A Day Off Christmas Eve-Eve 122311

Surf Report: Building NW swell 3 footers

Water: Cool

Winds: Off shore

Atmosphere: Sunny, but freezing in the morning

My boss gave me the day off today.   I was stoked, but sort of overwhelmed with everything going on for the holidays.  I kept my plans secret to surf since I didn’t expect anyone to be out, and they didn’t expect me to be off of work either. 

I get to the beach before 700 and snag a parking spot in the lot.  The concrete was freezing cold and hurt my feet as I got changed.  Roy and Ross were getting changed, and some of the other local crew were sipping on their coffee as they watched the waves. 

Because of the new moon, the tide wasn’t cooperating so well with the beach break.  However, I was adamant on getting out while the tide went low to high.  I think that is the best time for a person of my skill level to get out.  It seems safest. 

I had swam for about an hour Thursday night at the Westwood swimming pool, so I was sort of pushing my shoulders.  Luckily, the waves weren’t that big, and so it was a pretty mellow morning. 

I paddled out and sat in my usual spot, trying to pick off some waves under the radar.  Roy would push me into two waves this day, both seemed like nothing while on the horizon, but would jack up right where I was, and I was able to practice my lay back snap on both.

The first one was a clean right hander, and I was able to pump down the line, bottom turn, and lay back both my arms into the face as my board swung around on the lip.  I lost my balance and caught a rail half way through the turn, but I was stoked. 

My second one was another right, but this time the face wasn’t so clean because of the warble caused from the building high tide.  I was still able to hand plant my trailing hand, but I bogged out even earlier than my first attempt.  I probably needed a deeper bottom turn. 

I see Rick and Dave T. out in the water, and soon afterwards Matt comes out to greet us.  They surf down towards 33^rd street, and the right hander keeps rolling through there.  Don, Randy, and Ross are all on that right hander, and so I try to go there to sneak some waves under their noses to no avail.  They have the place dialed, and there was no way I was catching waves under their priority.

I get out to fill my meter up, and see Christina stretching.  I yell at her that I’ll be right back.  I then see Chris in the lot.  We start talking and joking around about how he takes every wave, to which he defends, “I share!  I wait my turn!”

Just then, Khang et al pull up to the lot.  Dais, Kotaro, and Cristina file out of the van as I talk with Don.  Cristina is here to run in her awesome foot gloves.  I tell da boys I’ll see them out there as I put more money in the wave machine.

I paddle out and see Kyle come out.  Patty, his mom, told me to get Kyle out since she has to go to work, and I shake my fist angrily at him for his mom.  He laughs at my gesture, and ends up staying for the rest of the day, making his mom late for work.  I’m sure it’s fine that she’s late since it is Christmas Eve-Eve.

And so I paddle back out where I started, and I see Roy catch a barrel.  He gets pinched inside of it, but he is smiling from ear to ear.  He tells me how his shoulder has been bothering him for about a week, but these set waves are keeping him stoked. 

Christina is out too, and we all congregate in the line up. 

“Look who’s here!” Christina shouted out.

It was Ann!!  I was so stoked to see her.  She was on her foamy, and I see her catch a few waves.  Chris was out, doing his thing too.  All was well at 26^th Street.

Da Boys finally make it out to the line up, and I get a chance to test out Dais and Kotaro’s board. 

First, Dais’s Don Kadowaki board.  Super sick, fun, buoyant board.  I was pissed I missed a small set that I snaked Khang on.  I popped up and wasn’t ready for the slide of a twin fin, and just ate it.  Luckily, Christina snaked Khang too, and Khang was nice enough to let it go. 

Second, Kotaro’s Rusty pin tail.  I was going for the small waves to “test it out” but the board just wouldn’t get into the waves.  So, I decided to sit out the back, and go for the bigger ones.  The bigger one came through, and I saw Uncle Miles on my outside.  I put my head down as everyone got out of the way of the wave, while I went to get the wave.  The board slides down the face smoothly, so unexpectedly smooth that I slide out on the bottom of the wave.  I was a bit disappointed at that, but the board was sick.  Uncle Miles asked me what happened, and I explained how the board just slid out from under me.  He laughed and went on to catch a nice, long right. 

I took a highline right that I was able to clock in a few milliseconds of barrel time in.  The wave covered me up and pinched me at the end, but I was able to see that C that surfer’s collectively cup with their hands when traveling through a barrel.  The best part of this wave was that Dais saw it. 

To close this entry, I gotta throw out a shout out to Dais for catching this right.  I told him to paddle for the right, which seemed to come out of no where.  He paddled, popped up, re-gained his balance, and just went down the line on the wave.  That thing just opened up all the way, and he was so stoked for getting that wave. 

I surfed a total of three and a half hours today.  I didn’t plan to stay out so long, but the waves were unexpectedly good! 

Mahalos Mother Ocean.