Yeeeeah! What a way to go out of the year!

Summary

Waves

Crowds

Weather

Forecast

Eventful Stuff

Wave of the Day


Summary:
Dillon Beach, Marin
5'10" Quad Beauty Fish
7:45-9:15
5ft, 6ft sets
3+/5

More like it!

Summary

Waves

Crowds

Weather

Forecast

Eventful Stuff

Wave of the Day


Summary:
Dillon Beach, Marin
5'10" Quad Beauty Fish
7:45-9:15
4-5ft
3/5

Closeouty...bleh

Summary

Waves

Crowds

Weather

Forecast

Eventful Stuff

Wave of the Day


Summary:
Dillon Beach
6'1" Al Merrick MX
7:00-7:45
3-6ft
1+/5

Sweet....at least the afternoon

Summary
Much as yesterday---the morning was super wally, not many workable waves. The afternoon, however, was filled with some sick rides. I paddled out to the pit and was rewarded greatly for the arduous paddle.
Waves
The morning didn't have much to work with. Pretty much just a few mediocre waves. Nothing special. The afternoon had plenty of shoulders, plenty of fun, and some jerk with an attitude.
Crowds
Not. Either. There were about a half dozen out in the morning, and a dozen out in the afternoon. Light given the fact it's Christmas and no one has work...people spending time with the family I guess...
Weather
Beautiful. The morning a little iffy, a little cloud cover, the morning clear as clear can be. Spectacularly beautiful. Oh, and light winds all day. Bomb.
Forecast
Looks big, potentially good, potentially overpowering. Probably a little bit of both. Uh oh Sunday.
Eventful Stuff
Dr. Broffman SUPing...pretty crazy to watch. And the guy giving him mad attitude, "looking out for the rest of us" because "he gets his waves." I laughed and corrected him. Jerk.
Wave of the Day
Sick left at the pit. Not super long but a good glimpse of what it has to offer. Hopefully it'll be working later on this coming week. We'll see, but it was going off. I only got a handful of waves then I called it quits because the other guy out there paddled in (and it's a little scary...)

Summary:
Dillon Beach
5'10" Quad Fish
7:15-8:45
4-6ft
2/5

Dillon Beach/Pit
5'10" Quad Fish
3:00-4:45
3-5ft
3+/5

Christmas eve---just what Santa ordered!

Summary
Sweet. Worthy surf day. More surfing than working...hard to argue with that. Oh, and the surf was fun.
Waves
The morning was pretty wally, difficult to get in to waves, hard to make much out of any of them. I did my best but honestly I didn't get as much surfing in as I would have hoped.
The afternoon was also pretty wally, but definitely quite a bit more broken up than the morning. The tide was a fair bit lower (surprisingly) making the waves quite a bit more workable. They almost seemed like windswell. Quite punchy, generally pretty quick but easy to distinguish and catch shoulders.
Crowds
NOT. A few out in the morn, though surprisingly less than yesterday. The afternoon had a handful out, but surprisingly not that many given the superb conditions.
Weather
The morning was pretty chilly, but nowhere near as cold as yesterday. Clear, crisp, beautiful morning. The afternoon was more of the same. Spectacular, pretty calm winds, almost glassy in the afternoon (and textured because of the offshores in the morn...)
Forecast
Oh my god. Great potential. Offshore winds through next Wednesday...two different swells shooting 6-15ft waves. High potential...I have faith in you Norcal! Don't let me down!
Eventful Stuff
Afternoon surf. Delightful. Sick punchy waves. Off work early...life is good.
Wave of the Day
Super fun morning wave, the first wave I got. Sweet drop, shoot up the face, little cut off the top, tuck into the little closeout barrel. There were some sick afternoon waves too, but I'd say the morning one was the best because it was a good way to start the morning off (and unfortunately the best wave I had all morning...)


Summary:
Dillon Beach
5'10" Quad Fish
7:15-9:00AM
4-5ft
2/5

Dillon Beach
5'10" Quad Fish
3:00-4:45PM
4-5ft, peaky
3+/5

Sick waves

Summary
That's what I was hoping for. Not just hollow shoulders, but hollow shoulders mixed in with (very cold) ripable waves. Super fun, pretty punchy, very windswellesque. It's supposed to be 14-16sec groundswell, but the way it hits the sandbars it gives some quick, awesome shoulders. All in all, I was cold as could be, brisk offshores, 51degree water, and elusive (unfindable) booties...
Waves
Punchy as punchy can be. I was in the right place at the right time A LOT. Found quite a few good rides on the amazingly consistent surf. Quality. This is what DB is all about.
Crowds
Given today was supposed to be pretty crappy with onshores and weird swell, there were only like three other guys out. A handful pulled up to the bluffs but no one came out. That said, I left early so I'm sure people came after that.
Weather
Sunny, beautiful, but REALLY REALLY COLD. The coldest surf session I can remember since the one session last year with the crunchy sand. God I hope it's like this for the next two weeks...I would be so content...
Forecast
Looks delightful. Seriously, offshores every day for the next week, all day. That plus some serious swell coming in this weekend. I'm kind of concerned because it's going to be so perfect and pretty big, at least 6ft up to 12-13ft...
Eventful Stuff
The cold. The invisible booties.
Wave of the Day
Post the video of one of them...


Summary:
Dillon Beach, Marin
5'10" Quad Beauty Fish
7:15-8:20
3-5ft, slightly bigger sets
3+/5

Now that's more like it

Summary
I got owned a lot today. That said, I also got lots of barrels. I even got a few sick slow motion videos of that...sweet!
Waves
Good size, much better shape than yesterday, quite a lot of fun. Overall still very wally, but enough time for a drop (or side drop) and a slap at least.  Other than that, quite frankly, all I got was barreled. Hard concept to deal with, but I guess I'm OK with it.
Crowds
A handful out, much fewer (though better conditions) than yesterday.
Weather
OK---the sun showed itself less than five minutes after I got out of the water.
Forecast
Looks GREAT. See yesterdays for more forecasting potential, but basically awesome ELSE (potentially) Monday and Tuesday. Christmas should be SPECTACULAR. Excited as heck.
Eventful Stuff
The weather turned crappy in the afternoon, south winds, lots of drizzle, and gross skies. Besides that just ripping waves, that's always eventful. Also I only have my quad fish and MX while I'm home for the next couple weeks...
Wave of the Day
BARREL. See the video I will attach (I'll actually do it this time...) There were about a half dozen rather comparable to this. Drop & shack.

Summary:
Dillon Beach, Marin
5'10" Quad Beauty Fish
7:15-9:45
4-5ft, 6ft sets
3+/5

Sleeping in and still surfing...delicious

Summary
Overall the morning was full of intense offshores, big walls, hollow corners, and a somewhat painful paddle back out. Makes you appreciate either a big fast-paddle board or a small don't-get-pulled shortboard. In between, not quite so hot. I had a decent amount of corners, a few little barrels, but for the most part just a relaxing, chilly surf.
Waves
Pretty consistently shoulder to head high, with bigger waves occasionally rearing their heads. Sets were somewhat consistent, waves not so much workable as just big walls. One day the quality sandbars will magically appear and the actual surf will be delightful once again. One day.
Crowds
Quite a few for DB. Half a dozen out when I first paddled out, when the parking lot opened up about two dozen more came out. No issue for getting waves. A few people on shorter boards, but for the most part everyone was surfing logs, like usual.
Weather
Sunny, crisp, chilly. Delightful offshores making even the closeouts look bomb.
Forecast
Looks good. Real good. Smaller tomorrow, bigger all next week. Might have go go up to Doran on Christmas...we'll see. Smallest should be chest-shoulder high this week. Oh yea, and else Monday/Tuesday, should be offshores, good swell, good tides EVERY DAY THROUGH NEXT WEEKEND. BOMB!
Eventful Stuff
Sleeping in. Being home. Drinking hot coco with lots of marshmallows.
Wave of the Day
I had a few little (decent size) tucks. I would say one of those was my WOTD. Unfortunately there wasn't much opportunity to rip waves up and down, too fast. I should have taken my shortboard out and busted a few airs, but I thought the size was a tad smaller. Bummer.

Summary:
Dillon Beach, Marin
5'10" Quad Beauty Fish
7:30-10:00
5-6ft, sets 7-8ft
2+/5

Bomb diggidy!

Summary
Not a bad way to start the drive back home. Great conditions, decently fun swell, and a very eager Alex. Delightful morning. Beautiful, spectacular, quality waves, sick video. Oh yea, and I am free of obligations for a month. Life is good.
Waves
4-5ft for the most part, super fun, easy paddling. Sets generally had closeouty shape, though there were occasional gems. Sets were 6-7ft, some pushing bigger than that too. I passed Rincon on the drive back up---it was firing too. Workable shoulders, generally pretty fast. The tide was high and rising so not too many barrels, but there were a handful. Most closeouts. Mid-size set waves ended up the best---lots of people for not a whole lot of waves. Worth it though, for sure.
Crowds
Not crowded at first light, but it got crowded quickly. Probably a couple hundred out by the time I left. The tide was peaking too---too high, mushing the heck out of the waves. Sad.
Weather
Beautiful sunrise, beautiful morning. Absolutely amazing. Inspiring. Delightful. Exactly the refreshing, crisp, offshore-breeze morning I needed to energize me. That it did.
Forecast
Northern California is looking GOOD. Really good. I saw some pics of the last swell. It looked good---really good. This coming work-light week should be surf-filled. Stoked.
Eventful Stuff
Out before first light. Up at 5:00, home by 3:30 with a sweet two hour surf. Super pleasant morning, sick HD video. Quite enjoyable.
Wave of the Day
I've got this one video. I will post it, but it was a decent ride, a decent face-racing, a few cuts off the top, and a few wraps. Sick in 720p 60fps. Looks sweet.

Summary:
C-Street, Ventura
5'10" Quad Fish Beauty
6:30-8:30
4-5ft, 6-7ft sets
4/5

Off today

Summary
Kind of a bummer, but given the combo of high tide and intense crowds, I didn't have a whole lot of luck. I did have a few waves, but for the most part I just had big closeouts. The only "good" ride I had was my last wave.
Waves
Good size, pretty plopy shape. For the most part they were hard to get into, folded onto themselves and weren't too catchable. I'm exaggerating some probably, but that's how I felt. Some people were getting sick rides but I made a few poor decisions in the morning: 1) not go to the bathroom before I left school, then spending 15+minutes getting to, parking, and using the bathroom at a gas station 2) paddling out infront of the free-parking longboarding spot. I ended up paddling for twenty some minutes to get over to the point. Poor decision, both time and energy wise.
Crowds
Super crowded. Lots of people, multiple on every wave. Ended up sitting super far inside getting quick rides, just so I didn't have to deal with the masses.
Weather
Beautiful morning. Super crispy, cool offshores. SUCH potential for greatness, but the morning just didn't pan out.
Forecast
Looks good. Real good. Southern California looks to have some fun waves in its fortunes, same for Northern California.
Eventful Stuff
Up early. Drive. Surf. Drive. Nap. Lauren aeropuerto. Last final. Pack.
Wave of the Day
My last wave which unfortunately got cut off because the HD cam ran out of batteries. Bummer too. No more of that--- It was a chest plus high wave, sweet shape, pretty fast, intense drop with late bottom turn (because someone was right there), shot half up the face, saw the wave almost ready to close out so I cut up into the pealing wave and shot towards shore. Not "super" but it was fun and unexpected for the morning.

Summary:
C-Street, Ventura
5'10" Quad Fish Beauty
7:00-10:00
5-6, 7-8ft sets
2/5

Ridiculous video quality...

Summary
And way better waves than I thought. Seriously, makes (moderately fun) clean waves look INSANE. STOKED. So stoked.
Waves
For a late morning surf, the conditions were impressive. Shoulders all over the place, workable waves, loads of fun...even a few barrels. Bomb dig, can't argue with that.
Crowds
A few dozen out. Not crowded at all though. Scattered up and down the beach...no biggie.
Weather
SPECTACULAR, sunny, warm, almost windless. Beautiful day. Exactly what I needed.
Forecast
Looks good. Home is going to be great. Thursday is going to be great. Friday is going to be great. Super excited.
Eventful Stuff
HD cam is in. It is amazing. So amazing. Ridiculously sick.
Wave of the Day
So cool. I'll post a video of some of the waves I had. Slow motion makes everything sooooo sick. 60fps 720p. Crazy.

Summary:
Zuma, Malibu
5'10" Quad Fish
10:45-11:45
3-4ft (slightly plus) sets
3+/5

Cool beans

Summary
I had an absolute blast. Beautiful afternoon, good friends, fun waves, and lots and lots of kelp. Super fun session. Moderated a bit from yesterday, but still fast workable shoulders.
Waves
Decent size, 4-5ft for the most part. Easy paddle out, breaking about 75ft past the rock. Shoulders easily make able, drops pretty steep, really fun, but definitely mellow with only a handful of people sharing all the waves.
Crowds
Besides Eric and I there were no more than three out at any one time. No one else on shortboards or fish, so some guys getting mad long rides all the way in to shore. Pretty decent tier of surfers.
Weather
Sunny, beautiful, windless. Put simply, you could surf Zuma if you wanted to. That's how clean it was.
Forecast
Mediocre over the next few days, but still decent size. 
Eventful Stuff
Playing with the wrist camera with Eric. Pretty fun little toy. Too bad I broke the part for the board---HD inc =) There were only two or three others out at any one time. Not crowded, decent waves, a little mushy and a lot of kelp (low tide) but super workable, super fun. Perfect board. Eric was surfing my Southpoint---perfect boards for today, that's for sure.
Wave of the Day
My last wave---sweet drop right into the rock, two cutbacks. Taken all the way to shore (it mushed up a little bit after the rock, but it was steep enough to have a pretty sweet ride.

Summary:
Leo Carrillo, Malibu
5'10" Quad Fish
12:00-2:15
4-5ft with 6ft+sets
4-/5
Eric B.

Oh snap. Big waves, broken boards, broken cameras.

Summary
Big ass waves. Really really big. C-Street was a good 3-4ft bigger on sets than I had expected. HUGE. MACKING. Ridiculous currents. Pretty nasty all in all. Some people were ripping so hard it made an otherwise mediocre surf session pretty dang ridiculous. Leo was going off. Huge, breaking from 150-200ft outside of the rock (on normal mid-tides) for a heck of a long time. Broke the camera unfortunately...
Waves
HUGE. C-Street had great shape but was super intimidating. People ripping the f out of double overhead + waves.
Leo was much more manageable, still big but there's a big difference between Leo 10ft and C-Street 10-15ft...much more mellow, relaxing, still pretty intense paddle but SUPER fun waves. Sick rides, even a few little boosts...on my 7'6"...
Crowds
C-Street was crowded as can be. People coming from all over Southern California to surf C-Street, including a few dozen from OC/two counties plus south.
Leo was still crowded but under thirty five out, but plenty of waves and inside whitewater to keep most people busy at any one time.
Weather
Chilly offshores in the morning, light west winds in the afternoon. C-Street was as hollow as it gets. Leo wasn't hurt by the afternoon winds.
Forecast
Looks like there'll be waves for at least the next few days. Yay!
Eventful Stuff
My early morning paddle was CAKE. Two duckdives, out in easily ten foot not sets. Later on the current farther up the point f'ed me really really really hard. Took one hollow corner, got rocked, couldn't get back out. Got pushed literally all the way to the pier. On the way there I saw two guys with a broken board, including a Becker longboard. The surf was no joke today.
Also my leash wrapped around my camera at Leo on the first wave I *tried* to take. Snapped it at the base. Big bummer. Wrist cam it is for the foreseeable future.
Wave of the Day
Leo's waves were SO good. SO good. Pretty much half a dozen twenty second rides, sick shoulders with big drops and nice slices off the top. Too bad I broke the camera because I would have some sick video. Oh well.

Summary:
C-Street, Ventura
6'1" Al Merrick MX
6:45-9:15
9-10ft, 12-15ft sets
3/5

Leo Carrillo, Malibu
7'6" Al Merrick M13
11:45-2:15
6-8ft, 10ft+sets
4+/5

Some bomb freaking waves...

Summary
So much fun. Sunny, chilly, crisp, beautiful. No one out, plenty of waves to be out. Great afternoon!
Waves
Surprisingly good shape, surprisingly good size, surprisingly good fun. Generally waist to chest high, but some bigger sets for sure. Quite a few no-way-I-am-way-too-far-inside waves. Not bad because anything I could get was mine. Farthest inside every time yeaaaa!
Crowds
Three others out at any one time max. I was solo at high tide, a few more came off and on as the afternoon progressed.
Weather
Oh my god. Beautiful, way better than I could have hoped for. Hopefully indicative of tomorrow.
Forecast
Looks good. Looks BOMB for tomorrow. STOOOKEEED. Head high plus at C-Street. Maybe surf Rincon or something later too. So excited. SOOOO excited. Very very very very excited. After that we'll see, not too great of conditions but I'm sure I'll head out.
Eventful Stuff
Kooza Cirque du Soleil tomorrow. Very excited for that too. Should be an amazing day tomorrow. AMAZING.
Wave of the Day
I have it recorded I'm pretty sure. About thirty seconds, decent ride for relatively high tide, surfing the M13. Superr relaxing.

Summary:
Latigo Point, Malibu
7'6" M13
3:00-4:30
2-4ft with 4ft+sets
2+/5

Mellow

Summary
A calm, quiet, unexpectedly pleasant afternoon. Lots of waves, super fun rides, perfect conclusion to any day.
Waves
Lots, decent size, perfect tides. Waves were workable, wide open shoulders, even a few little closeout barrels.
Crowds
Not. There were three others, two max at any one time.
Weather
Beautiful! Sunny, warm, light WNW winds, but all said and done pretty much spectacular. Far more delightful than I wax expecting.
Forecast
NA
Eventful Stuff
Lucking out on super-fun, uncrowded waves in Malibu --- priceless.
Wave of the Day
I had a handful of 25+sec waves. A few recorded on the wrist cam.

Summary:
Latigo, Malibu
7'6" M13
2:00-4:00
3-4ft, bigger sets
3/5

Teeheehee

Summary
Fun little surf with Eric. Surprising size, enough power for loads of fun.
Waves
Some fast little corners. Eric and I were surfing pretty far up the point, we ended up finding a fun little peak, mostly rights, pretty fast and quite a few barreling corners.
Crowds
Not too many, but a few people ripping.
Weather
It was a little muggy early, but the sun ended up coming out just as the wind did, as we were leaving.
Forecast
NA
Eventful Stuff
A worthy day of surf. Pretty darn fun. Can't argue with that.
Wave of the Day
NA

Summary:
C-Street, Ventura
5'10" Quad Fish
7:00-11:00
3-4ft with a few 5fters
3/5
Eric B.

Hey-o!

Summary
Decent little afternoon surf. Quite a bit better than I expected or hoped. Quite entertaining session.
Waves
Mia was surfing my 7'6", the perfect board for today. Rocking it. Decent shoulders, a little mushy afternoon shape, but certainly enough to work with that I was having fun. The 5'10" worked just fine too.
Crowds
Less than half a dozen others out.
Weather
Pretty, otherwise unremarkable.
Forecast
Mediocre.
Eventful Stuff
Beautiful afternoon.
Wave of the Day
Nothing too notable, but there were a few sweet shoulders here and there.

Summary:
County Line
5'10" Southpoint (leashless)
3:00-4:30
1-3ft
2/5
Mia

That's a good way to get tired before a long drive...

Summary
Beautiful early, though the winds quickly turned a little too cross-shore and blew it out. Bummer, but there were some fun waves early!
Waves
Pretty decent size, pretty decent paddle out. Before the wind picked up it was pretty offshore, making for some fast, pretty hollow shoulders. Sweet waves, fun shoulders. Overall quite entertaining.
Crowds
About a dozen others out. Typical completely uncrowded DB. Hard life.
Weather
Crisp, chilly morning. As the light clouds were burning off there was a pretty sweet offshore breeze.
Forecast
NA!
Eventful Stuff
Big drive back South today. Shouldn't be too bad, except there's going to be horrible horrible traffic. Oh well. My choice to go surfing. And a wise choice it was! Super fun, too bad the wind got on it early.
Wave of the Day
One sweet left barrel, and quite a few sweet rights. Dang awesome all things said and done.

Summary:
Dillon Beach, Marin
5'10" Quad Beauty
7:00-9:00
4-6ft, with 9ft+ bomb cleanup sets
3/5

Just what I was hoping for!

Summary
Take yesterday's good winds, make them better, add more (less consistent, thankfully) swell, greatly increase the tide, and add a little sun. What you have is prime surfing conditions, and a very likely Alex-will-hurt-himself-somehow morning. They were, and I did.
Waves
Sweet Jesus. I'll summarize it like this: before I caught any of today's amazing waves, I saw one unridden 5ft+ frothy, delicious, huge slot, left barrel, line up perfectly with the offshore winds and inspire everyone out there with a "WTF that was amazing!" moment. There weren't a whole lot of those, but there were plenty of quick corners and fast barrels. Not huge, but a heck of a lot more workable than yesterday.
Crowds
The crowds are evidence to this morning's amazing potential. Probably at least a hundred and fifty or two hundred guys out. Most crowded I've seen any spot up here in a long time. That said, NO other spot in Sonoma would be working, and Bolinas or Drakes would be the only places in Marin. The crowds are justified.
Weather
Beautiful crisp sunny fall morning. 15-25MPH + offshore winds, doing a ridiculous job of hollowing up the surf. Almost everyone was wearing a hood, with good reason.
Forecast
Tomorrow looks like a Dillon Beach day. Probably the same size as today (here) maybe a few feet bigger. Should be straight offshore in the morning, then more Northerly later. I have hope. SoCal is going to suck this week. F it.
Eventful Stuff
I sliced my middle finger pretty good on my left hand. It was pouring blood til I got it wrapped in a very bloody Kleenex. Gives me a little something to remember the day by though.
My dad came to the beach and was watching everyone surf. Pretty fun morning to watch I'd argue. He certainly thought so. As I came out of the water and started walking back I looked at the ocean as there was a set coming in, probably six or seven waves, each bigger than the last. The last wave this guy gets and absolutely destroys it, way more than I did any wave today. Like three snaps off the top, blow tail, wraps, and it made me think about going back out...I was impressed. Then I realized I couldn't feel my feet, my nose was pouring out fluid, and my left hand dripping blood.
Unfortunately the morn schooled me for no good reason.
Wave of the Day
One right, chest plus, one of the actually decent shoulders I managed to find. Fun drop, bottom turn, nice (sick spray) cutback, one little cut off the top, see the wave wall up, and a nice little snap to finish it off. Fun, decent little wave.

Summary:
Doran Beach, Sonoma
5'10" Quad Beauty
7:00-8:45
4-5ft, bigger sets (with gnar gnar fatty offshore barrels)
3+/5

A little surprise...

Summary
It is never bad when you discover something to be unexpectedly good. Put simply, Doran blew my socks of with the POTENTIAL it has for good surf. Tide was falling and arguably quite a bit too low, else this late morn surf would have been amazing. That said, I had fun. I had a few little corners, and I see the potential an early surf tomorrow holds...
Waves
Quite closeouty. It is a beachbreak on big groundswell at lowish tide. That said, the first thirty minutes of the session saw some surprisingly heavy 5ft walls. They pretty much all trounced me, but there was POTENTIAL. I some shoulders here and there, but for the most part the waves didn't give me a whole lot to work with.
Crowds
There were about two dozen out when I first braved out. That slowly fell and by the time I left there were only half a dozen. Probably good reason for the "crowd" leaving because conditions (surfing wise, not wind wise) grew progressively worse.
Weather
...S facing beach, NW/NNW winds. 3/4 offshore. Clean as sin. Lefts look a lot better than rights do (also probably how the waves wrap in...) Overcast and pretty darn chilly. I need me a hoodie for this winter...
Forecast
If the swell today was working, tomorrow is better, and Sunday shows promise as well. I'm hopeful. I'll be getting up early to get on it before/at high tide.
Eventful Stuff
Turkey day...was so big. I put my Wetsuit on and drove down to the beach. I stood there for about twenty minutes looking at the 1/2 mi paddle I would have to endure. A few of my neighbors that surf came up and were like, "Probably not a good idea to go out..." I decided I didn't want to kill myself, so I went back home and stared at the surf for the next hour. Of at least half a dozen guys, I saw ONE get out. Watching his little rubber suited body swing wildly up and down on the massive lines visible half a mile out to see, I waited impatiently for him to take a wave. And he did, a 3x overhead plus bomb, the first of the set. Shooting down the face this guy got a ridiculously huge barrel and then got spit out---hard. The next seven waves in the set came and trounced him, pounding him so hard I was cringing just watching from a mile away. No one else made it past the breakers that day.
Wave of the Day
Nothing spectacular, but there were a handful of left (closeout) barrels. For the most part the best workable wave I had was a little right shoulder, sharp bottom turn and two nice slices. Take what you can get =)

Summary:
Doran Beach, Sonoma
5'10" Quad Beauty
10:45-12:00
3-4ft, 5ft+ sets
2/5

...scary drops

Summary
Seriously scary drops. That sums up the morning's surf. There was pretty ridiculous on-the-head smacks from waves too. There were some where I was legitimately in pain after getting compressed by ten foot bombs...
Waves
Big. Raw. Unruly. Painful. Death drops.
Crowds
About two dozen others out when I first paddled out---slowly dwindling numbers. Surprising amount of women out, almost 1/3 of the people out. Most I've seen anywhere.
Weather
Sunny, pretty warm. The water at Salmon is a fair bit warmer than at Dillon. Honestly somewhat surprising. Beautiful morning---crisp breeze out of the West started to pick up, mushing the waves somewhat, making the paddle pretty treacherous.
Forecast
Big, powerful, quality. Turkey day looks AMAZING. Friday looks a bit brutal, same with Saturday. Sunday looks pretty good too. Today is the smallest day of the coming week.
Eventful Stuff
I was legitimately scared to drop in on most of these waves. I made probably half a dozen waves, but most were intense drops into what look liked deathpits. I say that because the first two waves I took resulted in twenty minute paddles back out, pushed all the way inside until I lucked out back on the paddle. Intense, painful, seriously scary waves this morning...
Wave of the Day
I had a few pretty sweet rights. Intense drops, bottom turns, wraps. They were a bit mushy, but overpowering and definitely scary if you mess up.

Summary:
Salmon Creek, Sonoma
5'10" Quad Beauty
9:45AM-11:30
6-7ft, 8-10ft sets
3/5

NOT a shark fin...it's a dolphin...

Summary
Offshores ALL day. More waves tomorrow, bigger swell, more consistent, should be a fair bit better. That said, this morning was pretty darn fun. My surfing was a little off. No biggie. Lots of fun to be had. Spazzy camera...oh well.
Waves
Decent size, most set waves in the 4-5ft range, some 6ft bombs rolling through every twenty minutes or so. Shape was so-so, as it was groundswell mixed with local windswell. Generally pretty fast, some hollow corners, but for the most part one turn closeouts.
Crowds
About a dozen out. Pretty crowded for a weekday.
Weather
Sunny, warm, BEAUTIFUL. Spectacular fall morning. Seriously the most beautiful day I've seen here all year.
Forecast
Winds look good. Plenty of swell. Should be a fun week...
Eventful Stuff
Dolphin fin...scary shit. I first saw it about thirty feet outside of two other surfers. They were looking right at it, so I figured they knew what was going on. I saw it and thought it was way too big to be a dolphin. That and I have never seen a dolphin here before. Later on I saw it closer. Huge fin, biggest dolphin I have ever seen it before.
Wave of the Day
Sweet right. Nice drop, bottom turn mini cut, pocketed for two second, then I get dropped in on. Bummer, especially considering that there were like half a dozen people out at the time. There were quite a few others, mostly one-snap finisher waves...pretty quick because the tide was dropping fast.

Summary:
Dillon Beach, Marin
5'10" Quad Beauty
8:15-10:30
3-5ft, 6ft+sets
3/5

Sooo much fun. Hopefully this week holds more in store for me...

Somehow this session missed a blog-about. Too late now...

Summary:
County Line, Malibu
5'10" Quad Beauty
6:50-9:15AM
3-4ft, some 5ft sets
3+/5

Beautiful day...mediocre surf...

Summary
Spectacular afternoon to be swimming in the ocean. Nice little jaunt with Lauren. Some crazy dolphin sightings.
Waves
Meh. Not too much to work with. The tide was low enough that it should have been working but it really wasn't. Oh well. I didn't really get anything notable, or much of anything at all. Oh well sad day (but not really...)
Crowds
About a dozen others out. Everyone was pretty intense trying to get the actual set waves. I'm over it though no biggie.
Weather
BEAUTIFUL! SPECTACULAR! Bright, clear skies, breezy but warm afternoon...
Forecast
Irrelevant. Post-posting.
Eventful Stuff
Lauren was swimming about 75 feet outside from where I was sitting when about half a dozen dolphins caught one of the set waves. Their whole fin and half their body was sticking up off the wave for about ten seconds. Pretty ridiculous. One of the coolest things I've seen in awhile.

Wave of the Day
I ended up catching that dolphin wave. I thought that was pretty cool.

Summary:
Staircase, Malibu
5'10" Quad Beauty
3:45-4:45PM
2-3ft, 4ft sets (but mushy and fatty...)
1+/5

A few fun leftovers...

Summary
A little (somewhat) late morning surf. Beautiful morning, good conditions, rather uneventful, leashless session. Some decent waves, quality almost chest high sets would roll through occasionally. Lots of fun to be had...
Waves
Got better as the tide got higher. The early part of the session was pretty drained, most rides pretty mediocre and short. As the tide rose the session improved greatly, somehow the swell ended up hitting the sandbars better, making for much more workable, fun shoulders.
Crowds
Not bad. About 1/3 as many out as yesterday.
Weather
Sunny, warm, light offshores. Beautiful.
Forecast
Looks good. Tomorrow should be slightly bigger than today, Sunday should be AMAZING. I have high expectations. Norcal is looking pretty darn good...good conditions, GOOD swell. It will be an eventful Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (next week...)
STOOOKKKEEDD---thank you Ocean for hooking me up every Thanksgiving!
Eventful Stuff
Lauren came with and went on a little run. Leashless surf session...pretty fun. Better exercise and forces you to be a little more cautious. I'd almost argue more fun too ;)
Wave of the Day
Of course, it's the one wave I didn't record. I did get a photo of it though. I pressed the time photo accidentally, so I ended up getting a decent little shot. The wave itself was bomb. Bottom turn, cutback, wraparound (photo is of this), two little pumps, cut off the top, see the wave setting up with a nice little ramp, do a mini launch (too slow for much more) and land it. That's all I wanted from the morning... I am content.

Summary:
Zuma, Malibu
5'10" Quad Beauty
8:00-9:15AM
1-3ft, waist +sets
2+/5

Teeheehee

Summary
Fun. Worth it. Better than I was expecting. Delightful. Not perfect, but awesome nonetheless.
Waves
Decent chest high on average size. Nice little inside current pulling you towards Point Dume. Enough swell that it was peaky up and down the beach, not too crowded any one place. Pretty darn fun, workable shoulders. The bigger sets would closeout on some outside sandbar. Lots of turns, a few little airs I saw others get. None set up perfectly for me, so I'd rather not waste a wave and break a board...
Crowds
A few out, but not too crowded. Certainly not an empty lineup, but not too intense. There were a few barks out there...though only one or two directed at me...
Weather
Beautiful. Delightful morning. Far better surf than I woke up expecting. It was pretty bomb. It's nice to get to use the shortboard every once in awhile too...
Forecast
Good. Very good. Very good for Socal. Very good for Norcal. Thanksgiving is going to be BOMB amazing AGAIN. Super stoked.
Eventful Stuff
Saw a few friends out there. Brian was surfing with his brother and some others. Driving up HE is the reason why I surfed Zuma. I saw some guy get a jacked up 5ft barrel while looking at the surf. I was like---SOLD. I get out there and Brian was like---yea, that was me. So sick. Super jealous. I got a few shacks but nothing that solid.
Wave of the Day

I had a few solid waves. Probably my favorite was the chest high, steep drop, bottom turn plus three cutbacks, snap at the end. Pretty basic but  still super fun. There were quite a few shacks and barrels too, though it wasn't ideal swell for that I'd argue...

Summary:

Zuma, Malibu
6'1" Al Merrick MX
7:00-9:15
3-4ft, 5ft sets
3+/5

Some fun to be had...

Summary
Conditions left a lot to be desired. Right place, right time kind of session. I was both, alot.
Waves
Decent size, waist high to almost shoulder high, pretty sloppy swell mix. Rather consistent. Once the tide started to drop to more manageable levels, the fun quotient went way up. Workable shoulders, pretty soft but darn fun.
Crowds
Not at all. No one else out.

Weather
Sunny, warm, beautiful, NW winds...
Forecast
Looks good. Looks real good. Tomorrow should be a delightful session. I am stoked. I think I'm going to test out Westward and/or Zuma, since the tide is going to drown County real early...
Eventful Stuff
Solo sesh. One guy ended up surfing the beachbreak for about thirty minutes, but I was the only one out there. I was ripping given the conditions too, pretty surprised no one else wanted to come out...
Wave of the Day
Sweet drop 4ft+ wave, bottom turn, cutback, wraparound, two fishy pumps, smack the face super hard. Doesn't sound like much, but given with what I was working with, I thought it to be pretty impressive. There were a bunch of other good ones too though.

Summary:
County Line, Malibu
5'10" Quad Beauty
11:30-1:30
3-4ft, 4ft+sets
2+/5

For the swell being gone, the waves are pretty fun...

Summary
Quick corners. A few mini barrels, nothing awe inspiring, but certainly an entertaining morning. Beautiful, clear, crisp, offshores. Life is good.
Waves
Short rides, quick corners, a few little closer smacks. Certainly the right board to get into these waves...need something a little fat to have a really good time I feel.
Crowds
Not, about a dozen came out as they saw me and a few others ripping the nonexistent swell.
Weather
Spectacular morning. Beautiful.
Forecast
Looks dead. DEAD. Not like "little" but straight up dead. That plus fatty morning tide....boo.
Eventful Stuff
Lauren the beautiful swimmer.
Wave of the Day

I had one fun right barrel that I made it out of. Little drop, barreled, section closes out so I shoot towards shore, make it back to the shoulder in time for a closing smack. Pretty fun.

Summary:
Zuma, Malibu
5'10" Southpoint Fish
7:00-8:30AM
1-3ft, waist +sets
2/5

Summary

Waves

Crowds    
Weather

Forecast

Eventful Stuff

Wave of the Day

Summary:
County Line, Malibu
5'10" Quad Beauty
7:00-9:00
2-4ft, 4ft+sets
3/5

Monday delight

Summary

Waves

Crowds    
Weather

Forecast

Eventful Stuff

Wave of the Day

Summary:
County Line, Malibu
5'10" Quad Beauty
7:00-10:00
3-5ft, 6ft sets
3+/5

F me...(but still worth it)

Summary
Fun. Worth it. A little painful. No pain, no gain, they say...
Waves
Good size, good shape. An absolute blast. Workable shoulders, lots of corners, a few little coverups, a lot of closeouts, and a relatively mellow crowd (given there actually being waves...)
Crowds  
Pretty moderate crowds. Not as bad as they could have been. Plenty of waves to go around. Definitely at least two hundred out at any one time, most surfing the point with a few dozen fooling around on the beach break.
Weather
Sunny, warm, light offshores. Beautiful morning.
Forecast
Tomorrow looks good, a little something on Tuesday and Wednesday, but after that doesn't look like there's going to be much of anything for some time...boo.
Eventful Stuff
I rolled my face on a rock. It slapped me pretty good on the back of my head, a nice little slash. Three more stitches. Perfect. That said, the session was well worth it. It would have been at least an hour longer if I didn't hurt myself...again.
Wave of the Day
I honestly don't know what to say. I had so many good ones. Probably half a dozen 3-4 turn waves. A few little closeout pops too. This board is SICCKKK. So much fun on good waves. I need a little shortboarding action soon though...

Summary:
County Line, Malibu
5'10" Quad Beauty
6:45-9:45
3-5ft, 6-8ft sets
3/5
Travis

Well, why the hell would you surf in the morning with waves like that in the afternoon...

Summary
The answer: you wouldn't. It was so damn good, I don't even know what to say. It was effing spectacular. It was inspiring. It was delightful. I also got to play with my little wrist cam. I have a little finagling before I'll get it down. Both Westward and County were fun, though each in their own ways. County was fun in the surfing way, Westward was fun in the delightful-morning-surf way.
Waves
Morning was small and inconsistent, the tide too high for it to be turning on well, rather closeouty. The evening was the opposite. Small between sets, sets were decent size, decent shape, a little bit of paddling to get into them but the point would jack the size up 1-2ft and they would break nicely (though only a foot or so above the rocks...
Couldn't ask for more, seriously. I mean you could, and that would be Ventura, but I'm happy with what I got...
Crowds
Only a half dozen out at Westward, including Brian. County was "crowded" with probably a hundred people scattered up and down the point. I was surfing the far point, going for the monster set waves. Soooo fun, and no crowds. Once the sun began fading the crowds thinned quickly....
Weather
Spec friggen tacular. The morn was chilly. The afternoon was perfect. A Malibu fall if there ever was one. Reminds me of home, except far more perfect of waves...and a point break.
Forecast
Tomorrow is bomb, should be 4ft, 5ft+sets super long period
Monday should be bomb, 3-4ft, 5ft sets
Tuesday should be bomb, 3-4ft
Etc. Doesn't calm down too much...thankfully.
Eventful Stuff
Nothing whatsoever. And it is delightful. I am busy as sin, I have a ridiculous amount of everything to do, three group projects, massive amounts of reading, and I feel spectacular. Life is great. I had a little beer after dinner, and it got me wired like no other. I have had the most productive evening of the last month, so I figured I'd make sure to update my surfing escapades...
Wave of the Day
There were so many, seriously. So many friggen amazing waves. I had a few little fast barrels at Westward, but nothing noteworthy. County I had a few little barrels. Eric claims he had a one and a half sec barrel, which sounds a little ridic but I'll give it to him. That's how good the waves were.
My best wave was a right, bomb monster wave. Eric is farther outside than me, paddling out and is like, "Alex, you got this?!" I look up and see this monster, probably six foot wave, nice little barrel already breaking out. I'm like, "Shit yea." Of course I'm too far inside in every respect, but that's why God created Quad fin boards...completely side drop, race the face, make it to the non-whitewatered face (unfortunately the barrel disappeared once it really started breaking...) do a nice little slap, down the face, racing the closeout section. Just ahead two kids (and a handful of other non-notable persons) start paddling for the wave, I'm like "wtf", they're like, "oh yea, this is a sick wave" so one of the kids drops in on me and sections the whole of the wave infront of me. Ass.

But really, that was a sweet (though seemingly uneventful wave, there was lots and lots of racing/pumping...) As well there was one little ramp wave that gave my sweet fish about a foot of frontside air. Delicious. That got me stoked for the rest of the day...and another afternoon session tomorrow. Awesome.

Summary:
Westward-Zuma, Malibu
6'1" Al Merrick MX
7:30-9:00
3ft, 4ft sets
2/5
Lauren

County Line, Malibu
5'10" Quad Beauty
3:45-6:00
3-4ft, 5ft sets
4/5
Eric

Such nice winds

Summary
And such bad waves. Not bad, per say, but nonexistent.  Maybe I'm being a little harsh. The waves are there, you just really can't surf them because they're too small. But the offshores are nice!
Waves
LAUGH. Small. Billy was right, should have gone back to sleep. So much for keeping the surf every day this month goal...
Crowds
Read: Waves
Weather
Chilly as can be. Sweet Santa Ana's. Delightful winds. Offshore like no other. But no waves.
Forecast
Read: Waves
Eventful Stuff
Went to County with Billy early, didn't see anything, so we drove back to campus and he dropped me off. Then I put my Southpoint in my car and headed to Zuma. I thought I saw something on the drive down. I was mistaken. I didn't. Oh well.
Wave of the Day
Read: Waves

Summary:
Zuma, Malibu
5'10" Southpoint Fish
7:00-7:45
1-2ft, like one 3ft wave
1/5

Make my arms sore...

Summary
But really, that's what the ocean did to me today. It also got me quite a few sweet little rides, but mostly just a ridiculous amount of paddle-induced soreness. I counted after one crappy wave how many paddles to get back out---250. No joke, wtf? I didn't even have to duck dive. Little inside currents too...
Waves
Set waves trumped the crap that was breaking everywhere. The beach break was working pretty well, tide not too high, plenty of power. That said, I was on my fatty fish, so "power" is somewhat deceptive. The right board for the day, that's for sure. No problem on the drops, even somewhat maneuverable. Mushy waves, but big enough that there was a little oomph to them. That said, from the shore they look like crap.
Crowds
Not too bad. Just Billy & Co. There were a handful of others who came out...lots of guys on crappy foam boards, but surfing pretty well.

Weather
Chilly, but not too cold. Beautiful morning, nice little offshores.
Forecast
So-so.
Eventful Stuff
Lily's. Delicious. Life is good.
Wave of the Day
One of the lefts. Which one, I don't really know. Probably the Billy "that was a nice drop" wave. Sweet 4.5ft face, drop, two cutbacks, racing the face. Not bad for the morning, or for the board. I've gotten pretty good at putting some body turning into the fatty fish's waves.

Summary:
County Line, Malibu
5'10" Southpoint Fish
7:45-9:30
3-4ft (sloppy), bigger sets
2+/5
Billy & Co

Refreshing ocean

Summary
Decent little surf today. A little size, a little power, pleasant conditions, overall a worthwhile surf. It certainly energized me, inspiring me to accomplish a little something with my day today. Thank you ocean!
Waves
Surprising size. Somewhat inconsistent, but when the waves came they came with a vengeance. Most waves were the chest-shoulder high range, although there were a few overhead bumps rolling through the lineup. Those pretty much went unridden, slapping everyone in the lineup with a reminder that they should be out farther.
Enough power for a few turns, wraps, slaps, etc. Not fast enough for anything too special, but it certainly was shortboardable. I had a lot of fun on my fish. Unfortunately duck-dove into a rock and nicked the tip...again. At least that one is an easy fix.
Crowds
A handful out. Only one guy out when I paddled, then as people saw us ripping more and more came. The point was going off (as much as it can on windswell...)
Weather
Sunny, chilly, beautifully crisp.
Forecast
Friday should have 2-3ft NW windswell, as well as a little 3ft S
Saturday should have a little 3ft S.
Sunday hopefully some NW groundswell, 3-4ft, bigger sets.

Monday hopefully more NW groundswell, 3-4ft, bigger sets.
Eventful Stuff
A little seal playing upside down munching on some greens. Belly up, fins up, pretty cute. This one didn't scare me, though most do.
Wave of the Day




I have a video posted of this one. Pretty fun, slipping and sliding through the crowds at County. Decent little set wave, there were quite a few, though this is one of my three favorite of the morning.

Summary:
County Line, Malibu
5'10" Quad Fish
7:00-9:15
3-5ft sets

Publish Post

2+/5

Dolphins always make the day better!

Summary
Overall a pleasant, relaxing session. Small, relatively inconsistent, but beautiful. I was forced to rate it a poor session because the surf was overall truly lacking, but the truth is I had a relaxing ocean jaunt.
Waves
Small, weak, lacking. Some decent waistish high sets would come through, but overall not much room for manuverability. Slow takeoffs, nothing much more than a bottom turn and cutback before too much speed was lost. Oh well.
Crowds
Very few out. Not bad at all.
Weather
Spectacular. Warm offshore Santa Ana's, smooth ocean texture, beautiful sky, not a cloud in sight. Hard life living in Malibu, really.
Forecast
Looks pretty bleh this week. Picks up towards the end of the weekend, at least one decent W swell coming in, as well a few little South's (waist high or so...) Oh well, October was overall pretty consistent and a blast. Ending a little slow isn't the end of the world.
Eventful Stuff
I woke up late because I was exhausted. Same deal tomorrow...things should slow down this week so.
Wave of the Day
One of the only big faces I saw today. ALMOST chest high, the only bomb I saw out there all hour, drop, big wall, half-face bottom turn, shacked for probably two seconds, then the wave slows and I bail. Thank you offshores...


Summary:
County Line
5'10" Quad Fish
7:30-8:30
3ft
1-/5

Summary

Waves

Crowds

Weather

Forecast

Eventful Stuff

Wave of the Day

Summary:
Zuma, Malibu
5'10" Quad Fish
8:00-9:15
3-4ft sets
2+/5

Summary

Waves

Crowds

Weather

Forecast

Eventful Stuff

Wave of the Day



Summary:
C-Street, Ventura
5'10" Quad Fish
10:45-1:00
3-5ft sets
2/5

County Line
5'10" Quad Fish
4:30-6:45
3ft, 4ft+ sets
4/5

There we go!

Summary
If only Westward were as good as County today...there just wasn't enough swell for it to break right. I need me some barreled video!
Waves
Pretty decent (vetoing Surfrider session)...quality shape, decent size. Overall tons of fun. Workable shoulders, lots of turns, cuts, snaps, even a few little boosts. Mmm mmm delicious.
Crowds
Not too bad. Certainly quite a few out, but I have learned to deal. I'm pretty aggressive (but nice) in the lineup, not afraid to paddle for waves I think I can get. I can get most of them too, so it works out pretty well.
Weather
Spectacular. Beautiful. Light winds.
Forecast
Good!!!
Eventful Stuff
Surfing the point, what a blast! Very decent waves today! Nothing exciting however.
Wave of the Day
One of the waves I was like, "Nah, I don't need to try to video this wave it's going to be mediocre."
Nice steep drop, pop off the bottom, sharpish cut off the top, bottom turn, adjust, half second barrel closeout. There were tons of other fun waves, but getting barreled (even if it's small/don't make it out) is just so much cooler...

Summary:
County Line
5'10" Quad Fish
8:00-10:15
3-5ft sets
3/5

Surfrider 2nd, Malibu
5'10" Quad Fish
4:30-5:30
A FEW 3ft sets\
1/5

Umm, so where are the standup barrels?

Summary
I heard rumors about them from yesterday. Where the heck are they? I didn't see any! I did see a few sweet shacks, but maybe 1/5 people out there got a decent coverup. Even though my surfing was crap today, I was one of those 5. I have to say, getting barreled on a fish is a bit harder...so fast. No complaining from me though =)
Waves
Bleh. I thought it would be a lot better. Apparently the swell doesn't fill in til this afternoon, and tomorrow is when it's going to be good. Waist high on average, with some chest high sets, occasionally bigger (depending on the temperament of the ocean...) Fast shape, pretty typical Zuma. Not weak, but too fast. Fun but lacking.
Crowds
A pretty hefty crowd out, quite a few more than I was expecting. Westwards should be worthwhile tomorrow, bigger swell and smaller crowds.
Weather
Beautiful, spectacular, inspiring morning.
Forecast
Looks gooodddd. Weekend should be fun, plenty of west to keep it peaky!
Eventful Stuff
Nathan. Bumped my nose/upper lip on my board, not too bad (no break...) but certainly enough to make me uncomfortable. =(
Wave of the Day
The ONE good wave I didn't record. Slow drop, bottom turn, cut off the top, see the wave walling up, so I adjust perfectly, duck into the barrel, about 3/4 of a second and it continues into a shoulder, fades from there. Pleasant surprise. But...the camera was off.

Summary:
Zuma s9-11, Malibu
5'10" Quad Fish
6:25-9:00
3-4ft sets
2/5
Vortech, Billy

Meteor Shower!

Summary
But really, that is what I define my morning by. I saw a handful, only three I counted on the way out. In all fairness I was only out for 20m before first light. That and my cam ran out of juice. Sad day.
Waves
Fun. Really fun. Fast, decent size, workable, inspiring. Pretty decent little (decent sized) waves, more consistent than yesterday, comparable size/conditions.
Crowds
A handful out. Not crowded by any means, but few waves went unclaimed.
Weather
Light santa ana's, offshore early on, then still. The faces were beautiful, lots of hollow shoulders, everything an absolute blast.
Forecast
!!!
Eventful Stuff
Camera died. Meteor shower. Good life.
Wave of the Day
One of the unrecorded beauties. Decent, fast right. Sweet drop, bottom turn, cutback, adjust into the face, little 3/4 sec barrel, make it out, shoot up the face and race the closeout section. I lost, no finisher because I wasn't expecting to end so soon. Still lots of fun.

Summary:
Surfrider 2nd, Malibu
5'10" Quad Fish
6:25-9:15
4ft+ sets
3-/5

Not as small, just as fun...

Summary
In all seriousness, I had a blast. A surprising amount of swell both morning and afternoon. Pretty darn quality stuff too, no kidding around, spectacular shoulders to be had. Unfortunately my surfing was a bit off today. Oh well, can't win them all!
Waves
Waist-shoulder high sets at Surfrider 2nd. 1st was inconsistent as can be. There was one giant set that rolled through, I sat in the right spot for more than twenty minutes, but nothing else comparable rolled through, and I looked like an idiot on a fish. No more of that...2nd waves it was from then on. They were consistently 1-2ft bigger, way faster, and surprisingly workable given the "supposed to be OK 3ft" swell.
Crowds
1st was packed. 2nd had between one and two dozen out.
Weather
Beautiful. Cross/offshore winds.
Forecast
Looks good. Pretty decent swell through Sunday...should be a blast.
Eventful Stuff
Brian in the afternoon at Latigo, randomly. Some sweet waves out there...too bad it was so mushed by the wind. Certainly surfable, but not "good".
Wave of the Day
I had some sweet rights and lefts at 2nd. The best was one of those unrecorded moments...chest+ wave, beautiful drop, pop right up cutback, wrap, race, cutback, wave walls up, wave runs into another wave, the lump between the two pops me up about a foot, I land, skid for a second, then bail. That one was a lot of fun...

Summary:
Surfrider 2nd, Malibu
5'10" Quad Fish
7:10-9:00AM
3-5ft sets
3-/5

Latigo, Malibu
7'6" Al Merrick M13
5:15-6:15PM
4ft+sets
2+/5

Small but AMAZINGLY fun...

Summary
Seriously, now I remember why 1st is such an amazing spot. That wave is absolutely inspiring. When it goes off, it goes off. Doesn't matter what board you're riding, absolutely shreddable wave whoever is on it. Beautiful beautiful beautiful...hopefully I can get a few more not crowded mornings here this fall. I am quite hopeful.
Waves
Nothing. Then almost chest high beautiful sets of 2-3 waves. Just enough for all four people in the lineup. Spectacularly workable, seriously perfect in every way. Nice workable wall, hollow at some points, perfect for nice slices and cuts, always enough time for a nice snap at the end. Inspiring.
Crowds
Four out for my whole session. A few SUPers came out toward the end, but I was drained.
Weather
Spectacularly beautiful. Plenty warm, light breeze. Gorgeous morning.
Forecast
Looks great. A little south swell tue/wed, thursday-monday has a nice swathe of west coming in. Head high glory...I am STOKED for some more Westwards barrels...
Eventful Stuff
1st point, going off, with four people out. You'd think there was no light or something...but no, it was beautiful in every respect and STILL not crowded.
Wave of the Day
One right at first. Near four foot, perfect wave. Giant wall, drop, bottom turn, cutback, bottom turn, wrap, cutback, race, little barrel, snap. I was like, "WTF AND THERE ARE FOUR PEOPLE HERE AT FIRST?" Then a few more came out because some were watching on the beach...

Summary:
Surfrider 1st Pt, Malibu
5'10" Quad Fish
7:00-8:15AM
3ft (slightly+) sets
3/5

Two to start, one to finish

Summary
Quite frankly, I am surprised at the fun quality of the Zuma waves today. Fast, but big ol' shoulders to play with. Turns galore. Lots of folks out even though the swell was supposed to be dying down. I guess I just didn't pay much attention to the reports for Sunday, didn't think it was going to be anything special. In the end, it was pretty fun. Not spectacular, but pretty close.
Waves
Average waist-chest high sets, maybe SLIGHTLY bigger, but not much. Open shoulders, right place, right time kind of day. That said, I was in the right place at the right time a lot. Three amazing "wtf this is Zuma and it's not that big" waves. Good enough for me.
Crowds
A lot out. I ended up parking really far from my usual spot (9), and I'm thinking about surfing this spot more. Lots of rights, a few fast lefts, and amazing shape. I was genuinely surprised, what with the textured ocean and all. At least two or three hundred out scattered around Zuma. I went late, though.
Weather
Overcast, chilly, light breeze. Pleasant, but not warm.
Forecast
Tomorrow is up in the air, I'm going out but I'm not sure how early (depends on the CDIP at 7:00 tomorrow...)
Eventful Stuff
Stitches out tomorrow. Exciting day. Lots of little kids, some decent surfers, mostly the typical I-surf-once-a-month folks. Can't argue with that...more waves for me =)
Wave of the Day
I had three darn sweet waves. Two to start, one to finish. The first two were fast shoulders, quick take offs, sharp bottom turn, cutback, bottomturn, sharp cut off the top, wrap around, race the closeout shoulders, snap at the end. I was like, "wtf do I not have my camera on for...that would be a SWEET video..." I seem to surf better without it...oh well =)

Summary:
Zuma (creek mouth), Malibu
5'10" Quad Fish
8:00-9:00AM
4ftsets
2+/5

Some fun to be had!

Summary
Even though I went for a late morning surf, and the tide was maxed out, I was having a blast. I got my three sweet waves and decided to call it quits. Lots of work to do, I had no camera, the ultra-high tide was shutting it down, and I was pretty tired. All in all, a worthwhile morning. The afternoon was fun too.
Waves
Amazing shape in the morning. Quite frankly I was amazed. Tons of rights, a handful of lefts, all with wide open shoulders, enough for wraps, cuts, slaps, wiggles, waggles, and tons of popping up, down, all around. Perfect board for today for sure. I had a blast. The afternoon was a little blown out and closeouty shape, but there were some decent sets rolling through.
Crowds
Both in the morning and afternoon. Apparently there is more swell than I thought there was going to be---ended up to be moderate crowds at both Zuma and County. Zuma was full of (ripping) little kids. County of typical valley folk.
Weather
Overcast, a little chilly, cross shore breeze in the morning. The afternoon was still a little breezy, but sunny and quite warm. Lots of folks trunking it, I used my spring suit.
Forecast
Looks like fun. Waves for the next week! Yay!
Eventful Stuff
First time I've gone surfing with Brian. I've been out with him before, but first time I went with him. He rips, and he's a lot of fun to go out with.
Wave of the Day
Zuma wave for sure. Sweet drop, super sharp bottom turn, slap the top of the wave, down the face, bottom turn super sharp almost-fall-off-the-board cutback, race the face, wraparound, straightshot, walls up with a little snap at the end. It made me very happy.

Summary:
Zuma, Malibu
5'10" Quad Fish
7:00-8:45AM
4ft+sets
3/5

County Line
5'10" Quad Fish
11:45-1:00PM
2-4ft sets
2/5
Eric B., Brian

Ridic barrels at Westward...

Summary
Put simply, there was some pretty darn fun surf today. Lots of barrels, lots of shoulders, beautiful fun to be had both morning and afternoon. Can't argue with that.
Waves
Westwards was steep. Not big, but moderate sized fun. Mix of rights and lefts. The lefts were fast barrels, the rights generally had better, somewhat workable shoulders. Staircase was a mix of rights and lefts, much slower takeoffs, a little mushy but fun nonetheless. Workable on all fronts.
Crowds
Spongers at Westward. No one taking it too seriously, everyone out having fun. A handful at Staircase too, mostly just really bugger kids who wouldn't be quiet (or stop snaking...)
Weather
Beautiful. Sunny, warm, spring suit afternoon. Delightful weather all around. I love it. 
Forecast
Looks OK. Tomorrow should be OK, not great, after that the swell dies down a fair bit through next week. There will be more as there are a bunch of NPAC storms so shouldn't be flat anytime through the end of October.
Eventful Stuff
Stitches are no issue. I followed the rules and took 48hours off. No infection, they look good. Shouldn't be too bad of a scar. SICKKK barrels at Westward. So much fun, oh my god...
Wave of the Day
For Westwards wave, the barrel in the below video.

Summary:
Westwards, Malibu
5'10" Quad Fish
7:00-8:45AM
4ft+sets
3/5

Staircase, Malibu
5'10" Quad Fish
3:00PM-6:00PM
3-4ft+sets
3/5
Mia & Basil

Umm...yea. Eight stitches.

Summary
So my surf every day this month is now f'ed up. Thanks, face, for smashing into my board. Much appreciated. That said, this morning was surf filled. Stormy, but waves were had.
Waves
Crappy. Pretty bad shape, pretty sucky drops, pretty lumpy. I know my surfing was off. No biggie, but it certainly makes me sad. That and they owned me.
Crowds
There were about five others out, pretty much all ripping way more than me. I was just off I guess.
Weather
Overcast, rainy, ESE winds (cross), generally dismal. Unfortunately not inspiring. I should have just taken the day off...my loss.
Forecast
Looks good. Too bad I'm pretty trashed...the whole gash in the face and all.
Eventful Stuff
Slamming my head into my board really really really hard. Basically the end of a wave I jump off my board, and go to land on it, but my hand slips and the board smacks me in the jaw REALLY hard. By the time I get back to the car my board is covered in blood. So is one of my nice Al Mer shirts...boo
Wave of the Day
The smack-me-in-the-face wave. Surprisingly decent, 4 1/2ft wave, fun drop, slap the face, race it, starts slowing down so I kick out, board smacks me in the face. Wish my best wave never happened... oh well.

Summary:
County Line, Malibu
5'10" Quad Fish
7:00-8:45
4ft, 5ft+set
1+/5

Of course it gets better just as I'm leaving...

Summary
As I get back on the bluffs after my session, a consistent set of 4ft+ waves comes, each with enough for one big turn and a closer. I was spited by the ocean today. Can't win them all I guess. Overall the session was inconsistent, decent sets but peaky in random places. I tried the point but it wasn't working at all, so moved closer to the beach break. I had fun, but would have waited til 8:00 to go had I known it was going to clean up so much and be loads more fun towards the end of the session. Shortboard tomorrow hopefully!
Waves
Meh. Most of the session was 2-4ft mushballs. They look good, but they're hard to get in to, slow, and overall much prettier than they are good. That said, today had its gems. There were one or two decent fifteen second rides, fast shoulders with a handful of turns. Those were rare though...most were whitewater closeouts.
Crowds
I was the first out, three more guys came once I was in the water (trying) to surf.
Weather
Overcast, chilly, ENE winds (cross/off, but they turned more offshore towards the end, cleaning everything up...), rainy. Earplug day, no more sinus infections for me thank you. Hopefully this weather will help my allergies...I'm dying of congestion.
Forecast
Looks stormy tomorrow, much better Thursday, FUN Friday/Saturday/Sunday/Monday. After that, God only knows...
Eventful Stuff
The first Malibu rain in months...and months...and months. Probably since mid spring. It's good. No fires please.
Wave of the Day
Laugh. Hmm, chest high right off the point, did a sliding side drop (twin fin...) cut off the bottom, slapped the face, raced it for a few seconds, saw it was going to close out, shot up the (small) face and did as sharp a cutback as a 21" x 2.5" board can do. I wanted more...but they didn't want me.

Summary:
County Line, Malibu
5'10" Southpoint
7:00-8:45
2-3ft, 4ft sets most of the session
1+/5

Small...small surf...

Summary
Very, very small. Rather inconsistent, though surprisingly fun sets. I had a few surprisingly fun sets. Not particularly consistent, or big, but today had its moments.
Waves
Ankle to knee high for the most part, but there were a few (and I stress that intentionally) almost waist high sets. Those ended up being pretty fun, I had one little right barrel at 1st, and a few two turn waves. Given the size, it was fun.
Crowds
There were three out at 1st when I paddled out. A handful more came out as the morning progressed. All longboarding, else me.
Weather
Overcast, chilly, offshores, light rain. Ear plugs.
Forecast
Delightful. Rain, storms, south winds. Could be worse, at least there's some swell! Should be waist high + through early next week. Conditions are a little iffy, but I suspect the mornings will be fun.
Eventful Stuff
Nothing. Still fixing my beautiful blue board....it makes me sad.
Wave of the Day
I paddled over to 2nd and had a few fun waves over there. The best was an (almost) waist high wave, drop, race, cutback, race, snap. Not bad for being so small...

Summary:
Surfrider 1st/2nd, Malibu
5'10" Southpoint
7:00-8:00
1-2ft, a few 3ft sets
1+/5

There is a nap in my future...

Summary
There were five longboarders sitting 20 feet off the shorebreak at County. Needless to say, Leo was the right choice.
Waves
Not many. Not big. Pretty crumbly weak shape. The sets were pretty fun, but 10-15mins between them, so the little interm waves had to make due. And so they did...not much chance for turns, usually just cruising / wall up / snap.
Crowds
SOLO! There were a few surfers who were watching me surf for about 20 minutes. I made sure not to get any good waves so they wouldn't come out. Needless to say, if there were ONE longboarder out, I would have had no fun at all.
Weather
Overcast, chilly. Not too strong of breeze, but there was a little NW early. Probably blown out early in the afternoon.
Forecast
Mediocre/small tomorrow, then mediocre/big Tuesday/Wednesday, then fun/good size Thursday, fun/pretty good size Friday, fun/fun size Saturday, fun/fun size Saturday/Sunday/Monday. 4/7 good days in a week seems pretty good to me. I'm hopeful. I actually think that Tuesday/Wednesday are going to be fun, I'll just hit them both pretty early.
Eventful Stuff
I went to sleep at like 2:30...so I didn't sleep much at all. That is why I say I will have a delightful nap this afternoon. It will happen.
Wave of the Day
I had a few surprisingly fun waves. The best I would have to say was my (right...obviously) little waist high + set wave, actually broke off the rock, pretty fast, drop, wrap back, shooting along straight shot til it walled up and spit me out. Makes you think it's funny there's no one else out surfing...

Summary:
Leo Carrillo, Malibu
5'10" Southpoint
7:45-9:00
2ft, occasional 3ft sets
2-/5

I crave more...

...waves and Lily's...

Summary
Small, but remarkably fun. I wasn't all that hopeful, and the session started out pretty slow, but there certainly was some fun to be had. This weekend should be the smallest surf of the next week plus.
Waves
Small, but overall not that bad of shape. A little crumbly but not too bad. Slow enough that you can get a cut or two in most shoulders, fast enough that they're actually somewhat fun (for being small...)
Crowds
Hardly any out. The reports were for pretty small surf so no one decided to hit the beach. Oh well!
Weather
A little overcast and chilly. I'm pretty sure it was foggy the night before as the air was pretty moist and there was a little crunchy water texture on the sand.
Forecast
Small weekend, bigger week. S / W swells both fill in for most of the week, should be some sloppy head high swell, and lots of bacteria. No doubt in my mind that I'll get a few decent sessions in.
Eventful Stuff
Disneyland yesterday. Tired. Football post-session. Lily's. Busy weekend.
Wave of the Day
Eh, a little right. There were a few little mini-mini barrels. For the most part just drop, cutback, race closeout, snap. As workable of 2ft waves as you can get...

Summary:
Zuma S9-10, Malibu
5'10" Quad Beauty
7:30-9:00AM
3ft+ sets
1+/5

Even more waves...

Summary
Quite surprisingly, the October swell continues. I know this is not just my good attitude because there were probably at least a hundred others out today. All the forecasts I was looking at looked mediocre at best. Not saying it was great, but there were some pretty fun, punchy little waves. Most shoulders either walled up and barreled for half a second on the inside, or there was enough room for two or three turns. Fun.
Waves
Decent size, shape, consistency. Not great, but workable. I had low expectations so I didn't even bring my cam. I've decided I'm just going to leave it in the car from now on because every time I don't bring it I wish I had.
Crowds
Around tower 9 there were about two or three dozen out, off and on. Over the course of the session probably 50 or so total. Up and down the beach there were people scattered everywhere. Westwards didn't look like it was working though.
Weather
A little chilly, offshores, slightly overcast with the sun peeking through. Good conditions for surfing, although I wish I could sport the spring suit this early still...
Forecast
Meh for the weekend. Sunday looks OK, the rest of next week should be at least 3ft, then bigger as we head towards midterms / next weekend. I am quite hopeful that this month will prove to be quite worthy of an every-day-I-will-surf attitude. Yay!
Eventful Stuff
Disneyland. I'm pretty sure I saw some kind of big fish out in the ocean. I saw a splash and I heard a couple other people talking about it. Probably just a porpoise jumping up but I don't know for sure. Just psyching myself out because of the whole sunset shark-breaching sequence. Scary.
Wave of the Day
Once again, nothing spectacular. There were a few really sweet drops that I actually made (thank you quad fins), both rights, one walled up, did a half cutback off the top, adjusted, and got a nice 3/4sec barrel. The second was a slow-ish Zuma wave, almost chest high, sweet drop, cutback, wrap, cutback, wrap, wave dies. Lots of other fun ones too though.

Summary:
Zuma S9-10, Malibu
5'10" Quad Beauty
7:00-9:00
3ft+ sets
2+/5

Spectacular fun!

Summary
Sweet session. I was out there for a heck of a lot longer than I thought I was. Must mean it was good. It was very good, with intense waits between goodness.
Waves
Up and down. The good waves had some quality shoulders, two or three great turns on tons of waves. There was even one little mini air (sub 1ft). When the sets faded, everything disappeared. Oh well, when it was good it was good.
Crowds
The best part of my session had three people out at 2nd surfing one consistent, sweet right.
Weather
Sunny, offshore breezy, beautiful morning. Spectacular.
Forecast
Looks mediocre through the early part of next week. After that there should be some decent swell all through next weekend.
Eventful Stuff
Inconsistent. The session started out pretty powerful and good, after thirty minutes the waved disappeared for almost forty five minutes, then came back with a vengeance. Beautiful, quality, fun. Can't argue with that.
Wave of the Day

I had some sweet set waves. This was a chest high + wave out of the middle of nowhere, there was a guy a little farther inside paddling for it, but he looked at me seeing that I was in a better spot, gave me the nod, and I had a bomb wave. Sweet drop, pretty steep face, shot along the top, two sweet cutbacks, a section infront of me falls, I make my way around it, get two more turns in and a little closeout snap. Dang fun, probably twelve or thirteen second wave.

Summary:
Surfrider 2/3, Malibu
5'10" Quad Beauty
7:00-9:00
3ft, inconsistent 4ft+ sets
3+/5

Getting better!

Summary
Really though. More fun than yesterday. Faced with the same limitations though---inconsistent sets. All the people on shore see you ripping these waves and are like, "I should go out there." So it ends up getting crowded, even though there aren't that many waves. Overall quite fun, certainly worth it.
Waves
Were pretty good shape. A bit steeper, though a touch smaller than yesterday. Even better, more open, more workable shoulders. Nothing oh-my-god spectacular, but lots of fun ones, quite a few decent turns in. Can't argue with that. The weeks of "no swell" in Southern California continue... Started out OK, tide was rising, got pretty weak for a bit, then I moved a little closer to 2nd and Surfrider started going off. Became much more consistent (at least for a bit) with tons of waves to be had. Steep drops, a few little barrels, quite a few sweet turns. I think I'm going to put the FCS plug sticky on my shortboard...
Crowds
A tad less crowded than yesterday, although arguably much better. Probably 2-3 dozen total out 2nd/3rd, mostly by 2nd as the tides/size wasn't right for 3rd.
Weather
Mediocre. Beautiful sunrise, sweet lighting. All in all it was chilly, some pretty stiff offshores (hard life right?), and a little texture on the ocean (offshores again...)
Forecast
Looks good. I am going every day in October so it better be good. I don't like wasting my time =)
Eventful Stuff
Nope, no one wanted to go with me today. Their loss. Sweet session. Sweet session indeed.
Wave of the Day
Too many to think off. Really though, I probably had at least a dozen really fun rights, multiple turns, a few little barrels too. Can't argue with that. Steep drops even though the size wasn't much. The waves would jack up just before they'd start to break. Lots of fun.

Summary:
Surfrider 2/3, Malibu
5'10" Quad Beauty
6:45-9:45
3-4ft, bigger on the (somewhat) inconsistent sets
3/5

Delightful offshores...

Summary
Sweet. Pretty dang fun surfing, decent waves, beautiful offshores. Chilly, but worth the chill. Went out with Mia. Got some sweet footage.
6/31
Waves
Good size, good shape, hollow because of the offshores, all around beautiful. Unfortunately super inconsistent, consistent with the last few days...oh well. Pretty much what I was expecting (except way better...)
Crowds
Really not so much. There were quite a few at 2nd but Mia/I stayed away (aka farther inside, deeper...)
Weather
Sunny, beautiful, chilly. Spectacular sunrise.
Forecast
Looks pretty mediocre. There are waves through the weekend, but it will drop in size pretty significantly. I am hopeful for mid/late next week.
Eventful Stuff
Camera...sweet waves.
Wave of the Day
I'll post it on YouTube tomorrow. It's a pretty sweet one too. I had a few great ones, but I think this was the best of them.
Sweet drop, cutback/wraparounds/little cuts, lots of fun.


Summary:
Surfrider 2/3, Malibu
5'10" Quad Beauty
7:00-9:15AM
4ft+ on inconsistent sets
3/5
Mia

It seems I am in constant need of a nap...

Summary
Getting up early every day is draining. That and the whole 8.5 hours of class in addition to 3 hours of surfing. That said, both sessions were delightful, super fun, if a little inconsistent. Conditions were quite pleasant, nice offshores. Life is good.
Waves
Both were sets-only surfing. Non-set waves weren't even worth the energy of thinking of. That said, the set waves held some pretty decent potential. Surfrider sets were going off! A little tough on shape but overall there were some shoulders, some barrels, and some giant smiles. Latigo was SLLLOOOOWWW, I would have been better off on my Southpoint, but I still had a blast on the Beauty...

Crowds
Not. Surfrider had about a dozen out off and on between 2nd and 3rd. Latigo had one old guy and two USC kids. Overall not an issue once.
Weather
Beautiful skies, delightful offshores. Pretty bitter cold with those, though. Unfortunate...actually had to wear a wetsuit.
Forecast
Looks like fun! This weekend is pretty dead, but every day through it looks like it will be at least waist high. Can't argue with that. Maybe I'll even go to Topanga once?
Eventful Stuff
None.
Wave of the Day


















Summary:
Surfrider  /  Latigo Point, Malibu
5'10" Quad Beauty
6:45AM-8:30AM  / 4:30PM-5:30PM
4-5ft+ on inconsistent sets (both)
3/5

I need a nap...

Summary
Slow. Very very slow. Very very slow and very very inconsistent. I would have been better off on the Southpoint today---conditions just a tad too small for this board to really be working. I was hopeful because of last night's session.
Waves
Put simply, there weren't many. High tide, boo. It should be a bit more manageable tomorrow, but today it was a fatty lump for pretty much my whole session. That killed the shape of the (few) waves that actually managed to make it through. The sets had potential, but the ONLY wave that I was really excited for I got snaked by a paddle surfer. Non sets did not exist. Sets were between 3-5ft.
Crowds
There were about a dozen out at Latigo, not bad given the fact that Latigo, Surfrider, and Topanga are probably the only spots working anywhere in LA today...
Weather
Sunny, offshore at Latigo (thanks NW winds...), huge onshore chop everywhere else.
Forecast
Looks pretty decent for the week. At least 3ft every day, so it should be pretty fun. Good thing too, because at least the first half of the month will actually be surfable, thankfully. Tuesday on should have more workable spots north of Latigo as the windswell funk dies.
Eventful Stuff
Painful conditions. Other than that, really nothing so special.
Wave of the Day
This would be my last wave. Sitting just outside the shorepound, ready to go in between sets, I see a wave that looks like it might actually break. The other guy heading in starts paddling for it, misses it (fatty + tide) so I get it. Not huge, but between 4-5ft, good face, bottom turn, cutback, a little toddling around, then it hits the inside of the beachbreak, walls up, and closes out. I make it off just in time. Fun.

Summary:
Latigo Point, Malibu
5'10" Quad Beauty
7:30-9:15
4-5ft on the VERY inconsistent sets
2/5 (only because the sets were few, and very far between