The Magical Loggers of Hairmos

Venus and the moon

My friend Tammy, quite unfortunately, has a job that requires her to get out of the water by 7 am. With the sun rising later and later, that doesn't leave much time for dawn patrol. It was too dark to see anything when I arrived at Hennemans at 6 am. By the time Tammy checked PB Toilets (closed out), found me at Hennemans, changed into her wetsuit and picked her way bare-footed down the bluff, she had only 15 left minutes to surf. At least she got to see a sea lion near the lineup.

The tide was high and the swell was too small to do more than break fairly near the cliff, jacking up as the waves reflected back. I got one short ride but Tammy had no joy before doing the paddle of shame.

After she left, I sprinted over to Hairmos (this being my exercise for the day), where two longboarders were getting some fun long rides. The guy was still clinging to summer in boardshorts, but the woman was in a thin fullsuit like me. I watched them catch a bunch of waves before finally being in position for my own. Yeah!

I rode a couple more waves before the couple left, paddling toward PB Point. Then the ocean shut down. For a long, long time. I started to wonder if they had magical powers and summoned the waves to that spot, only to let them die when they were done surfing. More likely it was just the swamping of the tide, which was peaking high. Finally a set came and I rode a wave toward shore, then paddled parallel back to Calumet Park.

Next surf: the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, in Cornwall, UK! My friend Rebecca says "Forecast is looking ok at the moment, shouldn't be too windy, less than 20mph and offshore-ish." That's a lot more wind than I'm used to calling okay, and the ocean is only about 60º. It will be an adventure!