Was preparing for a DogMan Chronicles column about the real northern California; a road trip to Mendocino. But that will have to wait; today was BIG SATURDAY.
Two riders on two waves
Much better
Only have time to process three pix; many more to come in upcoming Chronicles. Also got some good video of the action, so check back for more. After taking my own beating from the closer sets and riding a few medium size (double o) waves. I climbed the cliff to record the others in the lineup who were riding much better than I was.
Even some hollow sections
Coverage
I have so many good pix of this session in DogLand, there will be more coverage to come. For now, it looks like Sunday will be just as epic!
Swell:
West swell 5-7 feet 13-14 seconds
Wind:
Light northwest wind in the afternoon
Waves:
Head high, possibly overhead
Tide:
5 feet at dawn, 0.5 feet at 2 PM, 2 feet at dusk
Weather:
Sun and clouds mixed
Best call:
Smallest waves of the weekend. Hook an afternoon session in town on the lower tides
Saturday
Swell:
West swell 7-9 feet 11-13 seconds through the day
Wind:
Light wind all day, but clocking about the compass
Waves:
Overhead, some spots approach double O
Tide:
5.5 feet at dawn, 0 feet at 2:30 PM, 1.5 feet at dusk
Weather:
Clouds and sun mixed
Best call:
Choose your spot based on the tide. Good waves all day
Sunday
Swell:
Wwest swell 7-9 feet 11-13 seconds
Wind:
Light winds, offshore in the morning, onshore in the afternoon
Waves:
Overhead, some spots approach double O
Tide:
5.5 feet at dawn, -0.5 feet at 3 PM, 1 foot at dusk
Weather:
Sun, clouds, but no rain
Best call:
Choose the right tide for your favorite break and get on it
Summary
More swell and fine weather on tap this weekend. Big tide swings are the biggest variable; know your break's favorite tide level and time your session accordingly. Good waves all weekend long, biggest on Saturday and Sunday.
One cool thing about this time of year; it's sprinkled liberally with holidays. You got your Turkey Day, your Christmas. Then there is New Years, and for some MLK day. Next is Chinese New Years, and finally President's Day. Each of these offer time to surf.
Going both ways, left and right
Falling for surf
One spot
So here's a happening spot one dawn between two holidays. The sky was blazing with color, and the ocean was humping with waves to ride. Perfect conditions for a DogMan session and a DogMan Chronicles column.
Go right into the orange sky
Sharp cutback
Perfect
It's too bad the work week intrudes on the surf time so much. But, work finances the surf exploration and pays for equipment, wax, gas, ding repair, and so on. It's a careful balance between responsibility and pursuit of a passion. At least the holiday season makes it a bit easier to find some water time.
Swell:
West swell 9-12 feet 11-13 seconds
Wind:
Moderate northwest wind in the afternoon
Waves:
Up to double overhead
Tide:
2 feet at dawn, 4 feet at 12:30 PM, 1.5 feet at dusk
Weather:
Mostly sunny
Best call:
Biggest waves of the weekend, especially early in the day. Find a spot in town that tolerates medium high tides
Saturday
Swell:
Northwest swell 5-7 feet 11-13 seconds through the day
Wind:
Light to moderate offshores all day
Waves:
Up to overhead
Tide:
2 feet at dawn, 3.5 feet at 1:30 PM, 2 feet at dusk
Weather:
Mostly sunny
Best call:
Best waves early in the day
Sunday
Swell:
Northwest swell 5-7 feet 10-11 seconds
Wind:
Moderate northwest wind in the afternoon
Waves:
Up to shoulder high
Tide:
2 feet at dawn, 3 feet at 2:30 PM, 2.5 feet at dusk
Weather:
Mostly sunny
Best call:
Smallest waves of the weekend, probably best in the morning
Summary
Another solid weekend of waves in the City of Surf. Weather and tide are consistent the whole time, with a slowly decaying swell to pump the water walls ashore.
Neither oil rig nor Channel Island can stop this swell from reaching shore
Zoom face
Part 3 of the Christmas in Southern California tale. Mostly pix this week. I have been a bit busy snagging waves in Northern California after the first rain in a while. No lens snapping just yet, maybe tomorrow on the maxing swell and major high tide. So for now, here are more cool pix from my sojurn south.
Hood, but no boots or gloves
Concentration
Tall guys can surf too
Mendocino
Also got some pix and words coming from a trip to the real northern Calfornia last week. No surfers, but plenty of wild coast and wild wave images from Mendocino County. Click back often to check it all. Too many pictures and stories lately to keep up in real time on these Chronicles. You'll have to make do with stuff from a bit behind the current date.
Swell:
West swell 12-15 feet 11-13 seconds
Wind:
Southeast early, turning southerly by noon and getting stronger as the day ages
Waves:
Overhead, possibly double-o
Tide:
6.5 feet at dawn, -1 foot at 2:30 PM, 1 foot at dusk
Weather:
Rain
Best call:
Not a good poossibility out there, but you might try a beach break in the extreme south county, or even Monterey County at dawn
Saturday
Swell:
Starting the morning with west swell 12-15 feet 11-13 seconds and building through the day
Wind:
Westerly and strong early, lighter in the afternoon but still problematic
Waves:
Overhead plus, double-o is certainly possible
Tide:
6.5 feet at 8:15 AM, -1 foot at 3:15 PM, 0 feet at dusk
Weather:
Rain
Best call:
Not a good day for waves, but try an extremely well wind sheltered spot in town for the aftenoon falling tide
Sunday
Swell:
West swell 12-15 feet 13-14 seconds
Wind:
Light offshore very early in the morning, but clocking around to southeast and getting progressively stronger as the day marches forward
Waves:
Double overhead easily
Tide:
6.5 feet at 9 AM, -1 foot at 4 PM
Weather:
Showers and rain
Best call:
Still iffy for surfing, but find a spot that tolerates extremely high tides at dawn before the wind gets on it. Watch the 9'ers on TV for the afternoon to evening session
Summary
Well it had to happen; bad conditions for surfing this weekend in Santa Cruz! Oh yeah, there will be plenty of swell in the water, but really troublesome winds and extreme tide shifts will make things difficult in the water. Really, your best bet for the weekend is to watch the 9'ers on TV later in the afternoon Sunday. Time to do some ding repair and wetsuit patching.
Part 2 of the Christmas story. The tale was interrupted last week by great waves back here in Northern California. But the pictures still need to be seen, and tale still needs to be told. So here we go...
A curling lip
Backside on an overhead wave
Clear day
It was a clear crisp morning at the beach break. Many folks in the water looking for stoke, and they all found it. There were waves to fill the stockings of all the surfers in the water, and even more for the mind surfers along the shore. Slight offshores groomed the faces of the incoming swell, and the sun climbed out of bed and inched higher into the winter sky.
Sun drenched fan spray
Frame full of spray from this turn
More coming
Heading north tomorrow to the real Northern California. Truth is, here in Santa Cruz we call it Northern California, but a quick check of the map shows you we are really in the center of the state. Anyway, should get some pix and stories from a different part of the coast, looks like some waves are in the forecast. But the stories and pictures aren't finished from Christmas in Southern California. Expect more to come in the next few weeks.
Swell:
Northwest swell 4-5 feet 11-13 seconds
Wind:
Light and offshore
Waves:
Building through the day to perhaps head high
Tide:
2 feet at dawn, 4.5 feet at noon, 1 foot at dusk
Weather:
Frosty at dawn, mostly sunny
Best call:
Wait for the afternoon session as the sun sinks slowly in the west
Saturday
Swell:
Northwest swell 5-7 feet 13-14 seconds
Wind:
Light and clocking around the compass throughout the day
Waves:
Overhead early, then falling as the day goes on
Tide:
2 feet at dawn, 4 feet at 1:30 PM, 2 feet at dusk
Weather:
Frosty at dawn, mostly sunny
Best call:
Dawn sess will bag the biggest waves
Sunday
Swell:
Northwest swell 5-7 feet 11-13 seconds
Wind:
Light to moderate on shore wind in the afternoon
Waves:
Chest high early, falling as the clock spins
Tide:
2 feet at dawn, 3.5 feet at 3 PM, 3 feet at dusk
Weather:
Frosty at dawn, partly sunny
Best call:
Smallest waves of the weekend, get them early while there is still some swell.
Summary
Another solid weekend of swell in Santa Cruz. Best waves at dusk on Friday or for the Saturday dawn patrol.
More waves from the end of 2011 for this week's Chronicles. This particular morning session took place at Steamer Lane, with a substantial northwest swell in the water. Dawn conditions were cold and clear; waves were humping.
Backlit spray on this turnm
Coming back for more
On any given day
All around the calendar, on any given day, there are likely waves to ride at the Lane. It's not always epic, not always pretty, not always worth a DogMan column. But how many spots have this many rideable days throughout all four seasons. It's one reason Lighthouse Point is the most famous break in Santa Cruz.
Cautious entry
Ducking the lip
More Christmas pix too
Even though I have lots more Southern California Christmas pictures ready to run, even though this past weekend in Santa Cruz saw yet another epic swell roll though, the choice to run this column and these pictures from December was an easy choice to make. There ar many more weeks to come in 2012, and many more DogMan Chronicles too. Lots of time to show and describe all the great surf adventures from DogLand. Keep clicking on DogManSurf.com!
Swell:
Northwest swell 12-15 feet 15-16 seconds
Wind:
Moderate NW breeze in the afternoon
Waves:
BIG! Triple overhead and more at the biggest locations
Tide:
5.5 feet at dawn, -0.5 feet at dusk
Weather:
Brisk mornings, mostly sunnny
Best call:
Wax your gun! Fire up the jetski for some tow action.
Saturday
Swell:
Northwest swell 9-12 feet 13-14 seconds
Wind:
Light to moderate northerly winds
Waves:
Overhead
Tide:
5.5 feet at dawn, -0.5 feet at dusk
Weather:
Brisk mornings, mostly sunnny
Best call:
Pick a favorable tide window as the level drops from extremely high in the morning to minus low in the afternoon
Sunday
Swell:
Northwest swell 5-7 feet 11-13 seconds
Wind:
Light offshore winds
Waves:
Shoulder or head high
Tide:
6 feet at 9 AM, -0.5 feet at dusk
Weather:
Brisk mornings, mostly sunnny
Best call:
Fun size waves, find the right spot with the right tide.
Summary
Friday will be epic size, with wave heights dropping on Saturday and even smaller on Sunday. Still, waves all weekend with clear weather and not much wind.
So here's evidence the waves are fantastic in the southland as well as here in DogLand. Of course, strictly speaking, anywhere the DogMan surfs is DogLand, thanks to Legendary Mike who invented that particular name and concept. Nonetheless, the usual DogMan haunts are hereabouts in Santa Cruz County. But this holiday season was the time for a road trip into the great south part of California.
Standing tall in the barrel
Knee boarder in the lip
Beach Breaks
Not a scientific study by any means, just one DogMan's observation and opinion, but it appears the numerous beach breaks of Southern California kickc butt on anything in my neighborhood. The pictures in this column are just one example of a beach break with world class waves. And this is just part one. I am too busy getting end-of-year waves here in DogLand to put together a comprehensive account of my surf time in the southland.
Digging hard to get ahead of the curl
Inopportune loss of solid footing
Part 2 and maybe even part 3 coming
Click back to these chronicles to see more coverage of the great time in the waves this Christmas. And hard on the heels of that adventure will be words and pix from ther fantastic end-of-year surf action right here in the City of Surf. Is this great or what?
Swell:
Northwest swell 9-12 feet 11-13 seconds
Wind:
Moderate to brisk onshore winds late, like after sunset Waves:
Overhead at the best locations
Tide:
Medioum high tide all day
Weather:
Cold in the morning, some sun, some clouds
Best call:
Steady conditions. Surf almost anywhere anytime. Don't expect low tide spots to go off
Smallest waves of the weekend. Bring your long board to a low tide spot mid afternoon to dusk
Saturday
Swell:
Northwest swell 9-12 feet 13-14 seconds
Wind:
Moderate offshore breeze all day
Waves:
Double o' at the best spots
Tide:
Medium tide levels all day long
Weather:
Cold in the morning, some sun, some clouds
Best call:
Biggest waves of the weekend. Surf almost anywhere anytime. Don't expect low tide spots to go off
Sunday
Swell:
Northwest swell 7-9 feet 11-13 seconds
Wind:
Moderate offshore breeze all day
Waves:
Overhead at the best breaks
Tide:
Medium tide levels all day
Weather:
Cold in the morning, some sun, some clouds
Best call:
Surf almost anywhere anytime. Don't expect low tide spots to go off
Summary
Another consistent swell weekend in the CIty of Surf. No low tide surfing, but anything else is up for the taking
The holidays are upon us, and so is the start of the winter swell season. December has graced us with decent waves, big waves, scary waves, little tiny waves, bumpy waves, and smoooooooth walls o' wet waves. Check the pictures from this session in DogLand.
Long view of a long right
Solid surf
Early morning, clear conditions, chill wind from the arroyo making it a teeth chattering experience to change into the rubber suit. But the solid head high surf was beckoning, and the bumps across the reef were peeling.
Connecting the sections
More to come with the Santa days
This swell was only the first of many to pound the shores of Californina from north to south. The season started in a most promising way, with Santa promising to bring even more waves for the end of the year.
Cruzing in Santa Cruz
Hung in a fat lip
Still some more
The best waves of the day were slightly overhead, and connected from the tip of the reef to the inside shoals washed by high tide salty water. It was a great morning in the ocean, except for the bracingly cold winds. At least they were offshore!
Swell:
Northwest swell 4-5 feet 11-13 seconds
Wind:
Light offshores in the morning, light onshores in the afternoon
Waves:
Waist high
Tide:
6.5 feet at dawn, -1.5 feet at dusk
Weather:
Frost in the morning, mostly sunny
Best call:
Smallest waves of the weekend. Bring your long board to a low tide spot mid afternoon to dusk
Saturday
Swell:
Northwest swell 7-9 feet 14-15 seconds, building to 9-12 feet by mid-day
Wind:
Light offshore breeze all day
Waves:
Overhead, possibly double o at the biggest breaks
Tide:
6.5 feet at 9 AM, -1.5 feet at dusk
Weather:
Frost in the morning, mostly sunny
Best call:
Mid-day session in the largest swell of the weekend
Sunday
Swell:
Northwest swell 7-9 feet 11-13 seconds
Wind:
Moderate to strong onshore winds all day
Waves:
Overhead
Tide:
6.5 feet at 10 AM, -1.5 feet at dusk
Weather:
Frost in the morning, mostly sunny
Best call:
Mid-day to late afternoon session in town and out of the wind
Summary
Huge tide swings all weekend, 8 feet in all, from extremely high in the morning to extremely low in the afternoon. Best waves mid-day Saturday, smallest waves Friday. Troublesome onshore winds Sunday
Shooting pictures of surfers riding waves in the midst of noteworthy manuevers is quite a challenge. Shooting pictures of a total lunar eclipse is way more difficult.
Moon approaching total eclipse as seen from The Top of the World
Perfect place
Saturday 10 December 2011. 4:30 AM on the north coast of Santa Cruz County, in the extreme reaches of DogLand. Perched on the side of Highway 1 at a tall cliff lookout called The Top of the World. This is a perfect place to view a total lunar eclipse.
Moon is slipping behind the shadow of the earth
Rare event
Strange thing is, I was not alone. It was like the scene in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" where a random assortment of folks are gathered at a sweeping curve on a lonely rural road, far from any city town or village. It's the middle of nowhere, except all these people are gathered to watch a strange and rare event. In their case it was evidence of aliens visiting our planet. In my case, it was people who all woke in the middle of the night to travel to the middle of nowhere to watch the moon disappear.
Total lunar eclipse, glowing from earth light only
Nocturne landscape
In the best of circumstances it's difficult to take good pictures of the moon. Since photography means "recording light," you can see how shooting pics at night is mostly a non-starter. With clear skies and a bright moon you have the additional problem of contrast; the moon is beaming ,in want of one shutter speed and apperature, while the night sky is dark, in want of a completely different setup. You can get either a well-defined moon with no detail in the rest of the image, or a dreamy nocturne landscape with an overexposed blast of a white smudge representing the moon.
An earlier moon picture, without use of HDR, and no eclipse
High dynamic range
OK, there is at least one photo trick for this situation: HDR imagery. That's where you take two identical pictures, one optimized for the mooon, and the other optimized for the landscape. Then you combine them in the dark room to get a single image that is balanced across both. And that's what you see in this column from the eclipse.
Moon over fog bank at The Top of the World
I tried
Going further, an eclipse means the moon disappears as it moves into the shadow cast by the earth. At this point, an extremely unlikely photo opportunity becomes the closest thing to impossible. But I tried.
Full moon over West Cliff
Several seconds
I set the tripod on the bluff overlooking the ocean, attached the camera with zoom lens atop, and connected the remote shutter release to the camera body. You can't touch the camera when doing exposures of several seconds. I snapped away, zooming in and out and changing exposure and apperature settings between each shutter release.
Nearly full moon from The Top of the World
Water crew
Initially, the moon was about seven eighths covered by the earth's shadow, but soon was completely covered. As I kept at it, multiple people asked me about reproductions of the results. If you are at all interested, just email and I'll discuss the options with you.
And by the way, there was plenty of swell in the water too. Eager dawn patrolers were suiting up and paddling out as the dawn approached. Once the moon was completely covered and sinking further into the haze along the horizon, I joined the water crew and left the land crew to observe the moon as the day's light blossomed on the opposite horizon.
Swell:
Northwest swell 5-7 feet 11-13 seconds Wind: Wind:
Light offshore breeze
Waves:
Shin to knee high
Tide:
3 feet at dawn, 4.5 feet at 1:30 PM, 2.5 feet at dusk
Weather:
Sunny
Best call:
Small surf for Friday, choose a spot that can tolerate higher tide levels
Saturday
Swell:
Northwest swell 5-7 feet 13-14 seconds
Wind:
Light winds
Waves:
Shoulder high to slightly overhead
Tide:
3 feet at dawn, 2 feet at 9:45AM, 4.5 feet at 3 PM, 3 feet at dusk
Weather:
Sunny
Best call:
Mid-morning session at a big wave spot
Sunday
Swell:
Jumping northwest swell increasing to 9-12 feet 13-14 seconds by mid-day
Wind:
Light onshore winds
Waves:
Double overhead in the afternoon
Tide:
3.5 feet at dawn, 1.5 feet at 11 AM, 3.5 feet at 4:30 PM
Weather:
Sunny
Best call:
Biggest waves of the weekend. Go for an afternoon session and get some double overhead waves
Summary
Another great weekend for surf in Santa Cruz. Clear crisp weather, consistent tide levels, and a new incoming swell for Sunday aft .rnoon.
This is the third part of the coverage of Thanksgiving weekend waves in DogLand. The swell was super, the waves were wonderful, and the board riding was beautiful. All four days had waves aplenty, although Thursday also had a bit of foul weather to slow things down a bit.
Wave goes left
Wave goes right
Back at the Big D
The morning session started at the Big D. This is a reef with lefts and rights, inside and outside. The place breaks all around the calendar, which is somewhat rare in these parts. Many breaks shut down for summer, or just never break in winter. But the Big D can handle swell from any available angle.
Surfing Septembers
Surfing Septembers
Septembers
Later that same morning, the action moved to Septembers. This break is named for the month that it typically begins to break following a long flat spell through spring and summer. The lookout is from atop a tall cliff of hundreds of feet. You look directly down on the action below. Don't fall!
Surfing Septembers
December?
As I type this, the calendar already says December. Waves are pounding the shores yet again, and this morning I snapped pix of a total lunar eclipse. So far, the change in seasons has been a blessing for the City of Surf, home of DogMan and location of DogLand. Click back next week for more coverage of the DogMan Chronicles.
Swell:
Northwest swell 3-4 feet 10-11 seconds, new NW ground swell arriving shortly after dusk
Wind:
Very light winds, almost not noticeable
Waves:
Waist high
Tide:
5.5 feet at 8:30 AM, -0.5 feet at dusk
Weather:
Sunny
Best call:
Small waves all day, swamped by the high tide early. Try a late afternoon session at a low tide break as the sun sinks slowly in the southwest
Saturday
Swell:
Northwest swell 4-6 feet 15-16 seconds, starting small and growing steadily throughout the day
Wind:
Light winds peaking from the west in the afternoon
Waves:
Overhead by late in the day
Tide:
5.5 feet at 9 AM, -0.5 feet at dusk
Weather:
Sunny
Best call:
Late afternoon session at a low tide spot on the maxing new NW swell
Sunday
Swell:
Peaking northwest swell 5-7 feet 15-16 seconds
Wind:
Light winds peaking from the west in the afternoon
Waves:
Overhead
Tide:
5.5 feet at 10 AM, -0.5 feet at dusk
Weather:
Sunny
Best call:
Best waves of the weekend. Try a high-tide big wave out of town spot early, then some football and finally a late afternoon session in town at a low tide break
Summary
More fantastic autumn weather is on tap for this weekend. Very light winds and crystal clear conditions. New swell arrives late Friday, builds all day Saturday, then peaks Sunday. Get some waves!
After turkey day, the surfing really took center stage. This column features pix from a sesion on the North Coast of Santa Cruz county. Actually, it's more like the West coast, since the coast line runs laterally in these regions. But folks refer to it as the North Coast, so there you are.
Surfing DogLand
Four days
One of the great things about Thanksgiving is the holiday is held on Thursday. You get all those bothersome family commitments out of the way and finished on Thursday, then you have three more days before the next work week starts. In many cases, and in my situation, that means three days of surf!
Surfing DogLand
Surfing DogLand
Swell was swell
So the waves just kept coming. One after the other, set by set, day by day. What could be better for folks such as us who just love to ride the waves? One fantastic surf holiday for the end of 2011 is in the books. So far, the story continues into December. While ma ny people shop for the holidays, you and I catch a few more waves. The weather is brisk but clear at the coast, the tides are high and the swell is nonstop.
Surfing DogLand
Too early
It's too early to declare the winter of 2011-2012 an unqualified success for waves, but things are looking good in the early going. Let's hope this trend continues into April and beyond. Gotta ride some waves, and the travel budget isn't so good this year. So waves at the home breaks sounds like a fantastic idea.
Swell:
Northwest swell 4-5 feet 11-13 seconds
Wind:
Brisk offshore breeze early, then light winds for the rest of the day
Waves:
Chest high
Tide:
4 feet at dawn, 2 feet at 11 AM, 3.5 feet at dusk
Weather:
Sunny
Best call:
Stick with spots that like medium to high tides
Saturday
Swell:
Northwest swell 4-6 feet 14-16 seconds
Wind:
Moderate offshore northeast winds
Waves:
Head high
Tide:
4.5 feet at dawn, 1.5 feet at noon, 3 feet at dusk
Weather:
Sunny
Best call:
Best waves of the weekend. Big wave spots for dawn and dusk, town breaks for
lunch
Sunday
Swell:
Northwest swell 4-5 feet 13-15 seconds
Wind:
Light offshores early, rotating to northwest through the day
Waves:
Waist high
Tide:
5 feet at dawn, 1 foot at 1 PM, 3 feet at dusk
Weather:
Sunny
Best call:
Smaller waves on Sunday. Try a town break mid-day.
Summary
Great weather, fun-size swell and favorable tides all weekend long
Consistent swell along the shores of DogLand this Thanksgiving holiday. Thursday started with a spate of bad weather, foul winds and intermittent rain. But that was ok, since family matters called. The feast and the relatives visiting intruded happily into the surf time. The Friday came.
Large and flabby
Surfing town
Friday high tide
A dawn hike into a favorite DogLand spot and I was soon paddling into it. The tide was raging high, and going even higher still, threatening to swamp the swell. However, the solid overhead waves were not to be denied! A bit flabby they were, but still substantial. It was a bit of a difficulty to paddle into them and pull over the lip, but the rides were well worth it. Inside, the ocean slammed angrily against the walls of the cliffs lining the cove, making the normal entrance and exit locations inaccessible.
Surfing town
Surfing town
Long paddle
Instead of the cove, I used a long long paddle from and to a distant stretch of beach around the corner from the reef. At least there I could time my move, and encounter only shore pounders and sand. It proved to be the wise choice, but my arms paid for the long haul stroking. Soon enough, a few more intrepid surfers joined me, but by this time the tide was obscenely high, and the flabby waves were getting even harder to ride.
Big flair
Surfint town
Town
So I bailed and came back to the ocean for an afternoon, low tide session in town. It was a different cove, with smaller waves. More on the great weekend of swell next week in part 2 of this story.
Swell:
West-northwest swell 9-12 feet 13-14 seconds
Wind:
Troublesome winds all day, clocking from southeast early to northwest late
Waves:
Overhead
Tide:
5 feet at dawn, 6.5 feet at 8:30 AM, falling quickly to -1.5 feet at 3:30 PM
Weather:
Rain showers clearing later in the day
Best call:
Worst weather of the four-day weekend. Avoid the beach until after turkey
dinner, then get a dusk session in town at a low tide surf spot.
Friday
Swell:
Northwest swell 7-9 feet 11-13 seconds
Wind:
Light to moderate northwest breeze
Waves:
Head high or overhead
Tide:
6.5 feet at 9:30 AM, falling quickly to -1.5 feet at 4:30 PM
Weather:
Cloudy
Best call:
Choose your tide to match your spot. Should be good waves all day.
Saturday
Swell:
Northwest swell 7-9 feet 11-13 seconds
Wind:
Offshore northeast light breeze
Waves:
Decaying from head high early to knee high late
Tide:
4.5 feet at dawn, 6.5 feet at 10 AM, falling quickly to -1.5 feet at 5 PM
Weather:
Cloudy
Best call:
Get out there early, as the swell will be leaving town through the day. Find a
spot that likes a fat high tide, most likely out of town.
Sunday
Swell:
West swell 5-7 feet 11-13 seconds
Wind:
Light offshores early, clocking around to northwest late
Waves:
Knee high
Tide:
4 feet at dawn, 6.5 feet at 11 AM, falling quickly to -1.5 feet at 6 PM
Weather:
Some sun, some clouds
Best call:
Smallest swell and best weather of the weekend. Take the long board to a low
tide break late in the day and expect shin slappers.
Summary
Huge tide swings all weekend. Bad weather Thursday will limit the action,
Friday will be the best day for surfing.
Seems the winter surf season is upon us, even though the calendar says it is still autumn. But dawn in the extreme reaches of DogLand proved otherwise. Clear heavens above streaked with pre-sunrise colors across deep blue canvas. Substantial northwest ground swell stacking the ocean, with lines stretching as far as one could see.
Wave what's well overhead
Long wall, needs surfer
Solo Go
You can still be the first on a wave, as some of the pictures here show. Although more surfers showed in the water shortly after snapping these shots, the solo surfer pictured here had a soulful session to himself. It was short, but rewarding.
Distant peak feathers in the dawn light
Shore pounders with no one on them
Big sky, big ocean
The vista from the Top of the World is one awesome spot to check it all. When darkness prevades, the Milky Way is visible stretching across the sky above. Below, it appears you can see the whole Pacific Ocean, or at least as far as the horizon allows. Multiple swells can be tracked, and a host of surf breaks can be checked.
Paddling into a solo session
Riding waves in DogLand
Thanks
When you read this on the front page of
PacificWaveRider
it will be a day of Thanks in the USA. So far, there is plenty for which to be thankful if you are a surfer in this part of the world. And the season is just beginning. Check back for more coverage of surf and ocean life in DogLand.
Swell:
Northwest swell 5-7 feet 9-10 seconds
Wind:
Brisk west winds in the afternoon
Waves:
Small waves, less than knee high
Tide:
High tide level all day, between 3 and 4.5 feet
Weather:
Rain showers
Best call:
Skip surfing, very small waves and high tide that will swamp the available swell
Saturday
Swell:
Northwest swell 9-12 feet 11-13 seconds
Wind:
Moderate northeast winds all day
Waves:
Solid head high to overhead
Tide:
High tide level all day, between 3 and 4 feet
Weather:
Some chance for showers
Best call:
Best chance for surfing this weekend. Biggest swell and some holes in the rain pattern
Sunday
Swell:
Northwest swell 7-9 feet 9-10 seconds
Wind:
Moderate southeast winds early, turning more easterly and lighter in the afternoon
Waves:
Waist to chest high
Tide:
4.5 feet at dawn, 2 feet at 11:30 AM, 4 feet at dusk
Weather:
Rain
Best call:
Late in the day if the rain breaks and the winds turn off shore.
Summary
Forget Friday, forget the low tide breaks, and plan a Saturday session, and a late Sunday session between rain showers
The DogMan Chronicles
