Here's what it looked like... and here's what I got.

Strike three. Everytime I set up these great expectations for surf, I get shut down. If you've been following the blog, this is the third time! Not to say that I didn't get in a great paddle out to the point and back, and there was some excitement (I'll get to that in a bit), it's just that I was hoping for so much more.

Photo Left: Here's what I had to think about all the way to the point, visions of sugar plums dancing in my head. The point in the back ground was my target.

Here's how the day played out: Up early and out the door to get to the kick off spot while it was still low tide. The plan was to paddle against the new rising tide so that I could surf and return while the tide was still filling in. I learned my lesson last time, fighting an ebbing tide tide through the narrow mouth of a big bay is not fun at all, in fact, it's brutal. I much prefer fighting it on the way out and then paddling downhill home.

The surf looked big and grunty on the way up the Strand and to the launch point. I thought it'd be perfect for the point I was headed to surf. I knew the point I was aiming for was really a summertime south swell spot but I figured it might pull in some of the big surf we were getting hit with and bend it into something manageable. Wrong. Either there was way too much angle on this particular swell or the place can't pull it in on a low-ish tide, whatever it was, it wasn't really working.

There were some raggy sets coming through but nothing close to the wave I know the place is capable of producing. I was passed by two sets of jet skis with boards and sleds each heading for the outer break that pulls in even more swell, those guys checked it and turned around too, the point just wasn't working today.


Photo Middle Left: The point not quite doing it this morning; a little morning sickness screwing up the works.

I will log data points in my black book though, I'll record tide and swell direction and use this to help pinpoint the right conditions for the spot for future trips. If you look at it from that point of view the trip was worthwhile. I'd also like to let you know that early morning paddles through the bay and out to the point are pretty interesting. You can really get jamming in the glassy water and there's a lot to see.

The highlight of my trip happened on the way back home. I was jamming with the filling tide back into the bay. Since the tide was pushing in I was hugging the channel markers to take as much advantage of the moving water as possible; I was head down and powering.

I now believe that Navy Destroyers are powered by silent engines! I didn't even see this huge Navy ship until it seemed like it was right on top of me! In reality, it was a long way off but those things are amazing, especially when viewed from a 10' chip of foam floating on the water.



Photo Bottom Left: Silent engines?

The ship was coming around a bend in the channel so at one point its bow was pointing directly at me, I was jamming to get out of it's way and it seemed like it kept turning for me. Once it finished it's turn all the excitement was over and it passed by a couple of hundred yards to starboard, man that thing was big! I can only imagine what one of the big carriers would look like from my Stamps 10'0- I'm going to have to check that out one of these days!

Surf on the way!

I'm still sore from Saturday's brutal coastal journey. And I'm already going back; it's going to be cranking tomorrow! The giant storm right off the coast did as predicted and sent us some hefty surf, the call is for waves with possible twenty foot faces by tomorrow morning.

No, I'm not going to charge any twenty footers. I'm leaving that to the Hawaiians (did you see the SUP Big Wave footage at SUPMag.com?). I'm a big believer in staying within my limits and since I haven't made any hundred yard open water swims I'm not going to put myself at risk by surfing waves that are out of my league. I'm going to get back to a spot that I know will wrap it and tame it a bit, at least that's the plan. I'll snap a bunch of photos and post as soon as possible.


Photo: This is the spot I'm betting on. Here it's knee to waist high on a three foot swell, imagine what it might look like tomorrow?

I don't know how many of you guys check the comments section of the blog entries. If you don't check, you should- there's a lot of good information in there. Jim Brewer up in Santa Barbara sent me some information about carbon fiber that I think is really important for us paddle surfers to know about:

"As for the carbon paddles, they are going to break no matter what the make is and how big or small you are.

I have been racing road bikes(bicycles) for years and have had many carbon frames, handle bars, wheels, seat posts, stems and other carbon items. The thing about carbon is that you are paying the big bucks for the light weight. Carbon is strong but not strong like a much heaver aluminum paddle.

All it takes is a hair line crack and your carbon paddle is toast. If you want a paddle that's not going to break don't get a carbon paddle. I once had a $4,000 dollar carbon bike frame and it fell over and hit a small rock and put a tiny chip in the frame. That was it. The frame was history.

Carbon fiber is like fish, "when in doubt throw it out". All that being said, my QuickBlade carbon paddle lasted 3 years before I put a crack in it and it snapped."

Jim went on to explain that if you ride a bike with a carbon fiber frame that has a known chip in it, it could fail at any moment- hopefully not when you're descending at fifty mile per hour. I don't know about you guys but I know I don't treat my paddle very nicely. I throw, literally, the paddle into the back of my pickup and I leave it in the cab all day long. I'm sure I'm mistreating it and for that reason I should be a little suspect of it- I'll probably go inspect it tonight for hairline cracks. If you're doing big open water paddles, maybe you should check yours too.

Thanks for the information Jim. Be sure to check out Jim's blog and the BlueLine SUP's that he shapes.

Sunset Cliffs Loop: Garbage to Kellogg Beach

This was a bonus day. Supposedly we've got a bit of nasty weather bearing down on us which, of course, was preceded by two days of wind, rain and ugliness. So sandwiched right between all of this cold and gray was our bonus day, a nice, relatively windless day here in beautiful San Diego.

I was determined to take advantage of this little break in the weather and had no problem finding a rabid SUP surfer to join me. Tex is always up for a bit of adventure so we acted on a plan hatched a couple of days ago and decided to paddle around Point Loma from Sunset Cliffs into the harbor. I don't know how many miles we covered but my arms, back, legs, gut and every other piece of flesh thinks it was at least ten, probably more.

It was a really nice run but some lessons were learned:

1. High tide paddling along Sunset Cliffs with even a small swell in the water is tough. It's not the surf that's challenging, it's the backwash off the rocks. The rebounded waves bang into the incoming swell to produce what is technically known as "disorganized seas", it's pretty much a paddling nightmare. If you do this run, leave at low tide.

2. If possible time your return into the harbor to coincide with an incoming tide. Battling even a slight ebb is tough when your paddling right through the constricted mouth of the harbor, it may not seem like much at first but sum your effort over the hour it take to get back to the landing point and it becomes significant. Translation: It sucks fighting the tide.

3. Bring water and a back up paddle isn't a bad idea either. This paddle will take about three hours of continuous work, don't let yourself get dehydrated. I also think that it'd be a good idea to carry a two piece back up paddle. A broken paddle on this trip would result in a serious (five plus mile) laydown paddle to get out of the water. Be prepared.

We had a great time cruising the Cliffs, scoping out the strange military buildings and scoring some fun surf. Tex caught more waves than I did, I was preoccupied with completing the paddle before the wind came up. I did grab a couple of gems, a left at Dolphin Tank and a sweet waist high right at Ralphs.



This would be a great run for an intermediate to advanced paddler on a glassy, low tide day. I'd definitely do it again- you should too!

I told you so...

I'm being bombarded with tons of "Hey, I've been snapping leashes too!" emails and, "Yeah, which paddles do have a reputation for being tough?" The people want to know, there is interest!

The next paddle that I pick up will have as long a warranty period as I can find. I just have this nagging feeling in the back of my mind that I'll snap any paddle within a year. It'd be nice to compile some paddle data over the course of one year. I'd like to determine which paddles make it a year and which are failing. Kind of a "Consumer Reports" style investigation. There's a lot of people who read this site, drop me an email about your paddle and how it's performed, send it to paddlesurfbaja@gmail.com.

Want more info? Check out the paddle piece Nate wrote up at SUPsurfmag.com for some solid paddle data.

A couple of ways to extend the life of your leash. Kelly sent me these tips for keeping your leash alive, they sounded good to me so I thought I'd pass them on:

"One important thing though is bailing technique, especially when you are simply caught inside and have some control over the situation. You have to line up your body so that it will drag through the water cleanly. Leaving your self sideways (perpendicular to the wave direction) and thus resisting the flow puts greater strain on the leash. I have also heard suggestions that you should get the slack out the leash before the wave hits so that the pressure won’t be so sudden. Do this by pushing your board away or diving deep. One of the worst possible leash strains is probably that more unique to SU situation where you jump over the back and the board gets caught by the wave. Your body is penetrating into the less active part of the wave and not flowing at all shoreward while the board is getting suddenly yanked by the wave. That was how I broke my not very thick 10’ leash that first big day."

Kelly makes a good point earlier in the note too, he writes, "With boards that are in the 20 - 25lb range and lots of buoyancy, breaks are to be expected". I have to agree, we're asking leashes to do a job they weren't really designed to do. But, from examining where my leashes have failed, I think they can be improved considerably.

So answer this question for me: If you've had a leash break, where exactly has it broken? Did your leash actually snap the cord in half, a clean cut? Or did your leash pop off of the cuff where it's melted/glued into the cuff "plug"? Did a swivel fail? I'm trying to compile some data here so I'm going to continue to ask for feed back. Hook me up. Tell me exactly where it broke!

In the words of the infamous Dennis Dragon, "Cords were useless, they snapped like peanut brittle!"

Stu's New Ride: It's all about the '80s Paint Job

Check out Stu Kenson's latest ride. I can only imagine how totally satisfying it must be to grow an idea in your mind, shape it with your own two hands and then paddle it out. Stu's stoked on this new one, he should be- this is a nice paddling and hot surfing stand up board.

Hot enough as a matter of fact to get me back into my wet, sandy, thrown into the back of my pickup, wetsuit after I had just crawled out of it. You should know that I own four different fullsuits that I keep in rotation just so that I never have to crawl into a cold, clammy one. That board called to me though, and I had to answer- so I sucked it up and wiggled my way back into that dank suit.

Stu and I ended up paddling down the beach for a little surf. In this new board, Stu's redistributed the foam, rethought the rails and rocker and added a couple of bumps down the rail to loosen it all up. The final product is a board that's really stable yet infinitely surfable.

This board was a 10'4, I'd like to see it in a 10' version and I'd like to see it in some open face surf. I snagged three waves on our little coastal cruise (I'd already been in the water three hours so I only had a little time) but each one of them told me a little more about the board. The board in a quad version surfs fast- I call it built in speed. It's got squirt. Unfortunately, the tide was sucking out and the waves were mostly closeouts so I wasn't able to wrap any cutties or throw it up into the lip- but I was dying to!

When I get a chance you'll hear about it.

Things Break and that Sucks

Sunday was a bad day for equipment. Things got busted up. Big Chad snapped his one piece C4 paddle right at the bend from shaft to blade. That thing went off like an M-80, pitching Chad onto his face and pissing him off. I snapped another leash, in head high surf. This kind of stuff sucks!

Photo: Broken leashes become toys for Lilly. It ain't funny, and it ain't right!

I think our gear can be radically improved- especially if you're dropping three hundred bucks on a paddle. In the last year, I've witnessed four paddles snap in half. Each paddle was less then six months old and one paddle was brand new! Personally, I wouldn't mind a heavier paddle if I knew it was bombproof. I'm certain it can be done- it's just going to take somebody to get their act together and make the "KONG PADDLE". The KONG might be a one piece titanium paddle that big guys like Chad can't snap. If you have to buy two paddles in a year, you've just dropped close to seven hundred dollars, I'd rather spend six bills on a titanium wonder scoop that I know will last. Bring us the super paddle- or at least send us one to abuse.

I've broken just about every type of leash. And from the reading I've done, so have you. I've broken the curly ones, the long ones, the thick ones, the hand tied, the swiveled- you name it, I've snapped it. The cost of a broken leash is nothing compared to the damage that a loose board could do to those on the inside. And how about the damage that some hungry rocks could do once the board bounced all the way to shore. A $1600 dollar board deserves a better leash.

This is a call for specialized equipment. I've got some of my own ideas regarding leash design (I think a virtually unbreakable leash could be made). I want your equipment feedback. What's endured for you guys? I'd like to know the specific names of paddle surfing products that have lasted at least a year. I'm particularly interested in paddles. I'm even more interested if you're a big guy (200 lbs plus). I don't think that there's a paddle or leash that would last a year of normal paddling in the hands of myself or Big Chad. What's your experience?

Life in the 'Patch: Ain't just for the Dogs

After two days of checking it only to find smelly water and three mile long closeouts, Kiwi and I fired up and got out of town. Destination: Dog Patch.

Left: A surf kayaker going right and an empty wave peeling left, looking fun at the 'Patch.

If you haven't surfed the Dog Patch you've got to get yourself up there. It's such a perfect set up for stand up paddle surfing. The spot is actually the only designated spot that you can surf with a paddle in your hand at San Onofre State Beach. So have no fear of stinkeye, the paddle is king at the Dog Patch.

Bottom Photo: Chris, Magic and the ULI, tidepool cruising.

One question: I'm still a little unclear about the legality of SUPing the Trails. I've done it a few times- am I breaking the law? Patch locals feel free to respond- I'd love to know.

A tip: On the weekend, especially if there's surf, get there early. San-O is one of those "Main Event" spots, if you get there after 8am you may be waiting in an hour long line to get in.

The Set Up: If you're going to be stand up paddle surfing, you'll want to drive as far south as you can and park when you see an open spot. You should be right in front of the 'Patch. There's a nice bit of sandy beach to hang out on or stick an umbrella. Bring everything you need for the day because if you leave, you won't be getting back in without a long wait. You'll need to surf to the south of the "OK" sign, which is actually two signs (one is an "O" and the other is a "K") that spell "OK" if you're surfing in the correct area. If you see "KO", you're too far over to the North. Don't stray over to the tempting peak to the North or the Man will come and bullhorn you out. How embarrassing.

You'll be sharing the break with some true paddle surfers, the surf kayak guys. These guys were super cool and they really surf those things well. I was blown away by the clean, open face 360s they were pulling out there. A guy kayak surfing behind me (no, that's not another way of saying I snaked him) was repeatedly smacking the lip a couple of feet from the tail of my board- I know he was hitting the lip square because I could hear him schwacking it! One thing to remember at San-O is that people pretty much just take off on each other. Everybody seems pretty cool with sharing, so lighten up and give that guy on the shoulder a wave in, it'll be reciprocated.

Kiwi and I had a great day. We got to surf some fun waves and we also met some nice people. Chris Koerner- a stand up race paddler/surfer who recognized my board came over and introduced himself. It was fun listening to Chris' stories about open water SUP racing- there were some classics, I'll let Chris tell 'em to you sometime he'd do a better job. Talking to Chris made me realize how much of a newbie I still am to this sport- guys out there have years of experience stand up paddling while I've just been doing this for a year (well, maybe I'm a couple of months shy of a year). Chris was gracious enough to clue us in on how it's done down there at Dog Patch and introduce us to Magic his surf dog. Thanks for the hospitality Chris- if you're ever down south, ring up the surfline- you know the number.

Once Again: Just when you think it's gonna be good!

I'm getting reports of good surf up and down the coast. It's killing me! We're not getting it here in my town. Two days in a row I've been up early anticipating a morning of good surf only to be let down. Yesterday, I had lower G.I. issues. There was sewage running through me like a freight train in my transverse colon. Evidently, this has been going around. Is it food poisoning or the forerunners of a nasty flu? Sorry if that's too graphic but it's been brutal. I did get a chance to check some spots up the coast from my house, didn't have the courage to strap on a wetsuit, that would have been too much of a commitment. It sucks to be locked in when you really need to go.

Today I felt a little more solid (pun intended). I was up before it was light, from my backyard I could hear the surf cracking on the beach, sounded pretty substantial out there. At first light I was rolling down to the check out spot. It's been really cold the last couple of mornings, the kind of cold that makes you wish you put your wetsuit on at home instead of shivering into it while standing barefoot on a concrete ice block. These cold mornings alter the decision making process; if it's not looking really good I won't be surfing, the motivation just isn't there. I've got to be inspired to paddle out on these kind of mornings.

Call me a fair weather surfer but that's just the way it's gone for me these last couple of years. The decision, however, was already made for me: the signs were up. The water was polluted by the last rain two days ago and a word of mouth report had it at legitimately stinky. The surf was definitely up, there were some long period, organized waves rolling in but the direction wasn't working for our beach, most waves were closing out. No surfing at home today. Maybe the DogPatch tomorrow, early!

And: The lifeguards are putting together a co-ed team for the Stand Up Paddle division of the Catalina race. I've loaned them one of my 12' boards for training purposes but they're looking for an open ocean downwind racer to borrow for the race. If you're interested in sponsoring the team, or if you just have a legit downwind board for them to borrow they'd be stoked! Let me know.

Wind Everywhere!

The wind was going nuts today. First out of the south at about 20 mph, then dumping rain, switched to offshore for about an hour then hard out of the north west before it got dark. Now I'm sitting here and it's dead calm, no rain and cold. Turns out the jet stream looped low enough to bring San Diego its very own storm. We had enough snow in the mountains around us for school districts to close school for a snow day.

There's definitely some surf on the way, or it may be here already. I've been getting reports of fun surf up in North SD, maybe our turn is coming. Getting excited for tomorrow! See you there.

Photos above and below: Two spots, same town, ten minutes apart- wind from all points of the compass- crazy day.

They're still out there

We go back to work but the surf just keeps pouring in, all under sunny, warm skies. I got a report from my brother up in Santa Cruz; the surf's been firing! The guy's a nut too, he's been trunking it! The water's freezing but the air's warm with lots of sunshine- he say's it's do-able, I say he's crazy.

Out of the blue a good friend dropped in from Southern Baja. Tim Hatler is the owner/operator of Palapas Ventana down in La Ventana, Baja Sur. I've posted pictures of him surfing a perfect left point break down near his home, if you're a goofy foot this is a spot you'll want to ride before you go for the big dirt nap. We had just enough time to drink a beer, grab some boards and get in a quick surf.

Tim says that stand up paddlers are becoming more common down in the La Ventana area. You may remember back in July of '07 when this blog was born, I reported on a trip I did down to Cabo San Lucas and back. My brother, Big Chad and I paddled La Ventana that summer and found that it's a flat water wonderland for cruising. It turns out that in the winter, when La Ventana becomes an internationally known kitesurfing and windsurfing hotspot, the prevailing Northerly winds create small, fun waves that break in the Sea of Cortez. Even better, the best spot is a left reef/point right in front of Tim's resort. According to Tim, the numbers have increased all winter long- like we all know, this sport is growing. I've still got a dream to bring some fly some paddlers in and show 'em the Baja I know- we'll see. Interested?

At it again: Chasing Ghosts on the Phantom Wave Field

It was just too fun looking to pass up today. Nice 4-6' waves peeling across the outside cobblestone wave field. The home of a what I call the Phantom Peak, it's here, it's there, it everywhere- so beware, or you'll get caught inside. The usual crew was on it today: Kelly, Kiwi, Big Chad, Gabe and Dave Lopez riding it manual. I punched through the shorebreak meat grinder just in time to see Kelly riding a left that was a couple of feet overhead and lined up- that sure got me paddling faster.

I'm giving this session to Kelly and Kiwi. Both of these guys were riding Stu Kenson stand up boards and just flying on those quad fin set ups. Kiwi (on the blue board) continued his wave voodoo streak by snagging a killer set wave right when got outside- you'll see it in the video, well overhead and LONG! It's fun riding surf in this size range, nothing life threatening, just good fun.

Here's Camera Grom's edit of the last two days of surf. We all chipped in and the total came to thirty bucks so the Grom calls it his $30 Video. The first few minutes are from yesterday and the last couple are from today, check it out:

New Swell: Timing is Everything!

Classic California surf days, blue skies, light offshore, solid groundswell, cool crisp water- these days keep you jazzed for months. Today we got a pretty good one. The town just comes alive, everywhere you look somebody's walking to the beach with a board under their arm, or riding an old rusty beater down to get a surf in. I really like seeing all the surf-mobiles cruising the strand with boards sticking out of the back. Our little surf-ghetto just starts crackling!



The surf forecasters timed this swell just right- they said it'd start showing itself this morning and right on time it was here. How convenient. It did end up being kind of an odd one though, a rising tide put a little backwash bump into it and although the swell was a nice long period one there were only a few holes out there that could bend it into something surfable. Big Chad and I ended up making the mile and a half paddle south to try to surf a shifty outside cobble reef. This particular spot looks good but it's a tough nut to crack. The peak shifts all over the place and it's so far out that it's tough to line it all up. I call it Phantoms because once you get all the way out there trying to find the take off spot is like chasing a ghost.

Both of us managed a handful of waves. I got exactly two before I rode one too far in and had to walk a quarter mile south to punch out again. Tough conditions. I also got a little cocky trying to pick off a 'tweener and got caught inside by a set of about ten overhead waves. Spanked. We chalked it up as a weird day out there, fun but weird. I checked the spot an hour before sunset and it was going off, consistently breaking in the same spot, looking much more do-able.

Timing's everything with these sand/cobble spots and waiting a few hours can make all the difference in the world. It's tough to be patient though, especially when you're coming out of a surf famine. Let's hope tomorrow I develop some patience (yeah right, I'm already amping for the dawn patrol right now!). Hope it went down well for you.

The San Diego I know and love!

Great day of surfing down here in San Diego. Storms have blown away, water's fairly clean again and there's still some swell in the water. I jammed out of my little beach town to a spot I knew would handle the little NW breeze that was messing up my home beach. Also, the tide was dropping low until around 3:30pm so I knew I'd have a shot at it before the low water killed it.

I scored. It ended up just being a great session, waist to head high waves, breaking over a clear water, rock reef. There were about 8 manuals on the right, none of them were even trying for the left so I hopped on it. I should mention there were two other stand up guys on the left before I got there but there were so many waves that we were rarely ever standing around waiting, we just did laps from the inside to the outside. Super fun time, I must've surfed fifteen or twenty fun waves, five of them being real jewels. Think head high, nicely tapered, green racetracks that allowed a couple of cutbacks and some speed carves before dumping in the channel.

It's fun to surf different waves then you're used to. At home, 90% of the riding we do is in real fast beach break. You've got to have quick feet and find a way to make sections or you'll never get an opened face wave. Here on the reefs, the wave is so much more predictable- there's no need to start the wave angling for the shoulder- you can get real casual once you've got the wave figured out. I wasn't able to get enough push to really hook a turn in the lip but I did get to the point where I'd straighten out a bit on the take-off getting out into the flats before I'd put down some tracks for the shoulder, it felt good to fade a little pit back into the pit. That's my session, hope you scored too!

It's coming together!!!

A quick check of my favorite surf forecast site says we may be into something really fun this weekend! Start making plans, CameraGrom- this may be your weekend! Although everything is condition dependent, this may be the weekend for some good coastal cruises- anybody interested? You know how to reach me.

Left: Keep your fingers crossed, because maybe, just maybe we deserve something like this!
Photo: El Tigre

The scale never lies. 235 not 220, first time on it in about 15 years. Interesting. 10' x 29" x 4.4", 235 lbs. Hmmmm.

You know it's been flat when....

Blog review: You know it gets bad when the reporters write stories about the reporters. Well, it's that bad... it's been raining all day long with a stiff south wind two factors that add up to some stinky water for a few weeks. So time to get creative. Here's my review of paddlesurfing blogs and websites (more to follow if it stays flat):

Left: Spare us all, please bring this back. Photo: El Tigre

Pono House Blog: Voted place I'd most like to sit around and drink a Mai Tai, learn how to fabricate a race car axle or paddle straight.

NC Surfer: Voted best place to go to see the largest, widest ranging, privately owned, collection of stand up boards in the continental United States. Best site to begin a conversation about the pros and cons of drinking a large cup of black coffee before crawling into your drysuit for a refreshing 4o degree surf session.

SRFNFF: Voted best place to log factual data regarding wind speed, wave height, patchouli concentration and sand flea migration count. Voted Most Optimistic Life Is Good blog and additionally a great spot to argue the merits of the Greenough foil versus the laminar flow characteristics of the retro hatchet fin.

StandUpZone: Shady, go-to standard for paddlesurfing fanatics featuring topics like: "More 'core: Black or Camo deckpad?", "Is it a breakfast burrito or a breakfast wrap and which one makes me paddle faster?", "Am I barreled if half my board and three quarters of my paddle is still sticking out?" and "So I bailed my board at Malibu, what's the big deal?"

Coastal Ramblin'

Had a lot of fun hitting the road and surfing someplace new. I like to leave early. Get on the road early enough and you're the King of the Coast. Zoom up PCH, pull into any parking lot, snag front row at Swami's- whatever you want, as long as you're on it at dawn.

I get up before it's light, toss the wetsuit in the cab of the truck (I remember as a kid reading how Tom Curren would put his down on the floor by the foot heater to warm it up- been doing it ever since), grab a big cup of coffee and an old fashioned buttermilk bar from the Cambodian guy's Donut Shop, throw on what ever the hell I feel like listening to (Bluegrass, or HeeHaw Hell recorded on my portable satellite radio) and burn some fuel.

Call it gross, fat, American wastefulness but there's something about rambling up the coast in my 380 horsepower, full size 4x4 pickup listening to some guy sing about "drinking brown whiskey and telling white lies" that will appeal to me 'til the day I die. I don't call it exhaust, I call it freedom's perfume. Before you choke on your wheatgrass, no caff., latte- (hold the soymilk) let me say that every other day of the week I'm pushing my beach cruiser down the street to work. So if I get a chance to burn a little 87 proof once a month I'm going to take it.

The surf ended up being chest high and fun. We walked into a spot that some of you will recognize and some of you'll want to know more about- a little homework or a nice email and you'll get your information but I won't name it here out of respect for the spot. It's not the best wave in the area but it does provide something that is tough to find here along this crowded California coast: open space.

We had miles of little reefbreak all to ourselves it was a nice change from dealing with the crowds of San Diego and it was just up the road. I'm already thinking about how we should really do this place. It would involve two vehicles, an insertion and extraction point and about five miles of surf cruising. More and more I'm beginning to think that this strategy is going to be the one we'll need to adopt or emphasize as our numbers grow. Let's face it, we aren't welcome everywhere but if you're just "playing through", it's harder to heckle a moving target. Hope you scored something today as well.

Nice Paddle Today: Get it while you can!

Finally got in a surf today. Jammed down to the beach at noon, mixed swell with an incoming tide; not the best conditions but after being out of the water for five days I wasn't too concerned with what I had in front of me. Big Chad and I ended up cruising the beach first north then down south and back to our launch snagging waves and chatting as we did our surfing. The paddle out was what I'd call technically challenging. Handling these boards ain't for the timid, especially today. There's a new sand bar that's formed about fifty yards off the beach, paddling out to it wasn't a problem, getting across it and through the head high surf at low tide was the tricky part.

Waves were coming out of relatively deep water, sucking up on the suddenly shallow bar and pitching top to bottom. So there you are in knee deep water pushing your board out through chest high walls of white wash and dodging little death bombs. Gave me a whole new level of respect for the guys in the islands who have to do this on living reef. How would it be, teetering between urchin spine and coral spike while the water drains to ankle deep off the reef. Your boards stretched to the end of your leash pulling you into the head high wave that's about to detonate five feet in front of you. Where you going to hide now? That's a totally different ballgame requiring a whole different skill set.

These last big storms with all the runoff and wave action have carved features into the sand bottom of our beach. We've got big holes, longshore gutters and offshore sandbars, the kind of stuff that keeps the lifeguards in business and can bend corners out of closeouts. The buzz around town is that tomorrow might be our best opportunity. We've got a high tide dropping all morning, a small swell in the water and winds are looking pretty calm. I'm not sticking around for it though, I'm hooking up with some friends for a surf up the coast. Pics and report to follow. Hope you're getting some.

Make the Rain go Away!

The thing that sucks about rain for us here in California is that when it comes down in any amount you can count on the beaches being closed by pollution. I've been checking the surf everyday and it hasn't looked good, either the winds been on it or the water is so loaded with fecal coliform bacteria that surfing in it would be like frolicking in a septic tank. We may get a break for a couple of days this weekend, keep 'em all crossed because it's been five days without surfing and I'm going nuts.

Here's a little clip I did with some still photos. I'm learning about uploading to YouTube and I've found that the video gets choppy if you use too many short duration still photos. A while back I talked about doing a "birth of a paddleboard" piece- I think this video is pointing me in the right direction and I'm convinced it'd be an interesting project. I'll put it on my summer list (and my mind's going wild with the trips I want to do with the stand up board- somehow I'll find a way to do another Baja run!).

Save Trestles!

Time to get up and do something California Paddle Surfers! Ever walk the trail down into Trestles, smell the coastal sage and see the lizards go skittering down into the river bottom? Now imagine all of that turned into a concrete landscape with a giant overpass blocking out the sun above you; the sound of cars whooshing by and the smell of exhaust wafting down onto you. Here's your chance to play your small part in a cause that's a good one. The proposal is to install part of a toll road right through the San Onofre State Park demolishing San Mateo Campground and forever changing the San Mateo Creek wildlife area. Shouldn't public lands that have been designated as State Parks remain sacred? Fight to keep Trestles and San Onofre State Park intact. Now's the time to act.

WiLDCOAST ALERT: LETTERS NEEDED TO STOP SAN ONOFRE TOLL-ROAD

There is a plan to build a pay-to-drive toll road through an Onofre State Park. This road would destroy 60% of the park including the San Mateo Campground, which is a public resource open to everyone. It would also threaten the water quality at Trestles, one of the best waves in California.

Please express your opposition to the planned toll road by writing to Coastal Commissioner and San Diego City Councilman Ben Hueso. The California Coastal Commission is having a meeting on the issue on February 6 and they need to hear from you!!!

In your letter please include the following:

1. Please tell Councilman Hueso that you are opposed to the toll road.

2. Choose two of the below points and include them in your letter:

 San Onofre State Park is an important recreational resource for camping, surfing, and being outdoors.
 In South San Diego we have a lack of parks and healthy recreational opportunities. Our closest beaches are some of the most polluted in the country (parts of Imperial Beach were closed for almost 200 days last year)- San Onofre State Park offers a healthy, affordable park and beach for families to visit.
 Our families need affordable access to parks not freeways!
 The toll road will run directly through San Onofre State Park. This 2028 acre park the 5th most visited park in the California State Parks system.
 The San Mateo Creek Watershed is one of the last large coastal open spaces in Southern California. The toll road will forever change the last coastal wilderness accessible to working class families in south San Diego.

3. Be sure to sign the letter. Write your name and address on the back of the letter.

4. Email goes to:
Here is a basic template:

Councilman Ben Hueso
City Administration Bldg.
202 "C" Street, 10th Floor
San Diego, CA 92101

(date)

Dear Councilman Hueso,

I am writing you this letter to express my opposition to the proposed toll road that may run directly through San Onofre State Park.

Place your two included points here.



I hope that as a member of the California State coastal commission and our elected city councilman you will oppose the above mentioned toll road and keep San Onofre State Park accessible to all Californians.

Sincerely Yours,

(signed name)
(name)

Mahi's Got a New Home: No it's not for sale.

The Mahi Version 1 is no longer with me- it's been sent up to the cold water and long, right point waves of Santa Cruz. Even though I've got a new board (M2, featuring the same "surf pickle" paint job) I have to say, I will miss the original. The wide diamond tail just gave it springs off the bottom, it was a fast board. There's now four others just like it (scaled up or down to match the height and weight of their owners- the beauty of the custom board) here in San Diego, kind of speaks to the effectiveness of the design.

Top and Middle: Mike on the Mahi 1 in Santa Cruz surfing one of the dozen right handers they've got in that town- yep, I'm jealous.
Photo: SRFNFF

So SRFNFF was right: Windy, Rainy, Nasty

Thanks Gary (aka SRFNFF). Last night was brutal, rain coming sideways from the wind blowing so hard. Lots of rain. I checked the beach this morning and the runoff has turned the surfzone a milky brown color. The air at the beach smells like dirt. Yesterday's clean south swell lines are all torn up by a chaotic windswell, nobody is getting in the water today.

Here's a little clip from hard drive leftovers:

Everybody is a Comedian: Look what was in my driveway early this morning!

I don't know if it's a trophy or a warning or just a reminder of my stylistic highpoints but this is really funny! Had a good time walking around the beach this morning accusing all the usual suspects. And everybody denied it! I suspect somebody with the initials GT or maybe even BH, hmmm am I correct?

Fun surf out there this morning. A big highlight: Matt W. getting completely barreled on an offshore righthander. Pretty text book tube ride: easy glide in, set the rail, slow the board with a Pinky-style blade drag and pull in. Matty knows how to plug the hole- best part was he had a front row witness who watched the curtain fall and the clean exit- a legit barrel on an 11'11" Ordonez Big Red.

Kiwi was out on his new Stu Kenson 10'x28" snagging all the good ones. This is the second time in a row he's paddle out from out of nowhere and pulled the Tom Curren "mysto-wave-magnet" thing. It's obvious he's getting a feel for that board, he's going fast and making some meaty sections.

Photos middle and bottom: Kiwi on the blue Stu Kenson quad surfing clean and fast. Photos: El Tigre

This is a rush job post because I've got to get back in the water. I already logged three water hours this morning, my back's tired, my arms are tired, my legs rubbery but we've hit a seam in this storm front procession and it's four foot and glassy out of the South; have to take advantage of it! Hope you're getting some too.

Come back to Baja: Baja Government attempts to repair damaged image.

Free fish tacos, no grumpy locals and all the tequila you can drink! Check out the article below, seems like the carjackings, police extortions and bad press has had a serious effect on tourism down there. While I'm not sure about the free comida and tequila (and anybody who surfs San Miguel knows the locals aren't leaving) I am starting to believe that it's gotten bad enough for the local government to take some steps in the right direction instead of just denying that anything bad is going on.

Are they there yet? In my opinion, no. Like I said before I'm not heading back until my sources confirm a heavy army presence in the area- everybody knows the local cops are on the take- I want to see those up armored Humvees cruising the toll road with the .50 cal locked and loaded.

Officials aim to create 'safe zone' for tourists

By Sandra Dibble

UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

January 20, 2008

TIJUANA – As reports of violence in Baja California take a heavy economic toll on key tourist destinations, officials say they are working to increase security along well-traveled roads and in shopping districts frequented by U.S. visitors.

The federal government has stepped up patrols on the toll road between Tijuana and Ensenada, while the state has posted officers at the entrances and exits, said Oscar Escobedo Carignan, Baja California's tourism secretary. The federal Angeles Verdes tourist assistance police also has an increased presence in the area.

Municipal governments are banding together to create a “safe zone” for tourists from the San Ysidro border crossing to south of the port of Ensenada, along a coastal strip where assaults have occurred. They are revamping their tourist police to focus on areas such as downtown Rosarito Beach and Tijuana's Avenida Revolución.

Though not the only factors, extortions by police officers and attacks on tourists last year helped drive down the number of visitors to the state by nearly 2 million, said Escobedo, from 20.3 million in 2006 to 18.6 million in 2007. Though violence in Tijuana this week has not targeted tourists, promoters worry that the reports could further discourage visitors to the state. Escobedo and other government officials claim that a series of government measures has drastically reduced the numbers of incidents against tourists since Gov. José Guadalupe Osuna Millán took office Nov. 1 and five new mayors were sworn in Dec. 1. The newly elected officials have vowed an unprecedented front with President Felipe Calderón's administration against organized crime and police corruption.

Tourism is a key industry for Baja California, creating close to 9 percent of jobs in the state and accounting for 11 percent of its revenues, Escobedo said. In Rosarito Beach, Mayor Hugo Torres said 70 percent of the 130,000 residents who work in the city depend either directly or indirectly on tourism.

Rosarito Beach has especially suffered from the drop in tourism revenue over the past year, Torres said.

“Thirty percent is the official figure that is used, but in many cases it's more than 50 percent,” Torres said from his second-floor office at Rosarito Beach City Hall. Occupancy of the Rosarito Beach Hotel, which Torres owns, has fallen between 30 percent and 40 percent, he said.

The city's 149-member police force became a subject of scrutiny last month after gunmen attacked its headquarters, reportedly intending to kill Jorge Eduardo Montero Álvarez, Rosarito Beach's director of public safety. His bodyguard was killed. The entire force was subsequently disarmed as the officers and their firearms undergo background checks. In the interim, state and federal police have been leading routine patrols in the city, and Torres claims that reports of tourist extortions have ceased.

Torres is creating a 30-member tourist police force to be based in the offices of the city's Conventions and Tourism Committee and responsible for patrolling areas frequented by visitors. In addition, he said he is equipping 120 volunteers with radios so they can report suspicious activity in the tourist areas, and give the volunteers a non-police contact to call.

Baja California's tourism secretariat has hired its own watchdog to oversee the road between the San Ysidro border and the entrance to the toll road in Playas de Tijuana.

“If somebody is stopped by a police officer, he (the watchdog) walks up to the police officer, and says, 'I am here to serve as an interpreter,' ” said Escobedo, the tourism secretary. (I would love to be there when this happens!)

While many visitors have been canceling their visits to the state, Tom Mitchell said he is continuing to lead tours down the Baja California peninsula.

“We never drive in the dark. It's just thinking safe,” said Mitchell, an East County resident. “If you're an American traveling down, we recommend that you caravan with somebody else.”

Carlsbad resident Kathy Berlin was in Rosarito Beach last week with her sister and a friend, spending three nights together at a house she and her husband have owned for 11 years.

When the friends drove to Ensenada, they made sure to stay close to another vehicle, the retired insurance agent said.

“I don't like what's going on,” she said of the current wave of violence. But I'm still here. I still love it.”

I'd like to go back- the place has huge potential. We'll see....

Check this Out:

Emerald City Surf Shop is throwing its own 20th birthday party this Friday in the Gas Lamp here in San Diego.

Check out the press release:

Emerald City to Host Official 2008 ASR Party


San Diego, CALIF -- January 22, 2008. Emerald City The Boarding Source is teaming up with industry leaders to host the most talked-about party of ASR. Billed as, “Punks Not Dead, Neither is Emerald City, so Shut Up and Drink!” the event will kick off at 8 p.m. on Friday, January 25th at Gaslamp’s 4th and B. Among the power-ten-sponsors are Reef, Surfer, Billabong, Sector 9, Solspot, Red Bull, DiscoverSD.com, Surfline, Syndrome, Nicalandnow.com and Smith Optics.

Emerald City President, Larry Kraus, considers it a true honor to be featured among these established names. “As an industry leader, Emerald City is proud to help support this anticipated event,” says Kraus. “Our sponsors have gone to great lengths to restore the true essence of punk as an influential symbol of action sports. Undoubtedly, this is going to be the highlight of ASR 2008.”

Thanks to Rob Molt of Sector 9, the lineup includes punk legends, Guttermouth and San Diego’s own The Stranger’s Six. As pioneers of the skate-punk scene, Agent Orange will also be featured in the evening’s entertainment. This 1980’s power trio first gained recognition with the acclaimed song ‘Bloodstains,’ now featured on Tony Hawks Pro Skater 4. Spinning punk favorites, DJ PRS will be throwing down hits from Social D, Angelic Upstarts, TSOL, Stiff Little Fingers and many more legendary artists.

Emerald City will also be rolling out the red carpet for the some of the industry’s top athletes and musicians. “It’s the return of Shut Up and Drink,” says Kraus. “Our tribute to punk not only embraces the freedom we represent, but it also unites those who have greatly impacted the world of action sports.”
Launched in 1988, Emerald City is famous for its industry parties, which often drew in over 2,000 fans to yearly events. Now, twenty years later, the board shop is reawakening the past by taking over 4th & B's 21,000 square foot facility.
The ten sponsors intend to fully capitalize on the venue’s recent remodeling, which includes a private mezzanine, a state of the art sound system, new projection screens and sky boxes. Guests with personal invites may enter free before 10 pm. For more information visit www.discoversd.com.

Should be a really fun, and the timing's right- you might as well drink up because you're not going to be surfing Saturday morning with all the rain that's coming. I'm stoked to see the bands and do some people watching. I'm going to be there in the most ridiculous Aloha shirt that I can find; see you there!

Pushing the Shopping Cart

As you can tell, I really like posting video clips. They're fun to make, pretty easy to do and if you post them to YouTube they're archived forever. Here's the down side- you're confronted with the reality of how you actually surf. And that can be really, really heavy.

Above: Mitchell De Jarnett swinging away in Seal Beach.
Photo: Elva De Jarnett

No matter how much you think you're connecting turns or lip smacking or soul arching or whatever- the camera never lies and the more you watch, the more little things start to really bother you. Maybe it's the way you get all knock kneed when you're really scratching for a wave (guilty) or maybe it's the visual proof that even though you think you've just smoothed it up to the nose- you're really a good two feet from the tip (ah, guilty again). It might just be the way the camera adds an extra fifteen pounds (does that wetsuit make me look fat?). The fascination is there, you want to see yourself surf- everybody does, but somehow it's always a little bit of a let down.

Which brings me to my greatest crime: Pushing the Shopping Cart. My buddy Mark dropped this one on me half way through my latest clip: "Hey Ashley, the way you hold your paddle- it looks like you're pushing a shopping cart." What a dagger, jabbed so nonchalantly into the guts of my paddlesurf ego. He was perfectly on target, I do look I'm heading for the door at WalMart. Damn. And the biggest problem with the posted video is there's no hiding it. It's out there. Forever. So go ahead, scroll back and scrutinize my style, see where I'm walking the nose, arms out like some surf zombie. Have a good laugh, I'll be doing the same.

Watchin' the weather: Point run in Peril!

Weatherman says there's wind and rain coming at us for tomorrow (Monday 1-21) which perfectly screws up our plans to paddle out to the point. Everything's weather dependent here so we'll see what happens (translation: Call the surf phone- I'll have her on by 7am). Of course, the first check is always down the street, maybe zip over to check another sandbar and by 7:30am I'll have a good idea of what's going to happen. Alternative plan is to run up the coast to the one spot in SD that can turn a stormy day into a clean offshore paddle session. We'll see.

Super Cool: Got a chance to paddle Tex's 10'0 x 29" Ron House. I have to say, that's a nice board. The board's made for a bigger guy (Tex ain't tiny) but it's no dog- that thing surf very, very nicely. I was really surprised by the fin set up: Ron House runs a thruster set up with really small fins. These looked to be right off of a 6'3" shortboard. I did my best to try to spin it out off the bottom and on an open face cutback and I couldn't do it! I know other guys have mentioned using much smaller fins, I was very skeptical of that- I'm not anymore. I immediately went back and switched my middle fin to a 7"er (although I'm keeping my regular fin in the truck... just in case) can't wait to try the Mahi 2 out with a much smaller center fin.

I'm beginning to realize that there's a lot to learn about these boards. Conventional wisdom kind of gets thrown right out the window. What works on one stand up board might not work on another- cool stuff and super fun to play around with.

Camera Grom just sent me his cut of yesterday's footage, be sure to check it out (and if you're a photo slut- like me- toss the boy a buck or two). I like his clip better- the kid's got a good eye for editing. Now here's my challenge for you guys out there- make a clip, post it on youtube, let's see some hot surfin'!!! I'm tired of only seeing my clips- I want to see what else is going on- inspire me!

Small Fun Winter Surf: Check it out!

A couple of new boards in the water. Chad's on his new 10'0 Stamps and I'm on a new board as well. Mark's out poaching on his 11'6" Ron House and Matt W.'s on the 11'11" Sean Ordonez Big Red. Kind of a perfect day for the stand up boards, super high tide and small waves. A good time to hang out with friends, catch some waves and have some fun.

I'm still messing around with fins on my new board. I've been running a 9" flex fin and you can see the board goes pretty fast but I swear those flexy fins have a "stutter" off the bottom. I don't know if I'm too into that so I'm going to try a couple of different fins tomorrow. I remain stoked on the WonderBolt. I've been able to flip the board over in the water and mess with the fin in the box, I don't know how much it'll improve my surfing (remember: Performance is primarily limited by the operator not the equipment!) but it sure is fun. Mike's going to FedEx me my Future fin 3/2 sidebites that nobody seems to like except me so they'll add another variable when the arrive.

Looks like we've got some weather coming on Monday. If there's wind and rain we'll postpone the point run- keep in touch, call the surf phone and I'll update.

Rumor has it: Stu Kenson's got something new coming this way- can't wait to see it. I'll post photos as soon as I can get 'em.

The Surf Phone's-a-janglin'!

I ended up breaking down and getting a cell phone. Not because I'm a cheapskate but because in my line of business it's nice to be a little anonymous, a moving target. It wasn't until I realized that there just aren't any pay phones around anymore that I decided it was time to be pick one up. And also because I kept getting busted for forgetting things at the supermarket, these things work really good for that.

I'm a real amateur with the thing- I don't leave it turned on, I can't figure out how to add calls to my phonebook- you know, important stuff like that. I do like it though- you're suddenly in contact with... everybody. Everybody's got one of these things. I pass my number out to my surf contacts and call this thing my surf phone. My employer will never get my number- wouldn't that be a nightmare?

It's Thursday night now and the phone's been warming up. Plans are being laid for weekend surf/cruises. I've got Sunday and Monday already planned out- and things are pretty exciting (I'll post 'em up, don't worry). I think I've got my place in surfing figured out I'm calling it "Filling the Holes" and I'll tell you about it later. Hope you're out there getting into something fun.

Sharpen the Saw

One of the best thing's about paddle surfing is that you don't need to paddle more then an hour to get a serious workout. Today, I hopped in and paddled down the beach and back, surfed a few waves each way and was dry and washed up in two hours. Now as I sit here I can feel that paddle in every muscle of my body. Kind of makes insomnia not an option.

The weekend's swell has definitely dropped off- there's still a few overhead waves rolling through but it's nothing like this past weekend. The forecast calls for diminishing surf by the weekend- hopefully we'll have something at least knee high to keep us going. I try to make it a point to paddle at least twice during the week even if the conditions are messed up. Partially to convince myself that I'm not a weekend warrior but also to stay ready for when it gets good. Chad and I jokingly call it "sharpening the saw". We never really understood what Covey meant by that in his "7 Habits" books (our big bosses are really into this stuff) but now that we're paddling we're convinced he was a surfer. We're keeping it sharp all right, one wave at a time.

If there's no surf, then this will be the weekend to paddle out to Cabrillo Point. Tex and Olivier have paddled this twice and they are stoked on it. They even paddled it last Sunday and scored some waves out there. The boys have been launching out of Point Loma and paddling an hour out to the point- a little bit of a haul but the scenery is pretty nice and your protected by the point from the prevailing wind. I'm also toying with a nice six mile downwind run from Coronado to the Imperial Beach Pier or a run from Torrey Pines to Scripps Pier. If the high pressure sticks around and the surf is nil then this will definitely be the weekend for an alternative adventure.

Speaking of alternative adventures. I really think that this is what stand up paddling is all about. Finding those hidden surfing adventures that are out there, right in front of us. It's my assertion that a small isolated wave, found by a long paddle and surfed with just a couple of friends is better then a really good crowded day at a name break. So I'm going to find some paddle surf adventure this weekend. I'm going to cruise and surf. I'll seek out the unwanted wave and the overlooked peak- who's in?

Photo Above: Scott Bass, a guy who's kept the saw pretty sharp. Photo: Mozo

Got It: Satisfaction Found!

Had a great day surfing the stand up board today. Started off looking down the street but once again the size and potential for shore break dismemberment were pretty high- so the call was made to head out of town and find a spot that would wrap it and clean it up. We settled on a point to the north that can hold almost anything. It was a good choice, the point was handling the diminishing swell and serving up fun, head high (maybe a couple of feet overhead) waves that were sectiony and a bit fat but fun nonetheless. Even better was the peak inside the point that would reform into fun, long lefts.

Highlight of the trip: The friendly "locals" camped out in their hovel shouting encouragement to the six or so SUPers out at the point- I think they were trying to alert us to a navigation hazard, something about "getting out of here"? Those guys were cool, even though they can't surf they did offer us some free surf wax by smearing it on our window (but there is an "e" at the end of the word "home"). They even offered to show us their rock collection by tossing it out at us. It seemed like we'd get a chance to have a nice heart-to-heart with one fellow but he must have been in a hurry to get to the Pabst Blue Ribbon because he wouldn't stop and have a proper face-to-face chat. He did mutter comments over his shoulder as he scurried away which I thought was very thoughtful considering how important it is to hang out in a trash heap on a sub-par point with a bunch of tweaker, retread losers. I mean, tradition is important right?

Really though: It was a fun day with some good friends and I did get to meet two solid La Jolla paddle surfers (nice to surf with you Dan and Mike) who were taking off deeper then anybody out there and just handling the place. The SUP thing is definitely spreading- today I saw more paddlers in the water then anywhere I've been. As our numbers grow and tension builds it's going to be more important then ever to surf considerately- have fun out there and play nice.

Tomorrow's Another Day

I had such high hopes for today. The forecast was for North-Easterly winds, a building swell and a big fat tide in the morning. The timing was perfect, it was all going to happen on a weekend and, as you know, I've got this hot new board that's dying to be ridden. I was imagining a bright blue, offshore, winter's day with fun, fat high tide waves all going off right down the street.

I should have known things were getting weird. Chad and I hopped in for a quick paddle on Friday and just as we made it outside, the northwest winds ramped up and pushed a chilling blanket of fog right over us. It wasn't a gentle fog either, the stuff was running with a pretty stiff little breeze, strong enough to push whitecaps right through to the beach. That night I read that predicted Santa Ana condition was being downgraded. Not a good sign.

For me, it ended up being one of those frustrating days when it almost all comes together. There were some big waves out there, breaking on the far cobble reefs- they looked fun, maybe a little fat on the high tide but almost impossible to paddle out to unless you didn't mind having your head pushed through your board by the eight foot shorepound. The shorebreak was also being gashed by a sideshore inside current that was racing along the gutter carved into the beach by the night's wave action. Standing and paddling would have been impossible. The only guys on it were a jetski tow-in team who powered down from the Bay.

And then, as if to finalize the surf-decision, there was once again, the fog. Just like Friday, as if on cue, the gray swept in and chilled us to the bone. It blotted out the surf and threw a northwind chop on top of everything. For me, that was it, I was done. But tomorrow is another day and maybe if I don't expect so much I'll appreciate whatever I get; maybe that was today's lesson.

By the way: There were many people who scored unreal sessions today. A good friend up near Ventura reported sunny, seventy degree weather, light offshore winds and head high peeling right handers at "the spot" (don't try, I'm sworn to secrecy). Indeed the surf phone (my new fangled cell phone) was assaulted with reports of, "Dude, it's going off at XXXXXX- you should've seen the barrels at XXXXX!" You know how it went for me. How'd you do?

New Board Feedback: 10'0 Stamps Mahi II

Sorry for the hold up on the report, had a little computer/internet mix up that put an end to all this blogging madness for a couple of days.

First off, the crime went as planned. Only hold up was my missing wallet, and an empty tank in the truck. I soon remembered that I had given it to my wife to hold onto for me the night before. The wallet was safe in her purse, with her, at work. Ever the resourceful criminal (in grom days did you ever tilt the lawnmower for a gallon to feed the Squareback?), I started digging through the Folgers can and quickly gathered up nine bucks in quarters. Thirty six loose quarters makes a big handful and when I dumped them on the counter at the local fuel shop I don't know if the guy was too stoked. I am shameless though when it comes to a surf mission and the line that formed behind me while the quarters where counted didn't even bother me. I had my two and three quarters gallons and I knew it'd get me there and back. I was on it.

The surf ended up being super fun. Pulling up I made a quick decision to leave the main event wave to the six guys who were already on it and paddled over to the little wave to the north that nobody ever bothers to surf. The tide was dropping and a nice, though mushy and sometimes sectiony little left was peeling off of it and closing out onto the eel grass on the inside shelf- a better right would sometimes pop up but it was a rare bird so I focused on the lefts. A funny observation: Nobody wanted the little non-spot wave that I was on before I paddled out to it, but as soon as I started catching waves four other guys paddle across the channel to me. Since they were on boards way to small and slow paddling to catch the wave at the only entry point (this wave has a little blip in it that wedges up outside enough for you to catch but then immediately backs off, so if you can't glide across the flats with speed into the wall section, you're going to end up taking off into a closeout- thus a perfect wave for the stand up board and not so perfect for a 6'3" chip on a marginal day) I didn't leave. A couple of the guys were into it too and wanted to someday try out stand up paddling- when will they ever learn?

The board pretty much blew my mind. The often discussed trade off in performance and paddle -ability was evident, pulling the tail and nose, decreasing the width an inch and reducing the volume did take a toll on the boards stability. The result wasn't drastic and I'm looking forward to improving my skills to match the board.

Surf-ability is where this board really shines. I feel like I'm riding a nine foot longboard. While I'm still dialing in the board and recalibrating myself to surf it, the thing is very obviously made to draw clean lines and carve sweet turns. I wrapped three cutbacks easily back into the foam and rebounded off it like a ping pong ball- amazing the difference a little refinement can make in a board- the thing was a totally different animal then the Mahi I.

The biggest surprise was surfing it right. Since I'm screwfoot, I tend to like lefts on these big boards. On other boards, I really had my hands full with all that rail in the water and had to be happy with a little kick turn into a backside glide, really very linear surfing. I was very surprised then to snag a little right, slip down to the bottom and then crank a backside bottom turn back up into the curving wall ahead. Wow! The thing wants to go top-to-bottom- so I let it. On that one wave I ripped three carves going right. Stoked! On one top turn I got my back foot into it and felt the tail come around as I snapped like Mick Fanning.... well maybe not like Mick Fanning... but I did get that little push off the top you get with a backside top turn on a shorter board and I have to say it felt GOOD. I can't stress enough the importance of hooking up with a shaper who SUPs and who has an open mind, Tim Stamps has made me a board that is really something special- give him a call he's worth talking to.

Now all I can think about it tomorrow. If you're on the California coast and you got a look at it yesterday you know what I'm talking about. All the dominoes are in line, I'm just waiting for that first little push....

Coming Soon: His name is Butch, he's from Maui and he's a front row witness to some of the hottest boards being put together- more coming!

Update: Surf Crime Successfull!

Check back for a full report: Until then, perve over this new 9'0 x 28 3/4" x 4 1/4" stand up that Stamps put together for local Huntington ripper and one-time Bud Tour pro Ted Robinson. This is a legit nine footer for somebody in the 190 - 200lb range. I'm pretty blown away by my board- this one steps it up even more!

Breaking the Law

I'm resolved. I've hatched a plan and I'm going to follow it through. I'm busting up the grind. Tomorrow- I'm going to steal some time. It's been too long. I've got a hot new board, so I'm taking matters into my own hands. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Here's the plan: I only "technically" (and this is a really paper-thin "technically" but I'm taking it) have to be at "work" until lunch. At noon I'll ride my bike home, let the dog out, grab my new board (Piranha- what???), toss it into the truck and grab a cup of trucker's-blend. I'm out the door, on the road, coffee in hand by 12:30pm.

The spot's perfect, half an hour away from doorstep to check out. It's one of the few spots that can a. handle the minus tide, b. handle afternoon wind (has a natural wind buffer on the outside) and c. probably won't be polluted. The big plus is a mid-week noon time go-out; it just feels like cheating doesn't it?

In the water by 1:15pm. Although the spot offers a variety of waves, I'm going to limit myself to two breaks- I've only got two hours of water time so I want to maximize time-on-wave. Of course not at the expense of others in the water. This is, after all, a gentleman's sport.

There's a simple explanation for my need-to-feed: I've got a hot rod of a board that is just dying to be let loose- I've surfed her on exactly two waves and to be honest... this board is something to be excited about. She needs to run, I'm going to make that happen.

3:15pm last wave, do or die, surf in or paddle in- one way or another the water must be cleared and the wetsuit off in the next 15 minutes.

3:30pm heater on and warming my feet. Hit the 5 south, cheat traffic by heading over the bridge. Board stashed, wetsuit drying, showered and in dry clothes by 4pm. Wife walks in at 4:15pm... no harm no foul. The perfect crime.

And: You know my timeline, and you've probably figured out where I'm going- so why don't you bend the rules a little bit and meet me there? Email me at www.paddlesurfbaja@gmail.com if you think you know where I'm going.