Kelly Ave, 28 May 2009

This morning's dawn patrol before work was my shortest surf session ever. After checking the Jetty (overhead for those surfing mice), passing on Roosevelt (small and shapeless), deciding clean and shoulder-high Kelly was the best of the lot (since there were some shoulders among the closeouts), changing into my wetsuit (while nagging L into his after he muttered something about being cold and maybe just watching from the beach), and struggling to the outside through relentless short-period shorepound (with one awful duck dive that took me from almost in the lineup to almost back on the beach), I had only 15 minutes to surf. Neptune didn't smile upon me and grant me a ride in that brief time, but it was nevertheless good to get wet, and indeed essential ahead of the coming wave drought in NorCal. The forecast for the next 5 days is 1-2' with a bump up to 1-3' on Sunday. Woo. Hoo.

Roosevelt, 25 May 2009

This time S and I were a little late to the midday board meeting. L and V had already pronounced the Jetty too small and crowded, and relocated to choppier but empty Roosevelt. One thing about a break with no one on it is that it's hard to tell the size of the waves from the beach, and even when you're out in them, without the reference of a human for scale.

I caught a couple short rides on the fish soon after we got out, but then sat through a wave drought while L picked off mushier ones with his longboard. When my numb feet started telling me to come in, I caught one more, sticking the popup but blowing the drop midway when it yawned below me and I instinctively pulled back onto my rear leg. (Before I take the advice of veteran J to stop thinking and just feel the wave, I need to actively remember his other tip, to keep my weight forward and commit.) V was watching from the whitewater, where she'd retired to get more used to her new board on only her 8th time surfing. When I reached the beach, I was surprised when she told me the last wave had been over my head. It was a good thing I didn't know that, or my old enemy Fear would have made an unfortunate appearance. But although I didn't make the drop, that I survived unharmed gives me some confidence - I can do it next time.

Half Moon Bay @ Jetty, 23 May 2009

The Jetty again! Yes, but it turned out to be the best spot on the San Mateo County coast this morning. Next time will be someplace different, I promise.

S and I first meet up with newly-stoked newbie V and tardy L plus his friend J at Roosevelt Beach, but decent surf just wasn't happening there; it was decidedly uninspiring. So we caravanned up the road to the Jetty which showed some potential. In fact, it turned out to be quite fun on the fish, when I stayed close to the riprap jetty to catch waist-chest high waves that had decent shape. I got in a couple of pretty good rides and caught a handful more waves with varying success. L pulled off a really nice long glide on his longboard, while V got the feel of her new funshape.

J, a long-time Santa Cruz surfer, had elected to stay on the beach, filming L and critiquing. He offered some valuable observations on my surfing, the primary one being two Cs: Commitment and Confidence. It was good to hear that I'm picking waves wisely, and that I was right in the pocket on my rides, but he said I need to let go of thinking and feel the wave, just go for it without pulling back. Sometimes hard to do as an analytical-minded engineer, but I'll work at it. Be fearless!

It's Intermission

I'm taking a vacation from the virtual world to better enjoy the real one.

A hui hou! (See you later!)

Half Moon Bay @ Jetty, 10 May 2009

There were some fun longboard waves to be found amidst the crowds and wind chop this morning at the Jetty. It was nice to be able to go left for a change and ride frontside. I caught a nice one with regular-foot L; he went right and I went left. Wish I had video of that.

Next surf session Thursday in the tropical waters of Hawaii! Forecast is rising south swell 2-3', air and water temperatures 80 degrees. Mmm, warm water...

Half Moon Bay @ Jetty, 7 May 2009

After 2 weeks out of the water, I had to surf this morning, no matter what. No matter that I'm still fighting a cold that has overstayed. No matter that I had only a half hour because I promised to get S to work by nine. I was at the Jetty before anyone else, although of course the solitude didn't last. Soon I was one of a handful of shortboarders waiting for waves with an almost equal number of longboarders.

With looong lulls between sets, I spent most of the brief time doing a relaxing impression of a buoy. In the first 28 minutes, I saw maybe half a dozen rides. Just when I thought I'd be making the so-called Paddle of Shame, another set came through and I caught a slow moundy wave, but didn't manage to stay with it. Still, it's amazing the great feeling I get from even such a micro-ride, just that little splash of happy dopamine to the brain.

Any day that begins with surfing is a good day!