S WIND 15 TO 20 KT...WITH A FEW GUSTS TO 25 KT THIS AFTERNOON NORTH OF CASCADE HEAD. WIND WAVES 4 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
It's a funny thing...there aren't alot of secrets out there, not alot of undiscovered territory. Well-funded surfers make trips to unexplored Indonesian islands to surf waves spinning off over shallow razor sharp reefs or they head ever further north or south seeking empty waves and secret spots...even there though, it seems, there are surfers.
In places like Hawaii, California or even the Pacific Northwest...there are detailed topographic mps that lay out every sandy beach, headland or offshore rock...every point or rivermouth that shows potential is there to be explored, discovered and surfed...but you probably won't be the first and increasingly you won't be alone.
I think that there are still plenty of opportunities out there for discovery and solitude...even in our own backyards. Does this mean that you can count on an empty Malibu or it's equivalent on a good day? Clearly not anymore. But there are thousands of unridden waves that roll through every day on a thousand different shorelines. It's just a matter of looking beyond the obvious.
Local Report:
3/17: Hit up the north end of a beach break somewhere between Needles and Shorties, you can see it thru some trees from 101 (not arcadia). Was a pain to get thr0ugh the shore break, but once on the outside, there were some really fun rights that just peeled in with decent shape. Also somewhat consistent for a beach break, which was surprising. I’ve always checked this place out from the road, but never went out there before figuring there would be a bad longshore there. Took out the 5’10” quad fish and had a lot of fun. First day back out since Cabo, forgot how much harder it is to surf when you are wearing an extra 25lbs of gear to stay warm, upper body was actually sore the next day. South wind picked up about 10:00 and it went to crap really fast.
After that, decided to head up to the Cove bearing gifts from Cabo for some friends that were surfing up there. Some decent rights were peeling out towards U Avenue, mushy and slow though, but clean. Took out the 9’6” “crowd buster” for some long nose rides. Hadn’t ridden that board since last summer. Forgot how fun a longboard can be. ~lp
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4 comments:
Doc, this reminds me of that girl Liz, who I've written about, who is surfing and sailing her way around the world. She'd doing it by sailboat primarily because she's getting to so many remote places and has the support system (the boat itself) to be able to sit on never before ridden waves for weeks. It's her idea that if you want to truly explore, the only way is by sailboat.
Maybe I should buy a boat. Trying to find a wave of one's own is difficult to say the least in LA. Guess I just gotta look harder.
I've decided to no longer seek out good waves. I am now a junk-wave surfer. I've got loads of reliable spots that no one ever surfs. Get the right board and it is a whole new approach to surfing.
I like the idea of having waves all to myself. The solitude, the unspoiled beauty of it all...But the reality is, I don't mind surfing in crowds. There are worse ways to spend your time.
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