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Sunday, February 25, 2018

2.25.18 Morning PC Strike at Higher Tide than Yesterday

I'd been rolling around the idea of paddling out since I woke up at 3:30 this morning.  I wasn't feeling great, but could definitely muster up the strength to surf.  I found my Surf Ears and was pleased they wrapped around my neck, allowing me to salvage them from the next depth charge.

I mentioned to my wife I thought it'd be crowded as people at the beachfront party last night were speaking in hushed tones about high tide today being the call.   Surely, they'd tell their surf buddies and there would be a pack.

I grabbed my water jacket, board, and took the walk down to the beach.  My first glance of the ocean revealed a pretty big closeout and I got excited, given what might await me at the section of beach that closes out a little more slowly. 😏

The water was completely devoid of surfers.  I celebrated by stretching really well (for me).  I noticed during last night's go-out that as the session wore on I got slower on my pop-ups and I would drag my legs up.

Just as I finished my routine, another guy rocked up and began his.  I paddled out and perched and waited.  On my first wave I got hung up on the lip and I thought I was going down, given my experience the previous evening.  I pearled slightly but managed to make it.

All in I probably caught six waves.  I initiated one bottom turn on my backhand but aborted when the wave raced on.  I made all of my waves but if you count making unmakeable sections makes, then my success rate drops by an infinite amount.

My teeth were chattering and there wasn't anything worthwhile coming so I went in after about an hour, this time with ear plugs in hand!

Saturday, February 24, 2018

2.24.18 Surprise Surge in Swell

We were invited to a kid's party at a beachfront house.  I saw pictures on FB of just how good it had been a couple of hours before and I decided to walk down to PC to see it for myself. 

I didn't see anything at first.  There was no one out at Colorado proper.  I checked Wyoming and a really nice set broke.  The tide was still dropping as I put on my wetsuit jacket and secured my earplugs.

My first wave was an easy enough drop.  I swooped down and snap-stalled.  I got covered up but was on the outer edge and the lip was dousing me.  I kept resisting until eventually I was pushed face down into the water, like a dog getting its rub nosed in its excrement.

The next wave was too quick for me to get around.

My ear plugs popped out and I caught them.  I paddled with the plug string in my mouth and two duckdives later they were gone...

Then came the lull of all lulls.  I saw some nice ones, not too steep but bigger than I've seen all year, breaking back at Colorado so I paddled against the current up that way. 

Long story short, nothing broke over there and I soon found myself drifting back.

The tide was really low at this point.  I took off on two more waves.  On both, I paddled, popped up and felt the wrath of the wind.  I stomped down to compensate and by the time gravity gradually began winning my nose was pointed too far down.  I was catapulted into the water and in I went.

While at the party I watched the waves and saw a couple of spitters. Both were at the end of a big closing section where a corner opened up but one could sneak in if they were lucky and get barreled and spat out. 

I'm hoping to surf the higher tide tomorrow morning though I'm sure it will be more crowded because of the coconut wireless...

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

2.20.18 Pangas: Possibly the Windiest Sesh in my Surf Career

I went to Rivas and had to abort my mission to get something notarized as I'd neglected to remember to bring my passport.  I dutifully went to the grocery store and came back.  When I dropped off an item our neighbors needed, I was propositioned for a session by the NSR photog.  He said he really needed someone to shoot and there wasn't anyone out.

It was midday, the surf sucked, but I acquiesced.  I lathered on sunscreen and we pedaled down to Colorado, which looked absolutely abysmal.  A bicycling groove of grommets, coming from Panga Drops, gave us the report: "It sucked".

I had still not done a turn on the Tomo since Oceanside.  I forgot how nicely it goes on the flat spots, perfect for a day like today.

My first wave was a pumpathon to oblivion.  My board went really well and did great paddling into the waves despite the 40+mph gusts.


My second wave was a pumpfest, and I got a nice squirt through the tail (heterosexually speaking) and found something to bounce off of.  Unfortunately, I didn't rotate my head and shoulders and I bailed.

My next wave of note was a sick one.  I dropped in late, and as a result, blind.  The breaking wave around me was throwing water that the wind was accelerating into my face.  Once I opened my eyes, I was shocked at the section presented to me.


I went for a hit/floater and was abruptly shoved off the back by the wind.

I sat for what seemed like forever.  I was getting cold and my teeth began to chatter.  I didn't know how many more shots Brian needed and so when a biggish wave came I went.  The section was one I probably couldn't have made if I'd managed to not get hung up on the lip.  It looked like this:


Spoiler alert I got thwomped on to my back and the rest of the wave ate me up!

I know, it looks like I was killing it out there.  It just shows you the power of the still frame in an action setting!

Happy Birthday to my uncle Brad, who is celebrating fifty years of being an adult today, at least chronologically speaking! 😂

Monday, February 19, 2018

2.19.18 F-it PM Session at PC

I'd spent most of the time between today and my last session back in San Diego.  I went up there to take my mortgage loan origination license test.  I thankfully passed and am now here waiting for it to become active so I can pad our income a bit.

During my time in SD, I went to my in-laws' storage unit and got my Tomo Vanguard, my last bosom board.  Up until today, it hadn't seen the water in nearly three-and-a-half years and had been languishing in its windowless cell.  I bought a used travel bag and paid an ass-puckering $200 to get it down here and luckily it did so in one piece.

After nearly three weeks of not surfing, I decided to paddle out no matter how bad it looked.

And bad it looked!  This was most evident by there being nary a head in the water.

I caught six or seven  waves and the only quasi-turn was on my first, I launched off the lip after having zero set-up time and flew into oblivion.

It felt great to be on this board, despite it only being a 5'4" and the volume being around 26.  It paddles well and catches waves well despite the offshore.

Saturday, February 3, 2018

2.1.18 Unexpected PM Session at PC

My aforementioned neighbor came to my door while I was studying for my MLO test and said he was going to go check it.  He came back and said his contact at the beach reported chest-plus-high waves.  I grabbed my board and Chucho (Raquel and the girls were at the beach for a girls-only get-together) and we walked down.

The wind was pretty strong offshore, though not gusting and howling like it has been for the past couple of days.  I put in my go-plugs (ear plugs) and waded out.

I violated one of my surfing tenets on this day, for I fraternized with a sponger.  Brian revealed his true self and while I'm proud of him for the courage that took, I couldn't shake the piercing glares from other stand-up surfers.

I'm taking a little bit longer to get up on my board, definitely something I need to work on, though I did nail every drop.  They were all late due to the wind.

I blew one wave by trying to mini-pump upon take off.  The wind snagged my board and I couldn't descend again.

I had a nice, long left but I was off-balance for most of it.  I managed to hit it but was too off-kilter to have a shot.

I got teeth-chattering cold.  I know, I know, it's not cold here but the relative wind chill was nasty as the sun was going down.