With DP in the back of the pickup once again and rising up over Hill Street and down toward the Cliffs, it was a sight to behold. Corduroy lines stretched to the horizon and I was like, “whoo-hoooo!” putting the rig in neutral and cruising down hill. Trying to catch a glance of “little black dots” way out in the lineups, however, did not see anyone at all! I was like, the high tide must be killing it because I can’t see anyone out. Today I was here earlier than normal – about 10:30 a.m. right at high tide. Wanted to surf two hours before it, two hours after it, then catch at least one football playoff game. As I got onto SSCB, there was a serious lack of cars, a serious abundance of surf, like 25mph ENE offshores, horsetails flying out the back of waves – and like, where TF is everyone? This isn’t happening, is it?? Like, there was hardly anyone out – anywhere. Hurry! It was so good looking that I had to break the rules and tell SOMEONE. Sent out an insta-surf-report-text to a good friend. Said he’d be there in 20 minutes! My bad. I packed the lineup out with one guy. I suited up like a mad man when I saw less than 10 people out, and even less than that mingling topside. I mean, WTF? Fine, I’m in. Then a really epic session started. The last month or so…I dunno…felt like I was not surfing very well at all, personally. A down phase or something like that. But today everything changed – breakout session! Could have been lack of crowd. Could have been equipment. Could have been physical condition. Could have been mental state. Could have been a million things. But none of that stuff mattered because my session today was just epic. It was like a mini Sunset Beach out there, or a mini Mavs or something. Six to eight, howling offshore, 10 guys or less, no heavy crowd or vibes or attitudes. I went right to work. Got hung up in the lip on the first right with the howling and blinding offshores, standing up, flopped the board up and down in blinding spray to start advancing down the wave…lost precious seconds, got swallowed up in a huge waterfall of whitewater on easily a 10 to 12 foot face, and miraculously made it to the bottom and got shot out in front of the wave like a 500 pound shell coming out of a 16 inch gun on the U.S.S. Missouri. Then the howls and hoots and screams from half the gallery echo around the face as I burn a turn and make the whole damn wave in the morning light. It’s on now.
DP just sliced into every wave I caught, with the swell seemingly rising with each set. Not paddling for shoulders or dodging, the confidence level was so high, paddled for the center of the peak and dropped into everything I could get. That’s what I call “surfing un-impeded.” No one in the way, no hassles, no paddle battles, no rip – nothing but open rights the entire time, take what one wants. DP is so special. All you have to do is paddle the thing into the wave and just stand the hell up and you’re in, no matter what the wave looks like or does. Funny thing is, the surf was so good that my text alerted friend came out, snagged six waves in about an hour, the left fully satisfied. As the session progressed, unfortunately size came down really rapidly with the lower tide, which is like, exactly opposite of what one would expect, which is why I was there literally the opposite of when I normally would be there in the late afternoon.
‘Cept I was the early bird that got the bombs today. I had one mis-step. Chased a few smaller ones a little inside, then turned around on the 8-6 only to see a major set coming through, and took about six waves on the head and got pushed into the shallow spot on the left and punished in there for the entire set. Basically had to stay off the board and dive under all of them. No dangers – no one was on the waves, and no one behind me. Made me tired, but still determined to keep going. Wanted to stay out all day. But I had other plans. Seems like I had a piece of almost every set that came through for four hours (with only one set on the head!). Hungry. Exited the water, called up Pizza Hut, ordered that new fangled “Big Dipper,” picked it up, took it home, and arrived home late in the first quarter to watch the Jets/Pittsburgh game. Proceeded to eat 17 of the 24 pieces of the dipper! That was kinda disgusting, actually. So are the number of rights I got the last nine out of ten days – ZERO lefts! That thought came to me as I sat there full of pizza and unfortunately watching NY blow the first half then try the come back in the second, but it was a little too much a little too late. And of course, I thought, too much of a good thing IS a good thing, DP, Waves, Rights, nine out of ten days in the water and the day’s endless supply of uncrowded rights and blazing sunshine…too much pizza too. Look at the size of that right! Looks like a mini Sunset Beach or Mavs! Unfortunately I must have been moving or paddling when I took it due to the blurryness. Bummer that it is blurry, but at least gives the water perspective of the day’s spoils. What a great session! I LOVE my 8-6! Whoo hoo!
- Cliff
