DECEMBER SURF SESSION VIII

Surfing for the fourth time in row on my short board. This is the next day after the last post I did. A lot calmer and ended up being really sunny. this is my first ride with my camera. I like my mounted camera, but I think it is time to get the new GoPro. Hopefully it will be clearer and work better

DECEMBER SURF SESSION VII

 

Finally, thanks to a freind of mine, I was able to get some videos of me surfing out there on a short board. The wind was pretty crazy and the waves were coming in as sets, 2 feet for small waves and 4 feet for the bigger ones. It was a really fun day out there and it was warmer out there than it looks on the videos.

 

 

DECEMBER SURF SESSION VI

Big winds at Birch Bay State Park made waves everywhere in the bay, especially at the point.
I got to ride 3 to 4 footers on my Fish at the point in the park. Perfect conditions for waves. The swell, the wind and tide all came together at the same time. The best waves break on an out going tide with about a foot to 2 feet of water over the point's shoulder. I was getting nice rides of about 200 foot rides. The whole time I thought I was filming my rides but I forgot the chip and was pretty disappointed about it. I made up for my blunder by getting this nice photo of waves coming in from my deck.

DECEMBER SURF SESSION V

Another great day at the Gulf Road, the wind just kept on coming all week long. Most of the waves were about 3 feet high and smooth. Second day in a row on my short board, with some nice shoulder rides along the shore.

 

DECEMBER SURF SESSION IV

I was looking at some sights that thought they knew Birch Bay surfing. Iwannasurf sight and surfme need to be updated and the waves are not so rare as they say. They say maybe 5 times a year you can ride at Birch Bay and only in one location. After living here there are five solid surfing spots around WhiteHorn in Birch Bay. I also surfed at these locations over 50 times last year and on pace for this season again.  Now that I have said all of this it is important for people to know that waves here only form with wind. If you want to know when to show up follow the wind updates on news or windfinder, this will help you not be disappointed the next time you drive out there.
        These photos are from the Gulf Road, it works with any South wind over 20 to 25mph sustained winds. Mid 3 to 5 tides and out going are the best for good hollow waves. This was my first surfing session at Birch Bay that I rode my 6'8" fish and rode some nice shore breaks. When the waves get bigger here and you want good rides, I feel that a surfer should be more on the intermediate level.

DECEMBER SURF SESSION III

This is at the Gulf Road South of Birch Bay, it was a very nice day and a pretty sunset. It was a longboard type of day and I was able to hang out with the local Otters that are out by the kelp bed.

DECEMBER SURF SESSION II

These are from my surfboard camera, unfortunately they're not very long but it is all I have for my surfing day. It was a calm sunny day that made it perfect to test out my camera and figure it out.

THE BIG MONTH OF DECEMBER

Most of November we had Easterly winds and made the water flat, even with some big winds. No fear though, December came to the rescue. I will be doing several posts to be able to show all the days we had waves so far in December.  This year I have been wanting to get footage more of me surfing out here instead of just waves and I finally have been able to do that. On the last post of the December waves that I will post I will have the videos proving you can surf here on short boards!

 

FIRST WAVES OF OCTOBER!

 

I had my wisdom teeth pulled so I wasn't able to surf, but I did get a kitesurfer enjoying the waves at the park. 

 

 

My First Surfboard!

This is a photo of my first surfboard that I made from scratch, by recycling an old wind board. It is a 6'8" 21" fish that I made a little more buoyant for learning to surf on a short board.  It has worked out great and i have rode some nice waves with it and I'm looking forward to making my next surfboard soon.

FIRST DAY OF FEBRUARY

Went surfing after work for 3 hours today!  The waves were two footers all day long with alot of energy, thanks to the wind. I could've surfed for longer but I was getting to tired from pulling a night shift. When I got home, my friend called me and told me that he just missed me, but I was happy he made it and got to ride the waves himself.  It made me a little sad though, I don't surf with people out here very often and it would've been nice to get some videos of people surfing. Oh well, maybe next time!

A WEEK OF SOUTHWEST STORMS!

A whole week of storms pounding the coast has made it inland.  The first photos are from the first day of the storms and most of the week was like this except for Tuesday. Tuesday was big 5 foot waves rolling in just like we were on the coast and I got to go and surf on them.  The first group are from the gulf road location and the second group of photos are from the reserve.  I've been waiting to post this sight for good reasons. The shore line is rocky, so you have to surf out further and that takes a special storm.  We were getting 50 to 60 mph winds on Tuesday and showed the potential of the area. I have surfed 4 times already this year on good waves, but Tuesday topped them all.

The rock in this video on a calm day is the same height as me and it also shows the size of white wash coming into shore.

SURFING ON SATURDAY

Surfing on Saturday with my wife was more than just another surfing day for me. Just four days ago, I was all excited in the morning waiting for it to get light outside and the phone rang.  My wife called me, and had to tell me that my Uncle Jim died, and that I needed to call my dad.  While talking to my father, it was hard to figure out my emotions and how this news was sinking in.  After the phone call, I had to wonder if surfing was the right idea at this moment.  Then I realized that Jim would have wanted me to do what I love, and that is what I did.  Sitting out on my board all by myself out in the water, all of my great memories of Jim came flooding back to me.  I truely felt connected to him as I was surfing for two hours all alone, it was as if these waves were here today to make the news easier and celebrate his life. 

Now coming back to Saturday, most of my family was down in Raymond with the rest of the family, and I stayed behind. I realized that I wasn't ready for such a gathering and waited for a happier event next weekend when my cousin would get married. Saturday was suppose to bring a southwest wind and not very strong, but ended up turning to a northwest wind and made a shorebreak.  Then the shorebreak became two to three foot waves that formed further out.  This was a great moment, I had the pleasure of surfing with my wife for almost two hours that day.  It was nice to have this moment with my wife, and not just take it for granted.  The waves were good and the sun was out and I felt the family spirit inside me.

For all the family out there, I love you guys.  

EARLY MORNING JANUARY THE 10TH

Windfinder was right on this time, sad to say the bigger waves were at 1am.  Since I work the night shift, I had all my gear in my truck and went to the point as soon as I got off of work.  Watching the waves crash on the shore while it was dark with a full moon was pretty cool.  The sad part was watching the waves get smaller as the wind died down.  daylight came and I caught some nice two to three foot waves before the waves started to disapear later into the day.  The fun part was surfing on my new board, which was alot nicer surfing on than my longboard.   

FIRST WAVES OF 2012!

Thanks to a rare January South wind we have 2 to 3 foot waves and warm weather.  These were solid Southeast shorebreak waves, that you could ride for awhile if you stayed in the curl.  The first photo is a good example of this.  It only happens with an outgoing tide and a Southeastern wind.

LAST WAVES OF THE YEAR

The waves were great, but I was sick.  The only thing I could do was watch them from my house and get these photos.  I ended up surfing 43 times this year at Birch Bay. This is my first year surfing here and now that I have recorded it, I can see how the next year will compare.  Enjoy the photos and videos!