Cold snap coming

Just as all the birdies settle down to their nest making and the vegetables start poking up through the soil, a COLD SNAP suddenly rears its ugly head. First the fuel shortages caused by idiots panic buying and now this! ;)

I'd only just had my first BBQ of the season too..

The sun is taking a break and a low is on its way down from the north bringing chilly NE winds so we're going to have some biterly cold weather for a couple of days before it gets back to normal.

There's talk of a small swell blip today, not checked the cam yet so will swing by the beach in about an hour and check. Easter weekend isn't looking like such a wash out now and Sunday looks pretty damn good for waves currently so fingers crossed that lasts!

I've got my surfboard bike rack sorted at last after much hassle as the shop gave me the wrong fixtures which left me with alot of head scratching at first but it's now assembled and ready to go once this weather warms up and the Wales Coast Path gets finished!

And finally, this weekeend I begun dabbling in driftwood art for my garden(it just goes to shows what a flat spell can do to a man).

Apparently they make it looks like someone has been buried in my front garden! But I'm quite happy with my proto-types and will continue making things, so if anyone fancies buying some - let me know ;)!

Heat waves

Wind: light SE, offshore
Wave Period: 12-13 seconds
Wave height: 0.9m, 3ft at the beach
Tides: High at 9.8m around 6.50am

It's been a great start to spring 2012 with a nice low pressure sitting out in the Atlantic and a blocking high over the UK meaning offshore winds and plenty of small, clean swell every day! Even the sun is shinging and we have highs of 18 degrees all weekend :)

I had an insanely perfect surf after work on Weds evening. 3-4ft reef with only 3 surfers in and good vibes. I had some lovely waves, nice, steep, fast and hollow take offs and my board is flying with the new 3 fin set up I'm trying out.

The lefts were lining up perfectly over the reef with a slower section followed by a racing hollow slab on the inside to make or break you. I went right on a few kamikaze waves and only bounced off the bottom once - great fun though and not too dangerous with a big tide over the reef :)

The only thing messing things up slightly are the tides as they've been huge so earl surfs have been tricky!

More clean waves today so an after work surf is definitely on the cards followed by some cold ale.

The weekend looks insane and then there's next week to look forward too and the clocks go forward today so we can all enjoy some 5am dawn patrols shortly.

Summer is coming

Not much to report on the surfing front really other than a few small clean days here and there.

Had a good trip to Fuerteventura a few weeks ago but the waves weren't what I'd hoped for but we had a fun time, saw some bands, drank Desperado and Tequila and met some cool people along the way.

The wind was NE most days so cross on shore for the northern track but we surfed a number of spots and finally scored some clean surf on our penultimate day at the bubble and some surrounding reefs. The crowd was on it as clean and powerful 6-8ft sets boomed through. Spongers were controlling the lefts and getting barrelled left right and centre and the local crew were all over the rights.

Rattz and I had been surfing the gulls nest further down with mixed results. He'd opted for lefts and I'd stayed on the rights and scored a few okay rides but it soon switched off.

We paddled over to a reef near the bubble and after a few futile atempts at riding small stuff I'd had enough - this wasn't I came to Feuret for so I jostled onto the peak and managed to snag 3 waves from a pack containing some shit hot surfers.

My first was a very late effort as I'd come so close to getting waves but each time someone was on it or it closed out.

I finally got a decent ride when a surfer pulled back last minute so I threw myself over the ledge and just about hung on - tippy toes!

Bottom turned, cutback - can't really remember as it all happened so fast but the important thing was that I made the drop!

I paddled back to the channel and found rattz grinning who shouted over "Casual Barlow!" which made me chuckle as it was anything but casual in my head! more like survival ;)

The wind picked up and the swell got meaner with some serious 10ft bombs coming through and clattering the few guys left out there.

Friday night we went kind of large and as lucj would have it - the swell finally arrived! The whole coast lit up, Lobos was firing and the Harbour finally had a wave. Even the channel between shooting galleries and town had a barrlling wave!

Rattz, aran and I paddled out, some of us still a bit drunk and attempted to surf clean, fast left handers around 4-6ft+

My first few were fine and ratter scored a lovely long left but after that things went downhill. I had a nice high speed train wreck of a wipeout, aran got scraped along the reef on his back and I began to lose my mojo.

I don't think the hangover or subsequent ear infection helped as my head was booming but ratter stepped up and was the surfer of the session - about bloody time! ;0

Since then I've surfed 4 times but not had anything over 3ft really but we've had some nice evening sessions and the clocks go forward in a weeks time :)

Cold but fun

Very light SE wind
Dropping tide from high at 7.30am
3ft+ clean waves
1m on the wave buoy @ 13.2 seconds, 264 degrees

Apologies I'll stop mentioning the cold soon - once it gets bloody warm again!

More snow on the way apparently for SE Wales but at least the windscreen was ice free today until...I put my wipers on accidentally and instantly lost all my driving vision on the way to the beach!

I'd arranged to meet Aran who'd slept in as usual so took my time, got changed at home and drove down to sker. Aran eventually arrived looking like he was more asleep than awake so I walked on down and paddled out into an almost empty lineup.

Clean 3ft+ waves were breaking with some lovely lefts coming through fairly regularly but I opted for a middle bank with rights as it seemed more comfortable with my knee.

Took me a while to get into a decent wave as the first few lefts I had were fast but I was in a bit of pain with my leg so couldn't do much. A little frustrating tbh as I was gagging to whack some lips and go late on some but had to play it safe and be sensible.

Eventually I snagged a nice long, shoulder high, smooth right hander and managed a few top turns before kicking out before the pebble bank :)

Chris joined us and caught some lovely long rights while aran just sat there feeling dizzy with cold! It was freezing though, below 7 degs now and at times my chest felt like there was no neoprene on it at all. It was only after a shockingly cold flush that my body started producing some real heat and I warmed up!

A couple more paddled out but there were plenty of waves as the tide dropped back. I snagged a nice right on my last wave, nudging 4ft with a late take off.

I had a comedy wobble at the bottom, nearly losing it completely but hung on and rode some face passing some grinning surfers who'd witnessed my unorthodox take off technique.

I rode that one in and was glad to be back on dry land with no more damage to my tendon (touch wood).

Had a quick chat with Aran in the car park before leaving, who told me he 'couldn't surf in the cold any more and felt dizzy and sick in the head!'
Looks like he's going to become a summer surfer. Old age has finally caught up with him ;)

Stayed in my suit for the drive home and got changed under a steaming hot shower - the joys of living locally :)

9 days till Fuerteventura not that I'm counting...

A chilly start to the day

I'm nursing a tendon injury below the knee currently so not been surfing much in the last month. I had a dip @ Freshwest 2 weeks ago but only in 2ft weak, surf - off F.point and wasn't particularly comfortable turning or attempting manoeuvres so I've been hitting the pool instead x 3 times a week to keep surf fit.

Off to Fuerteventura on 18 Feb for a week. It's been 4 years since my last visit so I'm stoked to be going back and pray that my beloved Isla de Lobos is working at least once during our trip and that my knee is a bit better by then...

The WCSC have asked local surfers to keep a record of surf and rough numbers in the water in order to use as data for the Atlantic Array windfarm modelling which we can feed into. SAS will then check their computer models independently to see if the data is accurate and we hope to be able to build up a picture of surf conditions and possible outcomes if the wind farm goes ahead.

There's been a small, clean swell the last few days and yesterday we had an Hawaiian style 19 second wave period!

The swell angle has been a little off so we've only been getting 2-3ft and this morning is similar only 2ft. Hardly a breath of wind out there and what there is, is offshore but it's damn cold, barely nudging 2 degrees all day today! And more talk of snow on the way...

Today's swell @ 8am:


1.m + dropping with the tide
Swell angle 264 degs
HT: Big tides, 10m at 6:30am
Wind: Very light SE
At the beach: Clean 2ft and plenty of lines but not much power or shape

Chilly con carni

By 'eck it was a chilly one this morning but well worth a dip. Lightish NE wind, 13 sec wave period and 1.3m of swell meant clean 3ft+ on the beach @ Rest Bay today.

I should've got changed into my wetty @ home today but had been too organised last night and already put my stuff into the van. With freezing temps and a frost on the car, my suit was refrigerated this morning and I had numb hands before I'd managed to get my mitts on.

Not many in and those that were, were well spread out so I had the pick of the set waves on a nice peak down near the golf course today.

Had a few nice waves though and the half moon looked stunning as I walked down along the beach only to be replaced by a blinding sunrise.

Little video from 'porthcawlsurf' showing small peaks at the lifeguard station end:



Icy water flooded into my old leaky back panel as I paddled out and I'm beginning to wonder how long this old suit can last now as water temps plunge to 8C and we've got at least another 2 or 3 degrees to go yet! :(

It wasn't classic but had a couple of nice long rights and I caught around 10 waves. I think the Firewire is going to go now and I'll dig out the bonzer for the rest of the winter.

Mid week special

Thursday 1 December

Yesterday we had a lovely groundswell, 2.7m and 10 seconds with light WNW winds so I knew the point would be pumping.

The tide wasn't great, a little too low but I had a pass and enough time to squeeze into a few waves before work.

I decided to don my 6mm full winter suit and boy was it hard work! It felt heavy just throwing it into my wetsuit bucket but once water was added felt like I had a monkey on my back ;)

With only 3 of us in it looked promising but as the tide pushed the crowds arrived and it wasn't long before the inevitable drop ins began...

On my third wave I paddled right (as everyone does) to catch a nice wave coming through, took the drop and rode along the line only to be dropped in on by the self appointed 'enforcer' @ the point as I neared the flatter shoulder section.

I congratulated him on an "excellent drop in" to which he replied it was my fault as I shouldn't have paddled past him to catch a wave after I'd just ridden one? Was this guy for real?! Sadly, yes.

I hadn't caught anything worthwhile but but let's not let the facts get in the way. Isn't this what you do when surfing, paddle towards the curl and if no-one spots a rogue wave, then even better!

He'd only just arrived, and in my book, you don't paddle out and expect to take an automatic spot in the line up but there we go. We clearly read different books.

Another 'good' local surfer then piped up to defuse the situation (backing up his compadre) which was ironic seeing as HE had just paddled over from Coney straight into the inside slot and started catching waves.

You can't have it both ways, so which is it, eh?

I put it down to blinkered localism at its very finest and a lack of surf travel. You go to Burleigh or Kirra or any other good point break in the world and the rules are the same and this is Porthcawl on a quiet day in winter!

In my book, a blatant drop in (from the safety of a nice fat shoulder), just highlights the fact that you're a weak surfer.

Point made? Big ******** deal! And all this from someone who is always moaning about overcrowding and drop ins. Isn't it ironic.

My next three waves were all 'shared' as guts joined us and what could have been a really nice surf turned a bit sour in my mind.

Nevertheless I managed to snag 3 lovely long waves and rode my last one to shore as work beckoned. Next time I won't be taking prisoners, the imaginary rule book will be set alight.

Friday 2 December

This morning the swell had halved but the period jumped to 12 secs and the wind was very light nw.

The windscreen was iced over but at least the sea felt warm compared to the outside air temps but I did time my paddle out and kept my head dry for a while :)

I paddled out at rest bay to 3ft and clean, a little choppy in places due to the rip but a totally different vibe. People having fun, chatting and enjoy the blue skies and sunshine. Emma was way out the back enjoying her new longboard whilst milesy, adrian and I enjoyed the inside bowls.

I squeezed an hour in and caught one or two nice waves including one nice big hollow bowl on my backhand that got a couple of hoots and perhaps I should've pulled in but now we'll never know!

Still no hood or gloves on and I wore my autumn suit avec thermal rashie today for better paddle speed.