Crew: Bri
Time:
1100-1300
Conditions:
4 FT+, walled.
Rick had called me this morning at first
light, telling me that Porto was big and walled. I thanked him for the info and
went back to sleep. I don’t mind challenging conditions in the surf, but I’ve
surfed the South Bay long enough to know how those “walled sessions” go:
sitting out at the lineup, dodging walls, finally getting frustrated and
paddling into one just to go straight, and then getting worked on the inside.
Over it.
Since I have to pick up my brother from his
son’s house in HB, I make the call to check Bolsa instead. Now Bolsa is ripe
with surf signs. Even on the freeway there were dozens of cars with surfboards
strapped on their roofs. Imagine what it’s like to live somewhere without surf
where such a sight is rare, while we SoCal’ers take it for granted.
The parking lots along Bolsa Chica State
Beach are packed, and surfers can be seen from PCH going to and from. My
favorite parking spot is taken and just about every other one for that matter.
It’s the most crowded that I’ve seen Bolsa this year.
Bri and I walk out to the sand for a look,
and . . . the surf is just a hair better than Porto. To think that I expected
the sandbars here to be much better, but there is so much west in the swell
that it’s still walled here. However, there are some shoulders.
A pack of surfers sit in front of the main
life guard station. A clean right breaks and peels. The break in front of us,
my break, is more on the walled side.
“It’s a little smaller and softer here,” I
say to Bri.
We change and paddle out at 1100, and the
sun is so high that it’s evident that we’re on the late train for surf. With
the tide dropping, I’m not sure if the surf will improve or not.
We time our paddle out well and avoid
getting worked, but once the sets start rolling in, I realize that it’s not
much smaller than Porto nor less walled.
The sets lift us up and bring us down. Out back
more are coming. I’m still within my comfort zone. Another foot would be
another story. If anything, I’m concerned for Bri. I would hate to have a huge
longboard strapped to my ankle in these conditions.
Despite the walls, we both fair well on the
surf. Bri gets a right that holds shape. She gets another one, and a guy hoots
her into it. Although, she draws a low line on a fast section, which causes her
to fall behind and lose the wave, but I applaud her for trying.
Later, she has a critical drop in on a set
wave. It’s a late take off. She pops up, but it closes out. Once her popups get
faster, she’ll be able to take off on more bombs.
Surprisingly, I get a long, sectiony left
that I do two floaters on. I also get a single-shot right on my backhand. More
than I expected on a walled day.
After Bri goes in, I’m in the water with
five guys. A lull sets in, and a guy in a speedboat goes cruising by with the
stereo blasting, and all we can hear is: “Your love is like a wre-e-ecking ba-all!”
We all look at each other and smirk. Fuckin’ Miley Cyrus has to be part of my
last surf sesh for 2013.
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