Sharktember

[BOX]

Went out to Agate Saturday around mid-morning. Only three of us in the water. Dude paddles up to me and asks where everyone is at. I mentioned the water health advisory, but it had been called off a day earlier. Maybe everyone else didn't hear and went up to Otter or down to South Beach instead?

The three of us took turns on a peak and it was a pretty decent morning. One of the guys graciously gave me a nice wave, but I couldn't stick the landing and fell off the back. I got close to making big drops several other times but same story, fell off the back. Getting closer though... I can feel it. Getting much better at board control once I'm up on my feet, though, so that's my positive takeaway from the session.

By the time I left around 1:00pm the wind had picked up and the place started filling out pretty heavily. Apparently everyone just slept in. No complaints on the day.

[Major Lazer]

Refreshingly quiet in your zone this weekend BOX (compared to North Coast standards). Counted 15 people on the beach and maybe 6 in the water at Otter on Sat around 4PM.

[Spent]

Surfed Friday, Sun, Mon. Very small windows each day but enough to make it worth it.

Sun evening there was a magic little window. SmithG and I had a peak to ourselves for a bit. Offshore winds, and lovely little waist to chest high waves, breaking both ways. Then a few people caught wind of our peak and came to join us. No worries, mostly friendly faces and we had made sure to get our share before that happened.

Took a few groms to the CB skatepark in exchange for a place to stay. That town was an absolute shitshow....

[Major Lazer]

1st 10 days off to kind of a slow start...... might get that backpacking trip I've been trying to do this summer in this weekend.

[Spent]

A little taste of fall yesterday before the tide flooded it and mushed things out. First time on the mid-length in months. Felt good but it needs more juice to really do its thing. Probably could have surfed my fish but crowds and long paddles north to empty peaks at U, made the 7'2" more appealing.

[Major Lazer]

Prob be another dry week for me, but get it while you can looks like it goes flatskis quickskis.......

[Howly Wolf]

Hopscotched across Newport yesterday trying to dodge the marine layer and family-friendly, good vibe surf contests. Failed at both though, since my session at SB fogged out after about 30 minutes and the Agate Beach Classic was still in full swing when I showed up there. Had fun watching the local rippers do their thing and soaking in the aforementioned positive vibes. Fog blew in during the ladies finals though, which was kind of a drag, because I prefer watching the sisterhood throw down. Eventually enjoyed a blindingly bright, clear evening sesh locking into a few sizeable rights on the rising west swell. Fairly clean conditions, but swell seemed somewhat disorganized on the receding tide and I found it a little tricky to hold position in the takeoff zone. Was very much looking forward to surfing again this morning, but visibility did not jive with the time available to me before work. Not sure whether to blame capitalism, typical Oregon conditions, or myself for heading too far south, so I'll just blame the kids these days with their newfangled smartphones and their dyed hair and their Beyonce music.

[Spent]

Blame Obama or New Portland.

[Major Lazer]

How friggen foggy was it? Usually once yer out there it's no biggie right? I always go by never leave waves to find waves.

Enough swell to run a shortboard contest? Although every dog can have its day, Agate seems the least accommodating shortboard wave and have rarely surfed it good. Guessing you didn't miss much on Mon. Winds were up and even social securities looked like a junk show.

[BOX]

I was volunteering at the Agate Beach Classic on Sunday. The day started out beautifully but by around 11:00 (or during the women's final, as Howly noted) the fog rolled in so thick you couldn't even see the first break. They sent the 12-18 boys out but had to call them back as even the spotters with binoculars couldn't see them out there or make out the colors of their jerseys. They put the contest on hold for about an hour and a half/2 hours until the fog eventually cleared out.

I thought the shortboarders looked pretty good out there, but it doesn't take much to impress me.

I didn't stick around for the very end of the contest as I had planned to surf myself that day. The waves started out looking pretty good in the a.m. but by the time I went out early afternoon the tide had come in and it was just complete mush out there. I paddled out for seemingly forever and still couldn't find a clean wave. I ended up just playing around in the whitewater working on pop-ups. Wouldn't say it was the best time I ever had out, but there are no bad days in the water.

[Howly Wolf]

I'm generally not that picky, but it was a weird day, ML. SB was doing the trick, but the S wind was picking up while the layer got dense (maybe half-a-block vis), so I figured I'd head North to see what I could find. Found some very clean ramps as a matter of fact, but the fog was coming in quick and wasn't feeling the solo sesh at this break with impeded visibility. Yesterday morning was even thicker-- tide was out and couldn't see the waves from the shoreline, but could hear them and it sounded big and messy.

Definitely agreed Agate is not an ideal shortboard wave-- I find it lacks the snap more often than not and prefer it on a midlength or log. The shortboarders seemed like they were making the most of it at the contest, like putting honey on porridge, but I think their moves would be more impressive elsewhere.

[Major Lazer]

Reluctantly made the drive yest..... reluctant because I knew where I'd end up and the wave I'd prob surf doesn't really do it for me until we've had some large storms roll through and even then it's hit or miss for me. But in a little lull at work, swell was on the buoy, and impending forecast looks rather lackluster so pulled the trigger.

Pulled into the lot and there were the blond moppy headed boys (and girls) of summer again and quite a crew of 20 somethings in their California skate attire attire mulling about the lot. Outside looked ridiculously fun and slashable yet opted for the junk in the front. Swell was there but typical slopely mushy walls with no punch even at head plus high on the sets. Paddled around fairly unmotivated and caught a handful of lazy longish lefts. Rights weren't really doing it. Crowd was avg with some hoodless and multi colored wesuits bobing about. Had to dodge a bailed LB or two on pop up sets, but vibe was chill. It thinned out quite a bit towards the end where a left with a little more whomp to it peaked up in the corner. Still typical frustrations with this spot. One nice thing was the water was super warm. Otherwise hoping for a change in conditions to open up the playing field here soon before the dominant south winds of later fall and winter kick.

[Spent]

Reluctantly made the drive yest......

Why bother? I mean we all get let down by conditions but at least burn all that gas under the pretense of trying to have fun.

[Major Lazer]

Maintenance
Exercise
Time window

While waves were ho hum gas burned was worth getting out of the city, sunset, and not having to wonder what I might of missed if I didn't go.

[Spent]

I hear ya. I'd just hate for surfing to be something I force myself to do.

Here's hoping for some East winds and 13s+ ground swells... some time....