SMALL AND GOOD, WED 17JUN2015

Today's stats via Vivofit2.

 

Loc: Manhattan Beach

Homies: Bri, Collin, Toru

Time: 0650-0830

Conditions: 2-3 FT, overcast, glassy, uncrowded

Board: Zippifish

     So I go to the same surf spot, hoping for similar conditions to yesterday. Upon showing up, I see that the tide’s still too low. People can almost walk out to the lineup, while peaks that look pretty good are just racing away over shallow water. It’s fast, but I’m glad to see that there’s still activity.

     I paddle up to Bri, who paddled out earlier because she works today. “It was worse earlier,” she says.

     In the distance, Roy’s walking out to the lineup. Collin paddles out right by us. Other than them, it’s a whole new crew today. I think the local vets may be waiting for more tide.

     I do my best on the racy low tide. I go right, and some guy drops in on me. The wave’s closing out, but it’s still bad etiquette. I yell, “Hey!” before nearly colliding. The near miss causes me to purl. I resurface.

     “Sorry, dude!” says the guy, but I just glare at him. This is where I must own up to the asshole within. I don’t give him a courteous nod, wave, or “It’s cool.” Nope. I don’t know you, and you dropped in on me, so fuck you. Again, very assholish, but I’m human, and if you’ve been surfing long enough, I’m sure you’ve felt this way many times. Not here. Not at my spot.

     Bri leaves. One the sand, she looks back towards me. I wave. She doesn’t wave back. Oh well.

     Meanwhile, Collin and I are chumming it up. “You need a fish in your quiver,” I say. He’s on his shortboard, and even though the waves are standing up similar to yesterday, it’s borderline for low volume. As far as a high wave count goes, the more board the better this morning.

     It’s not as consistent as yesterday, but it’s not necessarily smaller. The big ones just aren’t coming in consistently.    

     There are plenty of two footers, and I’m getting these with ease. Though, they’re not good for turns, just trimming and finishing floaters, but getting so many of these makes up for that lack of performance. Like instead of the whole Snickers, I’m given a handful of the individually wrapped fun-sized ones.

     When the set waves come, they are good. With the tide push, the peaks don’t race away as fast. A perfect three-foot peak rolls in. I paddle out to meet it, only one in position for it since it’s uncrowded. Popping up, I see the shoulder’s actually holding, and I get two solid backhand snaps. Two-hitter quitter. I’ll take it.

     Collin leaves. I notice it’s harder to get frontside turns on small and fast beach break waves on the Zippifish. Something about backhand that allows you to setup better.

     Toru paddles out as the wind starts to turn, so now we got this chop to deal with. Along with Toru, come the other second shifters. A lot of singlefinners, local longboarder with the dickbroom mustache paddles out, too. I don’t see Roy anymore, and that’s it for the regulars.

     Leaving the water, I turn around for a last glimpse. The onshore’s killing the conditions. The smaller waves, which looked fun when they were clean and unblemished, now look crumbly and weak. Toru’s waving goodbye. I wave back.

Looks like it was a pretty active morning with plenty of short rides. I must have got a decent one about 45 minutes into the sesh.