Linda Mar, 27 August 2008

This morning I met up with T for the first time at the crack o'dawn for a pre-work session. It was scheduled last-minute via email, and we ended up with mismatched boards, short and fish, but I'm not sure the Xanadu would've helped me any today.

Linda Mar was doing its usual thing, mostly closing out, with the occasional tempting shoulder. We had an easy paddle out via the channel north of the bathhouse*. Though we could see some of those shoulders from the beach, it was nigh impossible to track them down once we were in the water. The bigger set waves were walled up, head-high to slightly overhead. The smaller waves usually rounded into mush but were sometimes ridable. So we had to sit inside enough to potentially get the small ones, but then paddle out like mad or take a pounding when the big sets came. During one closeout encounter, I managed to smack my chin on my board - damn, thought I was past that! - but the 9:fish seems to made of tougher stuff than the Surftech and I didn't ding it, just myself.

T pulled off at least one ride on her shortboard, but Linda Mar didn't give me any of the wave-love I was pining for after Sunday's sesh. I caught one closeout but couldn't make the drop, and backed off on a lot more. That's one nice thing, of the many nice things, about a short board: it's so much easier to back off, when on a longer board I would've been sucked over the falls.

Usually it makes me a bit nervous when people in the lineup are pointing and staring in particular direction, but the object of attention turned out to be a dolphin. Always cool to see them, wild and free, going about their lives in the open ocean, and just yards away. Linda Mar is the only place I've seen dolphins since I moved to NorCal, so that's one reason to keep going back.

After T went in to head for work, I paddled south in hopes of better form. I could smell churros cooking at the Taco Bell, all cinnamon-sugary, mmm. But soon it was time for me to go too. I caught a smaller closeout and got to my feet (pop-up would be a misnomer) for a micro-ride. On such a beautiful, warm and sunny day, it was hard to leave the beach for the inside of a cubicle.

Guess the Joker wasn't such a hot surfer after all - he washed up at Linda Mar.

*Sounds so much nicer than "restrooms", doesn't it? But I have a major complaint for the City of Pacifica, which is responsible for maintaining them. Is there some reason why they have to be locked at 6 in the morning? Because there are people at the beach then, and some of them, especially me, would like to avail ourselves before surfing. And when the restrooms do open, apparently sometime before 8, why are they completely devoid of paper products? It's bad enough that the smell (when I forget to breathe through my mouth) makes me gag, and there isn't any soap, but c'mon. I don't always have time to drive to Starbucks to use their much nicer facilities. So please unlock 'em and stock 'em!