Closed-out wall of whitewater
I met up with A at Linda Mar at barely dawn and brought my Xanadu and low expectations. Planning surf around work obligations had pushed my dp sesh this week from Monday to Tuesday, and then to Wednesday, when Surfline was calling for poor-fair and 4-7'. Still, it was just ahead of the predicted gusty winds, and I needed to get wet. Plus I wanted to finally surf with A, who's at about my level in shortboarding but whose schedule had never meshed with mine until now. Linda Mar didn't disappoint, offering up mostly unrideable waves much like the last time. And also like the last time, I didn't get lucky enough to catch one of the elusive shoulders, only managing to ride a little whitewater on the way in, blah.One thing I realized (for at least the second time, guess I'm a slow learner) is that I need to be more patient in assessing conditions before I get in the water. By the time A and I were on the beach, I had less than a hour to surf, so with little evaluation, we plunged in for the paddle out. With still a ways to go to the lineup after a bunch of short-period duck dives (which A's about as good at as I am, meaning we both need more practice), I noticed an easier path, a gap in the walls of whitewater, about 30 yards to the left. So we belly-rode back to the beach, walked to the better spot, and got out quickly with only a few duck-dives. Next time, I'll take a few minutes to assess beforehand and not waste precious minutes. Although we did need the practice.
Hi Surfergrrrl,
ReplyDeleteI skipped surfing before work yesterday and today for fear of ugly closeouts at Lindy, so thanks for validating my decision!
Have you ever surfed Rockaway? I watched a few brave souls go out last Saturday and it looked like it holds up okay in bigger surf. It also looked potentially dangerous! Still, I'm tempted to give it a paddle. It even has the built-in elevator rip at the far S. end.
-Eric
PS Thanks for offering to meet up for a surf sometime. Sounds like a great idea. I'll text you sometime when I know where/when I'm going ahead of time. Just have to warn you that I'm a real beginner on the shortboard.
I've never surfed Rockaway, but have heard it breaks hard and fast, so be careful. My old surfing buddy D ventured out there once, and said there was a lot of crap on the water. He was pulling feathers out of his nose after, eww.
ReplyDeleteNo worries about being a beginning shortboarder. Company is always welcome, and I'm no expert myself, as you can tell.