With Love, From The DRC 082711

Surf Report: 1-3 feet

Water: Warm

Atmosphere: Sunny!!

Winds: Slight off shore switched to on shore

Today was THE day to surf.  The sun was out, the winds were off shore, and there were a surprisingly great number of good rides out there. 

I picked up Cheryl in the morning.  She asked to be picked up last night, and I told her if she didn’t wake up when I called her, that was on her.  I couldn’t sleep too well that night, for the excitement to surf took over. 

I woke up a little before 500 am and went back to sleep.  I woke up again around 550, and started to do yoga.  Before I called Cheryl, she texted me saying that she was already up, so I continued on with my yoga.  I filled up a water jug and headed out the door before 610.

I picked her up, and we headed to 26^th Street.  Francis and Matt were already in the water, and so I was anxious to get to the water.  I didn’t bother to find street parking since Cheryl isn’t able to skate, and has a longboard too.  That would just ruin her travelling ability, so we parked in the lot.  Surprisingly, the meters were still open, but we did arrive here by 640. 

Christina pulls up immediately, and we wait for her to get changed and ready to go.  She tells us to go ahead since she wants to put more wax onto her foamie.  We run out ahead of her. 

We three stretch as Cheryl points out Matt’s white Hurley wetsuit.  So easy to spot he is. 

The water was cool, but the atmosphere was already warming up.  The line up was friendly and warm as the Ocean.  Playful three footers came in as I paddled out.  the line up was crowded, which has been bothering me as of late.  I don’t understand how this small piece of paradise has become so crowded.  I attribute it to the summer and warmer days.  Once wetsuit season kicks in, the line up should thin out. 

Matt has been catching a few waves already, and we started to chit chat.  He asked how my jacket was feeling today.  He was telling me how I made the right call by wearing boardshorts. 

“What kind of boardshorts are those?” he asked.

“Oh, these aren’t the boardshorts I wanted to wear.  I lost my string on the ones I wanted to wear so I had to wear these…”

Just then I felt my board jolt up and down, as if I was on those big bull machines that simulate a rodeo.  I look behind me and the ninja Fransauce was behind me shaking my board. 

I just got duped by both Matt and Francis.  They both laughed at me as I splashed water at them for fooling me.  I vowed to snake them.

Cheryl and Christina made their way out, and so the DRC were on like Donkey Kong.  The rising tide produced a lot of clean rides with little texture on the water.  The water was so glassy I felt like we could cut through the water so easily. 

The waves didn’t have much oomph behind them, so we had to work for the waves.  Christina was the DRC charger, catching the most waves out of all of us.  She was on her foamie and was able to have a field day. 

Francis was on fire too, paddling into every wave that came within ten feet of him.  Not only does he paddle strong, but he positions himself right where the wave is breaking, and is able to take the shoulder before the white water crashes down. 

I found myself behind Francis on a few waves, and although he did snake me, he was positioned better on the shoulder, and was able to pump a few times and bust a big turn.   He turned up on the lip and smacked it.  Damn, fucking good turn!

Matt was back from injury, so he was super stoked to get back in the water.  He was really stoked to be back.  I told him to take it easy since he is back from injury, but he paddled hard for every wave, and his efforts were rewarded.  He had countless amounts of waves this day.  One of our first waves together was where he went right and I went left.  We both went backside splitting the peak.  I wish someone had a photo of that. 

Dave showed up soon after, and so we had six members of the DRC in the water. 

The vibe was great, for everyone was catching a lot of waves.  We hooted and whistled Cheryl into waves.  “Duck Butt!” Matt yelled out after she caught a nice wave.

Dave!  He took this nice right with his longboard, and was able to fly down the line.  He looked like he was on the face for a while, and then jumped off the back as the wave crashed ahead of him.  He also took another right while I went left.  He was watching me as I watched him, and then I bottom turned on my backside and hit the lip.  I doubt there was any spray, but I felt the rebound on the bottom of my board to redirect my board forward. 

Every DRC member had a huge smile on their face from ear to ear.  It was probably the most fun surf session for the summer. 

Roy was out, Bruce, Don, Jose, Orlando aka Rastaman, Damon, his son Kyle, Chris and the other locals were all out.  The other people, I don’t really know. 

Tom calls me as I paddled back out after a wave.  We add a new member to our growing crew.  It’s better to surf within a group of friends since they can block for you. 

I had one clean wave for this session, which was a right.  Matt paddled around me to block.  He told me to go, so I went.  I was able to get on the face of the wave and pump a few times.  This wave felt…weird.  I felt like I wasn’t surfing on my board, but just carving on the water with my feet.  I garnished enough speed so I go to the flats and bottom turn.  I felt my board just go up the face so fast I had no time to react to the bottom turn.  I floated off the top and exited the wave on accident.  I was a bit bummed at that.  Roy had seen this, and told me that I should just stick with the wave and had done a floater.  I definitely would have done that if I knew I was going so fast. 

It was still weird to have caught that wave.  I really felt like I was a part of the wave.  I have never felt that before, nor have I felt that feeling ever since. 

We drift back and forth between north of the tower and the tower itself before the high tide.  After the high tide there was a thirty minute lull.  Not too many waves came through.  Then after the high tide we drifted south towards the pier.

The sun was shining through even stronger as the winds changed.  However, the waves started to pick up again.  Matt was still out here (I still think he pushed himself a little too much being back from injury) and Francis had left to go to work.  Tom had left since his meter ran out.  He told me that he didn’t expect the good conditions and didn’t even put quarters in to the meter.  The guy before him had put in two hours already, so he didn’t see a point.

So as the high tide got lower, Khang, Dais, Peter and DK made their way out where we were.  We all exchanged our what’s ups and what not, and Khang went to work right away.  He caught the two waves of the day in the first five minutes. 

The first wave he caught was a right, which I backed out of.  Christina and Matt were on my inside (I think Matt almost ran her over on the previous wave) and Khang dodged Christina cleanly.  However, he wasn’t ready for Dave the Snake to drop in on him straight out of no where.  They collide with the white water, but thankfully come out unscathed. 

The second wave Khang caught was a little bigger, and I had to duck dive out of his way.  He took a left all the way to shore.  We were all wide-eyed in amazement as he just caught two waves of the day in a row in the first five minutes. 

I paddled for a right, but saw Christina just put her head down and paddle for my inside.  I was in position, but if I had taken off I would have hit her.  I pull out at the last second and still get pulled by the curling wave.  I see Christina just pearl and her board nose dive into the clear blue green water.  I then see Christina go over the falls in the lip

Dais was working the inside, which was what I was doing before they had arrived.  I saw him paddle back out a few times, so he must have been catching a few waves already. 

DK and Peter were paddling around, getting their feet wet.  I had to leave before I saw them catch a wave.  Oh well.  I had a 93 year old lady’s birthday party to attend.  She is the oldest out of our yoga class, and is a wonderful lady.  She does yoga every day, and stays active.  Although she needs a walker to get around, I feel that she is a testament that yoga keeps a person young and active. 

Mahalos Mother Ocean!!