Monday, March 2, 2015

WINDOW HUNTING, SUN 01MAR2015

Loc: Manhattan Beach, 26th Street                     
Time: 1100-1230   
Crew: Bri    
Conditions: 1-2 FT, offshore, inconsistent, swampy. 
Board: Zippifish

     Yesterday, Klaude called me after dawn patrolling 26th Street. “Don’t even bother,” he said. He had just finished skating from 26th to Porto. “One peak was kind of working, but too many guys on it. Roy was out at 26th, but he wasn’t catching shit.” I look at surfcam. Yeah. Looks choppy and unorganized.

     This morning, Bri and I are sleeping in. Sundays are her only full days off, so I make sure not to rush her if I can avoid it. Tide’s high anyway. Klaude calls again. Same story, but this time he’s parked outside.

     We invite him in for coffee and a veggie smoothie. Poor guy. Tax season has him so busy, and this whole weekend has been a letdown for surf. Skunked twice in a row.

     When he leaves, Bri and I take our time getting ready. Maybe now that it’s later the tide will be lower. Maybe now’s the right window to surf.

     We score parking at one of my reliable free-parking sites. Looking down the hill, I see lines coming in, but they just keep on rolling until they turn into shorepound. The whole time, I don’t see one wave peel in front of 27th.

     Zippi in hand, I’m hoping for the best. When we reach the sand, we see more surfers by Marine that we weren’t able to see from the hill. A set rolls through, giving some soft lefts. It’s a little promising.

     When we paddle out, I say hi to Roy. He says that yesterday was bigger and more fun. I nod and smile back at a few familiar faces, but each face has that oh-well look to it, the surf-sucks-but-I’m-here look. And my, there’s a pack sitting on that left. As much as I don’t want to sit on them, I kind of have to.

     Bri paddles further south and sits at the edge of the crowd. The Becker’s not enough board this morning. She scratches and can’t get shit. The waves are pure boggers. I tell her that we should paddle back north, and then an outside set rolls in. It’s only three feet, but it catches everyone off guard, and now the whole lineup is duckdiving it. Just like that, the sun comes out, giving the whole beach a makeover. It looks like a day that should have good waves.

     Don K. paddles out, but he’s with the other local vets sitting more towards the inside. The waves do get a little more consistent and start standing up more, but the lower tide makes them racy. The wind shifts, and the now the surf is slightly choppy and closed out.

     Bri and I leave. I know that I’m unsatisfied, but we’re glad to have spent the Sunday this way. However, man . . . I really haven’t had a good session in a while. This aggression cannot stand. There’s a south forecasted on Wednesday. Maybe then I can redeem myself for last week’s bad call not to go. I hope I score.

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