Author Archives: admin

March 7, 2020

I was with some of my friends tonight exploring the coast after a fun-filled day of tide pooling. As daylight faded, we hiked down a small cove and laid on the sand collecting tiny pieces of flamboyant sea glass. I made the call to head to another cove where we could have a view of the sunset, which was commencing in a matter of minutes. I often don’t remember the moment when I click the shutter. Seeing this photo afterward, it was instantly one of my favorites. I don’t know if it’s the pastel colors that intrigue me, the composition, or the herd of seals where some of them would be washed around by the waves while their eyes were still closed, protected from the wind and tumultuous sea by the towering rocky shelf. Maybe it is just a visual reminder that despite all the craziness that happens not far from here, there is stillness to be found. In that moment, there was nothing but the repetitive sound of the wind and waves, us and nature.

February 16, 2020

A combination of light offshore wind and clear skies made for a gorgeous morning at Coal Oil Point. A few surfers were out, but the waves were lackluster. As I contemplated what to do, a sudden light bulb went off in my head reminding me I had snorkel gear in my car. It may have been my only chance to get in the water that day and I didn’t want to go home dry.

At first I thought there wouldn’t be anything but kelp out there, so I expected just a relaxing swim. The water was clear but still lacked visibility when the sand got stirred up. I swam past the whitewash and slowly observed patches of kelp. About 50 yards out, I spotted schools of striped perch finding cover in the kelp. Around the point, surf grass completely covered the sea floor. As a wave passed overhead, the surf grass would drift back and forth, revealing what was hiding underneath for a brief moment before returning to its original position. I got giddy when I saw California spiny lobsters for the first time in the wild. I had a staring contest with a Calico Bass, then drifted with the surf perch through the surf grass. I love it here.

February 15, 2020

I had a choice this weekend, stay comfortably at home, or go somewhere. I had three days off but no particular location in mind. The forecast called for light winds and sunny skies. I told myself there had to be some clear water somewhere along the coast. I’ve never driven past Big Creek in Big Sur, so I thought I’d take a road trip down the 1 and visit a friend at UC Santa Barbara. There was still a moderate NW wind from Monterey to Bixby Bridge, but around the bend at Partington Cove, only a very mellow breeze. I could see the boulders and kelp through the emerald blue green waters.

The drive didn’t feel lengthy at all, partly because I was stopping at almost every turnout and checking out the view. Some of the notable stops were Sand Dollar Beach, Elephant Seal Vista Point, and Morro Rock. I made it to Goleta right in time for sunset, stopping at the Vista Point off the highway. Driving down the coast made me realize how much of my own backyard I haven’t even explored yet.

February 9, 2020

The NWS issued a gale warning with NNE winds forecasted to gust 45+ mph. While others would probably try and stay indoors for the day, I thought of two south facing coastal regions that might be groomed offshore. I worried it may be too offshore, similar to the day in October, but you never know unless you go. As I pulled up late morning to my favorite spot in Santa Cruz, I was delighted with the sight of decent size lines and every wave was the epitome of a green room. The wind gusts were strong enough to shake my SUV at times. As I suited up and climbed down to the beach, I unexpectedly saw my old bodyboarding buddies, who were also getting ready to paddle out as well. We all had a couple hours of fun, I met some new folks out in the lineup and was able to send them photos afterward. These are the days I live for.

January 19, 2020 Glory Day

Normally by the time the weekend comes, I’m exhausted from work and just looking forward to being able to sleep in. There’s no time for rest in the winter though, with mostly cloudy skies and ENE wind on the forecast, the day started early for me. Right at the crack of dawn, I stared out my window and saw a familiar faint pink glow on the horizon. I call this the pre-burn, where the sunrise colors would appear, fade, and suddenly become intense. About 12 minutes before sunrise, I paced back and forth in my room debating whether I should run out with the camera or just launch the drone from my back porch. I decided to fly so I could get a good angle in case there were only partial colors. As I got to the outside bar, I noticed groomed peaks and said “god damn, it’s good”. The entire sky lit up, the sea turned pink and purple. The color only lasted for less than a minute and a half before it started to fade. Not too long after, the sky and water was completely drab.

The day had just begun. As the tide dropped throughout the morning, clean, lined up A frames were making it’s way from the depths. A good size crowd developed at Moraga, where it was less walled out. I headed up to the top of the hill as bigger sets hitting double overhead+ appeared. I almost exhausted my memory card within an hour. I was worried about the overcast lighting, but at times the sun almost pierced through the thick layer of clouds, giving my photos a gloomy tone. Today was one for the books.

January 11, 2020 The Intertidal

Low tide was a -1.4ft right at sunset and the swell was mellow so I decided spend the afternoon at Maverick’s Beach in Half Moon Bay with some friends. We were lucky enough to get a parking spot despite the large crowds. We started the walk out the point and the tide was already dropping fast, exposing much of the reef. About halfway to the point, anemones and mussels were visible. I tried to find the sea urchins and perhaps do a little taste test of some fresh uni. Right at the edge of the reef was where it was dense packed with starfish, urchins, rock crabs, you name it. Even though we had waders on, it’s important to be mindful of the ocean; a rogue wave landed us in over knee deep water. We couldn’t stay long, as the temperature dropped fast and the howling wind was causing watery eyes.

It was great to see the Ochre star making a comeback. It’s amazing to see the amount of living organisms in an area where it’s know to be chaotic and tumultuous. I wish I had a bit more time and calmer wind to do some macro work, more reason to go back.

January 3, 2020 Looking Forward

Risso’s Dolphins. January 2020

What did I learn from all these past years? Nothing really matters. 

I used to care about the littlest of things, like what brand of shoes I wore, spend vast amounts of money on material items or spend all my mental energy trying to prove to people what’s right or wrong. I look back at the countless hours spent texting on my phone, or watching random videos on my computer, and getting nothing from it (other than worse eyesight). There is no better time to take back control of our lives. For me it’s simple: spend more, if not all, my time doing what I love, seeing the world around me, meeting new people, and learning. If I’m not learning, then it’s not worth my time.

I started to live by a quote said by one of my favorite authors:
“9 out of 10 concerns are unnecessary” – Martin Lindstrøm

Happy New Year.