Monday Forecast, Stoke Estimate = 4

I have just checked a few models and forecasts on the web, and the fog
situation is under control at least through Tuesday with an warming
trend.... However, the wave does not look that promising as there appears to
be no major storms cooking further out from our coasts. The south swells has
been very disappointing so far this summer season. There are a lot of local
wind swells of low periods but that would probably not contribute to much
stokes in our area. I am still gathering more information.

As for today, the Jetty was desperately flat and I did not venture out so I
could not tell regarding Motara or other areas. From the looks of it,
looking into the South from the Jetty and also the OB cam, there simply
isn't much going on in our area.

Sat AM Montara 0900 - 1100, Waves Did Not Live Up To The Weather Stoke=5

While the beach has picked up more waves since yesterday, the ride quality
was marginal as the shape did not quite hold up. Either an immediate
overhead close out or mashed out and do not break (until hit the beach and
explode). Very once in a while I was on OVH breaks that can be taken off
from. The weather was, however, gorgeous, and there were already a lot of
beach-goers out. The wind situation is minimum. Most people were taking off
in the north zone, while there were some people by the far south end, with
couple of shifty zones in between.

The Jetty continues to be flat to knee high as it has been for the last few
days, and not wedging up by the jetty.

Friday Morning 0700 at LM, Stoke Level 7

What a wonderful morning. I got up this morning and checked the Scripps map of our area and the color has brightened up in our area significantly over night. Checking the CIDP at Bodega and also in HMB showing lots of steep swells, I was a bit worried about the waves just being junky, but there were some hopes, so I put on the gear and headed to work via the coast.

 

As I passed Montara and it was breaking solid and harder than the last couple of days, and even the Gray Whale Cove looked promising. This is a good indication that LM can become fun. After almost a couple of weeks of flat spells this was something I have been waiting.

 

We did back my favorite harder OVH breaks at LM, and they were breaking further out!  I am so stoked and happy! My last night's prediction did work and the overall swell pattern DID shift to more westerly pattern. There was a moderate side-shore wind too.

 

The beach was not crowded as the area was fog covered and freezing, but on these kinds of days, we get to enjoy catching waves and try to be a bit more radical in trying maneuvers as you can own 25 yards left and right of you with nobody to get in your way. Getting out to the outside line was a bit of work at times, especially I still don't do ducking very well, but there was a mini-channel opened up, and once I found and rode it, it was an easy out.

 

The north end of LM is becoming one of my favorite lineup as I can almost always connect the outside and inside sections, and I had a phenomenally long ride this morning on my fun board. To top this off, I had a very clean drop down from an over head break, through the speed still scares me a bit and did not turn harder, so I go way too ahead of the waves and just lose momentum. But I am now turning a bit harder and I can now, compared to just even a couple of months ago.

 

One thing I noticed is that I have been landing on the board too far forward, as today, my right foot happened to land on the pad and that made turning much more effective!  So, I am very excited.

 

The Jetty was really flat.

 

Hope this holds up in our area through Saturday!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THU - FRI Forecast and Updates STOKE = 2

Local buoy readings indicate nearly no useful (2-3 ft) swells and a moderate amount of wind (10-11 mph) is out there in HMB coast. The swell pattern is indicative of strong wind waves happening out there. The NW wind continues since the 1005 mb H off our coast and there is an 1009 mb L on northern Baja area. This is, in addition to the usual local thermals.

 

Weather-wise, we can expect a sunny daytime through Friday, but starting tonight the evening fog is coming back and this trend will continue to worsen and by next week start, we will be back into the standard summer foggy day pattern.

 

There is a 1005 mb low pressure system further west of Washington state but we also got a 1023 mb high off our coast creating a S->N fetch and I am presently keeping my eyes on the development of these systems. In the next 24 hours, we may see some W waves, and if that happens, and by Friday afternoon or Saturday AM, we might have some fun this weekend.

 

Let's see if I am right or not.

 

 

PM Surfing Wrap Up, LM @ 5:00 PM STOKE=5

Given the buoy readings this morning, I cut surfing and went straight to work. I usually tell people that when the waves are flat the company gets a deal. So I cut out the work and went back through the coast. Surf check at LM, the condition did not appear to be surprisingly better than my original stoke estimate of 2. I though that this would be a stoke estimate of 7, so I went in.

 

The waves were junky and choppy, indicative of them being locally generated. If they are mixed in with distant swells, it would be really fun to zoom left and right and connect into inside sections, but none of that was possible today. Up to chest high waves were just breaking and fizzling out right under even if you successfully taken off.

 

In addition, the line up was so crowded with people, it was a bit dangerous for me to take off since people were grouped together both inside and outside.

 

The waves continues to be on a down trend.... Better do some Yoga or some other form of keeping up the shape this week!

 

Today's Stoke Estimate 2/10

Our local buoys are sending signals to us "no good surfs today in San Mateo" In addition there is a moderate amount of wind to knock off anything left out of it.

Montara PM, Stoke Factor = 5

Due to an early morning meeting, I had to postpone my daily surfing session to this evening at 6:30. Did surf check at Rockaway, LM, Montara, JT, and Francis beaches. Essentially all of the beaches were all flat. The only place that had any chance seemed to be the Montara beach, so I drove back all the way from Kelly to surf here.

 

We had occasional sets of up to shoulder level high waves but there were all very mushy, and if you go over them they will crumble under you. So riding on them were a bit of challenge from the stand-point of taking off. I am a big amazed by myself that I am now demanding a harder and faster breaking condition. May be it is a bad sign that I am about to get a one-way ticket to a short-boarder-dom... well I wish.

 

They were breaking a bit too close to the shore and when this happens, the wave riding collides with shorebreak/backwash situations. Sets often doubled up today that made the backwash situation even worse, and I got a bit greedy and caught in a shorebreak abruptly ending otherwise a one nice ride. A bit too late in bailing, next thing I was tumbling in the water like being in a front-loading washing machine.

 

Got a few more slow rides, but mainly paddling and paddling as the break shifted. As usual the area I have just left is where it broke next.

 

There was one spot at very far north end of the beach, should I stayed there it would have been OK.

 

As I entered the water, the lineup was at slightly south of the creek, then I found the north end break, and started to paddle. Soon I heard others splashing their paddling hands behind me and they were all lined up with me.

 

In spite of the waves, the weather was just so sunny and warm that it was just relaxing and enjoyable just be in the water with the beautiful sand and mountain behind the line up.

 

It looks like this low wind-swell only pattern will continue for at least for a few more days, if not less.

 

 

audblog audio post

Better weather and wind shift middle of the week.

According to the NWS, We are going to have more clear weather this week that should continue to hold just until the weekend. Already the fog should be clear in fog-phyllic areas as I write this. The wind pattern is supposed to change to side-shore. Presently we have strong wind conditions contributing to quite a bit of chops in NW open beaches. The Jetty is protected from both the wind and NW chops, but from this morning, the breaks were just about hip to chest at best, and breaking really close to the shore.

Surf/Camp at Manresa

I just got back from Manresa and it was a lot of fun to surf, eat, sleep and get up at the crack of the dawn to go surf check and go surfing again. Even though I live very close to the ocean, it is always fun to sleep right by the beach, get up and hear the crashing waves etc. So I ended up not sending up my Audio Blog, if you were waiting for it I am so sorry.

 

The surf condition itself was OK with my stoke rating of 5 yesterday and 6 this morning. The beach breaks were a bit quick to come down due to low tides, as the time went by and the water started to fill in the breaks become more manageable. This is actually kind of condition my experience at JT/LM become useful. It is still a lot of fun to beat these dumpers, and my 7'6 hybrid has worked out really well. I also get eaten by these waves too.

 

I am now at the skill level that in this kind of conditions, I am starting to be able to take off and get into the break at an angle more consistently. Now I need to work on a stronger bottom turn more quickly sharply. The problem right now is that the angle is still not sharp enough against the break and timing not quick enough that I go too far ahead of the waves ending the ride too short. If a reform happens then I can paddle push a bit and that saves the ride, but I am still relying too much on the wave and not on my own technique to make the ride longer. Catching and riding on reforms is actually a lot of fun too because it is like taking off on a new wave but I am already standing on it, so I can do the top turn to get into the waves. If I catch a reform like that then the second section of the ride is more fun than the first and usually longer.

 

Last evening was also a lot fun with lot of "illegal" fireworks going all over the beach. Even though there are a lot of signs that say "No Fireworks" there was just tons of people bringing in a lot of fireworks and the place almost became smoggy.

 

On the way back on PCH, I saw Pomponio beach and further north getting a big gnarly but looked quite surfable. I just checked the buoy readings and we are starting to get back a lot of wind swells in our area. LM might be fun tomorrow on a higher tides.

 

Everyone enjoy the last holiday before the labor day!

 

 

 

Gone Surf Camping to Manresa. Switching to Audio Blog!

My daily wave log will go into Audio only mode until Saturday. I will be surfing and camping with my friends in Manresa this weekend... Wish us good waves out there!

 

THU PM 5:30 at LM - STOKE Level was 7

What a surprise! Amidst poor estimates from all wave models and forecasts, Linda Mar was a lot of fun this afternoon. There were nice chest high "long board" right and left breaks, very consistent near the Crespi entrance. Then there were gentle popping peaks of up to shoulder high towards the north end, where I surfed the most, and I had some of the best quality rides in Pacifica. These popping waves on the north ends are so fun as they are gentle yet pop up and steeps quickly allowing fun take off, and then if you are lucky even steeper waves will reform inside and you can connect to those. I have noticed this pattern last week, but I did not know that this occurs consistently here. Turning into these waves is a lot of fun and you can make quite long rides almost to the shore connecting to reforms. I had similar reform rides in the spring at the Jetty and these are probably one of my most favorite kind of rides as they force me to negotiate the waves make turns. It seems to happen when the waves are a bit choppier and occasional bigger sets gets mixed in with these chops.

 

There were couple of dozen people by the Crespi end but there were hardly anyone hitting the north end, which is another reason why this is fun, and most people there seemed to know what they are doing, and not getting in each others ways.

 

I also like this kind of a mild foggy afternoons, because it covers up the low western sun. Tue afternoon at Montara was brutal to my eyes as the blinding sun was shining directly into my eyes and water was reflecting it as well causing my eyes to almost hurt as I look west for the swells.

 

 

 

 

THU Afternoon, Still Weak

While we get ready for a long weekend, the chance of getting excellent waves is dismal. Local buoy data indications are starting to show more local wind wave activities but without much utility swells in our area. The fog in San Mateo beaches appears to be clearing so if anything, we can go and enjoy the beaches. The wind is picking up a bit as well.

 

 

THU AM Guesscast Stokeness Estimate = 4/10

Compared to Tue, there is an up trend of local wind swells providing some energy back into NW faced beaches. But the quality seems to low and power is not quite there. In addition, a bit moderate onshore is blowing here in HMB area. So, it will continue to be desperate time for all of us. The Stormsurf forecasts a more south coming next week, so let's hope for them. Regardless, many beaches will be mobbed this weekend. Better get those winter boards out and fix any dings up or something.

 

Need Your Help - Costa Rica Surfing and Learn Spanish

We are thinking of attending a Surf and Learn Spanish type packages in Costa Rica this winter. If anyone has a direct experience with this type of situation, I would like you to help us make the right choice;

 

+ Was it worthwhile going, or you got ripped off, how was the surf? Did you learn Spanish well?

+ How was the accommodations. We would like to have at least some motel/hotel type accommodation especially since there are some non-surfers joining. Roughing-It is no an option for us.

+ Do you (un)recommend specific operators?

+ Anything else, you want to tell me, please let me know.

 

You can write to me at Surf@CultureWave.COM

 

WED AM Guess Cast STOKE-O-Meter = 5

I am setting my Stoke-O-Meter to 5 tomorrow. The following are the reasons.

- Both North and south swells looked like coming up a bit tomorrow to later
on this week.about 4 ft from the north and 3 ft from the south.
- Sky will be nice and clear if not in the morning but by the afternoon.
Even waves are not going to be good, this will add a few stokes points up.
- Wind will not be so horrendous, well, at least in the AM

(try to) have fun tomorrow!

Tuesday PM Wave Log

So, as you have heard in my Aud Blog this morning, (if you have not tried
it, give it a shot, I call into to Aud Blog service and it records my
telephone voice and converts it into MP3!), the stoke this morning was
practically zero, so I went straight to work, and so I came back through the
coast after work to see how it was going. As I passed by LM it looked sad
and sucky (Stoke of 2), so I went onto Montara.

From the top of the cliff it looked sort of sick (given the swells) so I put
on all the gears and went down the wooden stairs. There were a couple of
more people arriving at the same moment.

I ran and splashed over the usual beach break and paddled out. The waves
were so mushy that I try to go over them and they I could almost smash down.
I caught one good ride by the creek mouth, then I went over further south
seeing that there were some more breaks. As my luck runs at this location,
wherever I go, the things start breaking just where I was. How frustrating!
But then it has been the story of my life anyways.

We started out with 4 surfers on the lineup, 3 men and one that looked kind
of like "Heidi" on MTV, then by the time I ended with my struggles, there
were only two. "Heidi" and her boyfriend was long gone. At the time I arrived
I saw at least 4 people getting ready to go, so they must have came down,
and gave up right away!

The waves were kind of a reasonable chest high but very choppy, where I
took up & down elevators but never broke and also to add to this there were
some backwashes and so even if you take off you got knocked out by them. We
were just all thrashed around without any breaking waves like a rubber ducky
mistakenly dropped into a washing machine.

So the overall stoke this afternoon was about 3. Though the sky was blue and
nice at Montara.

Also there is a significant amount of south bound and on-shore current going
through here, I was pushed back in unless I paddle harder to get out. This
seems to be a theme at this location. The paddling seems to be much harder
than the why the surface looks like!

I saw a few stoked surfers at the Jetty, but they all looked desperate to me
(like I am).

Better luck later on!

audblog audio post

Currently No Fogs, Clear Skys, Warm Water In HMB

OK, there isn't much wave but we got a really nice weather out here this afternoon!

 

Montara Beach Stoke = 6/10

The stoke was definitely on this morning at Montara beach with much less threatening condition than usual. The set waves were chest to shoulder (may even be overhead at times) with more gentle peeler quality to them.  I got good quality rides, easy take off and turns. Another great thing, I was the only one in the entire mile stretch of this beautiful location! Some sand bar has formed further out. We need to remember, W to SW swells works good here.

 

Right by the Martini Creek outlet was a bit hard to get out as there have been rather strong onshore currents going. Moving a bit further south I found a easier channel to get out.

 

On the way out, I saw a bizarre stuff. A Honda Goldwing motorcycle rider pulled in. I though he is just going to check out the beach, then when he turned around and parked the bike, there was a board rack on the side and he had probably around 8 ft hybrid board suck on the side of his bike!

 

By that time 3 more surfers have arrived, and breaks were getting bigger.