Latest Surfs...

[oldmansurfer]

Yesterday I went out to Horners the outside break which was about head high or so and crumbling which is unusual for this break. I went there because I almost missed getting out due to time scheduling conflicts. I got home close to the time where I wouldn't bother trying but wife encouraged me so I threw on a rash guard and out I went without my usual beach warmup and checking out the break or any of the other breaks due to having passed by the beach several times yesterday and I saw waves there and I didn't have time to waste. If it was bigger I would have spent some time and risked the paddle back in with fading light. I caught a few waves but nothing spectacular. Perhaps if interest was I did a floater on takeoff and also on another wave took the drop laying on my board then popped up did a bottom turn and top turn and was right in front of the rock so cutout. A shortboard hydrofoil guy joined me. All in alll I was glad I got my ocean therapy. Today I was at the rivermouth with a group getting lessons inside of me. It was about shoulder high waves at best and not really any waves to brag about. When I paddled in the surf instructor said I was "So smooth on all the waves I caught". Well maybe that was because of the size and shape was too small to rip hard turns on but then I have had that compliment before in bigger waves too so..... I guess I am a smooth surfer. It took me about 10 to 15 minutes to figure out the break because it was breaking all over and there was a strong current for the size of waves due to the river. Today was a little overcast and looked like it might rain and maybe did a little. Perhaps that is why there weren't the usual sunbathers. I forgot to mention that last week there was that model looking woman that occasionally sunbaths at the beach there always in the fanciest looking bikinis. One of the pleasures of most beaches in Hawaii is the beautiful people that are out to play or worship the sun.

[oldmansurfer]

I went out for a Fourth of July surf session. Sunny day I went to Horners because there was a group out at the rivermouth break. Shortboard foilers. Horners was okay about head high. I caught first a wave at middle Horners. I thought the wave looked like maybe I could practice foam climbs on since it was crumbling and caught a wave that came to me but not enough power to get turned back down from the top turn with enough speed for a second bottom turn. So I paddled to the bowl section which I rarely go to and caught a wave and did a nice bottom turn to top turn combination but that was it and cutout right by the rocks. So I kept paddling out. I caught a wave but it wasn't much more than a bottom turn to top turn combo. Way out there it is very difficult to get a lineup but the boil was happening with some regularity and there were waves breaking in that vicinity so I lined up with it. The first wave I caught I was way too far on the shoulder so I did a huge fade like maybe 20 feet and then did a frontside off the lip into a back side bottom turn to top turn combo. That was fun. As I faded back I recall second guessing myself thinking maybe I was too deep but it worked out perfect. After another wave of little note I decided to try the next peak over which had some fun looking wave coming in. I ran out of time and caught a wave in that didn't break much and back at the middle break I did the same and came in. Not much but I got my dose of vitamin sea and conversed with my ocean therapist and got some exercise to boot. There was a couple getting married on the beach at inside Horners when I came in. Just the couple, a guy in white pants and blue aloha shirt and the girl in a white gown, the photographer and I guess the priest a local Hawaiian looking guy. 30 yards away the local drunk sat at the same bench hew does every day oblivious to the happy couple concentrating on the big beer bottle sitting in front of him. Another 30 yards or so and there was a homeless guy arranging his belongings by his tent in the bushes on the side of the bike path. A couple hundred yards more and there was a permanent camp of homeless people on the far side of the parking lot where I parked my car. On my way back a local family was there husband wife and child to enjoy the beach on this Fourth of July. They were boogie boarding the shorebreak which was actually kind of nice. I probably would have been happy there as well. I took the leash from my wife and she went out boogie boarding and I walked the dog along the bike path. Hope you all have a happy day.

[dtc]

sounds like fun. this time of year, when all the Northern Hemisphere people are loving summer and having holidays, and us southerners are stuck in mid winter and cold days...it sucks. Although I feel much more smug in January and February

[oldmansurfer]

There has been a swell running mow for several days. It is big enough to be eroding sand from the beach which is good because it will create sandbars outside that will make the waves break better outside in the middle of the bay but bad because the steeply sloped beach creates backwash and the erosion brings out wooden debris. Yesterday there was a small flotilla of logs held in a spot just off the shoreline in an eddy created by the side sweeping current from the middle of the bay and the out sweeping and to the other direction current from Horners. But it looked okay and I wanted to get some time in at this my favorite break the middle of the bay. It was overhead and breaking way outside so the backwash wan't an issue there. I caught a few waves trying to get my wave reading skills back for that break. It was fun until a couple logs decided to join me in the lineup (tree trunks not longboards) and you know how I hate crowds so I went in early. Of interest to some may be that I rode that wave all the way laying down. I didn't manage to popup before the wave hit me so I just held on and it was pretty bouncy the rest of the way so I stayed laying down. Today I went to middle Horners. The outside break looked okay but there were a few guys out and no one was getting waves that made me wish I was out there. There was a SUP foil guy and shortboard paddle foil guy and a shortboarder and a guy who surfs there more than me who ride a big gun type board maybe 9 feet long. While I was at the middle break where I saw many waves that looked better than outside I didn't manage to put myself on any of them. I did get some late drops and the takeoffs were actually easier than usual. Most of the waves were double waves but on some of them the top wave broke outside and left only the front wave and these were easy to catch. I could paddle from a larger area than usual however even if I paddled from further out it still got really steep except I was comfortably up in stead of jump up and it's steep already. On my last wave as I was dropping I saw the wave was going to break in front of me so I did a quick bottom turn up into the pocket. I probably had a chance to get a backside coverup but hit a small chop and was slightly off balance then the wave pushed the tail of my board hard and I fell backward off the board but my feet were still planted firmly. It's something I learned to do back before leashes to keep your board from being swept away and if you had the core strength you could sometimes stand back up. However even when I was much younger and had a much stronger core and a much lighter upper body I still only stood back up maybe 1 out of 20 attempts. Now it is something like 1 out of 20,000 attempts...... well not sure but I will let you know if I ever pull it off. Anyway the wave broke over me ending my attempt to stand. I felt good although my muscles were tired from the constant paddling.

[oldmansurfer]

I had a one day surf weekend due to my cell phone getting broken and me having to go buy a new one and set it up. I went to middle Horners today and it was about head high or slightly higher. Fun little waves. I had one wave with a really nice top turn, put some power into it and followed up with a fade back and another turn. Short one LOL better luck next week....I hope

[oldmansurfer]

Surfed yesterday at outside Horners because there were a group of surfers out on the inside breaks. Not sure why but maybe because there was a predicted 6 to 10 foot swell which didn't materialize. It was overhead but not much more than that. Probably my best wave was the first one I caught which was a crumbly mess and all I did was carves back and forth up and down which were done because I like to carve as opposed to trimming along and probably seemed to be unrelated to how the wave was breaking although I did manage to ride it for a good distance. Today I went to the river mouth with a the surf school on the inside of me again. It was shoulder high at the biggest and most likely had a better wave. I was backside and got a couple of off the lips the first one a little too slow and I caught an edge but managed to bring the board back down and get enough speed for the next one then the wave closed out and I went right for the reform and got a knee high long wall that ultimately pitched over my ankles at the end. It was rather difficult conditions in that the waves were inconsistent and breaking all over the place and double waves sometimes as well. But good exercise and my regular ocean therapy session.

[oldmansurfer]

I forgot to mention I did a pearl on takeoff. When I started paddling the nose was under water and I figured I could pop it back out like I usually do but the wave jacked up the end of the board and that was it. LOL First time in a long time that happened.

[oldmansurfer]

I should also mention that when I pearl on takeoff usually it is from the nose going under hitting a chop and then not being able to get the nose back up before the wave jacks up the tail. Typically I don't become disconnected with the board. I just stop paddling and sit back on the board which is now underwater then grab the board and lean back to bring it back up. This time it was not from hitting a chop but it was from probably sitting slightly too far forward on my board so that when I laid down to paddle the nose went under

[oldmansurfer]

I surfed only one day because my shoulder is giving me problems. It took me till yesterday to get it so it felt okay. Hopefully didn't mess it up today ...so far feels good. I went to the river mouth and surfed waist high waves. There were 4 shortboard foil guys out at Horners (400 yards away from me) and a single SUP guy out at Black Rock (400 yards away from me) and a surf school inside of me at the river mouth..... pretty crowded compared to the usual No special waves to report but nice day. When I went in the surf instructor said I was shredding it out there. I just laughed because there was no shredding happening out there today

[Tudeo]

Good luck with the shoulder! I'm in a bit of a shoulder pain rest period too, f*cked it up with yoga.

[oldmansurfer]

I messed up my shoulder playing with my dog. Then apparently aggravated it last weekend surfing or perhaps it was working in the yard? Not sure but it was really sore for a while. I messed my knee up playing with my prior dog and injured my back helping a friend who had an injured dog. You might think dogs are bad for me

[oldmansurfer]

My shoulder is still bothering me but wasn't apparently aggravated by last weekend surf however still not normal feeling so that and I had to work when I would have been going to surf and was just really tired. So I went out to day at the middle of the bay sandbar break. I was unusually out of sync with the ocean, missed many good waves by being just out of position for them mostly too far in or out. The waves were a good size maybe double overhead at the peak but rapidly getting smaller. I stayed out for an extra 15 minutes because I couldn't catch a wave in , the swell went slow and I had to paddle way in to catch a wave in finally. It is a good thing I wasn't a pro surfer in a contest because I surely would have lost that heat but I was out there for fun and fun was had. So far my shoulder feel ok too. I think if there is surf next weekend and my shoulder keeps getting better I will try 2 days if there is surf and I don't have to work.

[oldmansurfer]

Two day surf weekend for me. Yesterday I went to the rivermouth and it was small waves maybe head high at the highest and rapidly getting smaller and the water was muddy however right where i lined up was cleaner water pushed in by the wave apparently. I saw fast left breaking from the shore but once I got out there I saw rights so I never bothered with the lefts. My only good wave was a little runner and I got a good bottom turn to start then a couple top to bottom almost speed turns but really just trying to time a lip turn and finally I saw the lip about to pitch and did a sideways off the lip where the board was turned but not sharply and the nose was still pointed down the line and the lip smacked the bottom of my board throwing the nose back down the wave which I followed up with a weak cutback or turn back. Today I went to Middle Horners (left reef break) and the waves were head high and fun. My first wave was fun I took off on the second peak over and got a bottom to top turn and some speed turns then I hit the whitewater from the first peak and dropped around that section and cut out. I thought maybe that would be my best wave but I had a couple other waves that were equally as fun. One where I was slightly out of position for the second peak and took off after the wave had broken and the wave was going flatish so I dropped straight down which I rarely do preferring to takeoff where I need to jam a bottom turn, and I did a kind of stalling bottom turn waiting for the wave to wall up and smacked it and then made another bottom turn and pulled up into the pocket where I crouched in case I was going to get tubed but I didn't then I did a couple other turns and cutout. I also liked my last wave which was mostly just a strong bottom turn and a strong turn off the top and the wave was kind of flat so I ran out on the nose of my 8 foot fungun to get down the wave and wait for it to wall up again and when It did I ran back to the tail and did a couple more small turns then ran back to the nose to milk it toward the shore as much as possible because I was going in. It seems like my shoulder is gradually getting better and not aggravated but this weekends surfing. I hope my shoulder survives the yardwork I am about to do as well

[oldmansurfer]

A one day surf weekend for me. It was so flat yesterday I decided to work in the yard. Today was similarly flat so I went to the rivermouth where the waves were waist high at the biggest. Mostly it was like longboarding with length of ride as my goal. Lots of trim and nose riding but I did force a bottom turn to top turn combo followed by running up on the nose and then a bunch of other trim turns down the line(fairly weak bottom and top turns). The weather was beautiful the water clean and I was the only surfer out. I got some exercise and enough surfing to keep me from backsliding. Hope you all caught some waves

[oldmansurfer]

Last weekend I didn't surf because of work and weather and my wife stressing out. This weekend I had 3 days of surfing all lefts and I am regular foot. I guess it's okay as I am probably getting better backside than frontside due to all the good waves I have are backside lately. Saturday I went to middle Horners and the waves were mostly crumbling at the top and I caught several about head high waves but nothing very remarkable other than my first wave which didn't break but I rode it all the way in hoping it would LOL. Yesterday I went to outside Horners because I promised myself I would try it out to see if it is better than the middle part where I have pretty good lineups and also there were foil SUp and foil shortboard guys. I spent 15 minutes catching one wave out there but it was a fun wave, steep drop hard bottom turn and solid top turn to fadeback... not quite an off the lip because I didn't get my fins above the lip but it felt good. I decided that I could do better at the middle part since the foilers had all gone in. I only caught one wave there and it barely broke but I rode it in because my time was up. Today I went to outside Horners and there were 2 SUP foil guys and one foil shortboarder. I guess they like the waves that crumble at the top because they were letting all the steep one go. But I decided to paddle to the next break over because there was no one there and waves coming in. I caught a few fun waves each of them ending with me cutting out right in front of rocks sticking out of the water. Time was ticking and I was far from the beach so I decided to go back the the Horners break and try to poach a wave from the foilers. I watched them let 3 wave set go by unridden and waited for the next set but I was too far in and had to duck dive the entire set. The next set I was further out but still too far out for the first two waves but the third one was smaller but a double wave where two waves the same size were joining up but not quite joined so it looked like a wave with a really fat lip and the drop was small but the wave walled up bigger and I got a few turns on it kind of got stuck a rail on one top turn but managed to pull it back down and continue on almost uninterrupted. It was fun but a little distracting because of all the foil guys trying to get out of my way , still the longest ride I had in a while out there which I rode to Horners rock and cut out right in front of it. I hope you all got some waves this weekend

[oldmansurfer]

One day surf weekend for me due to going to a AARP meeting about planning for retirement. So I am working on figuring out the cost of wax and resin and fiberglass for repairs and a new leash maybe once a year or so. Got to be sure I have the cash for that. Anyway the hurricane made some good sized surf on this side of the island maybe 6 to 8 foot Hawaiian. However by to day it was half that size. I had intended to go to outside Horners but there was a bunch of foil guys there and even though they were only shoulder hopping the good waves I saw a few good waves come in at the middle section during the paddle out. So I surfed there by myself. I had a few cutbacks and carve backs that felt really good . In the rivermouth area there was a large sand bar quite different from the usual. If there is a swell in the right direction that will make some awesome waves and some hints of that today but mostly closeouts.

I just included this to show the other side of the bay the sandbar is the inside break and today it was further out than usual. Outside of that is "Crookeds" which is the reef outside of the sandbar and outside of that is "Blackrock". Extremely rarely it will break all the ways from outside to inside on that side. Much more often it will do that on the other side of the bay "Horners"

[dtc]

Its like you have your own little private bay. Does it ever get crowded? From your reports it seems like its rarely more than a handful of people in the water.

[oldmansurfer]

When it is good there may be thirty to fifty surfers out spread over the whole bay

[BaNZ]

I surfed hurricane Florence over the weekend. Saturday was fun, close to overhead on bigger sets but still manageable. Sunday it was overhead+ and the wave had much more volume with it breaking steep fast. On my 2nd wave, I was at the lip and I could see that the wave jacked up way too fast. I caught it but I was too coward to take the drop so I jumped back. I got pulled so hard that I thought the leash was going to snap. I was the only few people on a longboard that day and there was so barrels everywhere. It looks so easy for the pros to catch the barrels but for me, it's a risk of breaking the board or taking a big tumble.

[oldmansurfer]

2 days surfing weekend for me at the same place Middle Horners and the size of the waves was about the same although the swell was bigger yesterday because it was high tide the waves weren't bigger. It was choppy as heck yesterday and I wasn't able to pull off any decent top turns. I had three neighbors there one neighbor on the beach watching and two that were shortboard foiling. Surprising to me they didn't stay out for 30 minutes so one of the rare times that I was in the water longer than anyone else I had some nice bottom turns but unable to complete any top turns due to chop. Probably the most remarkable ride I had was my ride in where I took off very deep and could see the wave was going to closeout on me so I made a midface turn back toward the shore and then got engulfed by the whitewater but managed to stay on the board and get in front of and around the whitewater eventually. Today the conditions were nicer and the swell a little smaller but it was low tide so the waves were the same size (overhead). It was raining initially as I walked to the break a couple hundred yards away. I thought I was going to be cold by the time I got there but the rain was warm. By the time I got there the rain stopped and there was some blue sky between the clouds. It was fun but nothing spectacular however I was able to make a number of top turns without being bucked off my board by chop. I wasn't putting new pressure dings in my board making them but they felt good and smooth with no catching of the rails.