To Surf or not to Surf

[Major Lazer]

Yeah, but what do they think about the virus?

Interesting OSP (Oregon State Parks) is accommodating Spring Break vs closing ASAP.

[Howly Wolf]

It looks like they’re only accommodating existing reservations. Regardless, looks like a lot of my neighbors are prepping for weekend adventures much to the dismay of our rural and coastal counterparts. Topped off my stoke reserve over the past month, so I’ll probably stay put for now, but like a hydra, a hundred kooks will take my place. Sprinnng (cough) Breaaaak!

[X-squid]

I'm planning to surf - we have a shared family place in LC and have had plans before all this nonsense started to stay through this weekend and into next week. Non-stop drive from the 'burbs, house is stocked, and there's plenty of breaks down there that you can get some semi-isolation. Hell I've surfed right off those rocks at 15th in front of all the hotels, alone, several times. Even if there's a few heads in the water I don't see any issue with keeping some distance.

I've been cooped up in my home office with two moody kids and my wife who just got laid off for over a week... I'm going surfing.

[Major Lazer]

I hear yah X-Squid and sorry to hear about wife laid off. I heard of other peps I know getting laid off.

Had to go to the office yesterday for a bit so figured I'd keep on trucking west given it's on the way out and in light of potential PDX shelter in place. Forecast was far from epic, but small swell and no wind were the variables I was looking for to execute plan.

Took a nice long piss in the coast range and the spot I figured would have waves, looked promising. Parked in my usual spot a block away from where most people park. Was just me and a grumpy looking cleaning lady, of which I don't blame. She split and I suited and booted and waxed quad fishy for 1st time in a while, no one around. Just as I was about finished putting a leash on board, fam with Cali plates rolled into the one spot next to me. They asked if there was other parking to access a nearby natural feature. Said there was, but not much closer, so just walk from here because its practically right there AND less people around. That was the closest I came to anyone and only convo I had until returning home.

There was a small pack of maybe 5 heads on a peak down the beach, but opted for the same chunk of sand I usually surf just off the house with the red window trim. The rare evening glass made for some kinda grovley yet serviceable waist high rights. Pretty racey and some peeled for quite a ways if you milked them. Had a few that kinda pushed into another wave on the inside that bowled up a bit. A gut back here and a floater there and maybe a snap or two through out session. Soul arched on one that was to week to do anything on but cruuuuise...... Eventually a guy paddled up from the pack and joined me on the rights, but he kinda kept his distance. He eventually went in and surfed until the sun set even though the tide seemed to be turning things off. Got out, changed, admired the glowing horizon and dark ocean for a few, and drove straight home. No different than many sessions I've had and love, cold and lonely.

Nice physical and mental break, but electronic message boards reading "COVID-19 AVOID GROUPS" and "GIVE EXTRA SPACE TO EACH OTHER AND ON ROAD" quickly reminded me the reality Babylon is in.

[Tex]

x-squid- really sorry to hear about your wife getting laid off....these are crazy times.

ML- fun story, best one I have read on the interwebs all month. Great work.

[smithgrind]

Rolled with the fam to the north coast and spotted foul weather walking up the beach from the water.
He reckoned it wasn’t worth it but I had my suit on so out I paddled. He was kinda right. After an hour
plus of exercise in deteriorating conditions I bailed. Caught a handful, made some turns, paddled as much
and as hard as I could just for the fun of it.
When I got home I checked my phone and I had a rando voicemail from Doc. He said I should go surfing.
Funny guy that Doc.

[Major Lazer]

State Parks closed. Not expecting to surf anytime soon and doubt I'll be going to Mex in May. Stay healthy, stay sheltered, and hope for the best And remember the waves of the past.......

[Major Lazer]

People keep pointing to the data that is half reliable at best. Granted rural areas are going to see less cases, but there is simply more testing being done in urban areas. If your a local and paddling out to a tight peak with more than 6 or so heads, your part of the problem too IMO. If not, enjoy your space and get some waves for those of us who cant surf right now.

[Howly Wolf]

Here's to the waves of the future as well... Dusted off a 6'6 egg shape that made a good injury board last summer, but hasn't gotten much water time since. Set it down in the yard and practiced pop ups for a bit in the afternoon sun. The unmowed grass provided a slight illusion of paddling. Stoke was replaced by a uniquely pathetic feeling.

In other news, I have a lot of opinions about our local "leaders" at the moment-- I'll spare you the details, but will just say that I never expected the incompetency of the feds to be showed up on the state and local level.

https://www.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/ ... lives.html

In other news...

https://www.dailyastorian.com/coronavir ... 3ba9a.html

[Major Lazer]

Right. Its prob been there for a while. People from the coast go to the valley. It flows both ways right? But nothing like rich folks trying to close down their elitist beach towns and idiots who have no common sense to shelter in place making a stink. A messy situation I'm glad I don't have to deal with waves or not.

[Howly Wolf]

Just read Gov. Brown's E/O and am... confused. Seems like surfing is exempt as long as the break is within a reasonable distance from you and you keep a reasonable distance from others, so does this mean I can suit up & paddle around in the Willamette hoping for a tugboat to pass? More importantly, should I?

Box, what's the scene on the Central Coast? X-Squid, can you bless us with a dispatch from the LC? Hope you guys are at getting some good surf in as the rest of us descend into madness...

[BOX]

In regards to the central coast, I think when people first started pouring into town on Friday locals were in disbelief, like “really?” Then over the weekend it turned into annoyance. Now that the governor has closed all of the state beaches and trails, folks are downright pissed.

I didn’t surf this past weekend. I went bodyboarding with the wife instead (yeah…yeah…yeah…). She doesn’t like to surf and we had made plans to spend time together. Her hours have been cut dramatically so we spent the weekend hiking, kayaking, and sponging. We avoided the crowds for the most part and it was pretty nice.

My daughter works basically right at Agate Beach and she said that the parking lot there was completely full over the weekend. She also said someone had planted a sign near the changing rooms with big red letters that said something to the effect of “Go home tourists! Respect the locals!” which may or may not had to do with the coronavirus…

We went to a beach right by our house that is normally pretty chill with few people out. However, this weekend it was in full spring break mode with huge families setting up folding tables for big picnic spreads, groups playing ball, and all kinds of other stuff going on. That’s when we figured something was going to come down. If even our sleepy local beach was getting overrun by people disobeying the stay at home order, then we knew more enforcement was coming.

So, now beaches and trails are closed. I haven’t driven up north yet, but everything from Newport south to Waldport has barriers blocking the accesses. South Beach is blocked at both the park and the jetty. I assume that Otter Rock is blocked as well. Agate Beach Wayside is closed, but I don’t know yet if you can still get down the stairs near the lighthouse. I’m fairly positive that the city will have closed the changing rooms and bathrooms as they are closing all city parks as well. Boat launches are closed and so are any trailheads that start on state/federal land. To say that there is a lot of bitterness towards the tourists would be an understatement at this moment. I’m not going to tell anyone not to surf or to fuel their stoke, but be aware you might get some bad vibes from the locals around these parts if coming from out of town. There is a significant population of at-risk folks around here and the fear of running out of local resources isn't entirely unfounded.

In the meantime, we’ll figure it out. I know of some neighborhood beach accesses we can still use and there are local trails and forest roads we can still hike on. There’s a nearby slough to kayak in. It may be time to safari some new surf spots. I could really use a haircut, though.

[BOX]

Talked to my inside source and asked him if the city was closing down the bathrooms/changing rooms at Agate Beach. Was advised that they and Ernest Bloch Wayside will remain open for now. So it appears that you can at least access Agate from the top of the staircase (though the state parking lot down the road is closed) but my warning about surly locals still stands if one were to choose to come...

[Major Lazer]

The way I see it now, is stay home means stay home I'm walking in the park across the street and taking bike rides, but I am not driving to close by parks or trials just to hike or recreate.

[BOX]

The way I see it now, is stay home means stay home

That's a pretty good way to see it. Thanks, ML, Howly, and everyone else sticking close to home.

If it came across to anyone in my previous posts that I wasn't taking this seriously, that wasn't my intention. I was just passing on information. I've got a trail that's literally across the street from me. The slough is just down the hill I live on. The beach is like 2 minutes away. I'm still having to report to work but otherwise we are keeping it close to home for now. Stay safe and healthy everyone.