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After surfing for many weeks at famous surfing spots in Laguna Beach: Thalia Street, Rockpile Beach, Newport Beach, San Clemente, and Trestles, I realized that my surf paddling could use improvement. . I discovered Rob - a local surf trainer who teaches proper surf paddling techniques. He runs a website called surfpaddling.com. He is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and offers online and…
Read More: Improving Surf Paddling Part 2
After trying out the Gerry Lopez 8' surfboard (that failed on me on the second day), I decided to look for a new surfboard that would get me closer to surfing my 6'6" Firewire Spitfire shortboard. After looking at Craigslist ads, I identified a few overly expensive contenders (ranging from $400 to $800). In addition, I stopped by to look at 7' surfboards (fun-size) at…
Read More: Review: Wavestorm 7′ Surfboard
On Sunday, April 25, we decided to head to Capitola to surf "La Bomba" at The Hook. Even though the forecast predicted rain, Alex was not deterred. When we arrived at the parking lot, there were lots of spaces available (which is usually a bad sign for waves). However, when we walked to look at the waves in The Hook, we saw beautiful, clean rollers!…
Read More: Surfing at the Hook
With my Wavestorm 8' surfboard seriously damaged, I decided the new version might be beneficial. Since my local Costco did not have any available (either in-store or online), I decided to try ordering the Gerry Lopez 8' Foam Surfboard from Costco.com for $189.99. . The reviews at Costco.com seemed favorable, and the price (although higher than $99 for Wavestorm 8') seemed reasonable. After ordering on…
Read More: Review: Gerry Lopez 8′ Foam Surfboard
One of our friends has a timeshare at Marriott's Newport Coast Villas but couldn't spend the time due to concerns about COVID-19. Another week at Newport might be fun since we stayed in nearby Laguna Beach in September. . . . . We reserved our 7 nights at Marriott from Saturday, February 27 to Saturday, March 6, 2021. Alex was excited, as it would allow…
Read More: Winter at Newport Beach
I decided that he needed a surf skateboard to improve Alex's surfing technique - maneuvers such as cutbacks, bottom turns, and slashes. . Alex already owns a 43" Cardboard, but it's not as maneuverable as an actual surfboard. After researching, I found that a Florida company called Swelltech specializes in manufacturing surf skates that closely mimic surfing.. . On October 21, 2020, I pre-ordered the…
Read More: Riding Swelltech J.O.B. Banzai Surfskate
After surfing for many days in the Laguna Beach area (at Rockpile Beach, Trestles, San Clemente Pier), it was time to return to surfing near my home. Since Surfline.com predicted 4-5 foot swells on Tuesday, November 3, and I had a company day off, I decided to try surfing in the early morning when the wind and wave forecast was most favorable. . . The…
Read More: Back to The HookAfter surfing for many weeks at famous surfing spots in Laguna Beach: Thalia Street, Rockpile Beach, Newport Beach, San Clemente, and Trestles, I realized that my surf paddling could use improvement. . I discovered Rob, a local surf trainer, teaches proper surf paddling techniques. He runs a website called surfpaddling.com. He is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and offers online and private lessons..…
Read More: Improving Surf Paddling
Inna purchased the 4/3 mm Dawn Patrol wetsuit in medium-tall (MT) size for Alex from Ripcurl in Santa Cruz on September 2, 2020. Alex grew so much that he was no longer fitting in his medium Ripcurl wetsuit. . After surfing for about a year (60 sessions), the seams in the back of the wetsuit started to come apart. We decided to drop it off…
Read More: Repairing Ripcurl Wetsuit
During one of his latter surfing sessions at Rockpile Beach in Laguna Beach, Alex damaged his Firewire Tomo v4 LFS surfboard. . When we returned to Santa Cruz on October 10, 2020, we dropped off the surfboard at the Midtown Surf Shop for repair. Since BE Sanding was very busy, we let Trey repair our board.. . . . . . . . . .…
Read More: Repairing Firewire Tomo v4 LFS
Monday, September 28, 2020 - Rosh Hashanah . After waking up around 7:30am, I decided to walk to Heisler Park to enjoy the beautiful beach as part of my daily exercise routine. Since it was Rosh Hashanah, I skipped breakfast and lunch. . . In the afternoon, around 12:00pm, Inna and I walked back to the main beach in Laguna Beach for a pleasant stroll…
Read More: Last Week at Laguna Beach
Ah, another delightful week (my 3rd) at Laguna Beach! What could be better?. . Monday, September 21, 2020. . I had a reasonably busy workday but stopped by Wally's Barbershop for a haircut. I felt much better after getting all of my long hair trimmed. . In the evening, I found time to surf at Rockpile Beach. Waves were relatively small - no more significant…
Read More: Enjoying Laguna Beach
On Saturday evening, September 12, we returned to Laguna Beach from our short stay in Las Vegas. After unloading our Sienna minivan, Inna and I ate dinner in downtown Laguna Beach.. . . . . . At first, we decided to try Wild Taco on Ocean Avenue. We found a cozy table outside and looked at the menu. Since no one came around to take…
Read More: Returning to Laguna Beach
Due to the raging wildfires in the San Francisco Bay Area, the air quality deteriorated to some of the worst values in the whole country. The Air Quality Index (AQI), usually around 25-30, now exceeds 160 on multiple days. Hiking and mountain biking were now out of the question, and even our short walking in our neighborhood or around Vasona Lake became unpleasant due to…
Read More: Laguna Beach Workation
With the California wildfires raging and the air quality in San Jose in the 150+ (unhealthy range), according to PurpleAir, Inna and I decided to escape the smoke and haze by hiking in Pacifica.. . . . The drive from San Jose to Pacifica was uneventful, taking about 45 minutes. We parked at Mori Point (the parking lot there was closed). From there, we hiked…
Read More: Hiking Pacifica
Friday, July 31, 2020. . It was finally time for our small mini-vacation to Pismo Beach for surfing and relaxation. Inna and I woke up at 07:30 and loaded the Toyota Sienna minivan with our surfboards, wetsuits, and beach toys.. . After a delicious breakfast (Inna made some crepes with caviar), we embarked on the 3-hour drive to Pismo Beach. The drive was uneventful. At…
Read More: Relaxing at Pismo Beach
With July 4, Independence Day (a 4-day weekend) rapidly approaching, Inna and I were considering various travel options. We really wanted to get away from San Jose, but the increased incidence of COVID-19 made planning for a getaway difficult.. . Considering various alternatives, including Mendocino, Lake Tahoe, Bear Valley, and Morro Bay, we decided on Morro Bay. Having never visited Morro Bay, we liked exploring…
Read More: Exploring Morro Bay
Having difficulty catching waves on my Firewire Spitfire, 6'6", I decided to try my luck at stand-up paddleboarding from my last experience at Sayulita. It might make it easier for me to catch slow waves in Mexico.. . . . After some research, I settled on an F.One Madeiro 8'5" wave sup on Craigslist. I also needed a new paddle (Cruz carbon) and a board…
Read More: Learning to SUP surf at Capitola
Over the past two years, I have been using primarily two surfboards for surfing:. Wavestorm 8'0" soft-top surfboard (Costco $99) . Firewire Spitfire 6'6" FST epoxy (purchased used for $525 from Rodney/Craigslist) . As I started progressing on the Wavestorm, I switched to the Firewire Spitfire 6'6 FST, but my progress slowed dramatically. I could no longer catch any waves despite a lot of hard…
Read More: Wavestorm 5’8″ Fish
With the New Year 2020 and relatively mild January weather upon us, Alex requested to surf at his usual spot - The Hook in Capitola.. . We woke up relatively early and arrived at The Hook around 9:10am. The waves consistently reached 3-5 feet high, with the tide ebbing.. . . . Alex wore his Ripcurl Dawn Patrol 4/3mm wetsuit with booties, gloves, and hood…
Read More: Surfing at the Hook