Why do I feel compelled to pack no fewer than 4 boards in my car when I head out for a surf? I suppose it's to keep every option open so I'll have the right board for the spot that is holding the best surf. Invariably it complicates the decision. When I just grab one board though I often find myself wishing I had another. Today the 6'4" at Pleasure Point was the call.
Yes, I'm a perv. Not for Victoria Secret models though (well maybe just a little). My guilty pleasure are web-based computer weather models - god help me I love 'em. The best part of most anything is anticipation and that is certainly true when it comes to a good swell. And, these days, with the tools available, you can determine the swell size, interval, direction along with local wind and tidal conditions to map out your sessions and pick your surf spot days in advance.
Of course it wasn't always this easy. Growing up we'd look at the satellite pictures in the Santa Barbara Newspress. Then I got a weather band radio. Romy still kids me about how when we were dating she would fall asleep to the lovely sound of crackling, droning, buoy readings. Sean Collins of course changed everything with Surfline -first via 976 phone number and eventually via the internet. I'm still a premium subscriber to Surfline and think they do a great job, but the resource I like best is StormSurf . It is just so rich with every tool and model imaginable; and Mark Sponsler is the man with his Pacific Forecast. So here are a few of the standard, workhorse models and tools - probably not foreign to any fellow surf addict.
The N.Pac Jet Stream roaring off of japan with great support for surface level storm development.N. Pac Surface Pressure and Wind. Screen grab is what is happening now, as I'm writing this. Wow - sure to send huge surf next week with 40 - 50 knot winds on the water.
Nor. Pacifc Sea Height. The screen capture below is actually the Mavericks Contest Storm. This is before it regenerated for it's second push just north of Hawaii.
Near shore Nor Cal Sea Height the day of the Mavericks Contest.
Nor Cal swell period the day of the Mavericks Contest.
Nor Cal Wind. Beautiful near shore wind conditions on the day of the Mav's contest.
And to look at the Monterey Bay Buoy readings that day. 19' at 17 seconds - crazy.
And the forecasters/surfers looked at all of that data starting many days in advance so they could get waves like this for the Mav's contest:
First let me say the surf and weather around Santa Cruz over President's Day weekend was nothing short of epic. God Bless waterproof bandages and tape. Also very good to get my good buddy Drew back in the water after too long of a hiatus. Here's Drew in typical form.
I think he recognized my scent - or the sound of me cursing at him. Because he clamored up to posture.
And then let me know he's not beyond visiting more pain and suffering on my ass. Note the chompers.
I the weeks following my encounter with this guy I have heard multiple stories on how he has lunged at others. Honestly, I think the Marine Mammal Rescue Center should relocate him before he really hurts someone. My wife, Romy, reminds me of the horror had he aimed just a bit higher and to the left :)
I had a lot of ideas for what would be my first post to this blog, such as; my first wave, my first board, my first surf trip, tons of surf related "firsts" fitting and worthy for an opening post - but then last Saturday I was bit by a Sea Lion and it was definitely a first! So with this "first" particularly fresh in my mind and on my thigh let me say welcome to Wave Raves and hopefully you aren't too grossed out by the pics below to come back for post #2.
Shark bites, spider bites, snake bites - that is the nightmare shit that makes me bolt upright in bed in the middle of the night. But a sea lion bite? Not those friendly sea dogs barking on the rocks or fishing in and around the line-up. Never even imagined it could happen. Which is probably why I was so damn surprised when out of nowhere I felt something slam my left thigh with the force of a 2X4 and looked down to see the blur of a brown whiskery face retreating. But let me back up.
It was last Saturday Jan 30th. The Monterey Bay buoy was showing a solid west swell 9' at 15 seconds and the Lane was good. In fact, in typical fashion I had checked about 4 different spots up and down the coast earlier in the day and decided to wait for the late afternoon session at the Lane so suffice it to say I was psyched and ready to surf. I jumped the railing by the lighthouse to walk out to jump off the point. Another guy was heading out at the same time so we were chatting about the swell and how, with the tide so low, we would need to be careful not to get slammed by the surf when getting in the water. About half way toward the end of the point we set our boards down, fastened our leashes and then picked up our boards to head down to the entry point. He went down the path first and then I followed about 10 steps behind and WHAM! I didn't even see him before he hit me. By the time it registered that I'd been bit he had retreated back to his spot just below a little rise snug along the edge of the cliff about 5 feet from where I was to pass. He was a big crusty adult bull male with with a thick layer of brown foamy drool around his mouth!
A guy who had been walking down about 15 yards behind me saw the whole thing and came running up to me as did the guy I'd been walking down with. My wetsuit was all wet where he had bit me but the material wasn't ripped or punctured. I was so bummed because the surf was good and I was half tempted to just surf anyway but the two guys said I should go check to make sure I wasn't bleeding - which I knew was right because, again it felt like I had been hit by a 2X4. I cursed at my nemesis who just glared back at me and then ran back to my car where I pulled my wetsuit off to see this:
Drove myself to the ER where this nice doctor stitched me up.
Sea Lion bites aren't something that the ER sees every day. Here is an ER doctor taking some pics for the text books.
A work of art.
I get the stitches out this Tuesday and Doc says I should be back in the water by next weekend - just in time for next significant swell :) But in the future I'll be sure to give the seals and sea lions a bit more respect.
