Postcard from Cali: Rincon

Hello Friends,

As tide dropped, little lines stood up.

Not much light left on this side of the planet as I start writing. Have been away from a net connection for a day or so, hence silence. Anyway, the little west pulse arrived as expected on Friday. It was at its best size wise at California St in Ventura, but there were surfable little things as far north as Rincon.

The weather is clear and unseasonably mild thanks to Santa Ana offshores.

The usual idea people have of surfing in southern California is of crowds and little waves. It has been crowded at some of the spots I’ve checked out, but equally, if you’re prepared to take a hit on the size, there are uncrowded waves to be found.

Case one: yesterday, my mate Tim and I took mals to a spot called La Conchita. There were a few bods tussling over chest high sets up at the top of the point, but Cliff House looked more attractive for mal riding. It was maybe waist high, but some of the better ones were breaking for a couple hundred metres or more. Kinda Rincon cove, but without the crowd. In fact, without anyone. For the entire two hours we were in the water. This ain’t no secret spot either. You can easily see it from most of the 6 lanes of the Ventura Freeway which runs past about 50 metres from the beach. We had a brilliant time and then headed back to mate Tim’s place in Ojai (Oh’Hi) where we scored a fantastic Mexican dinner which we then followed up with a Coopers Sparkling ale I’d brought with me from Oz.

Case two: the next day, on my drive back to Santa Barbara, I decided to go out at Rincon – just to say I’d done it really. It’s a Saturday here, and as I said, the weather was just perfect, so Rincon was pretty well attended. 30 or 40 mals at the cove and another 30 odd up at Indicator. Weirdly though, there was hardly anyone hanging around at Rivermouth. That being one of my fave sections, I decided to paddle the 7S out there to see if I could jag a couple. Over the next 90 minutes or so, I was pretty much hustling waves from a group of maybe three or four. And for one half hour stretch I was pretty much by myself on one of the takeoff peaks I’d picked. Waves were not big, but thanks to a low tide, the sets would stand up very nicely and I got a dozen or so that were around shoulder high. Some unwound for 100 metres or more. Da Kine!

Swell’s on the fade again, so not sure if I’ll have any more surfing tales over the next few days… but we’ll see.

Hope all goes well in your world!

The rivermouth at Rincon

south-west vancouver island

on saturday at 2 pm: up to double-head at our rivermouth point – long, strong, mildly erratic walls, every few seconds – the aftermath of weeks of record snowstorms, rainstorms and flooding – the record snow was here only a few days at christmas, but the ensuing rains have severely damaged parts of the coast road leading to our rivermouth point – the recreation site at the point was closed, so the plentiful brethren in attendance all parked above, by the road – i caught about 5 easy walls, staying prudently a little further in, as my fingertips gradually numbed – expect continuing epic conditions – the coast road is closed today, just west of our rivermouth point, fortunately, so the choicer spots closer to the straits mouth are presently a tantalizingly mystery, save for those brethren fortunate enough (well, surfwise…) to be trapped on the other side – there is one, highly-challenging route out from their corner of this jagged coast, crossing the center of the island on some daft logging or municipal road – not for the faint-hearted or low on gas – marine winds at the straits mouth, southerly to 30 knots **********- a seeker of silences am i, and what treasure have i found in silences that i may dispense with confidence? – k gibran …. ….