Catching Up With Mrs. Swell

"Tito" doing his thing on his everyday wave.

I took a solo trip across the border Sunday.  I darted to my favorite point and found only about five guys out.  Took the GoPro out with me, caught some fun, "almost" head high waves.  But some of the rides were pretty long, longer than Instagram would allow, long.  Still, a great wave to practice a little shredding.  The morning was pretty fun, looked like that sneaker NW swell didn't sneak it's way in, so a south swell dominated the early hours.  Met a couple few cool kats, including OsideJon and Tito.  I surfed with Tito a few times before.  But for a Tito (which in Pinoy means "Uncle"), he always rips, throws a bunch of buckets and has the energy of a grom (dude can paddle forever!).  The evening sesh was fun also.  That NW sneaker swell woke up Teresita's and I had some really fun rides.  That spot reminds me of the Swift Street wave when it gets wild.  Super, open ocean kind of wave.  Fun, but will buck you off if you get too cocky and send you to the bottom where you'll be greeted to some sharp ass reef.

OsideJon  showing that O-side style.  Represent!

On Monday, I caught my favorite reef breaking at about the overhead "plus" range.  Some of the waves looked double overhead, especially the second one I caught.  I looked up after I made the drop, and just saw it trying to foam me.  On one wave, I took off pretty late, which caused me to go for broke and blow through a couple sections to the open face where I caught up with this longboarder chick.  She didn't look too happy that I caught up to her.  She was just cruising along the face, smelling the flowers, and looked back in disgust that I was cruising right along with her.  I would have rode that wave with her all the way to the stairs, but she decided to kick out and get all pissy.  But hey, closest to the curl has the right of way, right? I don't blame her for dropping in on me.  I was busy busting through sections and came out of the nowhere, foamball land.  But if your reading this longboarder chick, I would have shared that wave with you all the way to the rocks, no need to kick out, just ask Papi!

Open, clean, rippable  faces.  Plus some good tacos after. 

Working this little nugget.  Gotta do what you gotta do!

On Tuesday I hit Cottons.  It was a bit windy and marine layered but the waves were pumping.  Man was it good for about two hours.  And there was only about five guys out!  Two guys in front of Nixon's, me in front of my "spot" (I ain't telling!) and a couple at that peak that breaks near Barb's.  I took my GoPro out but it crapped out on me just before I caught my best wave of the session.  Because it was getting to be high tide, all the waves were overhead, thick chunkers.  I just paddled into mine, took a straight line down the face, put my rail and fins into the water when I hit the flats, aimed for that fat chunky lip and hit that bitch with everything I had.  I didn't see what I threw, but I'm assuming it was something because I came down screaming and had to make one of those extended, overdone cutbacks.  Good fun!

An unridden, overhead right at Trestles.  Hell just froze over. 

Cotton perfection.

On Wednesday after work, I headed out to Scripp's to find it just blowing up with short period nuggets.  Had to be within the 4-7 foot range.  I didn't see much corners, so I kept walking south.  I checked Green Wall, and it was bigger, and doing much of the same thing as Scripp's.  But then I saw Shores, and it was going off!  Lefts, rights, chunky ones and even some hollow hum dingers just peeling everywhere.  That session was pretty sick.  I caught some really fun ones.  On a few I would just pop some check turns to slow down and then pick off the inside reforms that would blast me all the way to the beach.  This session was by far my best session at The Shores (I only surfed there twice before).  What had me really laughing in my head was the paddle out.  It took me three attempts to make it back out after my third wave.  "You have to be kidding me!" is what I kept telling myself.  I'm an ex-SFOB surfer.  I should be ashamed of myself!  But it's all in good fun.  And good times.  Great to see fun, head high + waves again.  And to think, we have some more swell coming... Cheeeeee!

Cheeeeee!