Loc:
Manhattan Beach
Crew: Dias,
Cheryl, Shan
Conditions:
2-3 FT, cold, slightly overcast, light south wind, clean, scattered peaks.
I’m one day short of having not surfed for
three weeks, but last night I finished my last project of the school semester,
which means that I can finally SURF! I’ve sacrificed my diet and physical
exercise in exchange to get my assignments done ahead of time, so I could at
least have a couple days to prep for Indo. Even though I’m way behind schedule,
I’m just glad to be done.
As much as I wanted to dawn patrol it, I
celebrated late last night after I finished my last research paper, so now it’s
0730, and I’m just barely loading up my car. It’s been so long since I’ve
surfed that it takes me a while to gather the essentials for my packing list.
Driving thru El Segundo heading towards the
beach, I feel as if I’ve lost my identity as a surfer and that these are baby
steps to regain it. Passing the slices of streets past El Porto, I can see that
there are some waves. I score free parking on Highland and put on my worn-out
3/2, Rip Curl wetsuit, the same one I bought brand new a couple months before I
left to Bali nearly two years ago. Klaude had told me that the water’s been
warm lately, but as I submerge, the water shooting up my back says otherwise.
My feet hurt in numbing pain. My ears hurt. Either it’s been too long or it’s
not summer yet.
The tide’s a little low, but the peaks are
scattered. Despite how long it’s been, my paddle still feels strong. Because of
the tide, the waves stand up really fast and go racy. After a couple of
closeouts, I get my wave of the day. A nice right rolls through. The wave
stands up fast, and as soon as I pop up I’m flying into my bottom turn. I climb
the face and do a backhand snap; it’s late, so I’m sent back down the face with
good momentum. Momentum feels so good, to just hit the lip and get slung back
into the wave. I get a second, and then a third turn on the dissolved shoulder.
From the north, Shan paddles towards me. I
can’t remember how long it’s been since I surfed with him, and I tell him how
I’ve been forced to be a bookworm for the last month. On the sand, I see Dais
and Cheryl.
I only get a small handful of waves, but
I’m stoked to catch anything. I get another right, and I unload all that
pent-up stress that I’ve had over school and the preparation for my trip to
Indo; the turn feels good.
The four of us surf until about 1000. In
the parking lot, Dais offers me one of his big-wave leashes for when I go to
Indo. I tell him I’ll spot for breakfast, so the four of us head to Mandy’s in
El Segundo and order four $3.99 pancake specials. It was unexpected that I’d be
surfing with my friends this very morning, and it was a nice farewell session.
I hope I never have to be out of the water that long again.
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