Sea Lions and Rabbits and Cats, Oh My (Melon Camp)

Actually I saw only one of each critter: a curious sea lion, pushing his head and upper body out of the water to stare at me; a timid rabbit, hopping off the path and pausing briefly under a bush before dashing away; and a friendly fluffy cat, who kept me company while I changed into and out of my wetsuit. Aside from them, plus my husband and a couple of other walkers passing by on the beach, I was alone.

But then there was the time I sensed a large presence in the opaque water beneath my board as I was paddling to keep position against a strong southward current, the feeling that something big was directly under me, slowing and lifting my board slightly, a brief unnatural sensation that I wasn't moving with the swell. It must be my imagination, I told myself, or else the sea lion; quite unlikely it's the Man in Gray. Still, I sat up quietly to ride the next wave - any wave - away from that spot.

Back in the shallows, I shook off shivers that had nothing to do with the cold, walked down the beach to my rip current ride to the outside, and went back for more. I was trying to stay with a left shoulder, but the current kept pulling me into a closeout section. I got some decent rides and one nice long stokeful shoulder-high left. I also got mugged by a few head-high closeouts, and rolled in the shorepound.

I still have sand in my ears, but I ain't complainin'. There's something about a solo surf session at a lovely deserted beach that's a bit magical, if sometimes spooky. My eerie experience in mind, I exited the water as the sun kissed the sea at the horizon, washing the sky with color.

Surfline: Looking fun across the region this afternoon as new NW swell-mix moves in and small SW swell continues. Better breaks are up in the knee-waist-shoulder high zone, with top NW exposures pulling in some head high+ sets. Buoy 46012: (Wave) SWELL: 5.6 ft at 10.8 s WNW / WIND WAVE: 1.0 ft at 4.3 s WSW / WVHT: 5.6 ft / APD: 7.9 s / MWD: 283°