2016 #1

            I’ve been out of the groove for a while. Mostly because of looking for jobs after my summer trip to Indo, working odd jobs, finally getting hired for a major airline company, and also getting a part time job as an editor for a book publishing company. The days of fudging off at Churches for “staycations” have come to a halt but hopefully not permanently. In June, I’ll be able to swap shifts and have more flexibility in my time.

            I think I took a lot of things for granted. On the other side of that coin, I can also say that I was enjoying life and having fun flying by the seat of my pants, and even though I have two part time jobs, three if you count the military, I still kind of am flying by the seat of my pants. But I have to be wiser in how I do so. I can’t just take off down south for waves if I work that day. And if I’m backed up in my editing work, then chances are I’ll be surfing close to home or maybe won’t surf at all if the waves don’t look worthy.

            Being a husband has also changed things a little. I’m a selfish bastard, but I have to tone down on that as well. “Happy wife, happy life,” as my best friend said. “And then they still aren’t happy.” That last one was from my friend Jonathan.

            I still surf. I surfed local this morning at 42^nd St. with my other surf mentor Gary. Even though the cams showed the waves looking awfully swampy with a rising tide, three-feet max, I still held my commitment and went for it.

            Yeah, I got snaked by Tony, the guy who got beaten up in the famous Porto parking lot fight video. Yeah, the waves were so soft that I couldn’t get a turn in. But I was there with a friend. My waves were pumpy before turning soft serve, but I was there period. I’d compare a morning session to jumping in a pool on a cold day, except you’re doing it in the ocean. That’s how the first duck dive feels to me. Why would anyone want to do such a thing? Because regardless of all the changes in my life, in the water is still the best place to start my day.

BIGGER ISN’T ALWAYS BETTER: Oh, the frustration when swells don’t deliver.

Photo courtesy of Hideki Ueha. Check out his website on my blog list. This pic was taken during the Labor Day swell, which didn't hold good shape. 

     When it’s flat out, I wish for size. Anything, even a closeout will do, but sometimes you get what you ask for.

     Now let’s talk recipe. In other words, every surfer has his/her own recipe/break that he goes to, depending on certain conditions. Windswell, I’m glad to stay local in the South Bay, thank you very much. Windswell gets peaky here, scattered, rippable, and I love it. But how about when it’s closed out and racy? Palos Verdes is my local choice. However, the all time, risk-free no brainer for me, my overall go-to spot no matter what is always Churches, basically the Trestles/San Onofre area. Unfortunately, sometimes the recipe doesn’t work.

     During the Labor Day weekend there was a juicy swell on tap at Trestles, but goddam was it section on section with just too much size for it to hold shape. In the South Bay, the weekend before last, the wraparound ground swell from the south even came in too directly. Mind you, yes, I did see guys getting barrels at the Marine Avenue Tower, but most of the waves were still closing out.

So deceiving to pull up seeing this. 09OCT had decent size swell on tap. Frothing in my car, I rushed the surf only to paddle out into closed-out conditions. 

     This morning, even with a new swell on tap, the waves were dumpy on the inside once again. When you check out the surf forecast and see swell on the horizon, you should be stoked. In this case, as of late, I’d be more stoked to see some two-to-three foot days because I know there’ll be better shape.

This morning's lack of shape at 26th Street. 

     At the same time, just because my recipe isn’t working, it doesn’t mean that someone else’s isn’t. I haven’t been to The Cove in a long time. Have those guys been scoring? I never surf north. Has Rincon been working with some of the westerly angled souths we’ve been getting, and then there’s Malibu and County Line. How’s Venice been?

     For me, “bigger” hasn’t been working. I’m desperate and feening for some rippable shoulders, or if the surf’s heavy, how about some caverns that offer room for a scathing exit.

     I’ll just have to be patient. All things pass. Eventually, my recipe will be spot on again. What’s your recipe?

Session Tracker:

Sat, 03OCT, 26^th St.

Thu, 08OCT, 26^th St.

Fri, 09OCT, Churches/Middle Trestles

Sat, 10OCT, 26^th St.

Sun, 11OCT, 26^th St.

Mon, 12OCT, 26^th St.

Wed, 14OCT, 26^th St.

Mon, 19OCT, 26^th St.

A LAST REFLECTION ON THE KADOWAKI ROCKET: How Changing Fin Setups Can Help

If you live in the South Bay, somehow someway, you will find yourself back to this place. 

     Had I given up on the Rocket too quickly? On Thursday, Oct. 1^st, I decided to take a chance on Porto again, since I had had a decent session at 45^th on Tuesday. I had planned on going back to my Motorboat Too, but I opened my trunk to find that I had a senile moment while packing my car the night before because I had forgotten to bring it, but I did have the Rocket with the FCS JF-1 Thruster setup already screwed in there.

As far as SoCal, the JF-1 fins work well. 

     Even though the surf forecast didn’t call for decent surf, the lineup was much more crowded than Tuesday, and a lot of noobs were present. A Team Costco rider had nearly ran me over. I knew it, just seeing the look in his eye that said, “I have no idea how to turn. Insider beware, I will go straight.”

     Luckily, he ate shit as the wave pitched, and his board was too far in front of me to be a hazard. When he resurfaced, he gave me that kookish smile that indicated he had no idea what kind of threat he actually posed to those around him.

     The surf wasn’t big, but the inside was consistent. I was surprised to see how many local regulars were ditching their boards, but the consistency was a Godsend. Within a half hour, half the lineup left. It was just the 45^th Street usual suspects: Surfing Santa, the longboarder guy who’s a high school teacher, that longhaired longboarder who likes to use those paddle-assist gloves (really, I think this guy’s a decent surfer and doesn’t need them).

     Going back to volume, the Rocket had me paddling into waves with ease, but the difference this time was the extra pivot I had with the thruster setup. I did feel the loss of speed when driving down the line, but going left I actually went rail-to-rail on a wrap. Backhand right, I finally got that solid snap that I had been feening for.

     I surfed for about an hour and a half and called it a morning when the tide slowed things down. I was stoked. Changing out fins setups can really change your surfing experience. That being said, I have more appreciation for this board. Still a bit too much volume for me, but with thrusters it’s definitely more rippable.

     If you’re curious about volume recommendations for your ability and body type, check out this useful link from Channel Islands.

http://vol-app.com/ChannelIslands/

I moved my car into the main lot just to get a shot of this. It's funny how people give you that look like, "You're late," but I had already surfed?! Anyway, another successful go out for local surf. Windswells are just great here in comparison to the wrap-around energy from the south swells. 

Session Tracker:

01OCT, Thursday, El Porto, 45^th St., playful windswell, consistent, wave buffet.

02OCT, Friday, El Porto, 42^nd St., solid windswell, 3-4FT, crowded, got bitched out by Manny A. for “not going” even though he fucking back paddled me. I just didn’t want to snake him.

03OCT, Saturday, Manhattan Beach, 26^th Street, playful windswell, dumpy, uncrowded due to marathon, blew a perfect wave on my MB Too, could have used my standard short.