Surf: 4.3 ft @ 10.8 sec from the NNW

I really can’t resist the opportunity to sneak in a surf before flying cross country.
On top of all that, I had a new wetsuit to try out.

The surf was mellow, small and clean. Got in quite a few fun rides. It was pretty slow, but friendly out there.

The new wetsuit is pretty great. I picked up a 4-3-4 i-Evade from my friends over at Isurus Wetsuits. I’ll admit, after growing up wearing baggy ill-fitting men’s sportsgear because I was too tall for the women’s gear, I was hesitant to try on a men’s suit. Not because I didn’t hink it would fit, but out of principle.

The suit fits so well, I’m almost embarrassed that I had my doubts. Sure, it takes some getting used to. These suits run a bit tighter than usual. I fought like crazy to get into the thing. I don’t normally wear chest zip suits and the neoprene is like butter so I had trouble gripping. I practiced pulling it on and off a few times over the weekend to break it in and had almost no trouble getting it on at the beach. The way the side panels are built, there’s no problem with the whole curviness factor.

In the water, it was nice and warm. I’ve never used a full hood before so I was getting a kick out of being able to dive all over the place and have only my face get wet. It’ll take some getting used to to have my whole head and neck covered up, but the neoprene is actually thinner than my old hood so I can still hear. My ears are going to love staying dry and warm.

Best part, the thing dries lightning fast. I can drape it over my surfboard on top of my car while I’m at work and it’s almost fully dry by the time I head home.

In order to get to the airport for my 9:55 flight, I had to cut the session a little short. Chris very graciously dropped me off at BART and baby sat my gear while I was out of town. I got to fly to Indianapolis salty and happy. Yay!

Surf: Waist-Shoulder, clean.

I managed to pull off a lovely little surf before flying home to Indiana. Thanks to Chris’s carpooling, board babysitting assistance I was able to go right from the water to the airport. Wet wetsuit and all.

The waves cooperated nicely. Rather than suiting up to the sound of detonating closeouts, the surf was clean and beaut. I got plenty of nice rides in, including a right with a nice little stall on a slow rolling wave to sneak one in to the beach. Plenty of blind takeoffs into the sun. Plenty of friendly folks hooting.

The new gear bag worked out great. There was a little condensation on the outside of the bag from the temperature change in the baggage hold, but the bag didn’t leak and my suitcase arrived on the Third Coast smelling just fine.

Surf: Large and closed out for most of the beach. Waist-Shoulder, soft in the lefties.

Even with the later and later sunrise, it’s pretty easy to see a half beach long closeout. I made a lot of skeptical faces in the parking lot. Stomp stomp stomp in the dark. Paddling out, still skeptical. Sitting in the lineup, skeptical. Few waves later, little less skeptical. I’m trying to get the hang of this whole paddling out when it looks rough and wild in order to find the spot that’s working. Not perfect, but fun after chasing a few sections down.

I got a new gear bag to replace my slowly disintegrating reused plastic pillow cover. It’s a Dakine wetsuit bag. So far it fits my wetsuit, booties, rashguard and swimsuit. It fits in my backpack, it seems sturdy enough, and the lining turns inside out to dry.

Surf: Shoulder High to Well Overhead waves. Jumbled up, short period surf. Angry.

I’ll admit it, I’m a little out of shape. 20 days between surf session is killer for surfing fitness. I’ve tried to do at least 20 pushups a day (made it to 40! yay!) but there’s no substitute for water time. That said, the Jetty was seriously unruly today. Waves were double and tripple stacked with little time in between sets to paddle out. With most sets being well over head high it was not the day to be on a longboard at the Jetty.

About the third or fourth time I was pushed back I thought to myself “Am I really about to get denied at the JETTY?”
I fought for a while, but I love my board and that pounding break was not looking exciting. I didn’t want to snap my board or fight that hard so I rode some white water like a kook, called it a day. Sigh.

After some pizza, a little surf shop browsing, I headed home. My friend Frankie had a new loaner board waiting for me. Yay! Nothing rounds off a seriously punishing session like having a new board to wax. It’s a 7’4, with a pretty mellow rocker. I’m hoping it will help me get used to riding a shorter board since it does not require the steeper waves my 6’8 requires. It is still plenty thick so I will most likely not be duck diving any time soon, but hopefully will help me get the feel of less float and more turning ability.

Conditions:
2-3 ft.+ knee to chest high and fair – conditions.

This morning’s dawn patrol: Mostly peaky lines with soft/crumbly shoulders that are workable (mainly for a bigger board). Slight texture to the surface.

Gear:
First day out on my 9’4″ Stewart Hydro Hull!

Took the new board out today! We did an early morning surf session. Got down to to beach around 6:45 and surfed till 9. Conditions were great, slow, clean, some bigger waves. Dolphins, whales, and sea lions were all hanging out in the cove, checking us surfers out.

The new board is wonderful. It paddles really fast. I caught a few waves, got one almost clean ride in. It will take some getting used to, but I’m so excited to have a board! <3

After 8 months of searching, a board came up on craigslist the same time I had money to buy it.

This is a 9’4″ Stewart Hydro Hull. Never been ridden, never even been waxed. A father bought it for his daughter and she’s never taken it out. He’s been surfing for 53 years and spent about an hour talking up all the finer points of this board and the 10 others he has including the one he’s making himself based loosely on this board’s design. He and his daughter were really nice. I had my reservations about buying a board while my income is unsteady, but all and all I got a pretty top quality board for not much money so I keep telling myself buying this board right now was the right thing to do.

I got a great deal on the board (bag included). Now all I need to take it out is a leash and some wax!

Anyone out there in the SF area got a 8’6 or 9ft Stewart Hydro Hull they’d like to sell?
My budget is $600 for a board in good shape, $650 if it comes with a bag.

Thanks!

Surf Report:
None. Flat as can be.

Gear:
FCS Single Soft Rack

Set out today to grab a few morning waves, test out Veronica’s new board and test out my rack. Got all the rack testing in, but the waves were non-existent.

Bailed on the flat tiny waves for bloody mary’s at the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company.

The rack did well. It’s easy to put on, easy to secure the boards, and requires no permanent attachment. Holds 2-3 boards and has neoprene around the buckles to prevent the board or your car from getting scratched. Great value for the $$.

Surf Report:
3-4 ft. + waist to shoulder high and poor conditions.
This morning’s dawn patrol: Mainly sectiony, sloppy surf with some surface texture/light chop to it.

Gear: 9’0″ Stewart LSP

I celebrated a chilly Memorial day with some good waves. Surfline’s report had made the conditions sound less than rideable but once at the beach it was a pretty clean day. Offshore winds, good sets with a nice lull between for resting, clean waves and the occasional barrel.

I tried out a friend’s Stewart LSP. It was definitely different than the foam boards I’ve been riding. Light and easy to paddle. The only tough part was it had track pads so the waves I did manage to get I wound up kicking the board out from under me. Too much grip. The board itself tho, very nice. Light, fast, and easy to ride.

Here’s what Stewart had to say about the board:

Lightweight, Speed, Performance. This is what Jeff Kramer asked for in a longboard model. A full rocker speed shape, the LSP provides shortboard capabilities to a longer board. Designed by Bill Stewart and Jeff for more aggressive surfing in faster and steeper waves. We like to call it out 9’0″ shortboard.

I definitely agree.

After surfing we hit up Gorilla BBQ on Route 1.
GREAT pulled pork and a great vibe. Nothing says Memorial Day Surf sesh like eating BBQ in a parking lot by the beach.

Happy Memorial Day.

For anyone wondering if I plan to surf while I’m home…that’s a big no.

Sure the waves are peeling nicely with some good peaks, but I haven’t learned to turn sharp enough to dodge ice. I don’t think my wetsuit is rated to -3 F with -30 F windchill, either.

The water is 33 F. As the waves hit the shore, the spray turns to an ice fog and the water freezes into a thick shelf. To put things in perspective, here’s the same view back in October: http://flickr.com/photos/tracey_t/2933039910/

Chilly.

While under warm blankets by a fire, I decided to write up a Wetsuit buying guide.
Check it out!

I’m hoping to write up a few more guides when I get a little more experience. I’ll probably write a board buying guide once I’ve finally committed to a board. Maybe a packing guide once I get my surf kit set up. Any requests?