THE RETURN OF THE RAINY SESSIONS: WED 05OCT2011 MOR

Crew: Solo

Time: 0700-0900, 2 hrs

Conditions: Rain, rain, rain! Still good texture. 

I have this trip to Baja coming up on Friday. One of the reasons for surfing so much this week is to get my conditioning back up. It’s drizzling as I’m leaving El Segundo. The rain seems light, but the faster I drive the more my windshield gets pelted. Passing Porto, I notice an open parking spot on 45^th. I keep the mental note. I can’t find free parking by the lifeguard station at 26^th, so I park up the hill on Highland Ave. By now the rain is evident. I have a vantage point overseeing everything in front of Parks. It’s overcast again, the wind is blowing side shore, and the rain is cold. My jacket is already spotted and turning a dark from the wetness. 26^th doesn’t look good. 

I swing back around to 45^th, and that same parking spot is open. I sit in my car and look at the little view that I have. It’s hard to see anything, but a couple things are going through my mind. Since it’s raining, there should be some nasty urban runoff draining into the sea. It’s only gonna get worse as the day progresses. It’s better that I paddle out now before it gets too bad. Also, this is my last chance to surf before Baja. I’d like to keep Thursday as a rest day so I can be fresh on Friday. 

I step out and feel the stream of downhill rainwater pass through my toes. A couple cars pass to check the surf. I start my trot and get to the sand. The sight of the ocean surprises me. Despite the wind, the rain is keeping the texture in check. It’s that good rain surf, where the water is still somehow smooth. Sure, there are the ripples that blanket the surface, but overall it’s not jumbly and washy. 

Now it’s been days later and looking back on that session, I can’t remember one wave that I caught for the life of me, but yet I surfed two friggin’ hours. One thing that I recall, sitting out there, was being captured by the moment. It’s not something I get to do often, surfing in the rain. So much overcast, I could barely make out PV because of the white, misty, sheets in the air. I just remember thinking, “No one’s out, the surf’s decent, I should be at home snuggled under the covers, but I’m so happy to be here.” I could imagine how many people woke up that morning, took a look outside, and said, “Fuck it.” Bad call.

Actually, I do remember a wave. I was talking to another guy in the water. I caught a long left that was more of a racer than a turner. That other guy hooted me on as I passed him. It added to the good energy of the morning. 

I love my rainy little town

I got back to my car before the meter maids arrived. I parked in the lot and changed. The rain turned sporadic. Other surfers just showed up. On my drive home I felt fulfilled. Sitting at home with a cup of hot chocolate in my hand, the rain continued to pound outside. Cozy and full of warmth, I needed nothing else.