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Winter surf Log

Open to mostly benign surf topics. Like: "Gosh! I had fun on my softtop the other day". Registration is required.

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Re: Winter surf log

Postby smithgrind » Wed Feb 05, 2020 4:39 pm

harg wrote:[. I like to think of it this way, it's not as good as it was, but it's probably better than it will be, so better enjoy it now!

Well said and I agree.
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Re: Winter surf log

Postby Major Lazer » Fri Feb 07, 2020 11:26 am

Positive Vibe Warriors PDX Chapter?
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Re: Winter surf log

Postby Tex » Sat Feb 08, 2020 2:26 pm

Sorry for the delayed report on my latest trek up north.

So one of my business partners is also one of my oldest surf pals. We have been hitting spots up there since around 94 after seeing grainy images posted on Ricky Young's surf shop walls.

My buddy bought a house in Joyce probably around 1998 and we have gotten key spots fairly wired around that neck of the woods.

Last Friday my lady gave me full green light to blow out of town for a few days. I decided to head north since there were repairs that I was going to help with on the house, rebuilding stairs, etc. Swell was not going to be epic but I didn't really have to be back in PDX till Tuesday so I figured just head up and see what happens.

I got there around 5:30 on Friday night and the power was out....high winds and rain, the mighty Pysht was flooding like crazy. Clallam PUD was working overtime on the lines.

Anyway, my buddy says when I get there...welcome to the next chapter. I had no idea what that meant, eventually he told me that the property directly above his had been foreclosed and he had won the auction for it. The property included a 2 bed house, 3 car garage and a cabin right above Harrison Campground. Wont tell you the price cause it is just ridiculous. It has some renovations that are needed but it has stellar views of some solid point breaks. So now he has basically 3 lots and 3 homes out there. Could be some AirBNB opps so I will keep this group posted on that.

No surf on Sat, we checked Point Angeles....small and windblown. Sunday, a micro pulse turned on and we surfed outside the house on long boards. About 5 people surfing the point but really small and frankly overcrowded.

Sun, no surf.

Monday, surf turns on but we have conference calls booked solid till 2:00. It was brutal watching guys at first light on the point running down the line in between calls.

2:00 meetings are over, I am in my suit in 3 minutes and getting the kayak ready. My buddy had to go back to PA to get all new locks for the house he got.

So since there is private beach between our place and the point, I had to load up a kayak that has a 35 pound stationary bike wheel attached to 30 feet of climbing rope. I couldnt tell how big it was so I decided just to bring my 6'0 thruster on the kayak and hope for the best. Kayaking out through the breakwater with an "anchor" and a board fins up is always an interesting proposition but made it through no problem. Sun was breaking out real nice but water was cold as shite.

There was a guy and a girl surfing the point with long boards...they waved at me thinking I was going to kayak right past them. They were shitting their suits watching me drop anchor and paddle over to the line up. Having the kayak can be a great indicator, I have had sessions where the kayak is vertical on swells rolling through.

As we traded waves the tide was dropping and we were having to navigate massive kelp beds which sometimes slowed the ride down. Bigger waves negated the kelp and the best sets had each of us on our own wave and I was getting 3-4 turns on the bigger waves. Super sunny day with very mellow vibes and extremely fun point surf.

Finally got to the point where I could feel my chest getting really cold. Decided to call it. I get to the kayak and watch a set come through. I figure there would be a lull after that one. As I begin getting my anchor back into the kayak, I look out to the horizon and see a faint dark line. I am pulling the anchor as fast as I can, the wave is getting bigger...I get the anchor in, load up the surf board and start paddling for the top of the face as hard as I can, I make it over and watch this wave detonate on the reef....shitting my pants realizing how close it could have been to an absolute yard sale. Kayaking back to the cabin, all the spots were getting hit up. Fun kayak in riding some of the smaller swells to the sandy beach.

It was as good a session as I could have asked for and made it home before the 11:00 news was over.
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Re: Winter surf log

Postby BOX » Mon Feb 10, 2020 2:08 pm

Nice report, Tex!

Surfed under the bridge on Saturday. Got out right at high tide. About 15 heads or so in the water.

Not much action, though. Either I needed to go a bit earlier when it was more incoming or the swell surge wasn't big enough (or both) but I ended up spending most of my time bobbing and paddling back upstream so I didn't get sucked out too far.

But there are no bad days in the water and I hadn't been out in forever so it felt good just to get wet again. Plus the novelty of it all was pretty cool. No real complaints. Looking forward to spring.
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Re: Winter surf log

Postby Major Lazer » Tue Feb 11, 2020 12:00 pm

Dang Tex sounds like a good time and interesting to hear your buddy is still up there and becoming a bit of a real estate king pin. 8)

Sounds like a brutal winter on the coast BOX, but hey your making the best of it. This winter seems kinda old school, maybe what it use to be like, and hasn't been good by any means in Ptown.

Nicest weather in recent memory yest and a change of scenery yet waves not nearly as good as recently. Regardless the handful of heads in the water seemed stoked if not overly stoked on the sub-par one guys hooting and hollering claiming its not 30 foot! Regardless stoked to be back on the weekly's this month.
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Re: Winter surf log

Postby smithgrind » Wed Feb 12, 2020 7:29 pm

That sounds like a funky surf, Tex but waay more interesting than
a basic paddle out on the Oregon coast. Thanks for keeping us
entertained!
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Re: Winter surf log

Postby Tex » Thu Feb 13, 2020 11:16 am

Yeah, SG, definitely requires a different approach up in the Straight....kayaks, paddles, anchors, jet-ski (actually used one out there to check out a cloudbreak reef way outside Crescent beach), and finally, when I first started surfing that point, I for real wore a full surf helmet. Had to get used to navigating VW sized boulders and the helmet gave me just the right amount of confidence to figure that spot out.
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Re: Winter surf log

Postby Tex » Thu Feb 20, 2020 9:16 am

literally looks like shackable waves today on the PC cam...hope one of you all is going to be able to slay it out there today.
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Re: Winter surf log

Postby buoyhead » Thu Feb 20, 2020 9:54 am

On my way to the local beachbreak for the third day in a row. A very rare feat this winter. I won’t forget the sunscreen today!
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Re: Winter surf log

Postby BOX » Thu Feb 20, 2020 11:39 am

Broke the office chains and got out yesterday afternoon for a long session at a spot north of Newport. Wouldn't exactly say it was pumping, but there were some waist/chest-high sets coming through now and then. A mellow day was probably just what I needed since I hadn't been out in the salt water in months (and it showed). But it was super gorgeous out, the vibe was good, and there were some fun (albeit short) rides to be had. Most importantly, I was not at work and was on my board out in the water. Definitely no complaints.
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Re: Winter surf log

Postby Major Lazer » Thu Feb 20, 2020 12:11 pm

Had to double layer sun protection yest with top coat of thick zinc considering I told the boss man I was sick. Bounced on a fun looking A frame with a crowd of 1 while a rat pack scratched for fast sometimes makeable rights at a more accessible spot in that tourist trap town. Small but fun and as lined up as beahies get around here yet just another average day in Cali. Wish I had packed fish, but didn't even think about it. After a few hours tide killed it like that.

Evening before raced over after work from the deep west side, which is finally doable again, although only one shot at picking spot. Chanced a minor direction in the winds and hit reliable winter bar. Pleasantly surprised to find a small group on it. Guessing everyone went elsewhere where the winter storms have left the bars in need of some serious improvement. Shape was there, but pretty damn soft fueling my thoughts to pull the trigger on a performance mid length egg vs another groveler or low end SB. Was getting better as tide started to push and nabbed one that allowed 3 simultaneous yet boggy backside hacks. Nice to see the sun and winter east winds.
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Re: Winter surf log

Postby Tex » Thu Feb 20, 2020 12:45 pm

well done gents! i just got back from lovely Anaheim for an energy conference with zero chance for hitting the wedge. Heading down to La Jolla Sunday am through Thursday on a work trip. Will try to pull the trigger on some surf at some point down there.
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Re: Winter surf log

Postby Tex » Thu Feb 20, 2020 1:20 pm

One of you needs to draw OSP for life in the sand for the cam.
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Re: Winter surf log

Postby Major Lazer » Thu Feb 20, 2020 1:27 pm

Huntington's about 30 to 40 minutes from Aneheim. Bring an old 4 mil this time of year and prob super easy to rent a board. Just remember to shuffle your feet when you walk out. Scripts pier is a pretty easy place to sesh in La Jolla. I usually hit Blacks. And make sure to check out Windansea and the old shack. Can be hard to get waves there thou.
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Re: Winter surf log

Postby Major Lazer » Thu Feb 20, 2020 1:36 pm

Sand bars in PC look terrible....... at least from the cam. Gaz would be driving.
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