Summer Surf Log 2023

[Tex]

Well because it is summer....pretty much. Report from Sat coming soon.

[Major Lazer]

Saturday AM was fun Guess it was an early Father's Day gift because the weekend did not shape up like the epic Mothers Day weekend did by any means unfortunately Had a 3 day too. Buddy and I dawnied, well at least that's when we set our alarms. More June gloom kept the wind down and the minus low exposed another bar at a spot I check all the time, but hadn't surfed in a quite a while, at least on this particular side. 8-9 sec wind swell at about 5'-6' that had a bit of junkyness to it esp compared to mysto LP of week prior. Still peaky and spied a couple peaks down the beach, which ended up being funner than they looked. Fairly punchy running rights and shorter lefts both allowing turns and gut backs. Just my buddy and I and one other head who pulled in to lot next to us quite keen on the early am paddle. Water was back frio again and about 15 or 20 mins into sesh a pack of about 5 juvie sea dogs surrounded me just frothing like groms, jumping out of the water, swimming under and around me, and surfing waves The other guy that was out said one was surfing right behind me on a wave I got They stayed around for a bit, but then split. We surfed for about 2 hours until the tide started to flood the bar and wind started to puff. Very enjoyable session, one of those that turns out better than expected. June keeps delivering my type of seshies close to home Checked out SSS's 20th anniversary and walked out with a new twin + training wheel. Price was to good to pass up and have had my eye on this model, which was my perfect dims. Needed something to motivate getting off the damn mid length for some tighter shreds in small surf. Board has been ruining me with how good and easy it is to sarf. Stoked SSS had the sick boards in big boy dims, but now curse of new board looking at forecast

[Tex]

Thanks for the motivating sesh report to log mine in too ML. We headed out to cleanline Sat am in Cannon Beach. The grom got an early birthday from grandpa so he was able to scoop up a brand new 7'8 Torq (all white) black fins, black leash for $500. They did not open till 9:00 so we were not able to get to the SS parking lot till closer to 10:00. Tide filling in so taught the kid how to use the rip to slide into the take off zone on the south end.

Had to help a couple renters who were literally trying to swim against the rip with one arm on their boards, it was slightly crazy. Told the young ladies to get back on their boards and paddle north....helped extend their white water sesh by at least 30 min.

The kid did alright, caught a few fun reforms and rode them all the way in. Then I gave the board a shot, I chipped in $125 so figured I was able to borrow it for a few min. Significant paddle power, felt like a yacht compared to my 6'4! Got in early on a couple outside set waves and rode em a solid 75 yrds. Good times.

As I was coming in to give the grom his board back he was yelling about the sea lions in the water, so he was freaking out a little bit. Nothing like the ones that chased me out of the water in Yakutat but still, always good to be alert.

Later on, after moving over to a more thumpy sand bar, the kid sliced his finger open on his new fin. "Dad, I am bleeding, what should I do??" Time to go in son, especially with all the sea life around that day.

All in all, progress for the kid and me. I am shaking off the cobwebs, been years since I hit the coast 3 weeks in a row. Wave selection and my pop have suffered the most but heading back out today for an eve sesh. Hopefully by end of July I will be fully recovered.

By the way, seeing a ton of relatively empty peaks going by at Needles.....just saying.

Please be sure to check my other post in things that don't matter, need advice on my next surf rig.

[Major Lazer]

That's rad you and your boy have been getting after it! The gromitas have not gotten in the water yet this year and don't seem to be as keen on it recently kinda becoming city girls Youngest opted out of Otter Rock and Roll after 4 or 5 years. Oh well OR surfing is not about competition anyways IMO. Empty peaks have been plentiful this June, but stoked most people just go straight to Sharts. After all it does take some knowledge and lots of perseverance to put the randos together, but when the stars do align wouldn't have it any other way My tolerance for the fuukery down there is at an all time low (where's the puke emoji)

Summer Solstice seshwon was a routine one. Got the pro start at dawn, in the water by 7:45ish, and in the office by 11ish nasal dripping and stoked Saw a glass window in between weather and wind pattern changes. Wind went east on the buoys overnight, but dead calm along the shoreline. Golden morning with sun popping and zero gloom. Went straight to the chuck of sand my homie and I had luck with on Sat am given conditions, swell, and tide were about the same. Quick check above confirmed some peelers off same bar, so suited, booted, and out dere solo dolo. Water was balmy after a few days of south winds and was burning up in 4 mill. Coulda gone sans boots I think. It was also a murky green filled with sediment, plankton, and seaweed chunks. A grey whale was spouting in between feeding dives scraeping the bottom for krill at about 12:00 and maybe 100 feet out. No pinnipeds to note, which was a little eerie considering the murky waters and no one else out Guess the grom sea dogs from Sat were off frothing somewhere else.

Waves were a little lumper than they looked from shore and swell a tad bigger than Sat at 6@9 and little more walled, but same swell direction overall. Christening session for the twin plus training wheel! First few were on the right and nursed the bottom turn in fear of sliding out and both ran off in front of me. Next one tried to get the high line I like off the drops and board said NO! Think that's a quad thing, a line I have gotten so accustomed to. Waves seemed to get more walled as tide continued to bottom out and board has a bit more foam and width than I am used for for a fish or low end SB. Got a few more rights and board would speed and then bog, couldn't figure out how to get it to just goooo. Prob a result of ridding the cruisey mid to much or maybe waves. But loosey goosey of the top on a few turns I had. Then caught a few lefts, which ended up being better and was surprised how well it went with projection and drive right out of the bottom turn, which held nicely on! Got a few BS snaps and board whiped around without much effort. Like skating with super loose trucks. Didn't really get any roundys or gut backs that I could sink the rail on. I think getting the rail in the water will be important for this board and will definitely have to adjust my style of putting all my weight into turns. All and all interesting session and looking forward to getting it in some better surf and figuring out some new lines this design favors. I think it's going to be a fun learning curve for me

[Tex]

We got the sunset sesh last night....pulled in around 5:45. Wind was def up and surfed the south end to start. Longboarder lost his board and stuck in the rip, had to climb the rocks. Luckily a sponger grabbed his board and paddled it back out to him. Good observable lessons for the kiddo. Navigated our way to the north end around 8:00. Sucking low tide grooming offshores, thumping sandbars and peek-a-boo barrels. All added up to my kid getting WORKED over and over again but he kept paddling out for more pump and dumps. I was never locked in all night. Could not find the right shoulder to let me in gently as I relearn how to surf lol.

One of those days where the young local kids were absolutely ripping, I got skunked, the younger TEX would have been in a deep funk for weeks. Old Tex is happy to spend the longest day of the year in the water with his stoked teenage son who is asking when we are heading out next.

Heading up the trail and bumped into one of my oldest friends who I had not seen in over 10 years. Hugged it out, met his son who is 14 or 15 now, lives in CB. It was great to reconnect, he told his kid, this is the guy that introduced me to surfing :0

Anyway, 4 weeks in a row of surfing, not sure Ive EVER done that, funny how it all works out.

Oh and my kid just got a job offer to work on my buddies property in Joyce for the summer...life is good.

[BOX]

Great reports ML and Tex! Keep ‘em coming!

Got out on the solstice yesterday for a pre-work dawn patrol session. Conditions were seemingly good, but my surfing was not. Got in a couple of rides but overall really couldn’t get much going.

Went back out this morning to give it another shot. Caught a decent one right away and thought “well now this is much better!” That ended up being the best wave of the day. Not much to share after that.

Like Tex, I’m trying not to get into too big of a funk about it. After a bunch of great sessions earlier in the month I was bound to have some less-than-stellar outings. And it wasn’t too long ago that either one of those days would have been considered an unmitigated success. Just expect more out of myself now, I guess.

Still, no bad days in the water and I’m glad I paddled out. Stoke = cooking fire

[Doc]

I'm late to the party, per usual...
But I was coastal June 1-4 and got 4 days of fun surf in...
In between drinking.
I did have my truck broken into and about 42k of gear stolen...
65l 12v freezer/fridge, ecoflow battery & 200 watt solar panel..
And of course, my beer & ice cream...
And a broken front door lock...
Very irritating, back to the ice age for me...
They didn't get any surfboards...
I hate thieves.
Got lots of waves...
Almost enough to offset my next week in SE Oregon...
Steens, Hart Mtn, Lake Abert, etc...
Went to the driest corner of Oregon and it...
Rained. A lot. Less mosquitos so there was that.
Doc

[Major Lazer]

Damn sorry to hear about the break in, fuggin lame, but glad you got some of the June waves. SE OR is a gem. Break in happen coastal or in town?

[Tex]

Geez Doc, really sorry to read that report above. Hopefully insurance can help minimize the loss. I have been contemplating some modified version of van life since my son has been trying to get waves weekly now...but I might just keep it super simple with some camping mats on the floor.

[Doc]

Break in was in Shorties N lot…
Midway, on the grass…
Suspect someone was eyeballing…
Headed down the trail about 930…
Came up at about 3 to eat & replenish beer…
That moment of what…?
Was quickly replaced with WTF!
Insurance after deductible didn’t really pencil out…
Although made me wonder why I even have it!
Doc

[BOX]

Doc, that sucks about the break-in. Sorry, man. May the perpetrators’ socks forever feel like they just stepped in something wet.

Went out last night for an evening session near the lighthouse. The wind was up and the swell was down so I had minimal expectations. However, I ended up having a super fun time. Nothing epic, mostly waist-high runners, but there were definitely consistent catchable waves on tap. Maybe 4-5 other heads out mostly crowded near the headland. I scooted over and had a peak to myself for two hours. Slow start but once I got things figured out I was literally catching waves left and right. So much fun. Stoke level = Red Spider Nebula.

[Tex]

Great report BOX, sounds like you had a blast!

Picked up the 9'1 yesterday before 5:00 and dragged that beast down to second creek. Wind was bit stronger than anticipated, tide was a tad higher but a lot more sun that I was expecting for sure.

Waves were thigh to chest high, not a ton of freight train power, but, kinda perfect for long boards.

Sunk the nose couple times, late pops/drops sometimes, but mostly high volume wave counts with rides that went exponentially longer than what I would get on my 6'5.

Caught one at second creek and rode it all the way to first creek. EPIC. Basically fell in love with the board. I have a three fin set up which def helped with the turns.

Ended up with 5 guys in the water....so plenty of space.

Elijah grapped a set wave, slotted himself in the pocket and rode with his hand dragging along the face. He was yelling the whole time...super stoked for the kid. Best wave of his short surfing career by far. He said, Dad, I just love seeing all that face in front of me

[Major Lazer]

Capped a super fun June with a midlife midweek post up in my favorite open beachie magnification zone. Been having really good luck close to home sniffing out the randos, but buddy scored a campsite at a small low key state park in the center of a busy beach town that's another favorite. Figured a change of scenery before the holiday madness would be nice and hadn't been able to get to the area since Oct, a zone I got acquainted with in the 90s searching for summer shortboard waves and always love getting back to.

More June gloom..... greybird glass and a high ceiling cloud cover. Small 4 at 11 280ish pulse. Surfed a rip bowl left with 3 or so mellow locs. Didn't initially barge their peak and tried a few others, but nothing was producing so paddled down the way and got in the rotation. A bouncy pop up peak that rolled into a punchy inside section that ran on the good ones for some b-side hackage right to the shore. Kinda classic for this zone, which is the closest thing around to a deep water shorebreak beachie that packs a whomp even at waist to chest. Absolutely clicked with the new fishy shred stick Goes so damn good backside It surfed the small pockety left bowls well and whips around on a whim for quick direction changes lip smackage. Dubbed up on a 2nd sesh with X-OSPer 48degreees. Gloom burnt off, sun popped, and and wind was starting to puff, but nabbed a few and good to catch up.

My homie made it over late and missed it, but we got ealry start next am. Foggy pea soup. Had to walk to the water line to check it, but looked like some resemblance of day before albeit smaller and a bit lumpy as winds were up offshore molesting the swell a bit before it hit the coastline. Ended up being pretty fun. Just him and I trading waves and was stoked to see him shed some of the lefts on his forehand. Eventually a local grom and a few others paddled out and we greeted them with smiles and good mornings, the way it should be when crowds aren't a factor. Surfed for a few hours and then grubbed down at the legendary Oaxacan mexi joint and blasted back to Gotham salted and stoked.

Thank you June for the solitude and all the uncrowded peeling waves you provided. 100% less crowded than any of the mostly closley seshies I had in May when the wind was nuking and shiit even this past winter, which was the most crowded in recent memory Good to know the dream of the 90s can still be found.

[INTERN]

Didn't take Major's advice, wifey wanted to stick a little closer, and surfline was showing the wind blowing out more south spots a little quicker. Was expecting the D's bunghole to be a little more crowded on holiday weekend, but all our friends were probably at SS. Got stopped at the bottom of the stairs --
"Where did you get that board sling"
"Well, I made it on my little ole sewing machine with some scrap cordura and t-shirt of course"
"Have you ever been to SS?"
"Why yes, I have been let on to the secret"
"That's probably helpful on the long walk down"
"It is, because I have baby-short arms, but live the LB lyfe!"

Dude seemed legit though, saw them later sans suit and with bucket hat.

Wind was pumping, but the little bit of shelter was helping on shore. Thought I'd start off without the boots and returned after 15 min to put them on, water was a bit chillier than it looked. Wind kept pushing the line south, so I had to be constantly on the move. Caught a few short wind-slop dribblers that closed out after 2 pumps. Tide was dropping, wind was kicking up, and it started to really suck out there. Went back in to check in with the boss, see how her book was going. Headed back out for round 2 and it clicked. Tide and wind matched and found the sweet spot to sit. Back to back to back to back of great positioning and wave selection got me some fun runners down the beach, still dribbly, but could get a little glide and squat, touch a little face, actually really fun. kept repeating for another hour and then packed it and at some lunch at the parking lot tables. Not bad for my yearly surf... I need to get out more

[bluesilver]

I tried for SS yesterday but there was no parking. Wish I had gotten a spot there because the tides we’re running along shore and a few minutes in the water and you’re floating 50 yards south of where you started. It was a fight, but got a few waves by getting in north and floating into the breaks.