Turn On It, Tune Out, Drop In

E WIND 5 TO 10 KT
WIND WAVES 2 FT.
W SWELL 7 FT AT 15 SECONDS.
TONIGHT: NE WIND 10 KT...VEERING TO SE AFTER MIDNIGHT.
WIND WAVES 2 FT.
W SWELL 8 FT AT 14 SECONDS.

For everytime I have paddled out where I have seen another person out...there must be 2 or 3 times where I have had to surf alone. People grouse about crowds, and there certainly are alot more people in the water than even 5 years ago...but those "crowds" are typically small and only occur at established drive-up surf spots. Unless you frequent about 8 out of the hundreds of surfable spots on the Oregon coast...you can pretty much count on being alone. I admit I often seek out these spots when surf is anything beyond head high, just to be somewhere where there someone that could help in a pinch. I haven't needed help in decades of surfing, but you never know.

But even those known and popular spots can yield solo sessions...especially if you're in early, mid-week in the winter. I surfed one of my most memorable days ever at just such a spot. The day previous saw a major storm hit the coast, 100 mph winds on the headlands, and whitewater and waves to the horizon. There was no way I was going to get wet...skunked again I was sure. The next morning though, I was up at dawn and looked out the window to see smooth water with lines of corduroy rolling in.

I packed up quickly and went to the popular break...no cars in the lot. I went down the trail to find nearly perfect overhead surf pouring off the south end of the cove. It was a bit bigger than what I was comfortable surfing alone so I watched and wandered the beach collecting fishing floats. I must have gathered a dozen in a half hour before it became unbearable. I suited up and paddled out. The waves were big, but the huge surf from the day before had carved equally huge channels which made the paddle out easy. I surfed left after left that petered out into the deep water for about 3 hours...still all alone. Finally, surfed out...I headed in, got dressed and went back to the house.

Later I went to pick up some groceries in town...only to find my way blocked by large downed trees blocking the coast highway. A simple explanation to my having the beach and waves all to myself that morning.

Local Report:

Friday was good...very, very good. Late afternoon and the righthander was epic. Long hollow rides quite common...glassy with a little bump but nothing too weird...down the beach...peaky A-frames that had everyone pulling back