Blown North by a South Wind (Linda Mar)

When the south winds blow, there aren't too many local choices for sheltered spots. I'd hoped that the breeze would be still be light early in the day, but the Jetty looked as choppy as a toddler's bath tub. So I continued north with the wind to Pacifica. Linda Mar is my least favorite break, ever since she permanently injured my back throwing me over the falls a few years ago. It's almost always crowded. Closeouts are the norm. And I've had far too many skunkings there.

Perhaps I shouldn't hold a grudge though, since this morning Lindy was surprisingly fun. I had a left nearly to myself on the far south end by the boat docks. The stiff breeze was blowing nearly offshore, making it challenging to get over the lip. Triangulation was key to maintaining a good position, since everyone was being pushed outside. I had a lot of short rides, and a nice long one, linking an outside wave through a closeout into an inner reform that I took almost to the beach. Stoked!

The wind kept strengthening, deteriorating conditions and adding to my chill in the cold water. By the time I was ready to put the 8'3" on the MINI's roof, I had to enlist Scott's help lest the wind yank my precious Magic board from my grasp and hurl it across the parking lot. There's a high wind advisory for the rest of the weekend, so I'm glad I found some good surf before it got blown out everywhere.

Surfline: 3-5 ft, fair conditions. Overhead on the sets with walled-up lines occasionally staying workable on the shoulders. Southerly wind early, overcast skies. Buoy 46012: 8.9 ft @ 11.