Loc: 26th
Time:
0645-0930
Crew:
Klaude, Mel
Conditions:
2-3 FT+, overcast, consistent, fast
From the top of the hill I already see some
lines coming in . . . accompanied with a bunch of heads. I scan for Klaude in
the lineup, but he’s not here yet. The lifeguard tower and the brickhouse are
working, but they’re packed, so I paddle just north of the brickhouse where a
grom and some other guys are. I sit behind them on the inside, and I catch a
couple fast closeouts. The grom is a kid that’s local, and I’m not sure if he’s
on the surf team or not. He has short, black hair and looks mixed with white
and Asian. He turns to his friend and says, “When I first came out here I was the
only one here, now look how crowded it is.”
I can’t help but think how ridiculous his
statement is. Where else am I supposed to surf? In the thick of the high school
kids where it’s three times as packed?
I see Klaude paddle out to the lineup, so I
paddle up to him for a man hug. Mel’s with him too. Even though the groms are
clearing out, there’s still a little crowd, and it’s hard to score a wave
that’s unridden.
Long lines are coming in, and they’re
breaking fast. To milk the ride, you have to be right on the shoulder and ready
to pump. With the mid tide, the waves aren’t mooshy at all. Combined with the
overcast, they stand up really fast, revealing thousands of textured triangles
on the water’s surface.
I’m lucky enough to get a left that no one’s
on, as I’m pumping to the open face, a couple of people back out of the wave. I
almost fall but regain composure and get one hit off of the lip before it
closes. Paddling back to the lineup, Klaude gives me a thumbs up.
Most of the crowd leaves when Klaude and
Mel do, and even though the wind is beginning to switch, the surf is still
good. Most of the waves are fast, which has me pumping for one single shot at
the end. I find myself a little more behind the sections on my backhand, so I
end up pulling in on a lot of closeouts.
I hope that all this pulling in is helping
me with my barrel technique. I want to be ready for the winter, and even though
I’m not getting legit barreled, the feeling of grabbing railing and stalling in
the tube is becoming more familiar. Sliding down the wave, conformed to the
face, with one hand in the wall of water is a wonderful feeling, and I hope the
winter will throw me some waves with room to make it out of.
A little after 0900 is when the wind starts
blowing sideshore from the south and the tide starts slowing things down. Most
of the waves are walled now, and the water’s choppy. I catch my last wave in,
and I’m completely exhausted. The sky is still overcast when I leave. It’s time
to go home and do some homework. I’m glad I paddled out, and I hope that all
this surfing I’ve been doing won’t interfere with school.
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