Come Alive (HMB Jetty)

After a long summer of overhyped south swells that turned out to be duds, finally we've got the real deal. It's a Labor Day weekend special, end-of-summer 3-day blowout, filling in late Friday and winding down on Monday. Since our third attempt at night-surfing was again foiled by clouds covering last night's full moon, I was on it this morning. Trouble was, so were a lot of other people.

The south swell made the Jetty come alive, waking from many weeks of slumber. With the tide too low at dawn, I waited till mid-morning. The waves looked fun when I arrived, but there was only one peak working. Although there were a few familiar and friendly faces, there was also a lot of testosterone and greed in the lineup of 15-20 guys (yes, all guys... and me). The Jetty was doing a backwashy impression of the Hook, all pointbreaky and overcrowded.

I sat on Rocket near the right shoulder with George, where we both hoped for a section to appear in our vicinity. Even on the far end, one guy almost ran over George. Then he paddled into my path and blocked my takeoff so he could get the wave.

Self-doubt and self-confidence were my companions, and S.D. spoke louder today. I didn't want to sit in the pack to try for those big sweet waves, afraid I would wipeout or get in the way or be caught inside and pummeled, and me with a bum wrist in a brace and all. So I kept waiting for something to swing my way, even when a passing dude told me to move closer. "You surf here all the time, right? Come on over." Surfing here a lot doesn't mean that I surf well, I thought.

Eventually I saw an empty peak rising farther south, and S.D. and S.C. warred in my head:

S.C. Paddle over there! You can get it!
S.D. You'll never make it. It's too far away.
S.C. Yeah, you'll never make it if you don't try. Go now!

This time I listened to S.C. and paddled fast. And I did make it and got the wave, although after a fun drop it closed out and threw me. Take that, S.D.!

Surfline: 3-4 ft [to 6 ft]. Mix of primary/building and long period SSW groundswell (185-200 deg), secondary and shorter period NW windswell. NOTE - Most of the SSE tropical swell is missing the region. SSW sets are up to chest-head high occasional overhead for standout summer spots. Beachbreaks exposed to the SSW/NW combo are peaky. Conditions already have a little surface texture/bump this early morning. Incoming tide all morning. Buoy 46026: (Wave) SWELL: 3.6 ft at 19.0 s SSW 69 / WIND WAVE: 2.3 ft at 4.3 s WNW / WVHT: 4.3 ft / APD: 5.2 s / MWD: 209° (Met) WSPD: 10 kn / GST: 14 kn / WVHT: 4.3 ft / DPD: 19.0 s / ATMP: 53° F / WTMP: 55° F. Tide: 3' rising over 4'.