PRIORITIES, MON 04NOV2013

Loc: 26^th Street

Time: 0630-0800

Crew: Solo

Conditions: 3-4 FT+, overcast, glassy, walled, crowded

     I’m trying to find some balance between surfing and school. It’s just that time in the semester when assignments are more demanding, and on top of that some west-north-west swell begins to show. If I surf too long I’ll be too tired to get my assignments done later. After a two hour session, I will definitely need a power nap.

     So right now I’m looking out from the park above the surf. There’s definitely some size. It’s still early. The high school kids haven’t taken over the lineup yet. The smaller inside waves provide some shape, but the set waves are walled. I watch a guy pull in on a right. The section is too fast, and it closes out over him.

     So, despite “rationing,” and trying to cut down some of my surf time, I have to make the call on whether or not I’ll paddle out. I almost feel like I can just leave, call it a walled morning. Besides, I have a lot of other things to do today.

     However, it’s not that easy. Winter is coming, and despite the shape, paddling out while there’s some decent size out there will help prepare me for the bigger surf later this month, so I change, put on the quad fins, and run down the hill.

     Now that I’m in the water, it’s not as big as it looked from up top. The tide will be going high, but it’s about mid level right now. I don’t see many of the local 26^th Street vets. The high schoolers are now ruling where the waves are breaking best. I sit in front of the brick house, hoping for something to swing my way.

     I get a right, a decent, peaky, four-foot right. I haven’t dialed in my backhand with the quad setup. I feel eyes all over me as I drop in. I almost purl, but I pull off a deep bottom turn. Jordan is on the shoulder duckdiving and another guy is trying to pull out from snaking me. I wind up for a backhand snap, but I lose it, stalling on the top of the lip, letting the wave peel away from me. Fuck.

     My next wave is a left. One of the local guys has position, but he calls me into it because he’s too deep. It’s my wave of the day. I get a little carve on top, but the wave mooshes out on the inside.

     To my north by 33^rd, I see a guy get a little cover up. Even though the wave closes out, he’s far enough on the shoulder to penetrate out the cascade of water.

     I get another right, but my feet come unstuck from my board as I hit the lip. Bigger sets start coming in, but they’re all walled. The incoming tide isn’t helping the shape. A lull hits. Everyone is waiting for something. As the kids start to leave, more adults show up.

     I take a desperation right, pulling in and grabbing rail. I know it’s a closeout, and I’m not really driving in the barrel, but it feels good to at least get my technique down.

     By 0800, I tell myself that I have to go. Plenty of things to do today. A week ago I would have sat until about 1000. I catch a wave in.

     When I check Surfline afterwards, I’m surprised that they had given the local report a poor-to-fair rating. Sure, it was walled, but eh . . . there were some occasional peaks here and there. The water was glassy, there was size. I would’ve at least given it a fair rating.

     Now I have the rest of the day to do homework. I have a feeling that Palos Verdes will be working this evening with the swell size and low tide. Unfortunately, this swell is coming in too walled for the beach breaks. I’d like to go to PV, but I got priorities.