Surf wise this fall into winter Ventura has had a pretty consistent run of good surf. And 2023 is going out with a bang.

It started 12/28 with a large swell, defiantly the biggest surf we’ve had in some time.

Surf in Ventura has no channel to paddle through to get to the surf zone or line up. So when the surf is big the only way to it is through it. And that can be difficult. If the swell is real consistent you will take a good beating on the way out. If there are not long enough lulls it’s close to if not impossible get out.

On the 28^th some made it out and got some sizable surf.

Yesterday the 30^th another swell reached us and no one was in the water. It didn’t seem to be quite the size as the 28^th but the City closed the streets at the beach so you couldn’t get there. There were by standers that got hurt by getting to close to the beach where there were waves washing up the end of streets on the 28^th. We had news crews getting it in on camera.

So the morning of the 30^th the city closed the beaches down.

Today you can get to the beach as the surf has backed off… head high plus. 

So what will 2024 be like? There are always predictions… but the only real way to know is as we get through it.

Happy New Year!

D.R.

Do you ever wonder what the surf spot you regularly surf was like in years passed? Maybe what it was like before surfing got started?

Every now and again I do. The spot I surf has had changes and pretty big ones during the period I started surfing and now. The town of Ventura where I live has participated in the changes, spent probably millions of dollars on those changes. As well nature has made changes to the surf in Ventura town too.

My wife gave me a book “Images of America Ventura County” last week. As I read through the book and looked at the pictures I found one of what was called the wharf. It is a picture of the Ventura pier on the south side looking out from the beach. The story writing with the picture was from 1905… 118 years ago. The Ventura Pier has been around for a long time.

South of the pier now days there are jetties. They weren’t there in 1905. Harbor Blvd that runs along the beach wasn’t there either, nor the freeway or any other development.

There was some surf breaking in the picture. A perfect peeling right with a left hand corner on the opposite side of the right. And a couple swells forming behind the breaking wave.

The Pier is a surf spot, or was a surf spot. The last couple decades the pier has lost it’s status as a spot to surf. Why? Because it doesn’t break like it used to. And certainly not like what you see in the 1905 picture.  But in was a regular spot to surf.

I could see the pier from my shaping bay at Morey-Pope and when there was surf it made it hard for me to work because…. Well there was surf and I could see it. I surfed the spot but didn’t surf it regularly like I did up the point. My son surfed it more regular than I did.

It would get really good on big winter swells. The current would get really strong with the larger surf making it hard to stay in the lineup without being swept down the beach. So some of the hard core locals tired a long rope off the pier that they could hold on to, that would keep them from drifting down shore. That current would make things very difficult to paddle out to the line up too.

What would some of my friends do to remedy the difficult paddle out? Walk out on the pier to a place passed the surf zone and jump of the pier. Hard core… hustle to grab the rope, hold on for a good set wave, let go, paddle into position and pick off a good left back to the pier.

Developments on the beach up the point have helped to shut down the surf break at the pier. It does break some times but sadly nothing like it used to. My son and I used to have a look out spot a block over and a couple blocks down from our house we’d use for a quick surf check of the pier.

Though I don’t see it with decent surf, after all these years when driving by the beach I always look to see if the pier is breaking.

D.R.

Ventura Pier circa 1905

 

Is it an everyday thing, or something done when you’ve got the time or when arriving at the beach? The surfers routine.

For 37 years, less the 9 years we were on Kauai, I lived in a house close to the beach and surf spot I usually surfed. Go west one block, south two and a half blocks then west one more block and you were at the pedestrian bridge that runs over the Ventura Freeway ending at the Ventura Pier.

Sometimes on weekends I’d ride a bicycle to the pier to check the surf. But usually on my way to work I’d drive by the point to check the surf. It was a routine thing. Eyes on the water.

Some days you’d know before hand what the surf was going to be like. Bad wind conditions, a storm is passing, but go by the beach just to see the water. The ocean, the waves, always in the back of your mind.  

It can be a community thing too. Like the crew that shows up at the point every day for a morning surf. If the surf is nonexistent they might hang in conversation before going off each their own way until the next day. Return for the same.

A routine could be around the varying daily tides. Having a yearly tide chart to routinely consult to see when the tide is optimum for any given day. On a regular basis so you can arrange your day to surf when the tides are good for the spot you surf.  Or you’ve got time to surf so you check the tide chart for the best window of opportunity.

After work, after school or classes. Off for a surf check.

You really don’t think about it. It’s just something the surfer does. Now the non-surfer? Tell them you go check the surf everyday on the way to wherever…. “ kind off obsessive aren’t you”? They might say. Your response…. “No”.

I suppose one could be obsessive now days. You’ve got a phone on you all the time, and you can look at the cameras at the drop of a hat. You know you’ve got time later in the day but you’ve got to look see…. Is the surf still good? Look see…Has it gotten better than earlier? Look see…. Has it gotten blown out and I’m going to miss it. Yeah that could be obsessive.

Ok I’m old. Once upon a time there were no cameras pointed at a surf spot. You actually had to get to the beach to see what the ocean and waves looked like and what the prevailing conditions were like.

One way or another the avid surfer typically has a routine the revolves around their daily life. It’s just what the surfer does.

But to check the surf? Where I live and surf there are no less than 6 camera angles you can look at to see what the conditions and waves are like at any given time.

Is that obsessive?

D.R.  

 

Here’s a question for you. What do you think of surf contests?

The story of my first surf contest is at this link..

https://drsurfboards.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-story-post-40-my-first-attempt-at.html

Over the years I’ve been in maybe 4 or 5 others beside the one in the link above. Maybe 3 of the 4 or 5 were at the point in Ventura where an annual event has been put on for some 37 years.

Honestly surf contests are fine. But typically it seems to me the number of events that have any decent surf are few and far between. So why bother? That said… I competed in the annual “C” Street Classic the first of this month. September 2 and 3. Why?

The week going into that weekend a friend of mine asked me If I’d like to be in the contest that coming weekend. “why” I asked. “because it would be fun, you should come out” he says. Then says “Think about it, I’ll get back to you.”  And that was it.

So I wake up Saturday morning fire up the computer to pay some bills. But first look at the surf via Surfline cameras and notice all this activity on the Ventura Promenade. ‘oh yeah there’s the surf contest today’. Then think I’d look at the contest web page to see who I might know in the event. Looking at the old man category I see guys I know and then see my name listed.

What???? ‘what the heck, my friend put me in the event’? So I give him a call… he picks up and I say “you put me in the contest”? “yeah where are you”? “I’m at home… you didn’t tell me I was signed up” “well do you want to be in it?  the surf is really good.”  “Well I guess” I say “ but it’s 15 to 8 and the heat is at 8:30”. He says “get down here, just park on the grass close to the event”.

I’ve pretty much always got all my gear and boards in my van so I rush out the door to the beach. Get there, run to the check in both sign the disclaimer paper run back to the van, suit up all the while looking at some really nice surf. Grab my board walk down to the waters edge and paddle out. I get to the line up just as the horn goes off signaling the start of the heat.

The heat was 15 minuets. Not much time for 4 surfers to find enough waves to get a decent score total. But the surf was good and pretty consistent, no wait time for a wave. Catch a wave paddle back out catch another. Everyone got waves. And good ones at that. Though only 15 minuets, it was nice being in those conditions and not have to work though a crowd.

Back on the beach I find I’ve advanced and will be back for more Sunday morning. This time in a 20 minuet heat. The surf was even better for the final.

All in all it was fun. Just like I was told it would be.

D.R.

Pic nicked from instagram @chappy2 

With Thanks!

 

I set out writing this blog saying to myself… ‘ if I start this I’ve got to stay at it.’ Come  September 9 just over a week from this writing I’ve been at it 17 years.

Over the years I’ve always been interested in people’s story of how they came to surfing. So if I can brush my shyness aside and get a chance to ask someone about that I will.

A couple weeks ago I did just that. At the beach and walking to my van I got the opportunity to ask someone when they started surfing. You’d see this person every morning very early going out to surf at the point. A lot of times he’d be the first person in the water. I was curious to know when he got started as I’ve been able to see his progress for some time. He introduced himself and said he started 2 years ago yesterday….

I haven’t been able to talk with him since but I’ve got to say, knowing the exact date you started surfing sounds like planned determination. If you want to surf it does take determination for sure. As a matter of fact, determination could be the first ingredient to learning how to surf.

Paddle for a wave… miss it, paddle for a wave… miss it, paddle for a wave… miss it, paddle for a wave catch it… fall, paddle for a wave catch it… fall. Until you finally get to your feet for a spilt second. The reward finally comes and that feeling never leaves you.

Determination and repetition. You finally catch more waves than you miss. Get to your feet without falling more times than not. Until you catch almost every wave you paddle for and make a larger and larger percentage of the waves you catch without falling.

Now the ingredient that helps the learning curve… you’ve got the surfboard attached to your ankle. You fall but the board stays right with you. Climb back on the thing for a short paddle back to the line up and repeat. The repetition aspect is amplified.

I learned to surf via surf lessons. Briefly mention here…

https://drsurfboards.blogspot.com/2006/09/my-story-post-1-my-story-well-at-least.html

Learning to surf over 60 years ago was different. The surfboard was not attached to you ankle so when you fell your board could very well end up all the way at the waters edge and you had to go get it. First the swimming then more paddling to get to the line up, and getting more of a beating because you had to get back through the breaking waves.

But we didn’t know anything else… and learned to surf with that same determination.

D.R.

 

Got to talking with a couple people in the water this past week about staying fit so you can continue to surf as you age….

One person asked if I did any cross training, thinking that may be a good way to stay fit. I’m sure it is but not what I’m interested in. Training? Sounds like too much work. The other person asked how old I was. He was 44 and found out I was 30 years his senior.

I turned to the other person and said… ‘ it’s weird looking like an old person’  She replied “because you don’t feel old”. Yeah, and I honestly can only think of a few guys that are my age or close to it able to surf these days.

Surfing is so enjoyable and something that takes a lot of time to get good at. So I don’t want to stop doing it. But it takes a diligent effort to stay fit enough to continue to surf when you reach your sixth and seventh decade. For me it is an absolute. I want to surf as much as I can.

When I told the 44 year old guy my age he said. ‘Nice, that means I can keep surfing for years to come.

Fortunately I’ve been healthy, and don’t have any physical ailments. Hopefully that will continue because I’d like surf for a good ten more years or more.

D.R.

 The Old guy. Tip Tool in hand, heading for a surf

 Love this shot. Early morning bottom turn with the sun just lifting off the horizon in west Ventura Town. Got to be maybe 2008....Thanks David for inviting me out to take pictures that early summer morning. I Remember him running down the trail from main street with his cameras so he could catch the sun as it just began to rise.

After surfing for awhile we went off to breakfast!

D.R.

I was talking with a friend of mine a couple days ago about a surf meet she was going to be in…. of all places Malibu.

The meet will be toward the end of June after the official first day of summer. Malibu surf events have to be in summer or at least during the calendar year when south swells are generated because Malibu is a south swell surf spot. South swells typically run from April through October. Usually you’ll see the first south swell in California each year sometime in April and typically the last south swell sometime in October. That is the season for them though an off season south swell can happen, and does from time to time.

The thing about south swells is they can have very inconsistent set intervals. Like 3 or 4 wave sets 5 or 10 minuets apart. And that’s what we got to talking about with Donna, my friend entered in the surf event at Malibu.

When you have a 15min. 6 man heat, that’s the event heat criteria, during a south swell that has inconsistent surf what are you chances of getting a couple set waves that will give you the opportunity to score enough points to advance to another heat? So, just for fun let’s say when the first heat that Donna is in there are 3 sets of 4 waves in each set. That’s 12 waves for 6 people to choose from. Let’s say it just so happens that each contestant in the heat gets 2 of the 12 waves during the 15 minutes allotted for the heat.

Fair enough, each contestant gets 2 waves for the judges to decide how each wave ridden will be scored.  That’s not much to go on for any of the contestants to have a chance at advancing to the next round of the event. If all the contestants in the heat are pretty equal in ability I believe the math comes out to be something like a 16% chance that any one of the contestants will have the top score of the 6 contestants. With each of the other riders falling in behind that top score, most likely in some random order. As well, which ever contestant getting the top score is random too. Keep in mind that there is some sort of priority rule for even getting one of the waves during the heat.

Ok, so what’s the point of all this? To me the point would be you enter the contest for what ever the entrance fee is for the opportunity to surf  Malibu for 15 minutes with only 6 other people in the water. And maybe you get to advance to another heat for another opportunity. But you don’t know ahead of time if there will be any surf and what the conditions will be like at the time of the heats you get in.

How ‘bout if you’re going to pay to surf with a small group of people just head out to a wave pool instead.

D.R.

Malibu one day this week with a south swell in the water. About 4 or 5 waves sets 5 plus minutes apart. What are the chances that any one of the people in the water will get one of those set waves. 

When will the water warm to above 60°F? Looking at the buoys, Santa Cruz basin = 57.7, East Channel = 55.8 and West Channel and even 54.

There’s this web site https://seatemperature.info/ventura-water-temperature.html. that offers up ocean temperatures from various places you can look up. I’ve always got it set for Ventura. Nice thing is it has the current temp and then the warmest and coldest reading from the past and what the temperature is expected to be in the next 10 days.

Don’t know how accurate it is but it’s a nice reference to have, at least if you’re a nut about surfing in a more comfortable water temperature. As well gives you an idea what mil wetsuit is good for a trip to the beach to surf. Nothing like having a suit you’ll suffocate in because the water is warmer and the suit you’ve got is for cooler water. Or vice versa, the water is cold and you’re in a suit that’s for warmer water and you are shivering.

Funny how is it though…. Ever ask someone that you see has just gotten out of the water and  you ask ‘How’s the water’?  They say ‘oh it’s nice’. You assume that means warm. You suit up, paddle out and in 10 minuets you’re shivering. You’re not going to paddle back in and change into a warmer suit so you surf shivering along until you’ve had enough of the cold and shiver your way back to your car. Shiver your way out of the cold suit. Jump in the car and turn the heat up.

If you’re to warm because of the suit you’re in at least you can splash water on your face or slip off your board and dunk into the water for a cool off. Personally I’d rather be to warm than to cold.

Typically this time of year when I start surfing in the early mornings the water temperature and air temperatures are pretty close to the same, maybe a few degrees apart. And usually the mornings are overcast. So you don’t have the sun to heat things up. When it’s cold sun on a dark suit is a good thing. I’m always wanting the water to reach 60, seems that temperature is the threshold for my arthritic hands not to bother me.

The water has been cold this year so far. Sure hope it warms up a bit so the old guy doesn’t shiver.

D.R. 

Warm water short suit

It’s been a long time since I haven’t thought about surfing.

Actually I have been thinking about surfing…. Wondering when I’ll feel comfortable going for a surf when I’ve got so much to take care of with the current condition of my home and property. There have been people say “you need to take a break and go surf”. I’ve got and excuse, ‘the water is to cold.’ Not only that, day time temperatures have hardly been better than 60 if that most days. Or as the weather man puts it. Temperatures are below normal.

As for weather we haven’t seen normal so far this year. Rain totals for the year in my area are over twice the average. When does that happen? I don’t know, maybe not in my life time.

It’s coming on 3 month now that we’ve been out of our home. Not sure when at this point we’ll be back in our home. Still haven’t been able to get to my work shop. That might change by mid april… just guessing.

One thing I do know. The quiver is currently safe. Pretty muddy but safe none the less.

D.R.

 

We’ve had another pretty big rain event.

Unfortunately it undid all the work that was done, with the help of many, to move sediment and direct the creek water away from our house and getting a pumping system up and running to remove water form the garage and guest house.

So, still unable to even get into my work shop to rebuild. It may be 3 or 4 months before any substantial work can get completed.

The first group of volunteers helped remove what was blocking my surfboard locker so we could get to a customers board. Luckily I could get it out and with no damage. But this last rain my personal boards and those of my sons were lifted from all the water, fell onto the doors and spilled over. One board floated stopping close to our front deck.  

Haven’t figured out just where to keep them. Until water recedes. It’s a small challenge compared to what we’re facing. 

I got this letter in the mail last week from a surfboard customer, Mark, that was very encouraging. Getting a hand written letter is really something these days. He said no need for a thank you for his contribution to help toward rebuilding. 

But I’ll say it anyway. Thank You! For your kind encouraging words and gift. Hope you don't mind me posting this.

Taking one day at a time.

D.R.

For anyone that would like to help out  givesendgo.com

My surfboard work shed, I call it a work shed because it’s more than a shaping bay. I do all my surfboard work in that one room from shaping to polishing and everything in between.

The story about the different personal shaping bays I’ve had through out the last 50 years is here.

https://drsurfboards.blogspot.com/2011/09/my-first-shaping-shack-was-lean-to.html

Note the last paragraph in that post…. So basically setting up a shaping bay is more than a room with some lights on the walls. I’ve got my preferences and things I like so I’ve been seriously taking my time setting up the one that may be the last one I will ever have. And hopefully it will be home for where I work for many years to come.

Well something happened on the 9^th of this month. We had a destructive winter storm that hit my home and property very hard. I’m not sure how long it’s going to take to dig out and rebuild.

The last couple weeks a number of friends have come out to help. A very special thanks to all for that… we’re moving forward slowly. 

This below, taken from givesendgo.com , that was set up for my Wife Suzi and I

From Dennis Ryder:

We thankfully have flood insurance, which covers the house, garage and contents that are damaged. Anything and everything outside, like the dirt, sediment, debris and redirecting the water that is currently flowing through our yard, are all the things our property insurance doesn’t cover.

The damage to our home and property is seriously beyond our means. Asking for help is far away the most difficult thing to do…. It’s very humbling. But, there’s no way we can do this on our own. We need help.

Thanks for your prayers and support.  With shovel in hand.

D.R.

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