Don't Trust Surf Reports 112013

Surf Report: 1-3 feet
Winds: Offshore
Water: Cool
Atmosphere: Calm before the "storm" cloudy skies

I wanted to ease my way into my shortboard, but today felt like a good day to be on my fish.  My fish.. the good ol' red I call MJ for Mary Jane.  Mary Jane, Spiderman's girlfriend, has firey red hair, so it felt right to name her that.

I was supposed to meet Joyce this morning, but she gave me the run around of "The surf report says very poor.  I've never seen it VERY POOR." and "I don't want to be [shark] food, I saw it on TV last night."

I texted her back, "Zombies were on TV too." 

I have tried not to push people to surf as much.  I know people have different definitions of "love," meaning that there are different levels of commitment to certain activities such as surfing.  But, she did commit to going last night, and all I was reading was surf report this, surf report that, cold weather, tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow.  I don't like to rely on surf reports too much.  I check three surf reports: Wetsand, Magic Seaweed, and CDIP buoys.  I also watch the weather and tide.  And, if it looks as if there is at least something rideable, I'll go. 

So I pull up to an empty parking lot, and see a few black dots in the line up.  It seems Ross is in the line up since his car is in the lot.  Where are the groms? None of the cars were here.

I paddle out with my red fish.  The water seems cold, but I got used to it after my first duck dive.  The water was crystal clear this day... and the sun was fighting to crack through the grey clouds.  The light offshore winds feathered the peaks as they rolled in. 

I had no discomfort in my shoulder as I paddled out... a good sign.  No discomfort as I duck dived the on coming white wash... another good sign.  I flipped around for a right, and popped up.  No discomfort here either.  Two groms backed out as I pumped down the line.  I do a check turn and bounce off the white wash.  I tried to pump down the line again, but the wave died down. 

I see Ross take a left from the tower.  he pumps down the line, does a check turn, then pumps further down and busts a carving 360 on the close out section. 

He comes by to say hi to me, seeing that I caught a right.  He loves rights more than lefts, even though he is goofy footed.  However, the rights don't roll through as consistently as the left where he was, and soon he paddles back to the left.

A surfer by the name of Jack starts to talk to me.  It was so spread out that he had no one to converse to, he said. 

"You know, this is a lot better than yesterday," he said.

"It's supposed to be worse today than it was yesterday right?"

"Yea! Isn't that crazy? Surf reports... can't trust 'em."

Indeed, can't trust the reports at all. 

I hoot him into a nice right and he takes it all the way to shore.  He is stoked.  And therefore, I am stoked. 

I paddle in late into a left.  The wave crashes on me as I am popping up.  No discomfort there, either.  I do a small turn and come back in the white water, and pump a little bit more down the line. 

Speaking of pop ups, I have had to change my paddle and pop up again.  I'm keeping my shoulders lower and away from my ears every time I paddle and pop up.  It seems I've been muscling my way through the water up till now.  So, it feels like my paddle is smoother, and my pop ups are more stylish.  I hope this translates to better style. 

I surfed for about an hour, and get changed to go to work.  My morning feels... complete.  I've missed these sessions. 

Mahalos Mother Ocean!!!