Surf :: Photo Of The Day and Natural History Commentary

The surf is big today, just as expected. Its big, and continuing to build with projected peak later today, but … it’s NOT CLEAN. I mean that literally (lagoons are still flushing their biohazards from the rain runoff of last weekend) and figuratively (the swell is not groomed right for picturesque surf). Oh well. Maybe it will clean up tomorrow and go glass? Here is what I am hoping for, from the “big wednesday” swell of two years ago:

Salt Creek surf, pretty big day, winter, morning. Salt Creek, Laguna Niguel, California, USA. Image: 14852   Location: Salt Creek, Laguna Niguel, California, USA

Santa Anas whipped up strong yesterday, sending offshores out to meet the clean swells coming ashore. Every wave had a rainbow trailing it. Just as each wave was poised to break, the wind would rip the lip off with impressive sound, sending spray aloft only to fall back around me after the swell had passed. It was great, the most fun I have had in the water all year. But …

Breaking wave, tube, hollow barrel, morning surf. Image: 19532

Breaking wave, tube, hollow barrel, morning surf. Image: 19533

Breaking wave, tube, hollow barrel, morning surf. Image: 19535

Breaking wave, tube, hollow barrel, morning surf. Image: 19534

Today those winds are whipping up fierce fires that are burning houses and causing massive evacuations throughout San Diego. I heard on the news that 1000+ fire engines are on their way from surrounding states to assist. Some people, civilians and firefighters, have already been critically injured or killed. We are packed and ready to go if our part of town gets the call to evacuate.

Today things lined up in North County for some great surf. I got out shortly after the sun hit the water this morning in Cardiff. The sun was bright, the swell we’ve had for a few days was peaking, and we got the offshore winds that had the TV weatherman so excited. (Half of San Diego is now burning, courtesy of those winds.) After three hours in the water I had shot 1200 photos – the camera was firing hard. It was quite a workout as there was a steady south longshore current running all morning against which I had to kick the entire time. My legs were wasted when I stopped for lunch today. Here is one sequence that turned out pretty good:

The rest of the shots from this morning can be seen here.

I haven’t posted anything from my Yellowstone trip since I have been tied up with work and kid stuff. I’m almost done editing those shots and will have them posted in the next week or so.

Got to my favorite break at sunrise this morning. It was a short chance to cool off from the weird heat and humidity we’ve had. At 6:30 a mist was still hanging along the bluffs so that I could not see the sand from the water, just enough sun was poking through, and the water was glassed. At 8:30 the beach had become a zoo, RVers from Arizona or wherever had taken all the parking along the coast highway, and I had to run to make my daughter’s soccer game. Ah, got to love Labor Day in southern California…

Breaking wave, early morning surf. Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA. Image: 19404   Location: Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA

Breaking wave, early morning surf. Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA. Image: 19405   Location: Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA

Breaking wave, early morning surf. Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA. Image: 19406   Location: Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA

Click here for a few more.

Finally some surf and I am tied up at soccer games all weekend. I got a short chance to get in the water just before sunset Sunday evening. Click here are a few more.

Sunset wave. Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA. Image: 19395   Location: Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA

Sunset wave. Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA. Image: 19396   Location: Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA

Dropped my daughter off at junior lifeguard class this morning and got in a quick swim before starting work for the day. The skies were overcast and the waves were small, but so glassy. Combination of the flat light and glassy water made it difficult to discern swells coming in until they had started to lift up and form, pretty cool. I only had one wave I was able to get inside. You can see the cliffs north of Moonlight Beach in the background, and a few beach walkers out for some morning exercise.

Breaking wave. Moonlight Beach, Encinitas, California, USA. Image: 19132   Location: Moonlight Beach, Encinitas, California, USA

Another overcast morning. What happened to the sun?

Overcast morning surf. Image: 18993

An overcast morning today, there was some surf but I think I got there past peak:

Carlsbad morning surf. Carlsbad, California, USA. Image: 18977   Location: Carlsbad, California, USA

Carlsbad morning surf. Carlsbad, California, USA. Image: 18978   Location: Carlsbad, California, USA

Carlsbad morning surf. Carlsbad, California, USA. Image: 18981   Location: Carlsbad, California, USA

Carlsbad morning surf. Carlsbad, California, USA. Image: 18983   Location: Carlsbad, California, USA

Got out for a quick swim while my daughter was in soccer practice. Not much going on, surf was tiny, had to get right up on the reef in order to find anything that was remote hollowish. The water was warm, summer is here.

Afternoon tiny wave. Tabletop, Cardiff by the Sea, California, USA. Image: 18972   Location: Tabletop, Cardiff by the Sea, California, USA

Bored photographer takes own picture. Tabletop, Cardiff by the Sea, California, USA. Image: 18973   Location: Tabletop, Cardiff by the Sea, California, USA

One of my favorite frames from last year. I had South Ponto entirely to myself all morning, and nice hollow waves were firing, pitching up over the sandbars that had set up just north of the cliffs.

Breaking wave, Ponto, South Carlsbad, California. Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA. Image: 17394   Location: Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA

More Ponto photos.

A southern hemi swell kicked up the surf the past couple days. Biggest was in Orange County with it’s southern exposure. I could not get up there until this morning and I missed the peak of the swell. I tried Ponto yesterday and got in double-overhead waves with a lens that was too wide to get any proper shots, enjoying a real thigh burner cramp session kicking against the current for two hours straight. This morning I opted to stay dry and was glad I did. A 45-minute sunrise spin up I-5, grab a bite, then park. First bad omen: people were walking back to their cars. I went out to take a look anyway. The Wedge was a bumpy mess. There was plenty of wave energy but it was reverberating all over and had no consistency. I’m not sure that I would have gotten any good shots had I got in the water, the wave directions were changing with each set and it would have been hard to stay in the pit. Only a few guys were out. I should have been up there yesterday.

Some heavy surf this morning in La Jolla. It’s difficult to get a good shot of this wave as it is crumbly and not particularly attractive, the angle from shore is straight on and the wave is not hollow. Here are a couple guys who took off while I was there this morning.

Boomer Beach, bodysurfing. La Jolla, California, USA. Image: 18281   Location: La Jolla, California, USA

Boomer Beach, bodysurfing. La Jolla, California, USA. Image: 18280   Location: La Jolla, California, USA

Grant “Twiggy” Baker, on his way to winning the 2006 running of the Mavericks Surf Contest. This was one of my two favorite frames of the day. I hope to get up there again for the 2007 contest. These guys are superb athletes taking on a truly impressive wave in style. Amazing.

More 2006 Mavericks Surf Contest photos.

Sunny and offshores, beautiful morning. Got to a spot I have wanted to try for a while but just never got around to it before. There was some size this morning. As I checked the surf from shore it seemed that most of the larger barrels went empty (perhaps they were closeouts). This waste of good waves was quite upsetting to me, so I went home, got my water camera, and went back to get in the water and take advantage of things. The guys in the water were kind enough to give me a few snaps. All in all a fun morning.

Jetties, Carlsbad, morning surf. Warm Water Jetties, Carlsbad, California, USA. Image: 17905   Location: Warm Water Jetties, Carlsbad, California, USA

Kyle Cannon, Jetties, Carlsbad, morning surf. Warm Water Jetties, Carlsbad, California, USA. Image: 17906   Location: Warm Water Jetties, Carlsbad, California, USA

Jetties, Carlsbad, morning surf. Warm Water Jetties, Carlsbad, California, USA. Image: 17921   Location: Warm Water Jetties, Carlsbad, California, USA

Jetties, Carlsbad, morning surf. Warm Water Jetties, Carlsbad, California, USA. Image: 17927   Location: Warm Water Jetties, Carlsbad, California, USA

See more photos from this morning.

Heaving tube-lets in South Carlsbad this morning:

Carlsbad morning shorebreak, heaving little 6 tube. Image: 17901

Carlsbad morning shorebreak, heaving little 6 tube. Image: 17902

Surfline picked up my shot of Carson Smith getting barreled at Ponto for their latest slide show about the swell that hit last week.

Carson Smith, Ponto, South Carlsbad, morning surf. Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA. Image: 17828   Location: Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA

Another nice morning in North County, surf was still strong and fun. Thanks to the surfers who let me poach some shots on their waves.

Mike Thomas, Cardiff, morning surf. Cardiff by the Sea. Image: 17877   Location: Cardiff by the Sea

Cardiff, morning surf. Cardiff by the Sea. Image: 17878   Location: Cardiff by the Sea

Cardiff, morning surf. Cardiff by the Sea. Image: 17883   Location: Cardiff by the Sea

Cardiff, morning surf. Cardiff by the Sea. Image: 17884   Location: Cardiff by the Sea

More photos from today or all sessions.

Another nice morning in Carlsbad. Full sun, ocean was not too cold, glassy and calm, and a few big bottlenose dolphins swimming in the lineup. However, the water was full of sand from the lagoon so it looks sort of dingy in the photos, and there was a longshore current the whole time.

Don Gaunder, Ponto, South Carlsbad, morning surf. Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA. Image: 17855   Location: Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA

Ponto, South Carlsbad, morning surf. Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA. Image: 17854   Location: Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA

Ponto, South Carlsbad, morning surf. Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA. Image: 17856   Location: Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA

More photos from today or all sessions.

I took the channel-shooter setup out for some practice this morning.

Swamis morning surf. Swamis, Encinitas. Image: 17837   Location: Swamis, Encinitas

Swamis morning surf. Swamis, Encinitas. Image: 17838   Location: Swamis, Encinitas

More photos from today.

Can God create a wave so big that even He couldn’t surf it?

Ponto, South Carlsbad, morning surf. Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA. Image: 17833   Location: Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA

Waxing philosophical today.

Got out this morning for a three hour session in some fun surf, first time in the water in about a month. A solid NW swell, light offshore winds, full sun, water not too cold, occasional freight train barrels – empty. All the surfers were packed at the jetties so I had the barrels at the south end to myself for quite a while. The lines were shifting alot and it was tough for me to position properly, so today’s haul of photos is not too impressive. The surf should be a little larger tomorrow, hoping that the sky stays clear for good morning light and another try.

Carson Smith, Ponto, South Carlsbad, morning surf. Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA. Image: 17828   Location: Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA

Ponto, South Carlsbad, morning surf. Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA. Image: 17827   Location: Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA

More photos from today, or all the sessions.

Surfline picked up a shot of mine for today’s ROCKTOBER slideshow, check this page out.

Breaking wave, Ponto, South Carlsbad. Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA. Image: 17679   Location: Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA

Smaller and less consistent than the past few days but also less crowded. Click here for the shots I decided to keep from this morning. Below are a couple of the guys who took pity on me and passed by so I could get a few snaps.

Ponto, South Carlsbad, morning surf. Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA. Image: 17819   Location: Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA

Ponto, South Carlsbad, morning surf. Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA. Image: 17820   Location: Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA

Ponto, South Carlsbad, morning surf. Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA. Image: 17821   Location: Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA

Ponto, South Carlsbad, morning surf. Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA. Image: 17822   Location: Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA

Another nice day on the water. Click here for the shots I decided to keep from this morning. And below are a couple of larger ones.

Tony Gatti, Ponto, South Carlsbad, morning surf. Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA. Image: 17777   Location: Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA

Ponto, South Carlsbad, morning surf. Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA. Image: 17778   Location: Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA

Ponto, South Carlsbad, morning surf. Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA. Image: 17779   Location: Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA

Tony Gatti, Ponto, South Carlsbad, morning surf. Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA. Image: 17780   Location: Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA

Ponto, South Carlsbad, morning surf. Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA. Image: 17783   Location: Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA

Fun day! I got out for an hour or so this morning. Beautiful light, offshores, size and on the weekend to boot. Click here for the shots I decided to keep from this morning .

Ponto, South Carlsbad, morning surf. Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA. Image: 17717   Location: Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA

Ponto, South Carlsbad, morning surf. Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA. Image: 17718   Location: Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA

Ponto, South Carlsbad, morning surf. Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA. Image: 17719   Location: Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA

Ponto, South Carlsbad, morning surf. Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA. Image: 17720   Location: Ponto, Carlsbad, California, USA