Surf's up - if you can find it

The Mendocino Coast is a pretty amazing place to kayak. It has everything you could want - big swells, mellow days, rock gardens, sea caves, tidal rivers, a little whitewater, and breathtaking scenery. It also has some surf. And there are some good surf days. But the truth is that most of the surf spots are a little junky most of the time. There aren't any place that consistently get good surf conditions. The mouth of Big River, just south of Mendocino, is a place that always has surf. Some days it even works well as a teaching spot. But it's never very good.

That doesn't mean that it can't be fun. We had 3' @ 16 sec WNW swell which are nice waves but they didn't really hit any of the breaks right. Big River had some fun rides, but it also had reflections that came at you sideways. And it was on a flood, so getting out wore you out before you caught a ride. Whenever I go surfing I call it successful if I get one good ride. That's about all I got today, but I did catch it on film and I did leave with a smile. Enjoy: