WHOA MAN! WHAT A NIGHT!
A last minute decision led to meeting Christina and the Santa Monica Surfers at Bay St at 9PM, Wednesday night for a full moon surf. Christina called me at 8 saying the water was glowing a bright turquoise from the red tide. I've seen this phenomenon only once before, while at a bonfire at Dockweiler Beach. The thought of actually being in that glowing water excited me to the nth degree. I dropped my plans of watching America's Next Top Model, got out of the house in 10 mins, and dropped by CVS and bought a couple glow sticks and bracelets. I high tailed it to Santa Monica and the parking was surprisingly packed by the beach. I eventually found a spot a little far in and it was a bit spooky changing in my wetsuit right off main st in the middle of the night. I kept expecting a homeless man to jump me at any sec.
So I rushed down to the sand and found a girl with a million glow bracelets sticking out of her hair tied into a bun by the life guard tower. Quite a sight. She pointed out at the little group of surfers bobbing in the black water, with a tiny glint of glow on them. That was them! She helped me tie my glow sticks to my zip pull string and I was set. As I paddled out I couldn't see any of the people's faces, so I just let out a general HI! Christina recognized my voice and she happened to be right there. Awesome! I met the other guys surrounding and everyone was stoked on the glow from the water. Each time I reached my hand in to paddle forward, a bright streak of light turquoise trailed from me. Watching others paddling for waves, it was like they were on this bright pillow taking them into the wave. Each time the waves crashed the white foam glowed blue. Words can't describe this amazing-ness, I just wish I had some pictures to document the beauty. It was interesting trying to judge the waves, it was so dark that all you could see was a darker park of the water moving toward you. That was the only sign one was coming. I tried paddling for a bunch of them but most of them were close-outs, nothing out of the ordinary from good-ol Bay St. I hadn't surfed here in agesss, probably more than a year ago. This was the birth place of me learning how to surf, and the start of the DRC. Such good memories :)
Even though there was just a small pack of us, we were nudged pretty close to one another, I think from fear of drifting too far off in the dark abyss. The problem was that I think there were a lot of newbie surfers, and due to the dark and everyone paddling for same wave, I procured a ding on my rail somehow. I was sooo bummed. I didn't want to get out at all, so to help prevent water from soaking more into the foam I crammed a bunch of wax in the dent. I hope it helped somewhat. Glad I stayed in because I was able to catch one stand out wave that took me all the way to 2in deep water. I didn't stay long, my back was starting to ache and I gave myself til 10 since I had work early the next morning. As I was getting out I saw a guy with a tripod and camera set up on shore. He was filming a guy and a girl jumping and doing funny poses. I get closer and see a camera rigged to the nose of one of boards. I chance it, and call out. "J?" Low and behold it was J who had just traveled to Baja with Matt. Maybe he got some good shots, I hope he posts them. In the mean time, I found this you tube for you to enjoy.
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