BETTER THAN IT LOOKS, THU 04JUN2015

 

Loc: San Onofre/San Clemente, Church Beach

Time: 0700-0900

Conditions: 3-4 FT+, overcast, light onshore, choppy, uncrowded.

     Having to work this weekend, I’m feening for some good surf. One or two-turn beachbreak closeouts won’t be enough. I had been monitoring the forecast for over a week, and today there’s supposed to be some decent swell activity down south. In particular, Trestles is supposed to be 3-4 FT Occasional 5.

     Dawn patrolling’s so hard this close to the summer solstice, so I leave the house at about 0545, thinking that I’m still nice and early. However, the 405 and 22 JCT is bumper to bumper. Now I’m really cursing myself for not leaving earlier.

     It’s been overcast lately, and today is the worst that it’s been with the addition of rain. I hit a few pockets in Orange County where I need my wipers. This day’s already not looking good, but upon hitting San Clemente the rain stops. Suddenly, the idea of catching clean and peaky Mons Pubis seems possible. I just have a good feeling that this will be a good trip. Exiting Basilone Road, I see that Lowers is choppy.

     Bad. It looks really bad. Only about five guys are out. There’s still a sting of sprinkle in the air. The flags are blowing onshore. “Better than it looks?” I ask a guy coming in.

     “Eh. It’s a little bumpy because of the wind,” he says. It is onshore. There is texture. The tide is low. It’s not ideal at all, but . . . for an onshore day, Churches is somewhat doing what you would want it to do in these conditions. As onshore as it is, there is some shape. Already, I know it’s gonna be better than the last time I was here.

     I take my time changing. The wind’s not going anywhere, and I got all day anyway.

     “I wouldn’t do it,” says the guy as he’s pulling out past me.

     As gloomy as the skies are, the water’s warm. I’m scorching in my 4/3. Bad move. I start off at the bottom of the wave and catching a running closeout. No turns. Slowly, I end up working my way towards the top of the wave. A few more guys have paddled out, mostly longboarders.

     I start off with some long sectiony rights. The faces stay open long enough for single cracks. Next thing you know, going into 0900, the wind really lightens up. It’s not perfectly glassy, but the water’s surface goes from chopped to light ripples. It’s smooth enough that it’s hard to see the waves coming with the gray sky reflecting on them.

     Some of the waves lineup better, offering two hits. I’m the only shortboarder who’s doing well in this thin crowd.

     I chat it up with a couple guys. “Better than it looks from the shore,” “It’s warm,” “Should have worn my 3/2,” “I almost ran over and killed my friend.” Everyone’s mellow.

     With the cleaner conditions, the ocean goes into longer lulls, but when the waves come, there’s size. With the tide push, the waves are getting bigger. Nothing of consequence, just a duckdive workout. I even count eight duckdives on a long set.

     The onshore wind picks up again, making the waves a little faster. I get a few triple hitters as well. Wave of the day is on a rare left, where I pull of a little tail slide coming off of the carve.

     By 1030 I’m friggin’ done. My triceps are on fire. I’ve never appreciate all the other smaller muscles that support my paddling.

     I paddle back towards the bottom of the wave and actually get one backhand hack to end it. On the cobblestone shore, I turn around and look at the ocean, seeing how it looks like complete crap, but it’s a mirage. The shape actually held up. My best Trestles trip in a long time.

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Loc: San Onofre/San Clemente, Church Beach

Time: 1545-1715

Conditions: 3-4 FT+, sunny, onshore, choppy, uncrowded.

     I grabbed a burger combo meal from Sonics and a medium strawberry cheesecake shake. I thought their mediums were small, but I was wrong. After killing some time in the library and doing a conference call for work, I headed back to Churches. Surprisingly, the marine layer burned off, and the blue sky made everything ideal for a summer surf day, but the wind was much stronger.

 

     “Better than it looks?” I say to a longboarder coming out of the water.

     “Nope,” he says, shaking his head. “Had to wait a long time for like . . . two waves? Even those weren’t that great.”

     It looks inconsistent, but there are some waves coming in. I can only hope that the wind will switch. I got a sushi date for Game 1 of the NBA Finals at 1800, so I must work up an appetite.

     Just like this morning, I start off at the bottom of the wave. Optimistic, I’m thinking that I could milk this session somehow, but nothing comes but a long lull.

     Surprisingly, when the first real set breaks, it breaks pretty far out. Everyone’s caught off guard. The surf had looked small, but it’s like five feet on the sets.

     Waves start breaking in between the sets towards the inside, lefts. The funny thing is that no one really wants or sees them. My first one isn’t rippable. It’s just a chaser, where I just pump to make the section and pull off a couple of floaters, but just getting that distance feels good. Some of the lefts just stay open long enough for one solid carve.

     I do manage a few rights, but nothing of particular significance. It’s a short session since I have to make my way to Mission Viejo. Leaving Churches, I feel I got what I came for. Not as ideal as clean peaks at Mons Pubis or teepees at Middles, but there were waves. Even with the onshore wind, Churches delivered. No cuts either.

     At Zenko Sushi, Sebastian, Tim, and I eat and watch the whole game. Like three hours straight, eating sushi. Trip complete.