North LA Pulse: November 2013

November was a slow month for surf, and it will be remembered more for the sunsets than the waves.  Nearly fifteen days passed before the first pulse arrived and it looked like we were on track for the worst November in memory.  Fortunately, the forecasted Thanksgiving Day swell came together.  However it was the day after which produced the best conditions.  Late that morning, with over-head sets draining on the sand bar, an unknown surfer airdropped into one of the largest waves of the day. He weaved his way through two sections and ducked out the bottom, claiming the  “Pulse of the Month.”

Pulse One arrived mid month and offered peaky conditions at the beach breaks from a combination of a moderate west swell and a small south.  This pulse was as much about the lighting as it was the swell.  The late afternoon sun highlighted Noah Erickson as he rotated out into the flats and illuminated the wave as Forrest Troxell carved the top off.  The swell decreased overnight and died out the following day.

Pulse Two came out of the north from a steep angle arriving on Thanksgiving and passing by most of the area.  The following day, the swell turned more west and waves filled in rapidly.  The swell pumped throughout the day as the winds swirled, but when the sun began to set, a magical moment came together.  The wind calmed and the setting sun painted the ocean and sky like a Van Gogh.  Pat Miller stalled for his prize at the end of the rainbow, and Steven Lippman stroked into a perfectly backlit barrel.

Pulse Three filled in the last day of the month with a good west swell and a slight bump from the southeast, producing head high peaks up and down the beach.  The groms dominated the day, pushing each other wave after wave.  Sean Woods sat on a right peak and attacked the oncoming sections, pushing all three fins free.  Henry Jenkinson sat down the beach on a left wedge and focused on punting the end section with a lofty reverse.