still red tide and fog, but at least we had waves. I'd say the biggest ones were head high or so.

I surfed at the rock for awhile and then started catching fun ones over near the rock to the left. Caught about 6 really good waves in the hour I was out there, and I was content with that because of the crowds. Afterwards I took some pictures which can be seen by cliking below and then I drove down to Jonah's and beyond.

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Still had the cold, but with family camping at Carp I headed down there for relaxing and surfing. First session was solo, just me out in the am on the longboard. Knee high peaks, a very good time but nothing remarkable.

2nd session was with Steve and Unkle again at sunset. The waves picked up considerably, some were almost waist high. Surfed with my leash this time which was good cause I dropped into all sorts of unmakeable waves. Clean and glassy, warm and calm. It was a nice way to say goodbye to the Steve, the weekend and hopefully, my cold. Not so, still dragged on until Tuesday.

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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.

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Biggest Day of the weekend, but also got more crowded. LB ran, I surfed. Caught a lot of fun ones in the cove until it got crowded so I surfed glass house until that got crowded so I went back to really far in the cove near the palapa and surfed little knee high waves until LB and I went to the French Bulldog again. Could possibly be my last small session at Rincon for the summer, looking forward to our first fall swell that will give the Rincon lineup that eager and excited feel to it.

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Headed down to Rincon again with LB, and this time she surfed with me. However this was smaller than yesterday, and there wasn't much to do. Sharp Stick in the Eye guy was out there, said hi and gave him some room and paddled out near the glass house where I surfed yesterday. However today it wasn't really even breaking there, it was breaking more inside the cove. More and more people came, including the same bootied up guy from yesterday who likes to back paddle everyone. On a small day like this, it's not worth stirring.

We caught a handful of small waves then went to the French Bulldog. I had correct change this time so the cashier was friendly and got my coffee without incident. Good Joe.

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Rincon was actually breaking during the last week during some fun windswell, although I was surfing up in Goleta and Santa Barbara instead. LB and I came down to Rincon, I was going to longboard it no matter what while she ran. One guy out, seen this guy a lot, his famous comment, "better than a sharp stick in the eye" whenever it's flat and he's out just getting wet. Think I saw him all 3 days this labor day weekend.

Waves were small, but perfectly long little Rincon waves. Even though they were so small, well the sets were knee high at best, the rides were fast and fun. Leashless, in the springsuit, no crowds and plenty warm, it's a good way to say bye to summer. Surfed until LB came back from her run and then she jumped in with me for a spell.