State of Mind (HMB Jetty)

With a negative low tide after dawn, I had to wait until late morning for the tide to come up enough for a chance of decent surf. Unfortunately, that meant the traffic to the coast on a hot holiday weekend was bad. So bad that Jeni decided to turn back rather than face it. But bailing was not an option for me; I wanted to surf, and I knew there would be rideable waves somewhere in Half Moon Bay. So instead of getting stressed as we stop-and-go-ed our way down Highway 92, I accepted it, shrugged, and chilled.

I held low expectations for surf quality, with only short-period NW swell in the water. I tried Dunes first, but it wasn't enticing and seemed as if it would blow out soon. In my few minutes there, checking the surf and offloading Scott's bike, I enjoyed the wildflowers that were blooming in profusion. Then on to the Jetty.

Dunes

The beach was packed with folks escaping the inland heat and there were a lot of surfers in the water. As I walked to the main peak, I passed a guy operating a tow-surf motor, with a line stretched from the sand to an apparently too-weak-to-paddle shortboarder in the lineup (cue jeers). Frowning, I told him "at a crowded break, not cool." I was happy to see them pack up their rig soon after, before they decapitated someone.

The waves were often weak and chest-high at best, but I scored some nice rides. The NW breeze kicked up a notch, and I knew Dunes was blown, making me happy in my break selection. Paddling north against the current, spray flew in my face and made it hard to see. The crowd thinned, but I kept getting waves, trying for a frontside left. Finally my left came. Knowing the wind might blow me back if I went for it directly, I paddled and made the drop to the right, then turned sharply and rode left. Woot! Once again, low expectations paid off in a fun session.

Thanks to Ephraim for taking a few pix of me.

In the parking lot, a couple of graybeard surfer dudes chatted close behind my car. "I'm old now, but I'm still surfing," one said. "Yeah, but you're only as old as you feel, right?" I intejected. The other guy drives a camper with an Endless Summer poster just inside the door. He told me, "I started surfing when I was twelve. Now I'm collecting Social Security, but I still go out every chance I get and have fun!!"
It's all in the state of mind.

Surfline: Semi-bumpy/funky now with westerly flow on the rise, adding some surface texture to the exposed areas. Waves continue to run waist-chest-shoulder+ high as our NW wind/groundswell mix and small SSW swell combine. Top breaks occasionally hit head high on the better sets. It's rideable, just not super good. Buoy 46012: (Wave) SWELL: 7.2 ft at 9.1 s NW 52 / WIND WAVE: 6.2 ft at 6.2 s NW / WVHT: 9.5 ft / APD: 7.1 s / MWD: 318° (Met) WSPD: 17 kts / GST: 21 kts / WVHT: 9.5 ft / DPD: 9.0 s / WDIR: 320° / ATMP: 54.5° F / WTMP: 53.8° F. Tide: 2' rising to 3.5'.