A Little Stoke to Tide Me Over (38th Ave & Pleasure Point)

Since I'll be out of the water for a week while I'm on a business trip to Moscow, I had to get in the water for a little stoke infusion this morning. I also wanted to catch the Memorial Day parking lot sale at O'Neill for some new gloves to replace my holey ones. So a trip to eaststide Santa Cruz was in order. Luke suggested 38th Ave, and he and Tracey planned to meet me in the water.

As I paddled out at 38th, a set came through with some nice waves aimed at an empty spot to the right of the crowd. I parked myself there, hanging on to kelp strands to keep from being blown eastward by the light breeze. Unfortunately, between sets, the waves were amorphous mushy blobs, suitable only for big floaty planks. On my Magic hybrid longboard, I had to wait impatiently for the inconsistent set waves which had more shape and push.

My first wave was a fine long right that bumped up the Stoke-O-Meter. The next ride on a little left was abruptly cut short when clump of kelp stopped my fins cold, and I caught one more right that ran out of gas soon after I popped up. Luke and Tracey still hadn't shown up, so I thought I'd paddle over to Pleasure Point to try my luck on some slightly bigger waves.

 

Second Peak was packed, and although promising waves would start walling up in my direction, they kept mushing out. I had just decided to paddle back to my spot at 38th when King Neptune sent a well-formed wave right to me. I rushed to catch it, popped up and surprised myself by making the 4' drop which steepened suddenly, getting a speedy and fun ride that I worked through most of the kelpy inner section. Woo-hoo! A couple more short ones got me nearly to the shore, replete with enough stoke to (hopefully) tide me over for a land-locked week.

After a tasty lunch outdoors at Paradise Beach Grill in Capitola, Scott and I went for a 5-mile hike in Portola Redwoods State Park before I rushed home to pack. My journey to Moscow beings in the morning!

Surfline: 2-3 feet. Inconsistent, glassy peaks with fun, workable corners. Buoy 46012: NW 5.6 ft @ 8.3 sec.