Saturday 11/19/11

Surfline reported this weekend to be at 1-2 ft, so I expected pretty flat conditions. I got to a late start (no big surprise there) plus I spent some time trying to take off my broken fin from last week, which didn't budge. So I just left it on, and filed down the tip so it wouldn't gouge someone's eye out.

I arrived at around 9, and from the parking lot I could see shoulders peeling everywhere. It looked niicceee and the sun was out shining bright. There were tons of parking spaces too, which confused me because of the good conditions. However it was late, so I assumed people had just left from their morning sesh. I smeared on some of my warrior paint, my blue zinc stuff, on my nose and cheeks, and was off. 

I paddled out and saw Shan, Shan the man, Shannie-Shan, right away. I've seen him sporadically lately, he's usually hovering in the outskirts of the pack or getting to the beach wayyy late when everyone is leaving. So we catch up a bit and he said he was leaving for Hawaii the next day, lucky duck. The waves were coming in super consistent. Klaude came by and said the waves were just getting better and I came at the right time. Score! It was pretty crowded, and guys were going for every wave, there were enough for everyone! Roy was having a field day, and was practicing his kick back maneuver. Man he's good.  He said, "Man, I know I should go, but I can't! The ocean won't let me!" 

I caught just a couple that day, the waves were fast and it was tough finding a good shoulder without someone else going for the same wave.  Christina and Apolla were out this morning too, but I found out they were just coming in when I was coming out, so I had just missed them. :( 

Klaude stayed out for a good while longer but went in maybe a half hour before I went in. The waves were definitely gradually getting bigger, with sneaker sets coming in and washing everyone back to shore. I was stuck a bunch of times in the inside, fighting the strong current and the walls of endless white water. I was getting tired toward the end of the sesh, my arms were spent and the water was getting choppy, so I took a last one in with Bruce and the other older woman who's on the foamie and is always wearing a hat. Bruce was super nice and helped unstick the broken fin for me. He tapped it a few times with a wrench and that unstuck it. He said that the salt water can get in the fin box and cause it to stick sometimes.