A GLIMPSE, WED 16APR2014

Loc: Manhattan Beach

Time: 0645-1030

Conditions: 2-3FT, offshore, consistent, overcast, crowded.

     From the top of the hill, the surf looks the best that I’ve seen in a while. Not epic, but decent. There are scattered peaks. Lines are coming in around three feet, a little lined but there are shoulders.

     I grab my Tokoro shortboard, expecting it to be the perfect board for some punchy surf. 

     Groms . . . everywhere. Every peak that looks good, they’re on it. Owning it. Sealing it off. You’d think I’d be mad, but I’m not. I’d rather be surrounded by stoked groms than the nonetiquette and aggro muldoons at Porto.

     But as soon as I paddle out, the tide’s already affecting the surf. The waves aren’t as punchy as they had seemed like when I parked, so now I have to trek back up the hill to grab my small-wave board.

#

     I feel much more comfortable with this short thick board under me. The volume makes a huge difference. Paddling into a small right, the single to double concave gives me lift as I get into the wave. Huge difference. Flat rocker. I’m flying down the line and crack out a solid backhand snap. Not bad for a small wave.

     Paddling back out, a redhead kid looks past me and says, “Sick wave!”

     I turn around. No one’s there. “Me?” I say.

     “Yeah,” he says. “That was sick.”

     Suddenly, my demeanor towards kids improves so much more. Not that it was bad before, but now I’m like, yeah, sit in my spot any time!

     My next wave is my first left. Upon popping up, I pump too hard, not only falling backwards but losing the wave entirely by going too high. I blew it.

     Paddling back out, the same kid looks at me with eyes wide. “That was sick!” he says.

#

     I feel sluggish going left, but going backhand on my right, my turns are nice and snappy. I even get my first full wraparound cutback on a small left. It’s ugly, but it’s legit. For the first time, I feel how the minimum tail rocker affects my turns. It’s a little harder, like I can dig my rail if I’m not conscious about working that tail right. I get hung up a little, but it’s just something I have to get used to.

     Shan and Dais paddle out too. I leave at about 1030 once the wind turns onshore. It’s a decent session. I get a fistful of single-turn waves despite the groms and incoming tide. It’s the first glimpse of goof surf that I’ve had in a while.