A Small, Short, and Sweet Redemption Session at 26th Street - 042411

Surf Report:  2-4 feet and super low tide
Atmosphere: Cloudy
Water: Cool/Cold
Winds: Straight on shore

So, this morning was more of a redemption session of sorts, at least for Dais and I.  I honestly would not have paddled out this morning and gone straight back home if it weren't for Dais frothing when he arrived at Porto.  Matt, Dais, and I watched the shitty conditions as the waves rolled in.  The guys at Porto were walking out to the line up, where the sets were breaking.  The low tide was killing it, and the winds didn't help the wave shape at all.  It was classic Dump Rider status.

Matt opted to go home, since he felt that these conditions weren't worth it.  I didn't blame him.  Christina called me and our conversation got cut off, but she ended up going home too.  The misty morning kept everyone inside their cars and out of the water.  The gray clouds hung over the coastline like a bad hangover from the night before.  The winds just smacked your nipples to a cold button, making them harder than ice and able to cut glass.

Dais said he was still to go out.  I told him I would go with him to 26th Street to paddle out.  Matt parted ways with us, and so we made the drive down to 26th Street.  Dais gave me some change to put in the meter, and we suited up.  I showed off my new fins that I just bought from Rider's Shack.  They are FCS UL-5's, and I was hoping I could go for a little test drive on these bad boys today.  However, the conditions looked ominous.  Oh well.  Don was out, Bruce was in his car, chilling, and Manny had just pulled up.  We had to go out now.  I gave Cheryl a courtesy call to give her an update where we were going to paddle out.  She opted to stay home instead. 

We stretch out and paddle out south of 26th Street.  The pull was strong today, and I found myself already in front of the lifeguard tower by the time I reached the line up.  I tried to fight the current, but I was unmotivated to fight the current today.  I just wanted to go with the flow.

Dais was south of me, and he was getting pulled too.  He went for a lot more waves than I did today.  He was trying to take off on some ?able waves.  We saw the grommette that was always there:  the blond chick that rides a tiny Don Kadowaki board, air brushed purple and blue.  She had a few nice left handers.  One that stuck out in my mind was where she hopped on the shoulder of a near-perfect left, and busted a few backhand turns on the face of the wave.

Dais and I continuously drift further and further north.  I scratched out on a small wave.. or rather, the wave didn't let me in.  I paddled and had my hands on the deck, ready to pop up, but the wave just fizzled out and doubled up on the inside and never broke for me.  Oh well, I thought.  I told Dais that I already felt better that we paddled out today, since the Ocean always makes me feel so at home and at ease.  I guess it's the people who make you feel like shit.  

A ginger guy I like to call Matt Bonner was out today too.  I've seen him here a few times.  He too had a nice set wave that peeled left.  He was right on the peak, and popped up nicely, pumping down the line, and then hacking the lip off the top.  Pretty sick!

There was also a black guy out surfing today!  I was surprised to see a new face in the line up, especially in these shitty conditions.  I smiled at him, and said how are you.  He smiled back and said he was fine.


Again, Dais took off on a lot of waves.  They were dumpy, sometimes pitchy waves.  The low tide kept getting lower, and the conditions seemed more and more questionable.  I saw Dais took a few close outs and got to his feet in time to escape oblivion.  He would ride out the white water and hop off on the inside in knee deep water.  However, that was not the norm.  He took a lot of ?able drops and ended up in about waist high water.  He still laughed those off and paddled straight back out to the line up though.

I had one good ride today.  It was a right, and I was (somewhat) able to get a feel of my new fins.  I popped up, and started to drive down the line.  The board felt completely different under my feet, almost as if it was lighter.  I get about three pumps in, see the section close out, and so I get on my heels and back foot and eye the close out section for a small floater.  I actually landed back on the white water and made the wave.  I was stoked.

Dais took a nice left on the face.  It was one of those "right place at the right time" waves that just opened up for him.  It was pretty pitchy out there, but he still managed to catch "that one wave" that makes the session all worth it. 

I also saw him snake a SUPer.  I was glad he did, since the SUP had no chance of making it passed the section where Dais was in.  I think Dais wiped on this wave, but the SUPer left the beach afterwards.

We drifted further and further up the coast.  I told Dais we should get out soon, since the conditions seemed more and more dangerous.  The waves would jack up and pitch up right before our eyes, and then shatter into a billion white shards of milk shake foam onto waist deep water.  We tried to go for a few, but the waves just were too dangerous to even make the drop.

I think I ended up paddling in and catching one on my belly.  I was able to walk about twenty feet in ankle deep water with all the shells and rocks washing in and out of the shore.  The sun was peaking ever so slightly out of the gray sky, and so it felt good to have paddled out at least.

We both caught one good wave each, and that was all we needed.  It wasn't a super amazing redemption session, but I know our mood at the end of this surf sesh was the complete opposite of what we felt on Saturday.

After all, it was Sunday, and we surfed good ol' 26th Street.  How could we complain?

You don't want
You don't wait
You don't love
But you don't hate
You just roll over me
And you pull me in.

-Jack Johnson Only the Ocean

Mahalo Mother Ocean.