surf

January 2003

Location	Date/Time	Conditions
PB Point/Hermo	01/31/03 7:30 am - 10:30 am	2 - 4' some + New west swell showing a bit but inconsistent. Pretty much had the point to myself when I first paddled out. This was for a good reason - back washy and soft. Caught a few lined up ones for a hit and roundie but was getting discouraging, so was watching a small pack getting some pretty decent waves at Hermo so paddled on over. Some short critical waves wedging for a couple whacks and lots of roundies. Had some power. Tide started sucking out giving it a pretty bad warble so paddled back over to the point which was a bit more lined up with the tide drop and caught a couple good ones to go in.
Newbreak	01/30/03 9:30 am - 12:30 pm	2 - 3' some 4+ Swell pretty much faded but figured with the high tide and lack of swell the Cliffs would be pretty uncrowded. A bit soft a first which was just good for roundies but once the tide started dropping there was an hour window while it was pretty decent and lining up for some solid whacks. Crowd never got above 6 guys at a time, so pretty refreshing in that aspect. North wind becoming a bummer half way through with it howling and knocking down the waves. Couple this with the minus tide and dropping swell and it was pretty mediocre by the time I left.
Swami's	01/29/03 6:30 am - 8:30 am	2 - 4' some + Smaller but seeming a bit more consistent today. Really clean which was helping it out. Some pretty fun waves off the inside corner for some whacks. Not a heck of a lot of people out again which is great. I'll take it every day. As the tide dropped mid peak had a good long line forming with some tubes to be had. Fun.
Swami's	01/28/03 6:30 am - 9:30 am	3 - 4' some 5+ Tides starting to get pretty high in the morning again which was keeping the crowd down. New swell in the water out of the west and somewhat clean with a tad of bump in it. Some nice whackable waves off mid peak and the inside corner which was swinging wide. Managed to pull into a nice open tube and get quite a few chest high smackers. Some big sets swinging really wide but hard to nail down. Really fun - only exhaustion brought me in.
Swami's	01/27/03 6:30 am - 8:30 am	2 - 3' some 4' Soft and uninspiring. Super glassy and clean - just the oomph behind it not present. Still a couple good ones to whack.
Swami's	01/26/03 6:30 am - 8:30 am	3 - 5' some 6+ New reboost in swell overnight and again a little chunky. The corner heaving again and was getting some complete slots. Crowd a bit thick but some really good waves firing through off the peak and the corner and really lining up. Got a sick tube on my last wave. Very good.
Parking Lot	01/25/03 7:30 am - 10:30 am	2 - 4' some + Looked all over the place and most every where was a bit smaller and much junkier than yesterday. Ended up all the way down in PB and running out of options on the medium tide. Some perky rights pushing through the lot with a light crowd so me and Morgan hit it up. Tide turned around and actually some wedgy tubes and some lined up ones all the way through for some whacks. Really cleaned up with the tide push. Pretty fun and much better than expected. Long board horde came out and we split.
Swami's	01/24/03 8:00 am - 10:00 am	3 - 5' some + Low tide morning and a new pretty solid but chunky swell. The corner was either a fat tube or slow burgers. First day riding new board - a 6'6" channel bottom. Very fast but also very loose - a bit of an adjustment. Inconsistent however and pretty packed. Still managed to get some good ones off the corner while the peak was a bit sectiony. Tide started dropping a bit more and it was some shifty heaving sections off the corner. Pretty fun but the crowd eventually got to me.
Newbreak	01/23/03 6:30 am - 8:30 am	2 - 3' some 4' Swell turned limp and junky over night. Headed down to the Cliffs hoping for some refuge on a medium tide going high. Not bad with just 3 guys in the water. A little soft but the tide was coming up and pushing the waves over the inside reef nicely for some lippy sectiony walls and some tubes. Got a few good dippers on some and got a few lining up all the way through for some good lip cracking. Crowd never got above 6 so I call this session a success.
Swami's	01/22/03 6:30 am - 8:30 am	2 - 4' some 5' New super clean west swell. Tide was right and no wind, but it was really inconsistent making for some frustrated participants. I myself hung on the corner and waited for the bombs to swing wide that were standing up pretty good for some whacks. Saw one wide go un ridden and barrel the whole way through. Fun but not living up to the hype.
Swami's	01/21/03 6:30 am - 8:00 am	2 - 3' some 4' Limp and crowded. Word was out that it was firing yesterday morning, so a thick crew on it. Still some good ones swinging wide but pretty soft and uninspiring. A few sneaky ones mid peak doing the trick that were quite rippable. Caught one of those to go in on a good note.
Swami's	01/20/03 6:30 am - 9:00 am	2 - 4' some 5+ The swell that was supposed arrive on Sunday and didn't magically appeared for Monday morning with just a few heads in the know. Swell out of the west southwest and squeaky clean. Tide high and pushing creating excellent form for both the inside and the peak, with some waves linking all the way through. Not real big but just super rippable. Some waves totally hooking through mid peak and the inside for some barrels. Many good waves had by all.
Thomas St.	01/18/03 7:00 am - 8:30 am	2 - 3' Of course missed the little pulse that picked up yesterday afternoon with stellar glass conditions. Oh well can't win them all and that was apparent when the swell lived for a short 12 hours and was back to near flat this morning. There were some sets still but the 6.5' high was slowing things down even at the PB/Mission beach breaks. a few slopey walls to roundhouse and the rare lip. Not too many people out so wasn't a complete write off.
Hanneman's	01/16/03 7:00 am - 9:30 am	3 - 4' some 5'+ Didn't even bother checking Swami's this morning which might of been a mistake because the swell had a reboost into smaller intervals over night. Southern La Jolla Reefs really liking the high tide and clean medium sized swell very well. Just a few necks out at Hanneman's and perfectly wedging lefts. Couldn't believe my luck since I never check this place because it's usually b-grade compared to Hermo or the point and has become the second biggest kook haven second only to Tourmo. Haven't surfed here in over 6 years maybe and haven't seriously surfed backside since surfing Abbs back in November. Some really fun waves. Take off a little slopey and backed off, but once in the wave would jack over the reef for a nice solid carvable face. Some head high sets sneaking through that definitely had a bit more to work with. Even the odd hollow section throwing. Beautiful conditions and light crowd making for good times.
PB Point	01/15/03 7:30 am - 9:30 am	2 - 3' some 4' Check Swami's at dawn and very small. Lingered around hoping that it would show more but it didn't. Hauled ass down south and caught the point as the tide was going out with one guy out. Looked surfable. Paddled out and caught a few lined up ones that were round housable and the rare lip and had the line up to myself. Noticed guys watching me catch waves - not a good sign for a continued solo session. 4 guys paddled out and joined me but no big deal with enough waves to go around and everyone kind of in a cruisy mood. Tide continued to suck out giving the waves more definition but swell seemed to be backing off. Caught a nice steep one all the way through that opened up for some hits and went in.
Swami's	01/14/03 7:00 am - 8:00 am	2 - 3' some + Well all good things have to come to an end. The amazing run of swell we have been having is about dried up. Still some peelers on the inside for those game and I was. Pretty much surfed the inside all by myself for some fun little smackers and roundies. Tide came up too high putting warble in the line up so went in.
Swami's	01/13/03 7:00 am - 9:00 am	3 - 5' some 6'+ Gosh I love Monday mornings. Everyone rushing to work after the weekend while we surf. Swell definitely bigger and more consistent than the day before. Fog just barely puffing an onshore wind. Light crowd and rippable waves through mid peak and the inside making it one of my more enjoyable sessions of a very good November, December and early January. Lots of little barrels and some really smackable sections. Just of few of us trading off waves through the inside and when the crowd really thinned out made my way to the peak to catch a few big ones. Real fun.
Swami's	01/12/03 7:00 am - 9:00 am	2 - 4' some 5'+ Swell a bit bigger today but soft and mixed up. A light onshore from the fog was on it but not a huge factor. Some rippers through the inside but hard to nail down a real good one connecting through. Still pretty fun, patience was key.
Swami's	01/11/03 6:30 am - 8:30 am	2 - 3' some 4'+ Swell way down overnight but razor sharp clean. Some really hollow rippable waves on the inside and lots to go around with a real light crowd.
Swami's	01/10/03 6:30 am - 9:30 am	3 - 5' some 6'+ Swell just keeps on coming. Almost identical to yesterday but maybe a little smaller with a light offshore wind. Still super fun and really rippable. More barrels and hitties today than you can shake a stick at. Surfed all over but the inside was working exceptionally well today almost breaking like a south swell it was wrapping so hard. Very good.
Swami's	01/09/03 6:30 am - 9:30 am	3 - 6' some 8' Swell down just a tad, but more consistent, and not so chunky as the past two days have been. Water surface oily glass to puffs of off shore. On fire this morning, that's all I can say. So many good waves my head starts spinning thinking about it. Swell is so squeaky clean and straight west Swami's just suck's it up. Managed to get some off the peak, mid peak and the inside. All sections were breaking on the medium tide. Got completely slotted on one from mid peak. Would have had a doubler but some idiot was yelling at me like I was going to run him over in the channel. Plenty of face to carve up too. Just an all round good day of waves. Also, a pleasure to watch some of the masters of this place get slotted. Only exhaustion brought me in.
Swami's	01/08/03 6:30 am - 8:00 am	4 - 6' some 8'+ Still pretty solid and chunky this morning. A thick crowd on it early but it was looking so good with just a light offshore brushing it. Still a lot of water moving around. The swell is so straight west some of the waves are just one huge line across the lineup and making for some extremely fast sections and some sick barrels. Caught a lot of scraps off the peak. Even these were solid and managed to shove myself into a very respectable tube. Inside not quite doing it until the tide shifted a bit outwards and I ended my session catching a bunch of sweet ones through there. Very good.
The Parking Lot	01/07/03 7:30 am - 9:00 am	3 - 5' some 6'+ Got to Swami's at dawn with double the swell from yesterday and howling off shores. A definite gun day. There was no way I could even attempt getting in on a my 6'6". Was very bummed I don't have a gun. Some insane waves plowing all the way through but not many takers and even the guys on guns having a difficult time. This swell definitely a deep ground swell with super straight lines. Anyhow, drove back south and checked Tourmaline cove and it was a bit more manageable with some waves actually lining up super fast through the lot but had to hit it quick with the tide rising. Caught some pretty good speed runs with a few opening up for some hits. Not bad but disappointing considering the amount of swell.
Swami's	01/06/03 6:30 am - 8:30 am	4 - 5' some 6'+ Cleaned up a bit more and looking pretty solid. Inconsistent however and not enough of the good ones to go around with the inside at first not even showing. Caught a couple fat ones off the peak that were pretty bumpy but opened up for some whacks. Finally the inside started up and got some good ones especially with the off shores really starting to kick up. Really started throwing through the mid peak and stuffed myself into a beaut. Caught one more that lined up really good all the way though. Pretty fun.
Swami's	01/05/03 6:30 am - 8:30 am	2 - 4' some 5' Kind of lumpy and sectiony this morning. Hard to pin down the better ones for sure. Caught a lot of soft round housable ones through the inside and mid peak. Wasn't even going to attempt the peak with the pack. Some decent ones but nothing spectacular.
Swami's	01/04/03 11:00 am - 1:00 pm	2 - 3' some 4' Good to be back in the States but not so hot surfing super clean Swami's with 30 of your closest friends. Some really fun little waves pushing through deep corner. Managed to fenagle a corner of set that was pretty rippable. Beautiful windless day.
Punta Maria, El Cardon, and Alejandro's	01/02/03 All day	3 - 5' some 6+ varying on spot Woke up to even more swell. Alejandro's was working on the high but my brother decided that we should check out some points to the north. We arrive at El Cardon after driving two hours for gas and another hour back up the coast. One of the pleasures of remote Baja. Tide too high and not looking so hot so we venture further north to Punta Maria. A classic point setup with a huge sandy bay. A bit soft but working on the high. Would have really liked to see this place on a huge swell. I think it would break like Rincon. We paddle out to the outside peak which is good for a few whacks and a slow wind through the point. Kind of slow but if you picked the right one some would completely line up beautifully for a super long ride into the bay. After a couple of hours of this we head back south to El Cardon. This place did a transformation I've never seen before. It was firing to put it mildly. Even though I was tired I paddled back out and caught 4 completely sick waves all the way through the point. Have to come here again. Starts off as a wedge peak right in front of some rocks and then winds through a sand point for a hundred yards or so. Very sweet wave but crowded amazingly enough. Just when I thought I was done we get back and Alejandro's is dredging shoulder high pits with three guys out. I went out again and got some sick little pits and some really bashable waves. A epic day of surf.
Alejandro's	01/01/03 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm	3 - 4' some 5+ Woke up New Year's day with a nice hang over and massive swell at the Wall. Time to pack up and hit up some quality, so we head on up to Alejandro's. A perfect little rock point with a big sandy bay that always howls offshore. Prefers a real low tide but will work on anything as long as there is swell. We pull in and I see some good waves. We were on it immediately. A complete precision peeler good for long boarding and short boarding. Caught some insane speed runs even with the super strong off shores. Wind backed off a bit and opened it up for some carves too. Super fun wave.