I buried the lede...
In an EddieSurfs first, I paddled out with one of my OG Surf bros, Tim! I started surfing with him in 1998 and here we are 21 years later, after a 12-year hiatus.
I met him at Torrey Pines High. I'd see him wearing skater gear and asked him if he surfed. He said no and I kept harassing him to try it. Finally in January we went and it was one of the biggest days I've seen in California. While it wasn't the same swell on which Taylor Knox bagged the 52-footer at Todos Santos, I was seeing what appeared to be quadruple overhead on the outside. It was massive out, we didn't even bother trying to get to the unbroken waves, what a day on which to have a first session!
So we met at Ponto. He acted as surf guide and assured me it would be fun within an hour or so, as the tidal surge seems to help Ponto do its thing.
It looked abysmal out there at first light, but we suited up. I hadn't put on a wetsuit in more than five years and had to figure out my way into my old wetsuit, mostly as to where the collar section went. I was shocked at the extra resistance 2mm of worn, five-year-old neoprene added to paddling. On my first duckdive, I thought I smelled an ancient piss. Was it just my imagination or could it have been a long-ago urination?
There was a seemingly neverending set hitting as we broke to what we thought was outside. My arms shrieked in agony with the rubberbanding effect of the wetsuit but I eventually made it out thar.
I caught about four waves, and I'd say about three were quality. Yes they were small but they had lines. On my first wave I kicked out awkwardly and my rail banged my lower leg, luckily the meaty part, and is currently swollen. I did a quick snap off-the-top which I almost made on the Tomo. It felt decisive but I landed sideways unfortunately.
I caught a right and almost lost it on the bottom turn as the fins threatened to slide out on me. I did a nice hack but got stuck and faded.
I was shocked when we went in that we'd been out for about two hours.
In an EddieSurfs first, I paddled out with one of my OG Surf bros, Tim! I started surfing with him in 1998 and here we are 21 years later, after a 12-year hiatus.
I met him at Torrey Pines High. I'd see him wearing skater gear and asked him if he surfed. He said no and I kept harassing him to try it. Finally in January we went and it was one of the biggest days I've seen in California. While it wasn't the same swell on which Taylor Knox bagged the 52-footer at Todos Santos, I was seeing what appeared to be quadruple overhead on the outside. It was massive out, we didn't even bother trying to get to the unbroken waves, what a day on which to have a first session!
So we met at Ponto. He acted as surf guide and assured me it would be fun within an hour or so, as the tidal surge seems to help Ponto do its thing.
It looked abysmal out there at first light, but we suited up. I hadn't put on a wetsuit in more than five years and had to figure out my way into my old wetsuit, mostly as to where the collar section went. I was shocked at the extra resistance 2mm of worn, five-year-old neoprene added to paddling. On my first duckdive, I thought I smelled an ancient piss. Was it just my imagination or could it have been a long-ago urination?
There was a seemingly neverending set hitting as we broke to what we thought was outside. My arms shrieked in agony with the rubberbanding effect of the wetsuit but I eventually made it out thar.
I caught about four waves, and I'd say about three were quality. Yes they were small but they had lines. On my first wave I kicked out awkwardly and my rail banged my lower leg, luckily the meaty part, and is currently swollen. I did a quick snap off-the-top which I almost made on the Tomo. It felt decisive but I landed sideways unfortunately.
I caught a right and almost lost it on the bottom turn as the fins threatened to slide out on me. I did a nice hack but got stuck and faded.
I was shocked when we went in that we'd been out for about two hours.
