Surf Log 4.21.22 #
Conditions #
Break: OB Pier
Board: 5'8 Seaside
Swell: 3-4ft. 2.2ftSW@14s, 1.4ftWNW@5s, 0.4ftS@9s, 1.2ftWSW@5s, 1.8ftWNW@13s
Tide: Astronomically low
Wind: 5knts S
Rating: Poor but fun
Log #
Challenging low tide morning at OB Pier. Short and mid period swell from the SW and NW created a heady mix with the negative 8am high tide. I decided to wait it out a bit and made my way to the beach at 8:30am instead of my usual dawn patrol. The conditions have been awful at dawn and somehow clean up just enough to get a surf in mid morning.
I pushed myself to bring the Seaside out and didn't hate is as much as I have in the past, though I'm convinced it's the wrong board for me. It is too corky and sits high in the water, which seems to collude with the lip of the wave to pitch me over the falls. That doesn't seem to happen as much on the Disco Cheater, but fuck that board too. It may be too thin for me until I thin down a bit myself.
Overall acceptable surf, with 3 rights worth writing home about. My pop up still needs to spread out along my front leg, but I'm getting somewhere with it. I've been thinking about the new Josh Hall Piseas I have being shaped, and I'm hoping that the shape will be more conducive to a longer board. It feels like the Seaside was shaped with a certain foot positioning and weight in mind, and I don't fit the bill.
The walls were coming through consistently, and I found the only way to make it out back with my shoulders intact was to float down to the pier and take the escalator rip out. Of course I took more than my fair share of waves to the head. I was able to duck dive a few, but the big ones ripped the board straight out from under me and I was left with neither longboard paddling nor shortboard duck diving- fun times. I decided to turn tail after my last wave at the 1 hour mark. I turned around after a mediocre right and saw a set of walls coming straight for me. Time to go! I am happy that I brought the Seaside out, even if I took a beating. I'm a better man for it.
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