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Tuesday, July 31, 2007
N WIND 20 TO 25 KT WITH GUSTS TO 30 KT. WIND WAVES 5 FT. NW SWELL 6 FT AT 7 SECONDS... SUBSIDING TO 3 FT AT 8 SECONDS.
Conan: What gods do you pray to?
To Crom... but I seldom pray to him, he doesn't listen.
Subotai: [chuckles] What good is he then? Ah, it's just as I've always said.
Conan: He is strong! If I die, I have to go before him, and he will ask me, "What is the riddle of steel?" If I don't know it, he will cast me out of Valhalla and laugh at me. That's Crom, strong on his mountain!
Subotai: Ah, my god is greater.
Conan: [chuckles] Crom laughs at your four winds. He laughs from his mountain.
Subotai: My god is stronger. He is the everlasting sky! Your god lives underneath him.
When Conan came out in 1982 I was 21...
I distinctly remember seeing it with some friends...
One of whom did not surf...
This friend offered a negative review after the film...
We turned to look at him and someone said...
"What? It had Gerry Lopez in it...that's enough for me."
I don't remember who...
Maybe it was me...
Because that's what I was thinking...
I still think it kicks ass...
And then there's this:
Monday, July 30, 2007
N WIND 20 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 5 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
So I'm back...
A week out of the water...
Well, out of the saltwater anyway...
Headed south to Ashland with the family...
Caught a couple William Shakespeare plays...
Coincendentally, one of his first plays, Romeo & Juliet...
And his last, which, while less famous was better, The Tempest...
I looked, I swear I looked and listened...but there was no surfing in R&J...
The Tempest had the better lines by far...here's a sampling:
Full fathom five thy father lies;
Of his bones are coral made;
Those are pearls that were his eyes:
Nothing of him that doth fade
But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange.
...and...
Come unto these yellow sands,
And then take hands:
Courtsied when you have, and kiss'd
The wild waves whist.
...and...
Now would I give a thousand furlongs of sea for an acre of barren ground.
...and...
Our revels now are ended.
These our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits, and
Are melted into air, into thin air:
And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve,
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind.
We are such stuff
As dreams are made on; and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.
It pretty much kicked ass...
Oh yeah, I surfed today...
It was nothing too memorable...
But it was offshore...
First from the north, as expected...
But then from the south...
A good day all in all.
Monday, July 23, 2007
S WIND 5 TO 10 KT IN THE MORNING...VEERING TO NW 10 KT INTHE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FOOT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 8 SECONDS.
As Gaz told me...something along the lines of..."Should be epic...I'm gone 'til Thursday"...it should be doubly good since I'm gone until next Monday...heading to Southern Oregon...Ashland, Crater Lake and other "No Surfing" locations...No internet connection either, so blog hiatus too...
Looks like this south wind is gonna finally come to an end this week...wind outta the north looks on tap as of tomorrow as we return you to our regularly scheduled weather patterns...water should be nice and cold by next week so put away those board shorts and dust off the 5 mil...
Sunday, July 22, 2007
~photo by Stiffler (I think?)
S WIND 20 TO 25 KT...EASING TO 15 TO 20 KT AFTER NOON. WIND WAVES 5 FT...SUBSIDING TO 4 FT AFTER NOON. SW SWELL 10 FT AT 9 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO 8 FT AT 7 SECONDS.
I can't say for sure...but I don't think that this wave is a common occurrence in this cove given the configuration...the narrow entrance where the wave must enter likely requires a specific swell angle and solid push to sneak in there...which is probably why I saved the pic on my harddrive as "4@15"...it's fun finding weird little waves in unexpected places.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
S WIND 10 TO 15 KT RISING TO 15 TO 20 KT WITH GUSTS TO 25 KT THIS AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT BUILDING TO 4 FT THIS AFTERNOON. S SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
I don't really mind the rain...but 5 straight days of it? In the middle of July? While I'm on vacation? And another system blowing through for the weekend? C'mon!
Looks like the surf has finally left the 3 foot range though...not that I'll be getting any waves this week...I did clean the garage...and installed the washer/dryer...fixed the shower wall...all in all, a pretty poor substitute for surfing.
Local Report:
Good waves this morning, glassy, head high sets, a couple a lil bigger. Mostly lefts, but some rights would wall up for quick turn and ___________(insert your own end manuever here). Hopefully the wind today and tonight wont kill it to much for tommorow. ~lappis
Friday, July 20, 2007
S WIND 20 TO 25 KT WITH GUSTS TO 30 KT. WIND WAVES 6 FT. SW SWELL 5 FT AT 6 SECONDS.
Came across these unreal underwater sculptures (via 70 percent via JP at Surfy Surfy) and e-mailed the artist, Jason Taylor, about posting them here...to which he gave his OK. These shots are 2 examples of a series of sculptures in an underwater scupture park in Granada. It's a remarkable concept, with visually arresting pieces that undergo constant change due to the marine environment. His website has many more images, as well as information on his srtistic process...check it out at, http://www.underwatersculpture.com/
Thursday, July 19, 2007
S WIND 10 TO 15 KT. GUSTS TO 25 KT WILL OCCUR LATE THIS MORNING AND INTO THIS AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 8 SECONDS.
After a surf early this summer I scouted out a couple breaks I don't check that often...these spots don't have convenient access which means there aren't alot of people around. As I came around a small rockfall I came across this little construct of sticks, stones and sea grass...I couldn't make any direct correlation to the construct's immediate surroundings but it sort of struck me as a diagram of swell (sticks), coming in among offshore rocks (stones), and shoreline (sea grass)...or maybe that's just the way my mind works.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
~photo courtesy of Gaz
S WIND 5 TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FOOT. SW SWELL 3 FT AT 6 SECONDS...PERIOD INCREASING W SWELL 3 FT AT8 SECONDS.
My daughter displaying her unique Parellel Stance Drop Knee Iron Cross style...on the 9'6" Iron Cross...she had better rides.
Local Report:
Wave of the day went to the 3rd guy (of 3) to hit the water this morning, a really clean "all shoulder high freak of the day, not to be seen again" ride that peeled perfectly for a good 125'. He went backside high under the curl stuck to the nose like a fly. Lucky bastard. The rest was all waist high for us over the next 21/2 hours... ~gaz
Late start, got in the water after noon. Drizzle didn't let up but the water was probably the warmest I've felt in Oregon. Small knee to waist peelers. After an hour in the water, the wind kicked up and everything turned ugly. Ended up finding a little protection and a fun right for about an hour after things got ugly. ~grave wisdom
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
~Octopus art by doc (although in the interest of full disclosure...I only did the line art. The colorization was done by the graphics gurus at mcmenamins.com)SE WIND 5 TO 10 KT...VEERING TO S IN THE AFTERNOON. GUSTS UP TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT. SW SWELL 2 FT AT 7 SECONDS...RISING TO SW SWELL 3 FT AT 6 SECONDS.
So if you're surfing on the central coast of Oregon on August 18th...swing by the Lighthouse Brewpub in Lincoln City for their 12th Annual Brewfest...I'd surf first and sample ales second, but that's me...and if the surf's blown out and it's a sunny, clear day I'd recommend a hike to the top of Cascade Head...
Monday, July 16, 2007
S WIND 5 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FOOT. SW SWELL 3 FT AT 7 SECONDS.
There was no undertow today. But the waves were about the size of the one in this Winslow Homer painting..."Undertow". Although I'm pretty familiar with Homer, I had never seen this work before.
Fun afternoon at the beach teaching my daughter to surf...she's pretty solid. Already has a signature move...parallel stance drop knee iron cross...everyone'll be doing it soon.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
S WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT. SW SWELL 3 FT AT 6 SECONDS.
I'm looking for surf...doesn't look to be much on the Oregon horizon...forecast says:
...the high pressure system north of Hawaii is to fade then regenerate some Sunday (7/15) maybe helping to produce a days worth of easterly windswell, but nothing more. An unusually light wind pattern is to hold off the US mainland providing no support for local windswell generation. Most quiet indeed.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
W TO SW WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 8 SECONDS.
Our summers in Oregon generally feature prevailing winds out of the Northwest which are fueled by a massive, high pressure areas hundreds of miles off the coast. The movement of air from the high pressure zone typically flows following a clockwise spiral (and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere) influenced by the rotation of the earth (Coriolis effect). The consistency and strength of these summertime surface winds feeds a giant oceanic circular flow, the Japanese current, to drive surface waters continually South along the west coast.
As surface water flows southward towards the equator, the earth's rotation (and the Coriolis effect again) draws water away from the coast and deeper, colder water rises upward to replace it. Surface water temperature is largely determined by existing wind velocity, southward water movement and the resulting cold water up-welling. Thus, along the Oregon coast, our waters can often be colder during summer than in winter as the current, and upwelling, is typically stronger in the summer months.
However, things are all screwed up right now...prevailing winds are not prevailing...the water is abnormally warm...and it is sure to wreak havoc on marine ecosystems. South winds are blowing and we appear to be in as strong an El Nino pattern as I recall a decade ago. Bluefin Tuna and other sportfish being caught off the Oregon coast...5 mil wetsuits traded for boardshorts on Oregon beaches...and more south winds in the forecast...and typically tiny summertime Oregon surf too...looks like 3 foot windswell all next week...probably with some onshores mixed in!
Friday, July 13, 2007
~Photo by Ron Church
SW WIND 5 TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FOOT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
Phil Edwards styling on steel wheels. Making it look easy and in control...like when he surfed primitive 10 foot single fin logs at Pipeline. Still, I imagine even Phil would crash on a steel wheeled skate...
Local Report:
...surfed until ten pm tonight. Found a nice bar farther north up the beach that was pulling in some southerly (not very big, but certainly fun). Surfed wedgy peaks for a couple hours, then body surfed, then tandemed . . . until we finally decided to call it a night nearly an hour after sunset. ~lappis
Thursday, July 12, 2007
SW WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 10 SECONDS...PERIOD DROPPING TO 9 SECONDS.
As mentioned in yesterday's post, Castle Rock was quarried for it's stone to construct the Columbia River jetties. I haven't been able to locate any information or details on the actual history but I am still looking...below are couple more shots of the Coos Bay jetty construction.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
S WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT. NW SWELL 5 FT AT 8 SECONDS...PERIOD INCREASING TO W SWELL 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
Well, rock dumping anyway. A historical photo of the Coos Bay jetty constuction showing the rock drops into the cribs. I found this when I was (unsuccessfully) looking for info on the construction of the Columbia River jetties. Apparently, they were constucted from stone quarried from a Columbia River haystack, Castle Rock...quarried into oblivion. It's hard to imagine the complete obliteration of such a substantial landmark...
Local Report:
Paddled out at...at 9am to be greeted by crossed up, short interval, f*cked shape wind waves. Within a 1/2 hour or so it really cleaned up to chest high with longer lefts than rights, reasonable period and decent shape. A thick pea soup dropped in and and the swell picked up giving an eerie "Ghost Ship" feel to the session. I was stoking while others were not digging it at all. The line up filled in and it was time to start dominating the peak. Cool thing was, the peak would appear out of nowhere resulting in late drops and lots of kooks pearling and getting hammered. Sun came back out to burn out the fog and reveal high tide flooding so I bailed for the beach and quick retreat to the heat of the val. Better day than I thought it would be. ~smithgrind
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
N WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT. NW SWELL 5 FT AT 8 SECONDS.
There weren't giant snorkel ladies pointing out the inside...
The waves were nowhere near Rincon quality...
But there was a giant of surfing in the water...
And there was a decent swell running...
Surfed at 9am...2pm...and 5pm...
The surf got progressively worse...
But no wind, lots of sun and cold beer.
Local Report:
Lots of surf... Lots of waves... Not much quality. ~doc
Morning mission at the usual spot with the usual suspects. Chest to waist high and a little mushy. Water was f'ing cold, sun and wind was hot. It all made for an interesting day. Was expecting windier, but it was pretty tolerable. Lots of fun waves today, lots of kinis on the beach. ~grave wisdom
Solid HH sets rolling through with every wave seeing action. ~tatonka
Monday, July 09, 2007
N WIND 20 TO 25 KT WITH GUSTS TO 30 KT. WIND WAVES 6 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
Anon from a couple posts ago said...
Wow, everyone's really whipped up about this. I think it should be done much more.
The question is, I guess, which should be done more? Surfline Goodwill Tours...or getting really whipped up? I opt for getting whipped up and no more Surfline Goodwill...with goodwill like theirs who needs badwill?
In another Surfline world domination news...they've apparently purchased Water magazine for $50 million...which puts Sean Collins remarks about losing $5k on their event in perspective.
Sunday, July 08, 2007
VARIABLE WIND 5 KT EARLY TODAY...BECOMING N 15 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT...BUILDING TO 4 FT IN THE AFTERNOON. COMBINED W SWELL 3 FT AT 7 SECONDS AND SW SWELL 3 FT AT 14 SECONDS...BUILDING TO W SWELL 4 FT AT8 SECONDS.
The four masted schooner Alumna was launched at the Simpson shipyard, North Bend, Oregon in 1901. She sailed out of San Francisco, primarily as a lumber transport vessel to ports worldwide. Ultimately the ship was sold to an Alaskan concern, who turned her into a floating brewery off Ketchican. It is said, locals would often comment, “Let’s go out to the Alumna and have a schooner of beer!” ~from The Era of the Clipper Ships and Tall Ships of San Francisco
Saturday, July 07, 2007
N WIND 15 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 4 FT. NW SWELL 4 FT AT 7 SECONDS...DROPPING TO NW SWELL 3 FTAT 8 SECONDS.
Ahhhh...Surfline's Goodwill Tour is likely a distant memory already for most of us...sure, during the 5 days it was going on...wait! Oh yeah, Sean Collins deigned to cut it to 4 days apparantly in a magnanimous gesture to the uninvited common people. Surfline really screwed the pooch in putting this fiasco together regardless of their continued mantra of "good intentions", lame excuses and claims of monetary hardship...they may have lost $5 thousand dollars putting this Tour together!!! Hell, that could put Surfline into bankruptcy.
They say even bad publicity is publicity...but I wonder that this poorly executed effort at cheapskate and selfish philanthropy won't ultimately reap bitter fruit.
Friday, July 06, 2007
NW WIND 15 TO 20 KT...GUSTING TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 4 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 9 SECONDS. SW SWELL 3 FT AT 15 SECONDS.
This wasn't the wave I surfed yesterday...but it was about that offshore and big and hollow enough to score a couple brief cover ups. The swell clearly has dropped, I would say that yesterday there were some solid 5 to 6 foots sets rolling through with a-frames up and down the cove.
I ran into a couple people I knew heading out who assured me it was even better earlier...and it was pretty damn solid from 2pm to about 4pm. I'm glad I opted to head up north from Newport and passed on a few marginally working spots.
The surf was definitely the best I've caught it probably since February...just overhead, feathering peaks with an easy drop and set up for the inside left wall freight train. The rights were a little fatter and softer, but fun nonetheless.
At least a half dozen of the waves connected through the inside dead spot to reform on the far inside into knee deep water for nice long rides.
Hopefully, those north winds will keep enough of the westerlies out of them for some more offshore fun next week.
Thursday, July 05, 2007
This would be a retroactive post...posted on The day after the day after the celebration of our nation's independence.
I also need to give credit where credit's due..but can't recall the name of the CAN photog that shot the shot above...
It's a post post, if you will.
Local Report:
Really fun head high plus waves yesterday at the OW. Lotsa long rides, a-frame peaks followed by offshore left walls that even allowed a couple brief almost barrels... After driving north from Newport for about 2 hours to find the only wind protection available... And seeing blown out beach break everywhere I checked... I was rewarded on the bluff with a view of a reeling offshore 6 foot left at middles with no one on it... Lotsa people on the beach...not so many in the water in the afternoon. Heard it was even better earlier... Yesterday ruled. ~doc
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
~photos by Grannis
N WIND 10 TO 15 KT WITH GUSTS TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 8 SECONDS INCREASING TO 10 SECONDS.
No two ways about it...
Summertime small wave surfs...
Longboards & tricks...
Walking the plank...
Fin first takeoffs...
Obstacle course on the inside...
Leashes left on the beach...
Local Report:
...arrived to the obvious and closest N. Coast, N wind sheltering spot with three regulars already on it. There were rights and there were lefts and they all peeled. At first they were head high and the 7' swell started coming in with some even nicer rides. The wind began as a offshore wisp and gradually became a NW nuisance which concluded the best session we've had in a couple of months. ~pra
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
S WIND 5 TO 10 KT CHANGING TO WEST 5 TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FOOT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS DROPPING W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
Got some waves yesterday on a multi-break trek...sadly, the surf looked nothing like the offering above.
Local Report:
...caught SS from 10am til noon and had a whale tail of a time. Glassy, crazy warm, and fun sized from waist to head on the sets...considered paddling in and trunking it, but that just would've cut into my wave count and I couldn't have that. ~smithgrind
...got lots today. sat way, way, way, way outside and would wait for the head sets to break on the outside sandbar, catch 'em, ride, then cut back to the whitewater through a flat section then screaming on the inside. 200 yards plus on one particular ride today. might have been the longest ride I've ever had. ~gills
...got to SS by 9 o clock, scored head high glass until noon when we had to leave to get back to work. Had one mind-blowing left that will stay with me for days. YEAH! ~tippy
Sunday, July 01, 2007
~photo by Peter Gowland
S WIND 10 TO 15 KT WITH GUSTS TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 7 SECONDS.
What is surfing all about?
Hell, what is life all about?
Miki Dora ponders the question.
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