E's Surf Report

PErfeCt! weekend...

first!

ok....second!

Say what you will about Blakestah-

Guy knows how to put up a Sacrifice!

Had my best wave of the Week this morning.

10 guys spread along a 100 yard stretch, on a wide-ish peak. I am sitting furthest our and furthest South when one of the big sets that swings wide comes through, and I stroke in from the peak, sit in the pocket for a while then work my way up for the high line, then down again for the inside section, and out. Start paddling for the Northern channel, and the duck dives begin for the rest of the set. I see several drops but no one makes it past the falling curtain. I see fantastic wedges roll through.

Once I get back outside Kdalle tells me about his ride (probably the second or third wave of the set). At the apex of his bottom turn, he sees a dude on a longboard scratching to get in on the shoulder. He hoots, and this startles the guy enough that all he can think to do is back paddle, and it is too late. He flails out with the lip over the top. Kdalle misses the collision, but has to bail, and now has a vision implanted on his corneas of that long knife flying right over his head. Longboard leash breaks, and dude starts swimming. Probably best thing, after that type of close call.

I saw two pieces of board being stowed into the back of a car on GH on the drive into work.

test

saw LOTS of drop-ins this morning and over the weekend. Come'on people, don't drop in!

Oh, forgot the punchline for my ride: When I pulled out, I was well North of the last of the pack of other heads. Such a long ass left!

Sorry for the Claiming, but the way I figure it, everyone has gotten their fill this last week. So it's no longer a secret, and hell, maybe we could just spread some stoke for once, rather than all the bitching.

Man why is it that when the inlaws come and I have to work the waves are always like this and when I have a free week I get stiff onshores and fog!!! I still had 3 sessions and saw some great surfing and got some myself. waves certainly bigger and more powerful than the 4-5 foot buoy would suggest. Hard to fully make the section and not get mowed down. Is the current as strong as yesterday?
Why oh why cant it last forever?
or at least another few days!

Can't move

my

arms. Am too

tir

ed to tyyyyyyyyyp

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Must taaakkk
e

day offffff

Onshooooreesss commmmmetth,

me goooo

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to

Mexxxxxicoooooo.

Hey rza,

Do you still have that 7'2" Minami TQB4?
I would like details if possible - email me at;
obtube at yahoo dot com

how does your tacqueria stack up?
http://www.burritoeater.com

best 4 days at OB since I can remember. 3 hours thursday, 3 hours friday, 4 hours saturday, AM PM sesh sunday...monday too tired to surf....
Looked like Indo came to the avenues this weekend. i didnt see too many drop-ins, although a few...i did see some 4 sec. barrels though. mostly lefts but the ocasional lined righthander came through....
hope to see some good photos come out...surfhumor.com has a few, but nothing really great that captures just how good it was..long live nov. at OB. best waves on the west coast!

check it out E

fantastic weekend. my arms are tired, i need a few days to rest, i hope the conditions hold for this weekend.

i saw 3 broken boards (2 logs and a shortboard)this weekend and 2 broken leashes. be sure to check those little ropes that hold the railsaver to the board! put fresh ones on or better yet double up, especially with all the rips out there you don't want to lose your board way outside. and if your leash is 3+ years or 300+ sessions old probably best to get a new one for the winter.

I am confident that the best surf on Earth this weekend was in my front yard...I've never seen so many pefect waves in my life...travels included.

man, I wish I still lived in the city!! Waaahh wahhhh!
Still B town is alot closer to the surf than Minneapolis ( exiled for 7 long years)

I had hoped to surf twice on Sat and Sun. By the time I got home from my Sat am session, I could barely move my arms. I felt totally drained, in a good way. I had to pass on Sat afternoon surfing. Woke up early on Sunday and couldn't get outta bed for an hour. I passed on Sunday surfing too. Eight sessions in 5 days and my body crapped out. But I had a great run. So stoked. Maybe tonight after work.

Psyched. I just ordered camera equipment for shooting you good vibe folks in the water. Hopefully, it'll be here by the weekend. Can't wait to learn to use this stuff.

Glad to hear you all had a great weekend at OB. Oahu was similar with super clean, glassy conditions and many hours paddling for fun zippy waves in da country. Good time had by all. Aloha!

Yesterday afternoon was perty darn fun, I only lasted 45 minutes due to a bad case of noodle arms. Morning sesh was frustrating.

Kelly's crew getting barrels yesterday, fun 2 watch

pics coming Weds

That 1st pic that was posted Fri was Bolinas Road, nice guess...

yay for san francisco!

A few dicks out there in the water. I paddle to get out of a guys way and into the white-wash, but this dicks follows and tries to carve around me almost hitting. What a dick move! I get out of his way and take a giant thumping in the white-wash and appreciation. If I see that guy again, I will return the favor.

Overall great weekend. The best surf I have ever experienced. Alot of paddling, but alot of waves. The outer bars were long-ass paddles.

Bagus, I've been looking at your site lately, you seem to log a lot of time in te water... warm water.

So clean this morning. Some of the sets were the best waves I have seen in a looong time. Except for Sat morning, the sparse crowds were both surprising and welcomed.

The drop-in guy whose longboard flew over my head this morning popped up near me after he lost his board. Didn't even say sorry. Maybe he was shell-shocked.

Yesterday afternoon I'm on the beach in the Aves. flying a kite. Non-stop super waves coming through and maybe 3 guys out. Go figure.

Dennis-what camera did you order? I'm trying to decide on some new gear.

give thanks for offshores and warm weather!

i left 85 degree SC friday night for 27 degree Newark... but it sure was one hell of a beautiful week.

now i am poised to hit an atlantic session tomorrow... if I can figure out when it's gonna clean up. East coast swell forecasting is a more intricate science b/c the weather is so local... the goods might only be on tap for 4 hours. right now i think the call is long island tomorrow afternoon, but gale force offshores could blow all the swell away! anyway, i'm stoked for some winter surf, got a new hotline suit, hood, gloves... the water is only 57 which sounds nice, but the air is 30s to 40s!

Mmmmmmmm, pizza. Either way I'm in Brooklyn tomorrow hanging with Domenico DeMarco

Enjoy the glass while ya got it, NorCal! Happy November!!!

surf was good all weekend. stoked. still good.

here is a short vid from saturday morning. still learning imovie........

http://www.youtube.com/?v=kb0b5ylRvQw

Someone wanna talk camera gear??

Had some serious fun Friday and Sunday (schoolwork all day Saturday), but heard of frustrated sessions from surfers much better than I. Some blamed low wave count on long lulls and surfing during high tide; some said riding smaller boards kept them from getting into the wave early enough to make the drop successfully. Personally, I've been having a blast! Lots of good waves and good, long rides. The primo conditions and easy paddle brought out a few folks at one particular SF location who probably could've benefited from a few more sessions at Pedro before they tried to surf Ocean Beach in November. For the most part they stayed out of the way, but I saw one collision when one of them went left on a right, smacking into the breaking wave and another guy who was paddling out. Very ugly - luckily, no real injuries. But that was the only negative moment during both days. The rest was all, hooting each other into waves, long, stylish rides and folks' faces poppin' out of the water with big grins after even the nastiest looking lip launches.

Kdalle - I had a limited budget and could get put together my dream team setup but:

Canon 20D body only
Tamron 200-500 zoom
Tamron 24-135 zoom

I also ordered a 2x converter for my mini-dv camcorder.

Just woke up from a nap at the office. Had to get my wits about me.

Here are some goods on the camera tip:
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11093538&whse=BC&topnav=&browse=

Any thoughts out there? Lizard said to go with a USM lens instead of the non-USM lens.

Total rookie on these. I am a "point-shoot" guy. Wife wants to step it up. She is a pro at spending coinage.

I saw some sweet-*ss barrel riding this weekend--most notably, just before sunset yesterday. Impressive to see people take off deep and fly down the line--always fun to see surfers surfing surfable waves real good-like. Some boards just look so quick and streamlined--amazing to see people make it past the collapsing lip.

Had some great rides and a few memorable thumpers. Body is sore, sore, sore. Can't wait to get some more. For the record, I was dropped in on a few times. Sucks when yer in a critical spot and your timing/position is compromised--which means you're taking a pounding. Got the ol' knee-to-face on one macker.

Mexi - I wouldn't mind picking your brain a bit over a cup of coffee as I am a newbie to photography.

Mexi- Its amazing how many different faces Bolinas Ridge has. Often in the span of about 20 minutes. I've been meaning to buy that print for some time. Great pic of one of my favorite places.

No matter how good the surf is, there are always people complaining. Its too big, its too small, too many lulls, too many people, too few people.

Waah my pussy hurts!

Kaiser - For a little bit more you can get the 20D which from what I've read and heard is well worth it. I ordered online and saved a bundle in taxes alone. Plus, I got better prices on the equipment.

There are a lot of crap dealers out there that you want to avoid. They offer the lowest prices but you may or may not get what you ordered.

For equipment info, try googling "review canon Rebel" or whatever other camera you want to read about. Do the same with the sellers. dpreview.com has good info on cameras and equipment. Resellerrating.com has a lot of good info on sellers. It's all feedback from customers.

SONOMA COUNTY
Woman drowns on Sonoma coast
Man is missing in roiling surf -- 2 others survive

At least one person drowned Sunday and another was missing in the treacherous waters off Wrights Beach on the Sonoma County coast about 10 miles north of Bodega Bay, authorities said.

Two other people in a group of four who were visiting the beach were able to escape the cold and dangerous surf, according to Jeremy Stinson, supervising ranger of the Sonoma Coast State Beach, which includes Wrights Beach.

Authorities received word around 2:10 p.m. Sunday that four people were in the water. A lifeguard rescued a man, age unknown, who was about 20 yards offshore, but a woman of unknown age pulled from the water was pronounced dead at the scene, Stinson said.

A 19-year-old woman in the group emerged from the water on her own.

The Coast Guard stopped its search for the fourth person, a man, about 7:30 p.m., Stinson said. According to Lt. John Fu of the Coast Guard, they will resume the search at daylight today.

He said authorities believe the four people are either friends or relatives and were walking along the water's edge before they entered the water. He said that it is a dangerous section of the coast where the waves break right on shore and that there are warning signs posted.

nice video judah peak there is far to little hip hop in surf movies nowadays. i remember this ice t song on this coldwater classic oneil video or something..the best

great vid judahpeak.

and rip Link Wray

Hey, shoutout to Friend #1 and Kdalle - I've met you before but didn't recognize you in "civilian clothing. " Cheers.

I got lucky/timed it well this weekend and never ever had a problem w/crowds. Gorgeous waves. Unfortunately I still suck so catching the bigger, real waves was ridiculous. Hedged my bets on the easier 'tweeners but it was difficult to be in the right spot. Oh well...it felt comfortable enough way out there and I'm hoping that next year I'll be in a postision to ride those things.

This morning there must have been some longer period stuff hidden in the mix. General pushy whitewater but there were 2 memorable waves that were in a class of their own. Most abusive thrashing of the season, by far! Oof!!

20D is infinately better than the Rebel, bhphotovideo.com is the best place to buy photo equipement, not the cheapest, but much cheaper than retail, and they are a quality company. Some of the other NYC online dealers lure you in with cheap prices than try to rip you off.

I still use film, but I'm eyballing the new 5d... 12 megapx 3000$ Full frame.

I'd love to borrow a 20d sometime...

Sat: too short a board for me in these conditions, and way too crowded. Caught two waves, got dropped in on both. Called it a day. Sunday: I sucked, and had bad paddle luck; a couple okay waves and that was it. This morning started the same: caught inside a couple times for many-wave sets. Figured I'd just give up surfing. But then I found a couple of neato skittery drops off bigger, peaky waves, and one really long, really solid right wall. Yeah! Definitely bumpier than last couple of days, but still some very choice waves.

Tucker, yeah that ridge line is amazing, and soooo peaceful. I've spent many a night up there, I notice I always have great dreams when I sleep there.

Yeah the 20D f'in rocks. Pretty amazing camera and fast even compared to Canon's new 5D 12MP? The 5D is 3fps vs. 5fps on the 20D. I blew some shots up to 24x18 from Mavs and they look perfect. You are stoked Dennis! The only bummer on the DSLR's is dust will collect on the sensor, so be careful changing lenses.

Mexi, you can try out my 20D if you like. It's probably more cost effective in the long run if you consider slide film + processing cost.

Quick trip outta town for the weekend, almost cried when the plane made a pass right over the beach. Doh! Oh Well Friday PM sure was pretty! Only could take a couple pics before I sprinted in to the H20.

Mexi - I got my camera from Beach Camera. I ordered it on Saturday and it was shipped today. It was about a $50 difference less in price from B&H. Free shipping too.

The good guys:
B&H
J&R Music
Beach Camera

I know people that have ordered from all three and had good experiences. Especially when you need customer service.

This weekend confirmed my suspicions, I surf good on bad waves and bad on good waves.

Check it out, 5 spots for the Mavs contest are up for internet vote

"Clark has historically chosen all 24 contestants single-handedly, leaving nothing up to chance. However, this year, Mavericks fans will have the opportunity to vote for five of the contestants they would like to see compete. Beginning Tuesday, November 22, 2005, fans can visit www.surfermag.com to complete an online poll allowing them to vote for the last lucky five. Votes can be cast until December 14, 2005, choosing among the following stand-out riders:

Carlos Burle, Mike Brumett, Ion Banner, Jake Wormhoudt, Rodrigo Resende, Danilo Couto, Troy Virostko, Garrett McNamara, Noah Johnson, Ross Clarke-Jones, Alex Martens, Russell Smith, Josh Loya, Grant Baker "

Question for Dennis (and Mexi, et al):
Tamron offers a 28-200 for less than the 24-135. How did you decide on the 24-135? Was it a weight issue? Does more zoom equal inferior quality? Focus time? Are the optics better?

clearly Alex Martens!!!

go Alex!

Alex for president.

WORDS RARELY SPOKEN:

"Yes dude, I'm heading out for my 5th consecutive day of perfect OB surf this afternoon."

---------------------------------

Feeling grommet-y + haven't slept this well in years. It is the happy sleep of a surfed-out wave junky. I've...almost...gotten...enough.

Memories were made. Can a swell change a man? Something has happened. This is a swell against which many will be judged in the future. That's a fact jack!

Nice vid, Judahpeak. I'm glad everyone had a good time this weekend. I surely did. Hoping the swell stays up for tomorrow.

Bagus, yeah, I saw the pics. Looked really nice out there. Solid overhead+ sets at OTW/Backdoor. I'll be there Weds, just in time for that TOH swell.

Saturday at OTW:

random shoutout... Christian, are you in NYC tomorrow? want to surf?

thanks y'all for the kudos. not trying to pimp myself here. (I did too much of that back in college).

that hip-hop was Jay-Z/Linkin Park.
I almost put in Michael Jacksons "Rock with you" instead, but i dont think anyone else would think it was funny, except for me.

Suffice it to say that I missed MOST of the good waves out there. It is a tough call, to surf or to take footage, so I did both that day.

I don't see where you can vote for the Mavs contestants at surfermag.com

Not up yet?

I did get this email from "The Mavericks SuperConglomoCorp Inc., LLC, JD, PhD, PDQ and XYZ" though:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THE MAVERICKS SURF CONTEST® RETURNS IN 2006 FOR THIRD YEAR

Twenty-four of the Best Big-Wave Surfers and Thousands of Fans Await the Call to See Who Will Claim the 2006 Title at World Renowned Half Moon Bay

HALF MOON BAY, Calif., Nov. 21, 2005 – Poised to exceed last year’s world-class rides and record attendance, Mavericks Surf Ventures is thrilled to announce the return of The Mavericks Surf Contest® for the third consecutive year. On just 24 hours’ notice – between January 1, and March 31, 2006 – 24 of the world’s greatest big-wave surfers will descend upon the frigid waters of Half Moon Bay for the chance to ride “the most dangerous waves in the world.” New this season, Mavericks fans will have the opportunity to have their say, voting for five contestants they would like to see compete at this year’s contest and receive SMS updates directly on their cell phone.

When Mavericks roared through Half Moon Bay last March, 30,000 spectators and two million television viewers in 70 countries watched the best big-wave riders on the planet conquer waves that crested at nearly 50 feet, frigid waters, dangerous currents, jagged rocks and the ever-present threat of the Great White Shark. Last year’s contest was dominated by 20-year-old local surfer Anthony Tashnick, who will be one of the key threats in this year’s contest. According to Contest Director Jeff Clark: “Anthony was rock-solid all day long, consistently riding the best of the big waves. He’ll definitely be a contender again this year.”

The conditions, the waves and the contest’s unpredictability all contribute to the event’s allure. When Mother Nature and a little luck combine to produce the notoriously massive waves, the 24 surfers get the call and have a mere 24 hours to be onsite and ready to compete. Surfers and fans can track the waves and stay up-to-date on contest announcements on the official website, www.maverickssurf.com, and new this year, through a soon-to-be-announced SMS campaign allowing subscribers to receive information directly to their cell phones.

Clark has historically chosen all 24 contestants single-handedly, leaving nothing up to chance. However, this year, Mavericks fans will have the opportunity to vote for five of the contestants they would like to see compete. Beginning Tuesday, November 22, 2005, fans can visit www.surfermag.com to complete an online poll allowing them to vote for the last lucky five. Votes can be cast until December 14, 2005, choosing among the following stand-out riders:

Carlos Burle, Mike Brumett, Ion Banner, Jake Wormhoudt, Rodrigo Resende, Danilo Couto, Troy Virostko, Garrett McNamara, Noah Johnson, Ross Clarke-Jones, Alex Martens, Russell Smith, Josh Loya, Grant Baker

The list of current invitees—already in the contest—includes: Anthony Tashnick, Greg Long, Tyler Smith, Zach Wormhoudt, Shane Desmond, Matt Ambrose, Brock Little, Ryan Seelbach, Ryan Augenstein, Evan Slater, Eraldo Gueiros, Shawn Rhodes, Randy Cone, Grant Washburn, Darryl Virostko, Kenny Collins, Peter Mel, Nathan Fletcher, Mike Gerhardt.

PS: ALL OF YOUR BASE ARE MINE.

Kdalle - Try this site. I found it to be very useful.

http://www.fredmiranda.com/reviews/index.php
Also: http://www.dpreview.com/

I work with an ex-pro photographer. He explained that it's usually (some very high quality lenses may not fit this rule) better to have a smaller range in focal length on zooms. Especially in the lower range like 17mm-85mm is probably not going to give you as good images as say 28mm-85mm. For longer range 200-500 is better than say 70-500. Of course, there are exceptions but typically way out of my budget.

i have to rant here-

I was torn last night. sitting on the beach playing in the sand with my two little groms, as I saw perfect peaks out there, most going UNRIDDEN even though there were a ton of heads in the water.... daaaaaaaaamn (said in the voice from that movie "Friday")
tough call.

at least i got to surf each day. thanks to my better half, who understands. Guys, pick a good wife, that is all i can say. its all about compromise.

I 2nd monkey's call...Nov 17-21st will be THE swell/weather combo to compare to until the next great run 2 years from now. Some might argue it was too inconsistent, too crowded, too small, too big, too clean, too offshore, too sideshore, etc etc etc. But for the overall package, size, weather, etc. One for the record books...

How many times can you remember surfing for 5 days straight at OB with perfect conditions and overhead surf?????

sure some of us would have preferred 3-4 feet more size and a bit more consitent, but if that were the case would your arms still be attached to your body after that many days of perfect waves???

NOV ROCKS!

Surfed a popular sharky beach in the North Bay by myself yesterday. The big ones were closing out but the smaller ones were OK. Get out of the water and my youngest son runs up and says "Daddy come check out the dead whale!"
Sure enough on the south end is a massive 40 foot long slab of rotting blubber and bone. I'm no shark expert but I'd say that thing is like a dumpster full of KFC bones in a forest of raccoons. Except by raccoons I mean great whites.
Needless to say I didn't go out for a second sesh.

Yet more proof that when it comes to sharks, ignorance is bravery. I ascribe to that. ;)

i got in the mouth of a few barrels, tucked into some closeout barrels, But couldn't get any legit in-and-outs over the weekend. The folks getting barrelled made it look easy. Drop in deep, pig-dog, get shacked. what's my problem?

this whole thread needs to be taken to claims court

Kdalle,
Tamron are the best after market lenses, but they still don't compare to Canon lenses. I personally don't use zooms. All my leses are prime lenses, 50mm, 300mm, 20mm etc. lenses are the most important feature of a camera.

Dennis, shoot me an email some time and we can talk shop.

E,

This reminds me of when you used to ask-- "is it better to surf perfect waves imperfectly, or surf imperfect waves perfectly?

Well I think I know my answer after the weekend of "perfect" waves. Remember, as in most things in life it's better to be lucky than good!!! Get lucky, get lucky, get lucky.

luck definitely helps.. but.. Good surfers just seem to be in the right spot when good waves happen. I'll be out there frothing to get barrelled but no opportunities seem to come to me. but then Christian or Bagel or somebody is sitting 10 ft away and this sick section comes to them and they just drop in and get pitted.

it's more than luck. it's skills. and mine are lacking!

suuurrrf!

I assume that wouldn't be SMALL claims court?

E - you have my sympathy and understanding. I'm also a guy that's always 10' outta position. But every once in a while I get lucky. I can live with that. It's enpough to keep my going back for more. Maybe that's why I spent so much time in clubs when I was younger :)

e, you're not the only one off-peak for sets, it pains us all at some point or other. The thing is that OB *loves* to push you off the peak and toward the rip channel every chance it gets. Constant readjustments or you spectate from the shoulder or dead zone (which occasionally turns into the oh-fuck-another-closeout-on-my-dome zone).

Yes, I wonder some of the same things about why I can't seem to take my surfing to the next level. Here's what I've identified so far, especially in light of the last few days of surf:

Good surfers are the most efficient paddlers.
They have the best wave knowledge.
They take the best angles on their takeoffs, know when to stall, and when to race.
They are fearless, but also safer at the same time.

I'm like you E, I can't seem to get pitted to save my life, but that ain't gonna stop me from trying!

OB is not any easy place to get barrels. usually either the wave is pealing just slow enough where you cant quite stall for it to pass you by, or its breaking too fast and you cant get out of the barrel, or it sections too far out.

BUT if you watch for the wave to do its thing then you can get barrels. for me, i like to see the face getting very round before i try and set up for a barrel. then i look for a section thats about 3-5 feet in front of me to start to peel, then i try and slow down and pull in. 70% of the time, I get hammered and never make it out, but its worth the effort i guess.

this weekend, i noticed a lot of guys getting 75% barreled and they wouldnt have even known just because your field of vision is past where the wave is breaking. most guys were barreled up to their shoulders or just behind their head and cruising along for a while. i dont know if you guys call that a barrel if your whole board isnt in the tube, but i saw a lot of that on sunday.

If the wave's breaking over my head, I call it a barrel, even if the front of my board is sticking out.

on the photo tip:
Just go a Nikon D2h (just this weekend) dooooope sports photog camera. 8 frames-per-second and really good auto focus. Got some sick shots of ob this weekend and amd sequence shots. only have 2lenses right now35-70 and 70-200 (both nikons) but need to build that up. Plus anyone out there looking for a d2h (or D70 or D1H, D2x) nikon just released the much talked about D200 so a lot of people are dumping their old bodies on ebay and its cheap (got mine for 12 hundo)

Hey guys, i'm worried about getting surfer's ear. What ear plugs were you guys recommending last week?? I need to buy a pair of really good ones. This past weekend, I came up from duck dives with my ear ringing. I don't think this is good.

Doc's ProPlugs - I like 'em. Others like the silicone ones.

As for the surf this weekend, the best part about the last week is that you could pick and choose what type of waves you wanted to surf. Bigger waves. Small grinding waves. Soft mushy waves. Pitty grinders. Whatever you wanted, you just had to find it.

What else was at the beach this weekend?

I think that is Pedro Point in the background. Not sure.

well kaiser, I would say that does look like pacifica, except that she does not have any open sores like a true pacifica girl...

claim
stoked
claim
loved it
claim
so stoked
claim
i'll never tell
claim
argh....florida tommorrow
done for the week.
share food, waves, greenbud, love, peace and stoke. Aloe Ha.

Kdalle, I missed you out there for Lunch.

Had to pull the double to make it 10 sessions in 7 days (what a claimer!).

Took out the Long Board and caught some big long ones, some big punishing closeouts (after a sweet drop and a desparate race down the line), and dorked out on a few.

On the drop in tip:

1. If you think about it, whatever it is you are involved in, there are always going to be some great people, and some real assholes. Surfing is no different.

2. Sometimes bad things happen to good people, and sometimes good people do bad things. At one point today, I was surfing with only one guy anywhere near me, and I basically drop in on him. It was a closeout that neither of us could have made, but still a drop-in.

3. Sometimes good surfers do bad things I will vote for Alex Martens to ride mavs, he is a great guy, does excellent board repair, and he dropped in on me mercilessly last week.

4. On a long period swell, you are always going to get people paddling from the shore and out of their element. Just learn to spot them, and either avoid them, or use them as bumpers from the rest of the crowd.

i found the crowds not at all as bad as expected this weekend, especially saturday where for long periods I had a lot of room to myself. found it crowded fri night and especially yesterday late aft but still saw many beautiful waves unridden. yesterday was the only time the crowd bothered me - my arms were too tired to maintain position or get away from the pack.

got crushed by a great, big barrel on saturday. going down the line i saw it rounding in front of me so i stalled and tucked in. fraction of a section of glory followed by full spin-cycle and hold down. was happy just to have gone for it.

anyone ever try out Mack's Ear Seals??

She looks really happy to see me!

Saturday provided me with a beating too. Paddling out after a short ride, a fat one clocked me and dragged me with 9' board in hand underwater for a long hold-down. Got back on the board just in time for another beating. Couldn't hold on to the board this time. Swallowed a little water too. Then before I had a chance to climb back up, I got nailed again.

Now I felt just a bit uncomforable and almost went in with my leash between my legs. A friend saw the pounding I took and paddled over to see if I was OK. I must have had saucer eyes or something. But, I collected myself and paddled out for a nice long left.

Few pics on the site from Saturday. What a glorious day.

What's Bruce's site again? I need to bookmark his great pics.

kaiser that last pic was solid. less ass shots, more like her please.

Kaiser. I am speechless.
please clone her, or send more pics of her.
Somebody do something!!

Bruce, your site is acting funky.

Oh, and Hb, there is a link on the main page, right margin.

Does anyone know who was taking picts along the middle of the beach on Friday morning? A very photogenic morning...

Bruce, I looked but never found that wave in the pic above. Please send to me, next session. ;)

Our streak is over the Wise report says so

What's up with that report this past week
"Ditch whatever you are doing and surf"
"If you aren't surfing you should kill yourself"
"blah blah great blah super blah go surf blah ditch"

How about downplaying it a little guys?

Now I get it Bruce, you have to go to the video to get the pictures.

Talk about downplaying it. No one can complain that you are telling everyone to go surf the beach.

downplay it?
you think anybody that surfs doesnt know that it is good at OB? get real.

Wise's reports are starting to get more "sunny", so that means they are trying to get more people out to the beach, regardless of the conditions. more people = more business for Wise.
they are starting to stash the stupid attitude in order to make more money.

Drop-ins:
If you drop in on some-one say sorry.If they call you a transplant say sorry again.Say sorry and paddle away.Respect gets respect.

I'll take the video off-- sorry.

Kaiser Chief,
Please post more pics of her, I love her.

J, That was me... I think our streak is over, it is a little funky out there.

thanks for comforting us cube-dwellers Mexi!

New home page for friends. I'll send you the link.

best New Jersey photo of all time?

What, we aren't all friends here. I wanna see the video too.

MY helmet hurts

digi helmet poking my eyes into it. caught you looking at me dropping in.
checkmecheckingyouout.com

caught you spying me man don't like you looking at me why don't you pay attention?
Ohme me oh my oh me oh my GO OM.

I will be in nj this weekend. I am not going to bother bringing the board, tho. Its just not worth it the hassle with the driving and the airline fees. Plus my family will give me a guilt trip. Something like you can surf in sf anytime you want and you cannot spend 2 days with us.... I will smoke some stuff and forget about surfing for a few days.

When I get back I have beautiful OB waiting for me.

My team of researchers is having trouble locating more photos of the subject. However, we have discovered she has friends:

Wait, this just in....We FOUND her!

yay Kaiser!

Pipe fans..check it....

http://w02.easy-sharing.com/97405/gweefaoto2pMLH3PWUJL/pipe320.mov

Hey if anyone found a 1mm Ripcurl hooded vest @ VFW vicinity (sorry I'm name dropping) this am, your karmatic payback will be huge. Seriously you will get barrelled over the next few days... well hopefully and there will definately be beer involved in the deal.
Muchos Gracias! artifactphoto at yahoo.com

go kaiser go!

Friday, when I started to run very quickly back to the truck

Wow, evening glass offs and everything. The stiffness in my shoulders is almost gone but the grin may be permanent.

artifact, more pics from friday please...also, man, you're a badass...climbing, ski mountaineering, surfboard riding, photo skillz. I enjoyed your photos.

yay view from my house

I don't know if I should post this here. Anyways, i'm REALLY interested in learning how to kite surf. Does anyone know of any good Bay Area forums, like this one for kite surfing? Any good schools, instructors? I've always liked the idea of being able to harness the wind for speed.

goddammit.

edit that, pls, it is a dead giveaway what with the landmark and all.

Nice one Art!!