OB Jan 4So New Years Day was my day "off" to spend the day hunting for surf this xmas break.
It turned out to be a bad surf day - 7'@ 7 seconds. (Jan 2 jumped up to double over head). I was a bit bummed and ended up spending much of the day grading papers. But Dave called me from OB to tell me it was OK. He and I surfed - we were the only ones out and it was actually very fun. I rode my old 70's Windandsea which I found in the trash years back. I actually got to do turns and even had a little in and out barrel. Dave and I were the only ones out on a Saturday New Years Day! Unbelievable! It was freezing cold and was supposed to be onshore so that might have had a little to do with it.
It reminded me that even a marginal surf is super fun and worth while, especially when enjoyed with a friend. The session ended when on a duck dive the 3 inch thick board was slammed into my face, breaking open my lip. Blood was dripping out fast so I went in, turned out not to be so bad and we ended up surfing again in the evening with a bunch of late comers - still fun but not as good as earlier.
Then my brother Matt calls to see if he should fly up for the next swell. He has been wanting to come surf big Ocean Beach for years, and he saw a swell on the way and good conditions predicted so called to see if I thought he should come. We decided it was looking good so he flew up and I called in sick. Tuesday, January 4th.
It was a classic big day for him to be introduced to OB. Off shore winds, good size swell but it was pretty easy for OB. He experienced the big drops, the humiliating paddle, the few mellow friendly guys in the water, the ass kicking current, and had one solid wipe out - a lip to the head that sent him to the sand and he had to climb his leash back up.
I had some great waves - one back side barrel. There was a surf photog on the beach and later my buddy Dave called me to tell me he saw pictures of me. There were two sequences of me and a few of Matt as well. In addition through two different email chains I got pictures taken by a guy named Greg Davis. I have yet to meet him but I have now been in email contact with him after his photos of the day (including some of Matt and I) went sorta viral. Some of the shots he took are included in this blog entry.
These are the only photos I have of me surfing OB and there are some pretty great shots!
(here are some of the photos Greg Davis took:)
(Danny dropping into a bomb )
Danny down the beach 
Danny backside Wednesday the swell dropped a couple feet. Matt surfed again while I worked and he said it was smaller and way more crowded with aggressive surfers. So after work we paddled in the middle of the beach where the waves are bigger and less people surf (partly because the paddle is more challenging). It was low tide and the offshores were blowing hard! The conditions did not look user friendly. We made it out relatively easy the first time, but drifted the opposite direction I had hoped. I caught a few incredible waves right off the bat.
I decide to fight the current two blocks south. As soon as I got to where I wanted, I got caught inside on a massive set and washed half way in. I then paddled in place for EVER. Each time I was about to give up I would get a glimmer of hope, think I was gonna make it, then another set would break outside of me, washing me back to the middle. From there the outside waves were so far away! I finally decided to paddle back North to try and find a rip - two blocks later I found Matt stuck inside also. I finally thought I made it only to have my hopes crushed by another set outside of me. Matt gave up and then I did too. It was a classic feather in Matt's OB hat - not able to get out.
Matt had found it odd that the two days he surfed OB, just about every person on shore asked him the same first question - a question he had never heard a surfer ask - "Did you make it out?" Lucky for him he was able to answer "YES!"
Matt riding one of his first big OB gems.(photo - GD)
Now it is February and I still have not gotten this post up. January turned out to be all time - every time I surfed it was double over head or close to it. My 7'6" was the only board I used (after breaking my 6'3"). I had awesome waves at OB, 3-mile, and Davenport landing. It was pretty much sunny and offshore the entire month as well!
My experience at Davenport is worth mentioning as it was possibly the friendliest vibe I have ever experienced at a surf spot. I had not surfed that spot in 10 years and I am newly stoked on it. There were only about 10 guys surfing and there were really 4 spots - inside lefts, outside lefts, inside rights, and outside rights. I moved around but ended up mostly sitting outside everyone catching bombs and going right - the rides were farther than I had at 3-mile the week before. Every person in the water and out was super friendly - chatting, introducing themselves and asking my name, it was really refreshing.
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