Fishing South of the Pier

This morning I didn't wait too long for the tide to drop and planned on riding my fish. Unlike yesterday, the sun was shining warm and bright with little breeze. My home break on the north side of Crystal Pier was dismayingly crowded, unusually so for second shift on a weekday.

Although I'd never surfed there before, I took a chance on what Surfline said were "some better sandbars mostly south of the pier."

Briefly, I had a peak to myself, rampy waves breaking left and right. It reminded me of Half Moon Bay, since the waves petered out over a deeper trench toward shore. Rides weren't long but they were fun, giving Nemo face time for some swishy turns. Solitude didn't last long as first one, then two guys joined me, with even more toward the end of the session.

Pelicans dive-bombed outside of the lineup, sending small splashes skyward. In their midst I saw the wake of a large body, and instantly thought of you-know-who. A moment later, a curved fin surfaced, and then another. Dolphins. Whew. Yay!