SHORE, FRI 20APRIL2012 MOR

Crew: Francis

Time: 0700-0800

Conditions: 2 FT, only breaking close to shore.

     I really want to go to HB this morning, but my 1000 dentist appointment forces me to stay local. Francis says he’s up to staying close to home too, so we decide to change things up and surf 26^th. After getting skunked there earlier in the week, there’s a good chance that we won’t get skunked twice in a row here. Francis is already in the water by the time I show up. The fog’s thick again; I can’t see what the lineup’s doing. Once I’m close enough. I can see some soft peaks breaking towards the outside by the lifeguard tower. The biggest pack of surfers this morning sits here. It looks rideable, but it’s hard to tell. South of 26^th looks the best, but no one’s sitting there. I trek north to look for Francis. I see him take a wave, bodyboard style. He gets up and waives me over. 

     I ask him if it was good earlier when the tide was lower. He says no. Waves break on the outside over here too, but they moosh out, reform, and break close to shore. Fooling myself, I try to catch them, scratching out every single time. Local veteran Don sits on the peak next to us. Even on the shitty days Don’s ripping it, but I watch him struggle, unable to drop-in as well. 

     So Francis and I work the inside. I don’t know how he does it, but he manages a crack off the lip on a couple while all my rides are straight. I tell Francis I’m paddling south to find a different peak. I score waves all to myself, but they are the same, inside closeouts, breaking over a couple feet of water. Now Don’s on the sand, watching the waves for a minute before he walks away and doesn’t look back. 

     I reunite with Francis to join him in the mediocre conditions. “It’s almost eight,” he says.

     “I know . . . are you staying?”

     “I don’t know. Are you?”

     I look back out towards the horizon, looking for any signs of improvement. There’s no Surf Syndrome today. It’s just not good. “I’ll stay out if you are.”

     Francis does the same and then turns to me and says, “I’mma go in.”

    

     He says hi to the old man who lives by the parking lot while I change. Before saying bye, we bring up the possibilities of surfing HB tomorrow morning but don’t commit. If I don’t surf somewhere else, I won’t surf at all tomorrow. Local is not good at the moment.