SMALL DAYS PT. 3, TUE02APR2013 AFTERNOON

Loc: Old Mans

Crew: Bri

Conditions: 1-3 FT, clean, sunny, warm.

     So we’re not the only people on spring break. There are little fuckers playing football, little kids screaming, mom’s yelling, and teenage girlies in skimpy bikinis, yelling, “Oh my gawd, don’t get me wet!” Fuckin’ bastards. So far for the relaxed, chill day at the beach. Bri is lying out, getting her booty tanned, when the football comes flying in, hitting her in the leg. She sits up and says, “What the fuck?” Yes, one of her trademark lines, but she really uses its application for what it’s meant. A face full of braces smiles back in apology.

     “You wanna just paddle out now?” I say.

     “Yeah, I think that’s a good idea. I just want to get away from the campsite right now.”

     So here we are, it’s barely three o’clock, and we’re already doing Old Mans part due. So the south wind is on it a little, and it just looks . . . okay, but it’s one of those situations where, once you paddle out there, it’s actually not so bad. After the sets, the water smooths out and cleans up a little. The crowd is still super thin too, and we’ve also caught another good window with the tide pretty low. Even though the rides aren’t as clean as the morning’s, they are still fun.

     But we are a little dehydrated, only having drunk a couple beers each, so we head back to the campsite to refuel after about an hour and a half. After scarfing some sourdough bread, oranges, and Wheat Thins, we make a short trek to Churches to scope out some rights.

     Technically, this is the third session, but maybe not because the hiatus in between was nothing more than a snack break.

     CHURCHES . . . my beloved Churches, on this small, wind-waning evening, my how you’ve cleaned up and turned smooth and glassy. You’re rights are so down the line and long; they stand up just a little more than Old Mans, allowing a little more performance riding. And thanks again to Surfline for saying that the conditions are “poor to fair,” you’ve left Bri and I with no more than ten other surfers to deal with.

     Bri’s running out of mustard. She’s tired and showing it on the waves that she’s missing. Churches is definitely a little bigger, showing more three-foot pulses. We sit wide south and still get waves. Even though it’s less consistent sitting wide, the undeniable lines show in the distance, much too far for the guys sitting closer to the main peak. Again, over and over, repetition, just paddling in so easy on the Zippi, what a fine piece of equipment. Although, I do miss my Motorboat Too. I wonder if it’s big enough for it, but there is no way I’d be catching this many waves if I had it.

     We call the session before it gets dark since we started the second session early. It’s a night around the campfire with carne asada tacos and S’mores. I’m surprised at how much surf we are scoring.