@Johnnysmoke said:
Got out around 11, but I should have hustled a little more this morning, and tried for earlier/mid-tide. I got there an hour before high tide, the wind was coming up, and the incoming tide started washing down the waves. Only the bigger waves were managing to break, but were dumping close to shore, and I didn’t want to play in knee deep water, so I called it quits after maybe an hour. Good day to get out, water is still warm, but very windy. Got blown sideways trying to get on the waves, didn’t have the power or speed to make it down the face, just kept getting blown back.
Got to practice my roll getting out through the break zone, so that’s still working, which is good.
Good for you for getting out.
I got up at 4 AM. Checked the buoy which registered 4.9’ at 7 second, with a mild side shore wind. Meh. I waited for the next buoy reading at 5 AM (4:50 AM really). Still 4.9’ but at 8 second but the winds were a bit stronger but still side shore. Decided it wasn’t worth the trip for what would like be mediocre/messy waves ( which would be fine if I were desperate for surf fix…)
So, I am banking that the trued groundswells (12-16 seconds) will arrive for this weekend for more relaxed and no rushed surfing.
sing
PS. Saw Boston CL listing of a Mega Marauder in Hopkinton for under $400 with skirt included. Marauder is one of Mega’s earlier high performance boats at a little over 8’. Most of the HPs now are sub-8’ - great for throwing around on a waveface but a greater pain and workout to get through the breakzone. I am long done with sit inside rides but for a seakayaker exploring surf kayaking, it may be good.
I think my next boat might be a Dagger Kaos, so I can start dragging folks out with me.
I also might go custom on my next surf boat. Maybe reach out to that dude in Toronto who makes custom boats, and get something designed specifically for a bigger person, rather than stuffing myself into a boat designed for a 5’8 British dude with a 32 inch waist. The coamings on the Mega are using a slalom sized cockpit, and I have to wedge myself in there, and my hips are making contact with the coaming. I think they’re about the same price as a Mega.
Or maybe I should just smarten up and get a waveski and forego the skirt and awkward launches of the surf kayak. Would also be easier to fly with, if I ever get to that stage. Many airlines won’t let you check a kayak, but surfboards are fine. I doubt any airline employee would be able to determine a waveski from a surfboard.
Hoping to get out Saturday in the sea kayak to the spit, hope I remember how to surf that thing.
Or maybe I should just smarten up and get a waveski and forego the skirt and awkward launches of the surf kayak. Would also be easier to fly with, if I ever get to that stage. Many airlines won’t let you check a kayak, but surfboards are fine. I doubt any airline employee would be able to determine a waveski from a surfboard.
Hoping to get out Saturday in the sea kayak to the spit, hope I remember how to surf that thing.
Seriously, get yourself a longboard. No need for skirts. No bumbling around trying to get a skirt over the coaming, with cold hads, while the white water is pushing your boat around. No worry about trying to pole/crab yourself out through sand to get to enough water to float while jeopardizing one or more of your fins and finboxes. More important, for a solo paddle surfer, you can still roll (always the best option) with some adjustment in technique, but if you bail you can still climb back on in between sets. I remember swimming in with my half submerged Mega and really taking a beating from breaking waves and/at one point, getting my finger sliced either by the coaming and/or by one of the fins. I also worried about the fins accidently cutting my drysuit. This would have been catastrophic in the winter surf.
Anyway, got in a nice session today. Really zippy, long period (16 second) groundswells. Only problem was with the nice weather and the godly hour, there were close to two dozen folks at the homebreak. A little too many. Had to be conscious about not being a wave hog, which can be easy with the assist of a paddle. Looking forward to a dawn session tomorrow. No real need to go early, except I want to avoid a crowd.
Nantasket has also been a little crowded lately, waiting for the cooler weather to knock down the crowds a bit. Although I’m also not as hardy as I once was, and enjoying paddling in light neoprene and splash gear. I’ve been trying to avoid the drysuit for the surf kayak, after slicing open the thigh on some neoprene shorts with the outfitting in one of my boats, I’ve been trying to use all neoprene. Also the drysuit is like paddling around in the surf zone with a garbage bag tied to each arm, the wetsuit is definitely a more streamlined piece of gear. I have a pretty decent setup with a short sleeved splash guard, I wear it over my spray skirt tunnel, so water doesn’t get forced through the tunnel in the impact zone. A lifejacket also helps keep everything in place.
Got out for a sea kayak surf session today (Saturday) out on the spit in Scituate. Haven’t surfed the sea kayak in probably over two years, so kept to smaller thigh high waves out there. Good spot as you come out through a river mouth, you can play in the smaller breaks closer to the river, and the big stuff is further out towards open water. So you can nibble at the smaller edges and work your way out as skills/confidence progress. I used to motor around out there like I owned the place, hucking myself at the big stuff way out beyond sand bars, lol now I’m being really conservative and only playing on the thigh high stuff away from the current. Hopefully my skills, strength, and stamina return to close to what they were, but I’m in no hurry to be hucking myself at the big stuff anytime soon. It just looked knarly outside there today.
Was an incoming tide today while we were there, so wasn’t ideal conditions for waves, and was pretty big and disorganized. Still great to get out and catch some nice long rides, connect a few different sections to keep the ride going.
Looks like lots more surf headed our way, hoping to get out during the day next week.
I was not out surfing this AM, was out of town, but a 13 year old got bit on the shoulder by ~ 11 foot shark while hunting lobsters at Beacons Beach in Encinitas. That’s the beach that’s closest to my house. I’m guessing a juvenile GWS was excited by the lobsters or the smaller kid in a wetsuit looking like choice seal meat. Was not anything near a fatal bite so probably a mistake by the shark. Sing when you were here I think I took you to Seaside/Tabletops not Beacons, it’s not very friendly for kayak surfing there, but is a really fun wave when the swell is bigger. Of course at tabletops a guy was killed by a GWS about 10 years ago.
@SeaDart said:
I was not out surfing this AM, was out of town, but a 13 year old got bit on the shoulder by ~ 11 foot shark while hunting lobsters at Beacons Beach in Encinitas. That’s the beach that’s closest to my house. I’m guessing a juvenile GWS was excited by the lobsters or the smaller kid in a wetsuit looking like choice seal meat. Was not anything near a fatal bite so probably a mistake by the shark. Sing when you were here I think I took you to Seaside/Tabletops not Beacons, it’s not very friendly for kayak surfing there, but is a really fun wave when the swell is bigger. Of course at tabletops a guy was killed by a GWS about 10 years ago.
I saw the news report and was wondering where that was. Good thing for the kayakfisherman being there – was able to pull the kid onto the front of the SOT and paddle back in. Said he saw the shark right behind them at one point, following the blood trail… Heebeegeebees.
Today, had a good morning riding _little dragons _ Went early to the homebreak, hoping to avoid the crowd. Evidently, every other person thought the same. LOL! Screw the crowd. I paddled the quarter plus mile out to the offshore reef break.
Even from shore the reef can be seen clearly going off with long peelers. I got out there and found a longboarder and a SUPer who had the same idea. I waited and watched in the deeper water to get a feel of the how the swells were breaking. Have to say, I was kinda of nervous. The combination of outgoing tide and offshore winds was stacking these steep chest to head high wave faces. Took several failed attempts (futile sprinting) to figure out where the face got critical and started to break. Anything out of the small sweet zone was useless because the offshore current and winds would just push me back over the backside… Once dialed in. I can only say what a effing rush!!! Holy moley, once on, the ride was anywhere from 200-300 yards in, depending on how quickly one got across a flat part (probably a rip current) to catch up to the next critical section. Got scared pretty good once. I tripped on my rail right in front of the pocket. Went over, SWOOSHED… had my paddled stripped from me. I was getting tagged along in the turmoil, thinking, “aw crap… this is really going to suck…” Right after that, I felt something bumped back into my arm. The paddle evidently stretched the coil paddle leash to limit and then bounced back to me. I grabbed the paddle, rolled up and found myself still in the front of the pocket. Did a couple of quick strokes and got in front of the critical area and was able to squeeze another hundred yards in. How do I know… The are misc. lobster trip buoys and boiling water around underwater boulders that mark the course and gave some impetus for heads up surfing (and my fear when I was getting pushed along upside down).
Two hours of riding little dragons, I was feeling a bit done. Not wanting to get to an tired state while offshore, I paddled back to the shore break. Did another couple of hours of more leisurely surfing by taking turns and sharing with the couple of dozen folks in the lineup.
Leslie is still out there east of Bermuda, meandering around. She is forecasted to stay there (maybe regain hurricane status) and generate groundswell of varying intensity all the way into next weekend. Lots more surfing ahead.
Less than ideal part of the tide cycle, with waves breaking almost on the cobble shore. Diagonal onshore wind contributed to a bit of mushiness. None else seem interested this AM. Had the break to myself of a couple of hours before a couple of local boardies showed. Waves got better as the tide receded and gave more space for the waves to break. 3.5 hours of mellow but enjoyable surfing.
Leslie attained hurricane status this morning. Almost stationary just east of Bermuda, she is pumping swells all along the east coast. She’ll meander closer to NE this weekend before heading farther out into the Atlantic. Until she leaves, there is a lot more waves to ride in very mild, fall temperatures.
Blown out conditions today with the strong onshore winds from a overnight cold front. Waves get bigger and better this weekend. Will miss the sessions as the agenda is to be up to western ME for foliage. Hopefully, Leslie will still be sending swells our way when I get back… fingers crossed!
Got back from leaf peeping to get in some quick wave riding to end the long weekend. This is probably a wrap for Leslie, a perfect fish storm in the mid of the Atlantic and generating waist to head high swells for the past two weeks. She is headed east and soon to generate some nice swells for portugal and france.
Not the best of conditions. We had easterly wind swells on top of Leslie’s longer period swells. The waves were steep, closer period and unpredictable in where exactly the break was going to occur. Heck of a workout paddling out. Got flipped a couple of times. Lots of short rides as the waves tended to fade or mush into ones in front. Got a total of four so-so rides from the outside all the way in. Had to pay for those longer rides with paddling workout through a sloppy, messy break zone.
Will have to see what Michael brings a the end of this week.
Knee highs with the occasional waist high Tuesday morning. Kind of what I needed to just get going and comfortable in the boat again. Grabbed a few little rides. Got a half dozen rolls in, worked on skulling a bit, and practiced a wet exit which I haven’t done in years. Need to start working on my off side roll, which I’m hesitant to practice when out solo, Water is still warm enough for hydroskin shorts and shirt, with a shorty splash top. Took a dip before getting in the boat, seems to help figure out wave energy, bottom contours, and depth before committing to the boat. I guess that’s just a natural progression for walking the waveski out a bit.
@Johnnysmoke said:
Knee highs with the occasional waist high Tuesday morning. Kind of what I needed to just get going and comfortable in the boat again. Grabbed a few little rides. Got a half dozen rolls in, worked on skulling a bit, and practiced a wet exit which I haven’t done in years. Need to start working on my off side roll, which I’m hesitant to practice when out solo, Water is still warm enough for hydroskin shorts and shirt, with a shorty splash top. Took a dip before getting in the boat, seems to help figure out wave energy, bottom contours, and depth before committing to the boat. I guess that’s just a natural progression for walking the waveski out a bit.
Sounds like some fun still around for you. I honestly don’t know what to think of the warm water temps we are still having…
Anyway, I am sitting in Baltimore, seeing water but NO WAVES!!! Hopefully will beat Michael’s track up the east coast tomorrow morning and make it back to Beantown before the strong winds and thunderstorms have impact on flights.
@Johnnysmoke said:
Well it’s flat and rainy I don’t think you’re missing much. Nothing great in the forecast unless you’re willing to drive south to RI.
Some messy wind swells out there today (shrug). Leslie is still out there in the Atlantic as a “zombie hurricane.” It is still forecasted to head towards Portugal, but has an outside chance that she may actually meander back towards the west (and us) again… Crazy, crazy, crazy stuff…
Went early to the homebreak, hoping to avoid the crowd. Evidently, every other person thought the same. LOL! Screw the crowd. I paddled the quarter plus mile out to the offshore reef break.
Hopefully, Leslie will still be sending swells our way when I get back… fingers crossed!
