Weather conditions have been interesting in these parts lately. There is plenty of energy in the ocean, both ground swell and stormy wind chop. The water looks a bit as if it were a big kettle of water heated to a rapid boil.

So it's no surprise that the surf conditions are not clean and glassy. Far from it, the waves are big, and they are ugly. But surfing the big ugly is just another aspect of the sport, and many board riders are up for a bit of a bouncy ride. Paddling out is a challenge, finding the lineup is a puzzle, riding inconsistent walls of foamy water is an adventure, and fighting the currents is a requirement.

Storms are coming at regular intervals, but between any given two systems the ocean has a chance to clean itself somewhat. The sun comes out, the winds go away, and surfing the big ugly becomes the thing to do. You have to get on it as it is available, since the next storm is not too far in the future.

Here are some pictures taken in DogLand at just such a session. Notice how jumbled and chaotic the conditions are. Notice how short the period of the waves can be; some photos show four or five stacked peaks in a tight sequence. But notice too how much fun it can be to surf the big ugl.

CU Out There,

DogMan