Watched the buoys all last night until I went to sleep after a billion errands and catching up on stuff on the home front. Bounced up a bit to 11 feet at a pure 20 seconds before I went to sleep last night. Woke up in the morning and it was about the same. Made some home made pancakes to fuel up before the session, and based going out at about 2 p.m. on the tide and swell arrival. Also last night I prepared three boards for use today . The first was the Rocket, which went to Hawaii in November and has not been used since. With rumor that this well was going to possibly be XXL, that’s the board of choice to go to when I venture south of the border to score fabled right point breaks when it’s maxed out everywhere else. But the buoy readings this a.m. were not “maxed out.” The Rocket needed a new wax job, trademark Red-X R2s put back on it, and a leash. Next up was 7-11 with a new leash installed. Then the winner, and weapon of choice, DP, the 8-6. Lots of people were talking about Saturday being big but it just was not materializing as planned, at least not on the reports and buoys. There were some trains of thought that Sunday/tomorrow was going to be the day and not Saturday. So since I was staying home, I wanted to take DP out for a good warm up and get re-acquainted with each other if the big stuff was indeed coming in 24 hours . I arrived to absolutely perfect conditions – like a summer January day. SSCB was just jammed packed with cars and people and sun worshippers and Nazbos and everyone else. Just a spectacular day. Surf looked to be running 5 to 7 foot with nothing too spectacular. Arrived in the lineup with completely dry hair – the result of long, long, long, loooooong lulls. Paddling out was like paddling across a glassy lake. Didn’t get my hair wet until duck diving through a wave after about three ridden waves. Trippy. Me ‘N DP were getting along just fine, and riding that board is a pure dream. I was definitely overgunned, but happily so. The waits were, for a better word, horrendously long. Like, 45 minutes between waves if you were sitting outside, which of course, we all know someone does. Ended up with only six waves in three hours, but I had a lot of fun, also anticipating tomorrow. And with nothing to do when I get home, can relax, watch, wait, monitor and see if there’s a trip for this swell involved or more like an overcall on the forecasts. Buoys remained stable at 10 to 12 feet most of the day and evening. But the Santa Ana conditions and such were just pristine and everyone was happy between the lulls just being out.
- Cliff
