Spring Surf Log 2023

[Major Lazer]

For all you Spring mofos who don't surf winter

March has been better than expected, but the onshore crap conditions look to have returned per usual for Spring Break. 2-3 foot thigh slappers in 75 degree water here in SW Fla this am. Actually really fun on rented 8'6" Stewart LB. Gromitas even paddled out on some foamies.

[Howly Wolf]

3/23/24. 7 am. Was driving north on the 101 and had just passed Picture Windows Lane when about 100 yards in front of me a creature scrambles east across the highway. First thought was dog, then bear, but neither clicked with the shape or gait. It appeared black and slender with a bushy tail; it bounded with what seemed like a sense of determination. I decelerated and scanned the roadside, but it had vanished into the woods by the time I passed.

Over the past few days, this sighting stuck with me. Random animals would occur to me and I'd look at images to pinpoint what I saw. But ermine and mink are too small, a fox would be too dainty, badgers have different coat color, ditto with coyotes, cougars are unmistakable from any distance, sasquatches are nocturnal... Eventually figured it was a juvenile bear and I was too far away to identify it clearly.

And then I saw this today: https://yachatsnews.com/wolverine-visits-coast/

Which blew my mind because wolverine was my third thought and I immediately wrote it off because, well, they don't live at the coast. But that's EXACTLY what it looked like.

I guess the only problem is that rangers believe there's only one wolverine in the area and there was a confirmed sighting near Newport the day before my 'encounter'. So in lieu of a report to ODFW, I'm providing an OSP exclusive since here seems a better fit for subjective and unsubstantiated observations. Will be interesting if any more sightings pop up on the North Coast.

P.S Surf was ok. Some fun ones in the mix, but inconsistent, slight crumble, and crowded. Such is Spring.

[BOX]

Obligatory

[Major Lazer]

You fakas can have April...... conditions the past 3 or 4 weeks do not motivate me one bit. Heard the crowds were thick last weekend. Guess the groundhog has come out of his hole.

[Tex]

I am more of a May guy myself....

[Major Lazer]

I don't typically surf by the calendar, I surf when there's waves, but May and June can be fun and if the winds are chill opens up the playing field. Regardless, I don't like to go more than 2 weeks without a surf unless it's the dead of Summer and flat or storms cycles of winter and there's no other choice.

Had a few April sessions last week mostly motivated by the arrival and pick up of new custom I ordered back in late Feb. One had some pretty solid swell and was focusing on a sandbar with a nice channel, but the waves were backing off a bit despite the size. Felt slow and a bit out of paddle shape not having surfed in a few weeks but managed a few fun feeling FS wraps back into the pocket on new twinny chunk sled on some of the better waves. Went back a few days later and was white capping by 10:00 a.m. which is something I haven't seen in a long time. Opted for shelter which was kind of a gravel session and a bit frustrating on the new board with the wind blowing right up the face of the lefts. Smallest weakest waves I've surfed in a long time and was not that stoked on new board. Woulda done better on old HP egg I offed. Need to replace that niche I think, but with something like a mini mal. Like the Bing Collector. Anyway highlight was surfing and hanging out with a kid I've known since he was a baby and now has the surfing bug. I recently gave him a pretty new hyperfreak and took him out for his first time when he was like 10. Now he's 19 and getting after it on his own camping and surfing for days on end.

[Howly Wolf]

Quick hit to Waco for the celestial event and a dip in the pool. Dismal forecast for both-- incoming clouds for eclipse, severe thunderstorms for pool. Skies fortunately parted for both. Mind melting 4 minutes of totality over dissipating clouds plus all the weird light phenomena and high frequency vibes that come with it. Following morning was a downpour with all the trimmings-- lightning, thunder, and tornado warnings. Luckily weather mellowed in time for afternoon wavepool session. Opted for the intermediate wave and sussed it out on 6' libtech puddle fish. Pretty much blew the first half of the session figuring out positioning, but dialed it in for the second half and got a few good turns in. Waves are pretty damn good-- much better than they appear on video-- but the approach is very different than the ocean. Definitely fun for a simulation, but I'll take shifty, lumpy, occasionally macking April Oregon waves any day.

By the by, seemed like the pool was sporting the cleanline logo too? Are they affiliated? It not, will Josh give me a cut out of any forthcoming copyright lawsuits?

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[Major Lazer]

Eclipse chaser and pool wave rider, eh? Didn't get you fill in 2017 right here at home?

Good to hear about that wave. Been thinking about a long weekend or 4 day strike with a day in Austin for a while now. Figured 2 sessions a day for 2 days starting with mid range and moving to advanced. Rental board selection is good I hear? Heard that place eats boards, so might not what to surf your own. Think I would opt for a Lost Lib Rad Ripper that just dropped or a RNF Redux. Assuming they has some of those? How did you size your board with buoyancy of the fresh water? Thinking a little more volume......

[Howly Wolf]

Didn't get you fill in 2017 right here at home?

Ha! That's like being asked if you've had your fill of tubes.

Your plan is sound. The intermediate wave is fun enough; the advanced, highly rippable. Definitely not worth risking your own board-- pool is a pool and a shallow one at that. They offer a decent selection of LibTech and Firewire, a few Aipas surprisingly and a few from ...lost. They'll email a stocklist if you ask. As for volume, I sized down a liter or so from my RNF retro. Figured lack of salinity and lack of wetsuit would even out. Didn't really notice the difference, but might've had too many brain cells concentrated on where to sit, when to paddle and in what direction, not to mention getting accustomed to the artificial current created when the machine revs up a set.