Weird Waves (Windansea)

This morning brought not hoped-for glass but an onshore breeze under a cloudy sky. Still, Windansea was cleaner than last night’s sunset session, and it was great to be able to walk to the break from our rental house in only two minutes.

Luke, first into the water

A pair of dawn patrollers had departed, leaving the waves empty when Luke and I paddled out. After a bit we were joined by a local woman, then J-Bird, and lastly Jacob and Nikki. Fortunately I'd completely forgotten (or intentionally blocked out) news of a great white shark sighting just north near La Jolla cove.

Again the waves were shifty and hard to read, coming in from one direction and then veering off in another with no pattern that I could discern. The friendly local said the break is usually more predictable, peaking left and right from a small takeoff zone. No matter; we took what we were served, and at least it wasn’t crowded.

Jacob, Nikki and J-Bird waiting for waves

I did better than yesterday, riding a couple of nice rights and a left, along with some shorter ones, and taking some breath-sucking tumbles when I ended up inside during a set. The reef is shaggy with sea grass interspersed with kelp, which frequently entangled our leashes and even somehow caught in my helmet. The feeling of my bare feet on the board was delicious. But by the end of the session I was shivering in my old 3/2 wetsuit.

We hoped for a second session later in the day, but the onshore wind rose and held steady, blowing out the surf. Instead we toured Mission Bay on a pirate ship that sadly lacked hot buttered rum but had cannons that loudly belched mist at landlubbers watching from shore.

Nikki, Jacob, J-Bird, Captain, me

Tomorrow, Trestles!

Surfline: Drained out dribble peaks. Old, inconsistent SSW swell (190-200) leftovers and trace NW windswell with 1-2-3' surf at well exposed breaks. Light/variable winds early. Wind gradually increases into the afternoon, turning WSW-West around 7-11kts. Buoy 46231: (Wave) SWELL: 1.3 ft at 13.3 s SSW 57 / WIND WAVE: 3.0 ft at 6.7 s WNW / WVHT: 3.3 ft / APD: 5.6 s / MWD: 282° (Met) WVHT: 3.3 ft / DPD: 7.0 s / WTMP: 69.6° F. Tide: Near 0' rising to 1.5'.