NEGLECTED BOARDS, TUE 01JUL2014

Loc: Manhattan Beach

Crew: Bri

Time: 0545-0730

Conditions: Overcast, light onshore, inconsistent, 2-3FT, sectiony.

     Considering yesterday’s racy surf, I opt to ride a different board with more rail, something that will help me get down the line faster, so I bust out the point-break Tokoro that my brother had given me. It has a lower rocker, better for softer waves. This board’s been neglected for some time, as I’ve only ridden it once at HB before switching back to my Mini Driver. My brother told me that this board isn’t made for beach break, but my logic is this. . . If my Motorboat Too is a groveler, and I’m able to surf well with it at Porto (not so much at HB), then the point-break Tokoro should work well here too.

     Driving towards Rosecrans, I see Gary and Dave trot across the street, boards in hand, but Bri and I aren’t joining them today. After a crowded and frustrating session yesterday, I decide to mix things up and surf at a mellower spot.

     Upon reaching it, we see that the surf is a bit dismal. First off, there’s July gloom. It’s light onshore, and the low tide doesn’t seem favorable for this spot like how it is at Rosecrans. Yet, there are waves, but they’re just not lining up well.

     There’s this younger Asian dude with short hair, shaved kind of like a Mohawk in the back. Sitting in my spot, I watch him get decent lefts. His waves look good, yet everything I catch closes out.

     Bri catches everything, milking the walled waves by pumping down their open faces.

     My Tokoro does feel good underneath me. I can get into waves without much difficulty, and the extra length (it’s a 6’0) makes it paddle well. After an hour, the surf gets much better with the tide push. Occasionally, the waves start breaking like yesterday but a little cleaner and smaller. I get an open-faced left, and I set myself up for a finishing carve, but the board doesn’t turn as loose as my MB Too; it feels sluggish and less snappy. Even though the surf is small, the waves are standing up just enough for this low-rocker board to not feel as torquey on the turns as I had hoped. I need more rocker. It might be best to sample this board at Trestles where the waves are softer, either that or a softer high-tide day local.

     Despite my struggles, I see the main peak just south of me. It’s crowded. A guy takes off on a left, and it starts reeling, throwing out. The guy gets a head dip, and the lip throws out over him for some legit cover up.

     I think I’ve been spoiled, scoring really good sessions back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-damn-is-there-anything-else-you-do-but-surf? And even though I really wanted to avoid the crowd and aggression that comes with surfing closer to Porto, I just know that the shape there must’ve been better. Thinking about Gary and Dave crossing that street in the morning darkness, I have to make sure that I’m crossing it with them next time.

     It was nice to mix things up. I still get a solid two hours of surfing in, and I’m home nice and early to start the day. You can’t score every session, and I’m glad that I had sampled my other board today. For the first time, I can really feel what different boards are doing and appreciate the different range of dimensions. 

Taking a peek at Rosecrans. Doesn't look like we missed much, but "looks" can be deceiving.