Surfside Surf Report

There has been a couple of low pressure systems hovering around Texas and with all the rain we have been having over the past few days it was a nice break yesterday to have some mostly sunny conditions. I was out visiting a friend at Bastrop Bayou where I store my kayaks and decided it was a good idea to throw a yak into the back of the truck and shoot down to the shore. I keep a close eye on the surf charts and I knew there had been enough surf  to make the ride out to Follets Beach worth it. I have been jonesing for several weeks as all we’ve had is flat surf conditions. Typical summer conditions, I know, but come on. Where are all the tropical systems caused by global warming when you need them? I was really counting on surfing some tropical waves this summer.

Coming over the Surfside bridge I could see the water was beautiful; blue and green with tiny flecks of white caps interspersed as far as the eye could see–a result of the stiff SW breeze blowing at15-20 knots. Yes there were several kiteboarders out too.

I was in the water by about 2:30 and surfed for about an hour and fifteen minutes before tiring out. With such a stiff breeze you have to paddle constantly or you will quickly be a few miles from your truck.  It’s best to have someone follow you in a vehicle so you can expend your energy on surfing and not so much on fighting the wind and current to stay in the vicinity of your ride.  I can usually paddle for quite a bit longer but the lack of any surf over the past 8 weeks has  me out of ocean kayaking shape.

There were some rideable waves ; nothing too big but past the 3rd sandbar on the  outer sand banks you could catch a nice wave if you were patient and got lucky. There was  almost enough punch in the waves to get you to the reform, but  not quite. If you can get on a wave on the outer banks and stay on it to the 3rd sandbar, stay upright through the breakers and  catch a reform on the 2nd sandbar… let’s just say you will be out of breath, literally and figuratively. It’s a lot of work, but it’s a hell of a ride.

Wait for your wave and get on it!

Kayak surfing at Big Brother

Check this out!

Josh and Scooter try Kayak Surfing for the first time

There were some nice waves out at Follets Beach yesterday (Tuesday). The water was choppy and thick and it was quite strenuous to get past the 2nd breakers. There were some really nice swells past the 3rd breakers but they were difficult to catch because since most of the waves wouldn’t break completeley but just cap a little bit before rolling on, leaving you unsatisfied with an abbreviated ride.

After spending quite a bit of time to get a single big wave on the 3rd breakers I moved in to the second breakers where the waves were breaking nicely and packed a good punch. I wiped out several times on the 2nd breakers but was rewarded with many excellent rides.

After me and my compatriot for the day had had our fill (about 2 hrs of kayak surfing in some decent surf will leave even a fit fellow quite tired) I offered the boys in the next camp the opportunity to go for a ride. Josh was eager and Scooter was coaxed into finally boarding a kayak for some vigorous fun in the surf. They were both unquestionably hooked.

During this time of year we are at the beach regularly, several times a week, mostly in the evenings on weekdays, so if you see us there, stop by and say hello and even go for a ride on a yak if you are so inclined.

Surfside surf report

For the patient surfer there were some fairly big waves breaking on the third sandbar yesterday, which is notable since there hasn’t been anything breaking out there at all for a couple of weeks now. Today and the rest of the week is predicted to be about the same as yesterday but you never know until you hit the beach.

Over the past few weeks I’ve been spending a lot of time in a kayak. I’ve done some fishing when there was no surf but when there has been any rideable surf I’ve had the kayak out catching waves. I’ve seen a lot of kayaks out at the beach but I haven’t yet seen anyone surfing in one. Once I caught that first big wave I was hooked.

I have two Ocean Kayak Drifter’s and a Pelican Castaway. I don’t use the Pelican except for as a spare and it is definitely not seaworthy. Take the Castaway on bays, lakes, and creeks only–and that’s if you already own one. I wouldn’t buy the boat. The welded seam and the front hatch of the Castaway absolutely will NOT keep water out and in anything but flat surf you will sink the Castaway.

The Ocean Kayak Drifter on the other hand is great in the surf. You can flip the boat several times before needing to drain water from the inside. The Drifter is nice and wide with a flat bottom, but not completely flat so there is some control once on a wave; but not much. Once you commit to a wave you are at the mercy of the wave. A bolt-on skeg would help with the control but I don’t think it would survive in rough surf since you get slammed into a sandbar quite frequently when you crash.

I’ve been trying to take some kayak surfing video but the footage so far is not too impressive. Don’t get me wrong, kayak surfing is a wild ride so I don’t know if the ride is just funner than it looks or if the effect is lost at such a long zoom, but eventually I’ll get some good stuff if it’s only a crash compilation.