3:30p-6:00p
"Laniakea" - North
shore
avg wave face-----------2-3
feet
sets wave face-----------3-4
feet, some a little bigger
overcast, light sideshore
winds
7:00a-10:00a
"Laniakea/Holtons/Jockos/Chuns"
- North shore
avg wave face-----------3-4
feet
sets wave face-----------3-5
feet, some a little bigger
overcast becoming sunny,
moderate sideshore winds
6:30a-9:30a
"Velzyland" - North
shore
avg wave face-----------4-6
feet
sets wave face-----------7-9
feet, bigger outer reef sets
overcast, strong sideshore
winds
6:15a-9:00a
"Ala Moana Bowlsa"
- South shore
avg wave face-----------4-5
feet
sets wave face-----------6-8
feet
overcast, strong sideshore
winds
Laniakea 6:30a-9:15a
"Laniakea" - North
shore
avg wave face-----------3-4
feet
sets wave face-----------4-5
feet
overcast, clearing moderate
offshore winds
6:30a-10:30a
"Ehukai" beachbreaks
North Shore
avg wave face-----------3-4
feet
sets wave face-----------5-6
feet
overcast, strong sideshore
winds
opened my front door at 4:45a to grab the Sunday paper and almost got knocked on my ass. it's been "kinda" windy lately, always in the 15-30mph+ range. in fact it seems like the weather reports every day for the past 2 months have always mentioned "potentially gale force winds, small craft advisories, high wind warnings" etc., etc. local windsurfers must be doing some kind of heavy board sacrifices or something.
so on my first WSD, i was careful not to have the wind fling my 6'4" against the door frame as i left my house. brother Rich was on time this morning and i told him the plan was to meet Neal at Lanis by 6am. light sprinkles to heavy downpours, made the 35 minute drive seem like being in a mechanical car wash. . . a quick stop in Wahiawa for doughnuts, coffee and bottled water and we were headed north again.
Saturday night buoy readings had bumped a bit so there was some hope of surf. we were just getting to Haleiwa when Neal called from Lanis to report it was tiny- waist high at best. few minutes later he called from Ehukai to tell us that there were head high sets and no one out.
the three of us prepped without hesitation then squinted through the wind and rain as we trotted across the wide, empty beach. waist to head high sand bar surf was doing its best to show some form. jumping in we found the water was surprisingly warm, too. . . first 45 minutes we had the Pupukea to Gums stretch of peaks almost to ourselves. the head high sets were long in between but the medium sized waves (shoulder) fairly consistent.
Neal immediately found several long rights, taking off north of the lifeguard station and milking them to the beach near Gums. i watched him working some drop knee and stand up attacks on his bodyboard; often throwing himself into a top-like spin if a shoulder opened up. pretty cool stuff.
Rich and i have been overdue for a session of memorable (to us) surfing, it would not matter if the surf sucked. seemed like today was pretty close to that kind of day. i watched my brother just flying across long sections then carving butt dragging backside bottom turns into straight up off the lips. i'd always turn around after ducking a wave he was taking off on, to see from the back, board and spray flying off the top, every 10 or 15 feet. surfbuds Hiram J. & his nephews Keoni & Kalani joined us mid session, ripping & clowning around in the fun surf.
for me, the past month has been a string of lackluster sessions. even today i had several kook episodes. but 75% of my waves this morning ended with me smiling, either outward or to myself- i was fully stoked as the morning progressed and the waves cleaned up.
my last wave, nearly 4 hours from the first, was the cherry on the icing. took off on an overhead set from way deep, turned as soon as i stood, staying at the top to milk all the speed i could to make the long section ahead. i lucked out that most everyone was caught inside so i didn't have to jockey for the wave. three or four pumps across the wall before a large section broke ahead of me. . . i had more than enough momentum to make it around the white water without touching it. . . square bottom turn coming around the front of the white water into a beautifully smooth wall, with a lip at that perfect angle that just screams "hit me" . . . so i did. pulled it around in a quick continuos motion, free falling to the bottom without losing much speed. right into another hard bottom turn and almost mirrored the previous off the lip. what a sweet feeling to use speed and rails to the fullest. the wave never did let up and ended it with a snap off the close out a few feet off the beach. a second later i stepped off my stick as the fins hit sand.
perfect end to a great session in mediocre surf and poor conditions. happy WSD to AS, hope you got yours.
'loha,
bud
7:15a-1030:a
"Lighthouse" -
South shore
avg wave face-----------3-4
feet
sets wave face-----------5
feet, a few bigger sets
overcast, strong sideshore
winds
2:30p-5:15p
"Barbers Pt." - West
shore
avg wave face-----------2-4
feet
sets wave face-----------
sunny, moderate sideshore
winds
6:15a-8:30:a
"Lighthouse" -
South shore
avg wave face-----------1-3
feet
sets wave face-----------
overcast, strong sideshore
winds
11:45a-1:30p
"Pyramid Rock"
- East shore
avg wave face-----------2-3
feet
sets wave face-----------3-4
feet
sunny, moderate sideshore
winds
12:45p-3:00p
"Laniakea" - North
shore
avg wave face-----------3-4
feet
sets wave face-----------4-5
feet
sunny, light sideshore
winds
6:15a-9:00a
"Laniakea" - North
shore
avg wave face-----------3
feet
sets wave face-----------4
feet
mostly clear, almost
windless, turning light & variable
i was stoked to be able
to hook up with sponge for a pre-work session, especially with a tasty
(5' Haw'n) north
swell predicted to hit
the night before. Thursday night buoy readings showed that something, maybe
not double-o, but
something was on the
way.
it was still mostly dark
when Neal called me from the lot at Lanis, but light enough for him to
see that the swell was
not here. . . yet. i
was still several miles away -just passing Wahiawa- so he ran up the coast
to check the
beachbreaks. . .
not even a ripple, so he turned around to meet me at Lanis.
it was tiny, just barely
rideable, but the conditions were perfect. there was 5-6 cars in the lot,
and more coming.
everyone knew that the
swell should show any minute. we jumped in before anyone else and had the
clean little waves
to ourselves for about
30 minutes.
it was actually pretty
fun and Neal was catching a lot of waves on the borrowed tank he was riding.
the board seems to
work very well for him,
turning quicker and banking off closeout sections. i noticed that he walks
the length of the
board more often, too.
plus, it ws unusual to see Neal in surf trunks- in the past year that i've
known him, it was
the first time i ever
saw him surfing without his trademark rashguard and neoprene shorts.
by 7:30a there were prolly
20 cars in the lot. everyone sitting in their cars or mulling about, waiting
for the
first sign of the north
swell, but it never showed up. there were a few head high sets but the
norm was waist to shoulder
high. Holtons was bigger
with some over head sets, but even on a good day the spot is not much more
than a nice drop
into a closeout or a
mushed out shoulder ride, imo.
by 8:00a, the crowd thickened
as people seemed to realize that "this" might be all there is and even
more started
paddling out.
even thought the swell
didn't come through,,, the warm water, the ultra smooth conditions and
good company made for
a fun session for me.
good surfing to you,
bud