I hadn't surfed or paddled in seven months. I rented a JS Blak Box from one of the expats, who told me he thought this swell could get as big as double overhead. The board I got was a 5'10"x19"x2.375, wide and thick for paddling power I would need if the surf got big. What I somehow didn't notice until I was leaving his place was that it had five fins installed.
I walked out to the beach at the beach access near Mark and Dave's. Panga Drops looked fun from what I could see through the glare, though there was a bit of a crowd on it. I decided to venture down the beach a ways.
I'm still not sure what was going on with the wind. What I felt was a side onshore but it appeared as though the waves were being combed by a light offshore.
I kept walking, hoping to hit a wave that breaks off the rivermouth (the last time I surfed here, the rivers hadn't broken through and it was closeout city with bad sandbars). There was a big section that would fold over but oftentimes there was a really nice corner one could ride for twenty-plus yards.
I paddled out way past my targeted perch spot, thinking the current would deposit me there, and within thirty seconds I felt my atrophied paddling muscles shriek in protest. After quite a few duckdives and trap pain I perched and was past my sought corner. I paddled back towards it but it was useless with a current that strong.
I got swept into, and then past a light crowd. The surf was being affected by onshore wind but there were still some decent ones. My first wave was a look at a head-high left. Since my stoke threshold was set to zero, I felt a thrill descending the wave. It raced off, but my attempt at getting my confidence level up was successful.
My next wave was a right and I stomped on the tail and surprised myself with how responsive the board was. I snapped but was off-balance and ate it.
I then caught one last left which didn't do much of anything and went in.
I was out for a little over an hour. My lower ribcage was red from the friction and as of the following morning my trapezoids are aching. I'm hoping a little time with the foam roller will get rid of the pain so I can go in the afternoon today. The tide is at its apex as of now and I'm on Lucia duty so it's a non-option to go now.
I walked out to the beach at the beach access near Mark and Dave's. Panga Drops looked fun from what I could see through the glare, though there was a bit of a crowd on it. I decided to venture down the beach a ways.
I'm still not sure what was going on with the wind. What I felt was a side onshore but it appeared as though the waves were being combed by a light offshore.
I kept walking, hoping to hit a wave that breaks off the rivermouth (the last time I surfed here, the rivers hadn't broken through and it was closeout city with bad sandbars). There was a big section that would fold over but oftentimes there was a really nice corner one could ride for twenty-plus yards.
I paddled out way past my targeted perch spot, thinking the current would deposit me there, and within thirty seconds I felt my atrophied paddling muscles shriek in protest. After quite a few duckdives and trap pain I perched and was past my sought corner. I paddled back towards it but it was useless with a current that strong.
I got swept into, and then past a light crowd. The surf was being affected by onshore wind but there were still some decent ones. My first wave was a look at a head-high left. Since my stoke threshold was set to zero, I felt a thrill descending the wave. It raced off, but my attempt at getting my confidence level up was successful.
My next wave was a right and I stomped on the tail and surprised myself with how responsive the board was. I snapped but was off-balance and ate it.
I then caught one last left which didn't do much of anything and went in.
I was out for a little over an hour. My lower ribcage was red from the friction and as of the following morning my trapezoids are aching. I'm hoping a little time with the foam roller will get rid of the pain so I can go in the afternoon today. The tide is at its apex as of now and I'm on Lucia duty so it's a non-option to go now.
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