Turn On It, Tune Out, Drop In

NW WIND 5 TO 10 KT.
WIND WAVES 1 FOOT.
W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
TONIGHT W WIND 5 KT...VEERING TO NE AFTER MIDNIGHT.
WIND WAVES 1 FOOT.
W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 SECONDS.

I was contemplating surfing Clatsop Spit today since I had to be in Astoria at 11am. I got up in the dark and checked it, but it was backing off and mushy so I headed south. I was the first one out...which is always a nice feeling. Caught a handful of little waves before someone else paddled out. It was small enough to surf without a leash...I love the freedom and the way it makes you surf mindfully. Whether you tuck in and hang on in a close out, kick out before it shuts down, or straighten out and grab your board...it just makes you surf differently. I watched others, long and shortboarders, basically perform every variation of awkward wipeouts...trusting their cord to save them a swim.

The waves were mostly waist high and had decent shape...it got a little warbly as the tide changed. By then there were a dozen others out...all on the peak where I was, go figger? So I moved down and surfed an other peak for a bit. It was definitely a longboard kind of day...I saw lots of shortboarders struggle to get into the waves. If you can't catch the wave, you can't ride it...

Local Report:

Got in the water...at 1pm on Thursday and it was so on! Non-stop lefts with consistent chest to head and plenty of snap. Honestly some of the best waves I've had there in months. The NW winds were kicking, but it just seemed to give the waves more shape and hold those shoulders up longer. Caught more waves than I could
keep track of and 90% of them were quality. Incredible.

Less than 24 hours later I returned...It had dropped to knee slapping and toe tapping. ...foulpete simply stated, "This is a waste of time". We agreed to...look for waves...somewhere, anywhere. Two other spot checks nailed our depressive states to a sub-terra level. We remembered a signature Sooloo had which always gave us a chuckle...ANYBODY CHECK XXXXXX? ha ha...I wanted to laugh but my sense of humor had left me on the beach...With grim stone faces we made the corkscrew drive [in] preparing ourselves for the worst. You don't leave shitty waves to look for more
shitty waves...isn't that how it goes? Nasty made a offhanded comment that there was a high sparkle factor...Great. Just what I need right now...a 9'6".
Needless to say, XXXXXX was XXXXXX. Crystal clear water, more swell than
anyplace else we looked at, and a friendly porpoise who seemed to enjoy our company. Granted a unicorn or a mermaid would've really rocked our foundation of reality but, hey...I was happy to see something new and laugh with some friends in the mushy surf.