This morning I got up there at 6:45, as I was still recovering from the Lowers sesh a couple of days earlier and there was a S wind up. I checked Buc Beach (closed out) Oceanside Blvd (closed out), Wisconsin (flat while I was checking it aka inconsistent) Pier (North side was working, but the current there is crazy) and Harbor (inconsistent, but south of the jetties was working ok though a bit shifty). I couldn't make up my mind as to where to surf and decided to fight the current on N. Pier and maybe get shifted down to the jetty and surf my way north.
On my way down the stairs, I for no particular reason decided to walk south towards Wisconsin. I didn't see anything promising, but I kept walking. I was getting more and more bummed as I didn't have a destination and thus no pep in my step.
A set proceeded to break just south of Wisconsin street with one guy on the peak. I paddled out and asked him if it's any good. He said he's been out for thirty minutes and caught three waves that lined up (later in the session I realized he has a HIGH standard for what lining up means as he didn't paddle for many waves).
My first wave was old-school side-to-side Eddie though I did try to stall for the barrel a bit. I was going too fast and kicked out next to the guy. Another wave came quickly and I snagged it. It was steep, but the wave had that weird cross-up where the rip splits it in two with the oncoming wave being behind a smaller wave, which makes you lose speed. I managed to do a couple of pumps when I got to the back wave but I grossly overestimated the power of the wash as I hit it and wound up bouncing myself into the trough.
Another left came and I was on it, it sectioned off a bit, I made it around the section and did a snap-stall. The wave covered me up but I closed my eyes (I thought I'd gotten over that mistake). I got clipped and slammed hard.
A left came through and I pumped and did my wanna-be-goofy-Kelly-Slater gouge. Recovered, kicked out.
Another wave came and I had a similar thing happen, though it did shut down on me. I ate it and the wave picked me up and suplexed me over the falls. BOOM!
A smaller wave came and as I was paddling for it I almost didn't go as I wanted more big 'uns. The wave seemed to be less racy, so I dropped straight down and did my first reo at considerable speed! SUCCESS! I snapped up at the top of the wave hard and got thrown down with only a slight bobble by the lip, continued down the line, kicked out and let out a hoot!
A good-sized wave came and I was in a prime spot to backdoor the peak for a barrel section. I kept eye contact with the section in front of me as I popped up, felt my nose catch, made a quick decision that I should still keep all my weight on my inside front foot to hold the line for the barrel (based on experience, as I'd done this before). Whoops! I pearled and skipped down the wave on my back yelling, "NOOOO!" as I see the wave barrel over me. I grab a quick breath in the pocket, get picked up by the wave and SLAMMED.
The waves then turned. A clean-up set came and I saw a big one coming and I was thinking, "Would I go on that thing if it was lined up right?" then "Yeah, if I can get to the right spot". I whirled around after having scratched furiously, was a bit late and as I popped up, there was about an eight foot drop from the nose of my board to the bottom (or as they say in Hawaii, a 1-foot wave). I made the drop, did a couple of pumps and hooted as I climbed the wave and did an abortion of a sailor dive over the shoulder. This is the biggest wave I've caught in two years, easily, made even more exciting by my not expecting to be the waves this big.
I caught another couple of waves but they were nothing as special as the one above. The rip was giving the waves a bit of texture and making it hard to maneuver. I had an appointment at ten, so I bailed and made the long walk to my car on Mission Street.
You know you've gotten throttled when you have sand in every ear orifice and crevasse. I haven't checked my other orifices and crevasses but will be sure to report back when I do!
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