Patience Closes the Window of Opportunity 060511

Surf Report:  3-5 foot with the occasional 6er.

Winds:  Off shore to on shore

Atmosphere:  Gloomy to sunny

Water: Cool

I woke up pretty late today for several reasons.  One, I had a late night.  And by late night, I mean I was up studying till 0030 (that’s 12:30 AM in civilian talk.)  So, I wanted my rest.  Two, I read that the swell wouldn’t arrive till late afternoon on Sunday, so I figured, what is the rush?  There won’t be any waves by the time I get there.  Third, no one was coming out today anyways.  It was a solo bolo session. 

So I was awoken by Christina calling me at 0642.  I was groggy and not in the mood to be talking to anyone really.  She said that she was heading to 26^th Street, and I told her I would head out later.  I hung up and went back to sleep.

0730 rolled around, and so did I.  I did some light yoga stretching, and got ready for the day.  I threw on the same t shirt and sweatshirt as yesterday, since today was a carbon copy of the day before (right?)  I took my time getting ready, and even filled up on gas at Costco before going to the beach. 

I got a text from Christina:  “it’s big and a lot of close outs.”  What?  What is she smoking?  It’s supposed to be flat.  Maybe she misjudged it. 

I made my usual rounds past Dockweiler.  But, something was different.  Something was… BIG.  I watched the first part of Dockweiler breaking on the shore.  It looked about three feet.  The first jetty with the rusty fence looked about the same.  I saw a row of cars parked in front of the second jetty, and then I saw a guy take off on a solid 5 foot set going right.  He was taking off right behind the rocks of the jetty.  I couldn’t believe my eyes, so much that I did a triple take.  I looked back once, twice, and three times before almost crashing into the other car next to me in the other lane.  Could it be…?  Has the swell arrived earlier than expected? 

The winds were straight off shore and making the waves look glassy at the jetty as I continued on my drive.  I turned into Grand Avenue, thinking of Randy.  Maybe this place would be breaking too?  I got out to see an unimpressive line up and some small black dots spotting the jetty.  I saw the black dots take some lefts for some short rides. 

I got back in the car and drove further south to 26^th Street.  I found a parking spot in the parking lot, and got out to greet the locals.  Bruce was out with his binoculars. 

“Oh, there goes Kelly, going left,” he said.

We oohed and ahhed as a head high set heaved over Kelly as he hacked the top off twice before having the wave run out on him. 

The lines were clear from the parking lot, and the waves were pumping on the 26^th Street sand bar.  The wind was blowing straight off shore and creating a lot of spray on the glassy waves.  There were a lot of close outs, but there were a lot of rippable sets coming through.  I made my phone calls and texts to da boys I knew would value this information. 

I sat and watched the waves.  Bruce let out another OHhhhh. 

“My god, that foamie’s gonna get pummeled.  Ohhhh!! She got clobbered!  Oh my god.  Hey, I think that’s your friend,” he said to me.

I looked up while playing with one of the local’s dog.  “Huh?”

“Yea that foamie, that’s your friend right?”

“Oh the white girl?”

“Yea, HER!  She got clobbered!!  But she did the right thing by turning around instead of trying to keep on going out further.”

What the… was Christina out there?  I questioned her actions. 

“Oh, there goes Miles… He’s finally getting out to the line up,” Bruce said, binoculars on eyes. 

Miles is a regular there too, having the goggles on with his longboard, always looking stylish taking off on every good set wave.  Now, if it’s taking HIM a long time to paddle out, what is it taking for the other people then?

I watched the waves come in and out at head high during this time.  The winds were blowing off shore and creating a beautiful blue gray wave face that was begging to be caressed.  I grew eager and texted the conditions to the people that mattered, to da boys I knew would come out. 

Khang answered back.  He said that he was going to wait till the tide filled in, which I thought was a good call too, since right now everyone in the shore pound risked breaking their necks.  I urged him to come earlier though, since the conditions were good. 

I continued to watch the waves from the parking lot.  I wanted to practice patience in waiting for the right conditions, and I hoped to catch the waves even better, for the some of the waves were close outs.  Bruce ohh-ed and ahh-ed more. 

Another local came in, and talked to me about Christina:

“Hey, your friend out there, with the foamie?  Man she got CLOBBERED.  She was in some heavy situations out there, even on the shore pound.  We watched her so she didn’t get hurt, but man, probably not the day to bring a foamie,” he said.

“Yea, definitely not a day for beginners,” I replied.

“Yea, for sure.  Ross (one of the locals) offered to help, but her friend said that they were ok, and that they could ‘handle themselves, thanks.’” He chuckled, shaking his head.  

So it is official: Christina is a celebrity at 26th Street.  She's got all the locals talking about her!  I'm jealous.  

I called Khang again, for the waves seemed to be diminishing with the high tide filling in.  Bruce was about to leave for he had to get some work done, and some other locals were still “waiting it out” in hopes of getting better conditions.  Khang said that he was on his way. 

Shan walked up and said hi.  He looked drained and tired, and didn’t elaborate too much on the conditions.  His lack of description spoke volumes to me:  BIG, unruly, and getting clobbered.  He walked back to his car parked on Manhattan Avenue. 

I saw Gary and Dave T walk out and come to their car.  These guys I surfed with at _______ twice, and they are really awesome surfers.  Gary is also Venice High Alumni, and Dave T is a Uni High Alumni.  They both reiterated the conditions as big, dangerous, but really clean around 0600.  I asked them what they thought of the tide coming up.  They said that I should get out there NOW since the conditions and shape are diminishing.  That was enough for me.  I had to get changed.

I called Khang to get his ETA.  I asked with a sense of desperation when he was getting here.  He said he forgot his wetsuit and had to head back, and then grab some change.  He said about 10-15 minutes.  It was already 0945. 

Just then, Christina came by and walked up to the parking lot.  She gave me a recap of the conditions, and how much she got worked, but also how she was able to get some white water waves.  Then, she elaborated on one hold down that she got.  It was a wave that held her down and didn’t let go of her, and at first she panicked, and her muscles tightened up.  But then she told herself to relax and just let the wave take her, and so she did, and the wave eventually let her go.  She said the hold down was pretty scary, but that it was good that she experienced it.  I agree every surfer has this experience.  There are only two kinds of surfers: Those who have taken serious wipe outs, and those that will take serious wipe outs.  She is now in the former. 

She was generous to give Khang the parking spot up the street, and so I threw in my last quarter I found in my car and walked up with her.  We chit chatted about hold downs and her new purchase of Matt’s Becker board, and got to her car.  I waited and waited and waited for Khang to come.  It seemed like an eternity, waiting in anticipation for him to arrive.  When he finally did arrive, it was 1008. 

“Dude, you were right!  The jetty is firing.”

“Yea, well, where do you want to paddle out? 26^th Street has gone flat,” I told him.

“What, really?” Khang was wide-eyed. 

“Yea, so what should we do?”

“Let’s go to the jetty man, I’ve been waiting to surf that spot for a long time.  I’ve never surfed there,” Khang replied. 

Ok, so let’s go to the jetty.  We said bye to Christina, and he dropped me off at my car.  I told the locals we were headed to the jetty, and they wished us luck.  And off we drove.

We got to the jetty and there were only a few heads out.  The jetty looked small too.  Damn, did we miss the time frame??  Usually, these beach breaks are best going from low to high, but this contrast was too much!  It was never THIS bad when it was going to high tide…  oh well, the faster we get out, the more waves we have to catch.

We walked down to the jetty, and see only four people out.  One girl and three guys.  The paddle out was easy and smooth, and the sun started to show through for us.  We got to the line up and looked around the jetty.  The rocks were exposed, with the waves crashing on top of them.  There was one rock right by the take off spot, and it lurched its ugly head every time a set wave broke.  However, the local guy and the girl were always taking off right there, staying high in the wave, and making the waves look easy. 

I think both Khang and I were a bit apprehensive at first paddling into these waves.  Although it was the same beach that we surfed, it wasn’t the same take off spot, and it sure was out of our comfort zone.  We watched as wave after wave went to the local guy and the girl. 

“Klaude?” a voice called.

“Yea, who’s that?” I answered blindly.

“It’s Glen!”

“Oh hey Glen!” 

Glen was with his friend Eddie, and they told us about their morning experience.  Glen took out his old Don Kadowaki but the leash snapped, so he came back to his trusty longboard for the rest of the session.  He told us that we were too late for the waves, and that we should have been here earlier.

“Yea, we tried to wait for the tide to fill in, which was a bad call,” I told him. 

“Well, better luck next time,” he said.

I think Khang and I took a few close outs in the first half hour of the session as we watched the local guy and girl grab every wave.  Khang talked to the local guy and he gave us some pointers but not really.  He wasn’t too open about the secrets of how this place works, and probably didn’t want any extras to be hogging this spot.  Well, TOO BAD SON!! I’m exposing this spot with my writing.

After these two left to go surf the left on the other side of the jetty, we got to analyze the spot for ourselves.  So, here’s the deal.  The take off spot is rather sketchy, but ok once you get used to it.  You have to sit right next to the rock that gets exposed with every big wave.  You can take off behind it like the local guy, or you can take off next to it like Khang and I were.  However, you just have to be really close to it, or else you won’t catch shit.  The back wash is a little weird, and makes the sets lose a little power.  So, you should really dig for the waves, even if you think you have them, or they will just pass you by.  Finally, don’t be fearful of the drop.  It’s actually a really slow and smooth drop.  It just looks gnarly because the rocks will sike you out. 

Khang’s board magically pummeled through the flattening sections from the back wash that I got caught in numerous times.  He was able to take off on waves easier and get down the line on the right handers.  I took some short rides off the peak and tried to get closer and closer to the face so I can get barreled, but I had no luck. 

“Man, I wonder when Dais is gonna make it out?” Khang asked.

“Did you text him?”

“Yea I did, but… oh wait, is that him??”

Speak of the devil, Dais just showed up. 

We waved at him, and he waved back.  He paddles out towards us as I catch a close out right again.  He recaps his breakfast with us with Cristina, a breakfast of champions of rice with ketchup, onions, and eggs concocted into a rice omelet.  We sat and waited for sets to come through, but none really came through at this point.  Some came, but nothing memorable.  We decided to change venues after thirty minutes, because we were sitting and waiting for nothing.  The high tide really killed the jetty, and the waves mushed through and never really broke. 

We got out and walked further south down Dockweiler.  We paddled out to a spot where there were random peaks popping up here and there.  I was the first to hit the water, and Khang and Dais soon followed.  The paddle out was mellow as the waves rolled in through the high tide.  It was a clear noon session, and the water seemed warm from the sun.  The clear water refracted shimmers of crystals and glistened off the wind-blown surface as we paddled through the white wash, duck diving continuous mush burgers rolling over us. 

Khang went for the first wave.  A close out.  damn. 

Dais went for a wave.  Another close out.  DAMN.

I went for a wave.  Guess what?  A close out.  DAMN

I think Khang got the one clean wave going right.  He took it pretty damn far. 

Dais took more close outs and I did so too.  The morning low tide was the key window to get waves, and we had all missed out.  Well fuck it, at least I was surfing with my friends, and that’s all that really matters, really.  After all, surfing by yourself in perfect waves is fun until you realize you have no one to share that joy with. 

And all I could think about was a rice omelet.  My stomach was growling for fuel, and I couldn’t take it anymore.  If the waves were better, maybe I would have stayed out longer, but I couldn’t do it any further.  I told da boys I was heading out, and that I’d see them up on the streets.  I paddled in for a left close out, and walked out, grumpy and hungry. 

Another lesson learned:  Sometimes patience DOESN’T pay off.  The best conditions are right before your eyes.  Whether you take it or not, is up to you.  But don’t mope and groan over lost opportunities.  Make the most out of what you got. 

Mahalo Mother Ocean.