LOWERS OF THE SOUTH BAY, THU 05FEB2015

Enter the Fog

 

Loc: El Porto, 42^nd Street

Time: 0700-0900        

Conditions: 3 FT+, foggy, mooshy, racy

Board: Lost Mini Driver

     Long story short, I can’t see shit. I’m at Porto because there’s a high school contest at 26^th Street. I can only wonder how they’re running a contest with zero visibility.

     The Porto lot is only a quarter full, surprise, surprise. Makes sense because the fog is so dense that I can barely see the shore. Walking up to the water line, a few other surfers approach and begin their warmups.

     The inside is swampy with small mooshburgers. When I make it to what seems like the lineup, I turn around and have no idea where I am. If there’s a current, I’m gonna be pulled down the beach somewhere.

     The waves are of shit quality, fat and racy. I do catch a left right away, pump to make it past a couple of sections, and get a weak frontside turn.

     Little by little, the lineup gets more crowded. Guys are in the water, asking each other if they know where they are.

     Now every wave is either too racy or a fucking wall. Once the fog burns off a little, I see that the fucking place is PACKED for as far as the fog will let me see. I mean, black wetsuits littering the lineup as far as Rosecrans. I now see that I’ve drifted towards 42^nd.

 

Not Lowers. Po-Wers:

     Meanwhile, 45^th is working like a fucking machine. It’s pretty impressive. Just south of it at 42^nd, it’s just walls, but 45^th is A-framing. Even with the high tide, it’s producing soft rippable peaks.

     Too crowded for me of course, so I suffer. Stubbornly, I stick to 42^nd, waiting for the “good one” to come. When they do, I’m out positioned each time. Just too many people. Twice, I have to back out on decent lefts.

     Quota unmet, I walk out of the water in frustration, pausing on the sand to watch guys rip 45^th. I mean, they are killing it. Cutback after cutback all the way to shore. I’m jealous, wishing I could’ve caught some waves like those. 45^th is breaking better than any other spot at Porto, and it’s the most packed. Reminds me of another spot I know about.