…Set Wave Droppers, hope you got some, or are getting some waves today. I did. Thanks, to those souls who braved cold winds and rain to slide a few… and, yeah; it isn’t easy not going for a set wave; but it is great watching friends tuck in; and it even feels nice to throw the occasional (only if deserved) compliment.
Something about waves: More will be coming. I’m thankful I can still slide a few.
Real Surfers 
Erwin you’ve been blogging about crowds lately. Maybe it’s a cause, maybe a symptom, but you and some other Strait/PA regulars need to sign on to the Seattle Surfers Facebook group and see how much noise is getting made this season every time a swell might get into the Strait. It used to be a small group but now there’s 500 members. People name spots, share photos with it was rad stories, talk swell angles and tides. Check it out and blog about it – a reasonable courteous local perspective like yours might help people understand traditional ideas about what and where to share
Thanks; first of all I’m not unconcerned. While I often say surfing in the northwest now (and I’ve been saying this for a long time, so it probably refers to thirty years ago and the building of a surf population) is like surfing in Southern California (at least in San Diego’s North County) then, then being over fifty years ago now. I have heard of the Seattle Surfers Facebook group, might even check it out.
As far as sharing tides and angles and such, we each have our own formula on how any upcoming angle, tide, wind direction will effect our favorite spots. And I will ask someone I meet on the beach what their formula is, but keep my own sort of to myself; plus, having a formula based on other people’s evidence is not the same as building one over years, Kind of sad, really. Want to know the best conditions for surfing Seaside?
And any formula only lowers your chances of getting skunked.
Since my financial investment is lower than someone’s from Seattle, in time and ferry tickets, gas; I might risk a trip on an iffy day; but… oh, and though we all complain about enthusiasts who go in groups, camp out where they’re not really supposed to, seem more interested in the scene than the surf… well, better than having them actually in the water.
It’s actually a bit difficult for me to believe that one Seattle Surfer member might brag about a trip, advertise when he and/or she and/or five friends, boards stacked and tied on their ‘Cedes, might want 475 of their closest Friends showing up the next time they go.
Sabotage? How about Westport with a big south wind? And swell? “Yeah, like, this one time… man…”
Meanwhile… imagine trying to get close to good waves at Malibu, Windansea, Trestles; and, incidentally, when is the perfect time to surf Trestles?
1975.
No time is a good time to surf Trestles Erwin.
Ten months in July 1975 to May of 1976 were great for me, working at the housing on base, just up the hill, the Maintenance trailer with a full-on view of the lineup at Lowers, my vehicle usually parked there for an hour every lunch time; plus some evening sessions. Hated leaving the job. Otherwise, what I mean is everywhere was less crowded than, on average, anywhere is now. Still, there are moments…
Tom,
WHOA! I ALMOST NEVER DO ALL CAPS, BUT JUST DISCOVERED SOMETHING I WROTE ON HOTMAIL TURNED UP ON MY SITE. Hope I deleted it before too many people saw it. SORRY.
…the rest of what I wrote to Tom: Keith wants me to delete any tags about ———-, but, already having heard about this Facebook Seattle Surfers group (and Trish looked into it for me; yeah, almost 500 members, including Todd Fischer, but a closed group started by some bald headed dude), I’ve decided to retag everything negative about surfing the Strait with “Seattle Surfers”. Okay, maybe not; they might think I like them all showing up en masse.
Got to go work; trying to finish up big interior job; sacrificing ‘watching’ Seahawks, though I’ll be listening.
see you,
Erwin
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Hi Erwin- been awhile since I’ve seen you around.. It’s kind of funny/serendipitous, I’m reading this post and comments section right after I found and joined that Seattle surfers Facebook group.. I think your voice would be an excellent addition to the conversation they’ve been having there lately, about the etiquette of Internet surf talk. Most of the folks in that group haven’t been surfing for very long and are unaware that posting swell/tide formulas, directions to formerly “secret” spots, bragging about illegal camping, or even naming spots is considered very bad form in the surf world. I think a lot of it stems from the fact that they are used to everything in this world being “open source” now, with free information about everything jnstantly accessible. The idea that not all information is for everyone, that you have to put in time, sweat, tears, and prove yourself before you are initiated into secret knowledge, is alien to many now.
Some people have been trying to educate the neophytes about this, I think your voice would definitely be appreciated in the conversation.