Turn On It, Tune Out, Drop In

THIS EVENING N WIND 10 TO 15 KT... EASING TO 5 TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 7 SECONDS.
It was a little bigger and windier this morning...and there was stiff north wind that made it hard to walk with your board this afternoon.

Fortunately, I was surfing a southwest facing beach which meant it was blowing mostly offshore and holding up the somewhat weak lefts fairly nicely.

There were quite a few folks out...mostly due to the sunny and small conditions...but only a handful that could surf...or paddle their boards for that matter...many squatting style rides, slow stomach to knee to upright popups and many, many purls and inexplicable wipeouts.

I also heard lots of hooting...the enthusiasm is admirable perhaps, but a knee-high straight-in ride hardly warrants it...I also saw alot of "run to the surf" guys that were in way too big a hurry to get out to tiny waves with the wrong board...Merricks, Rustys and other potato chip pro boards have their place...just not with people that can't surf yet...glad I was on 9'6"!

In any case, it was only about waist high and semi-empty...which meant another leashless go out...I did lose my board on a couple occassions, which promted bewildered queries of if I had broken my leash.

Got lots of waves...again pretty gutless, especially on the outside...it would show nicely, then break and mush out and disappear out on the inside. After a few of these I moved inside and rode the walling waist-high reforms breaking in waist-deep water all by my lonesome.

Heading out, I passed several groups heading in...some kept mum, but there was the occassional "How is it?"...asked with a hope and intensity that simply did not match the rented softtop cradled awkwardly under their arm...