DAILING, WED 30APR2014

Loc: South Rosecrans

Time: 1030-1200

Conditions: offshore, 2-3 FT, inconsistent, hot

     Porto was crowded, and so was Rosecrans. I scored free parking and walked down to the beach. The surf was small, but a lot of people were out. The main peaks at Porto had heads. Even 40^th St., which usually has an empty gap, was a dotted row of surfers leading to the more crowded breaks.

     The tide was coming up, but the inside looked fun. I had to do it. Upon pulling off my first legit layback snap, I had to try it again.

     I went with my short sleeve full suit, and I regretted it right when my toes touched the water. It was freezing. I saw guys barebacking it. I wondered how long they were out.

     But after a while, I got used to it.

     I sat where the crowd wasn’t, so it was inconsistent. However, some random waves came through, initially a long peak but holding shape on the lefts. On my first wave, it started off mooshy. I had to do a frontside cutback to stay where the power was. The wave stood up and got pumpy. I set myself up towards the inside, approaching the wave with much more analyzing than I ever had before. Climbing the closeout section, I went from being heavy-footed on the bottom turn to light-footed as I extended towards the lip. This way, the board felt much easier to manipulate under me. I pushed the board up and away and laid back into the water, recovering once more. The confidence that gave me, to pull it off a second time. On that hot glorious blue day, everyone had to be at the beach. I laughed out loud to myself on the way back out.

     I tried to do it again. This time, the wave on the inside stood up a little bit more. It was punchier, and with that came a more critical attempt. I blew it. Everything felt good until the wave closed. The inside rail of the board hit my hand, and it hurt ever since. So there’s the downside. In trying to dial this maneuver in, I’m opening myself up to awkward wipeouts.

     The afternoon was so gorgeous that I let the current take me all the way south, towards 34^th, 33^rd, and then finally 26^th. At 26^th, the locals were owning the left breaking in front of the tower. That’s the only place that was working.

     I walked out and back towards Rosecrans, but the swell had died just enough to make the waves too mooshy; I didn’t have enough board.

     But on a two-three foot day, I couldn’t complain. I called Larry again for the second time. More. More.