Tue., Oct. 15th, 2019: Surprise, Surprise at Shampoo Central

Loc: El Porto, 34^th to Rosecrans

Time: 0800-1000

Conditions: offshore, consistent, 3 Ft.

Board: Catch Surf Skipper

            Just call it a hunch, but if the forecast is calling for a slight bump in WNW windswell with a few south swell reinforcements, I bet on a fun local session this morning.

            Everything was prepacked the night before, and even though I had planned on waking up at first light, it just didn’t happen. I woke up with the wife at about 0700, made her coffee, drank some water, gave her a kiss, and headed towards Porto.

            Already at 0730 my secret parking spots were gone. Also, Tuesday is street cleaning on Highland Ave., so street parking was super scarce. I cruised past 26^th St. and got a glimpse of a set coming through. It looked like it was dumpy around three-to-four feet; it looked…fun. There was a pulse. There was a pulse of surf, and…I…was…not…ON IT!

            The search for parking became desperate. I found two spots on the hill, but some constructions workers literally beat me to them seconds before I arrived. I was pissed. I even honked my horn and threw my arms up in their direction.

            After trying to calm myself down, I focused on more parking. I kept missing and missing and missing, and then…FUCK YES. PARKING!!!

            I tried to calm down, to tell myself to take my time. The hardest part of the morning was over. I needed to breathe, relax, put on my sunscreen at a normal pace, and just change into my wetsuit without being over eager. I was like a Soldier fresh from deployment who hadn’t been with a woman in a year who was about to get the pussy.

            The wait was excruciating, but I finally grabbed the skipper and locked my car. Could you imagine if I lived in Hawaii? No wetsuits. It would be so much faster and easier.

            Now I needed to make a clutch decision. I was right by Tower 34. Should I walk towards 30^th St. Tower to see some of the locals I haven’t seen in a while or walk closer to Rosecrans where some of my other friends like to surf?

            Waves were coming in everywhere, but they looked a little fast, sectiony, and dumpy, especially right out front. One surfer was already there, and he hadn’t sold any of his rides. For whatever reason, I decided to just paddle out right there. At this point of my surfing life, I can’t adjust my life and schedule to everyone else. Of course, for planned occasions, yes, but just on the everyday sesh? No.

            I chose the Skipper because I had a feeling that today’s waves would be more for pulling in, and I wasn’t wrong. The waves were fast and just a little hollow because high tide hadn’t kicked in yet. It was barrel practice day.

            I just kept pulling in, channeling my inner Mason Ho. Over and over again I was getting glimpses of the tube. On one solid pinch I even had both hands out in front of me like I was presenting an invisible bowl. I traveled as far as I could before getting crunched and munched. I’ve progressed and picked up new habits that actually make closeouts fun. Back in the day, this would’ve been a disappointment.

            And then, because the Surf Gods let it be so, the shape got just a little bit better. All of a sudden, the shoulders became more defined. Man, I swear, it was the most fun I’ve had locally in a while. This one wave I just pulled in, two-hand stalled, waited, waited, and waited, and then the lip started curling over me. I doggy doored it and punched through, but I was trying to maintain my balance in the white wash. Next thing, I was tripping in ankle deep water. No, it was not a legit in and out, but gawd damn did it feel great, invigorating. Nothing wasted today. Everything worth it. From that moment on, the session had already been paid for.

            Then this older chick paddled out. We talked for a little bit, and then in the middle of conversation another sweet gem came though. The old me would have pumped down the line and cut it back, but not the new and improved me, Matthew the Aging Surfer, not at all. Nope. It was so natural to, once again, two-hand stall, slow it down, see the shoulder curl and start chandeliering over my head. I wasn’t deep but it was legit shampoo action. Same thing, I tried to doggy door it. I was leaning back hard on my tail to hold my balance as I punched through. Ahhh, I almost held it, but I fell on the inside again. Still, IT FELT SO GOOD! I never, ever, ever thought I’d ever come close to getting barreled, and a day like this, to come so close and at least get some coverup, a day like this is HUGE for my progression and to  just enhance my love for this beautiful art. It’s like I’m opening an untapped dimension in my surfing.

            I ended up drifting towards Rosecrans, where I got my biggest closeout bomb of the day. A guy who had seen me on it said, “Well that was kind of scary. It was like a perfect shot when you were under there.”

            “Yeah,” I said, “but I didn’t make it out. It was still fun to pull in, though.”

            Little by little, a few more people paddled out, but it wasn’t crowded at all. There was still enough room for everyone, and after two hours, when I left, the wind was still good. The waves were still breaking, and I ended up leaving a bunch of rides on the table.

Mon., Oct. 14th, 2019: Be Your Own Surf Report

Loc: El Porto, 45^th St.

Time: 0800-0900

Conditions: glassy, 2 Ft.

Board: Zippifish

            Don’t always put full stock into Surfline. In fact, I had my eye on both Surfline and Magic Seaweed, and all I could tell is that one of them was lying to me. In any event, Surfline definitely forecasted the surf to be so lackluster that only a fool would even bother doing a surf check. Well, lucky for me, I am a fool.

            I scored free parking where I normally do and trudged my way down to 45^th. I wasn’t expecting much, I hadn’t really seen a wave break before I parked, but I did notice a few heads out. Once I made it down to the lot and saw the other surfers out there, I truly felt like I understood. Yes, I never thought I’d be the surfer who sees ankle slappers and says, “Fuck yes, this is me, this is who I am! I am stoked!” And now, to see how many other surfers still opted to paddle out despite the forecast, I truly realize that I am one of them. I am that guy who just wants to paddle out every day. I see my future self, old and weathered, still doing this routine for as long as I can.

            So I paddled out at 45^th. Nothing to really see here. I didn’t expect much, so I was fine just waiting for some ankle slappers, and then it happened. It was bigger than ankle slappers. We’re talking thigh and hip slappers! But the waves were breaking a little long and fast. I would’ve been better off with the Skipper, but I thought it’d be weaker.

            Even then, the surf still got a little better. With the tide going higher, there were these occasional set waves that broke further out at about waist high. I still pulled in, never making it out, but it was a lot funner than expected; better than both Goldenwest and the local afternoon sesh on Saturday.

            I don’t have any memorable rides, but I just remember feeling good, like I had scored. Despite the forecast, I chanced it and had to see and experience it for myself, and it was well worth it.

Sun., Oct. 13th, 2019: A Huntington Gamble

Loc: Goldenwest

Time: 0645-0745

Conditions: glassy, swampy, 2 Ft., inconsistent

Board: Zippifish

            I listened to the Surf Gawds at Surfline and believed them when they said two-to-three feet plus down south. I knew that the tide would be working against us, so we made the O.G. call to dawn patrol it.

            Getting up that early for a change was kind of nice. Normally, I’m up at 0700, but not that day. Nope. We were on the freeway, driving before the sun was up. Even when we parked, there was barely light breaking the dark sky.

            I hoped for something, anything to surf. HB usually stands up more than waves in the South Bay, and we wouldn’t need much, especially with our big, chunky boards. Even if we only got an hour of decent surf, it would be worth it.

            Se we hit the street parking, slapped on our slippers (lots of glass in these parts), and we walked our asses down to the beach. At first glance, it didn’t seem swampy yet, just…small…slow. And then, lo and behold, a set popped up. It looked almost three feet, and suddenly there were lines. The ocean was alive. I felt great, like there was potential.

            Our first couple of waves were actually decent. For a small HB day it was kind of classic: fast shoulders, fast drop, racy section, tagging the lip before closing out. And then…after a few waves, the tide came up just enough to make everything inconsistent. The few other surfers in the water, too, were just sitting like turds in a toilet; we all were. Fock. Then when the sets did come, the rides got way shorter. Like, fast drop, one pump, bog out into swamp city. Soon the center of HB Cliffs completely shut down. We had to paddle more south to sit on legit Goldenwest, and even then it was too late. 45 minutes into the session and there really wasn’t anything to catch.

            That’s just the way it goes sometimes. We try to make the best call to catch some semblance of a wave. It doesn’t always work out.

Sat., Oct. 12th, 2019: Just to Get Wet

Loc: Rosecrans Ave., Manhattan Beach
Time: 1330-1415

Conditions: onshore, crumbly, low tide, blown out, 1 ft.

Board: Catch Surf Skipper

            I thought that the red flag conditions would go on for a third day straight, providing awesome offshore conditions for at least another day, so it made sense to wait for the tide to drop off in hopes to help the tiny surf. Afterall, we’d have all day to pick and choose the best window, despite the lack of swell. Well…I was wrong.

            Bri already had the day dedicated to her school project. Meanwhile, I was trying to make the best out of a crap surf forecast. I had it figured out. Just wait for the tide, Bri would eventually need a break, and we’d paddle out into some nice, offshore one-to-two footers.

            Unfortunately, by the time we chose our window, the wind was already strong onshore. When we pulled into the El Porto parking lot, it was still packed, but we were witness to crappy onshore conditions. No shape whatsoever. Just these crumbly lines breaking close to shore. Other than that, it looked like an awesome beach day.

            I’ve been consistent lately, changing my mantra from “would rather hit the gym if it’s small” to “every day is worth paddling out.” So, regardless, Bri and I had been stuck in the house all day anyway, so why not at least get wet?

            No wetsuit required. She grabbed her big blue pill AKA Blues Clues and I my Skipper. After being stuck in line for parking, once the lead vehicle parked, we were all finally set free to park at the end, which had been wide open the whole time. Go figure.

            We paddled out right in front. The water was cold, and the wind wasn’t helping, but it was nice just to throw on some shorts. It was a hassle-free session. I was paddling into little waves in thigh deep water. I managed to get a lot of them, trying to see if I could get down the line, but there was literally no shape to do that on. I think best wave I got was just a couple pumps past some closeout sections, but even that was a far cry. However, we still had fun. It was, indeed, good to get wet.

When you think about it, we are lucky. I mean, how many people get the opportunity to be close enough to the beach just to dunk their heads in? Sure, some people live within walking distance, but we don’t even need to be that close. We’re grateful. That’s all I can say, and I continue to be every single day I get to paddle out.

A little kid paddled out next to us in a full suit on an NSP. It was funny because we had the whole place to ourselves, and he paddled out next to us because we must’ve been making it look a little fun just goofing off, and, also, we looked…safe.

Bri and the kid struck a small conversation. I stayed off to the side and just did my thing. Bri told me the kid said something about the surf being too small. He reminded me of my nephew Jaya, probably like nine years old or somewhere around there. Cute kid.

And then Bri and I left. It was good. We both got the break we needed, and even after grabbing some groceries and going straight home again, just to touch nature at least once that day made us feel like we had been somewhere and did something.