December

Corner of the complex my kid lives in up in Olympia WA

I do sort of have an excuse for slow posting what with the season and all. I spent way more time packing books and DVDs than surfing, that's for sure. I did get out on the first big swell. The beaches were closing out like crazy and the points were wall to wall so it was less fun than it should have been. That first pounding of winter is always a strangely gratifying time, although as the photo shows some were pounded in totally the wrong way (the windstorm in OR/WA did this). The right-before-Xmas swell was less than it could have been due to the tide swing, but I still got out if only to give my arms some exercise. Christmas eve morning at Santa Monica was strangely good though- I wound up in a spot where the bigger ones (chest to headhigh) would rear up like the usual dumping closeout on the outside then seemed hit a hole as they just stayed walled and rolled on through before going up and over on the inside. So I sat way out, took off on a few I misjudged and got my share of down the line runs. A fine Xmas gift I must say.

Dream Quiver #2

Neal Purchase Snr. 'Schnub'
6 ft range, here with a widow setup but the Horan winged keel works well on them we're told. I love fin options.

Thanksgiving been and gone with a few good days on the sand and a few mediocre, all so long ago now it seems. I like the cooling off, I like the threat of waves. Our first big hyped swell has hit and was not too bad. North, headhigh and over at times but oh the crowds. Then back to the city and a pass on on the South Bay closeouts. Fun to watch though, big and thumping and it's winter all over again. We're planning the next central cal trip for after the xmas onslaught.