April

Today I paddled out at a reef just around the corner from my home.  The waves were small, pretty inconsistent and lacked that "oomph" that one get's from an actual swell.  When they did come, there were longboarders out back, catching it in it's infancy, gliding past me as the wave broke against that sea grass covered reef.  There wasn't much people out, just me and five other guys.  There was one grom in the water.  I was wondering why he was out surfing instead of having his head buried in a geometry book at school.

The water was clear, I could see these big, goldfish looking things loitering around the sea grass below.  The water was so clear I could see the sand sway off the reef below my board.  The sun was out, had to be about eighty degrees.  Women were on the beach near that grass hut in their bikinis reading while guys with no shirts loitered around them like that big 'ol goldfish below me.  It didn't matter that there weren't much waves, and when there were, all six of us paddled for them at the same time.  Because in the end, three of us greeted each other, shook hands, talked about our lives, our misadventures, heaven, death and Bob Marley.  And without hesitation, we agreed that even though the surf was not particularly well, at least we weren't boxed up in a overhead cubicle but rather free, roaming that wet, salty plain.  Days like this are just as epic as days when the waves won't stop.  No other place I'd rather be.

The video above is kinda a lullaby for April.  April wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  We had a bunch of combo swells that hit our region, and towards the end of the month we had the mighty Santa Ana's roll through that made for some great surf if you found the right spot.  This is my second round of Santa Ana's since I've lived in San Diego.  I hit a certain spot north of San Diego County and found waves that were groomed to perfection.  It took a couple more strokes to get into them than usual, and the take offs were mostly blind, but once I made that drop and wiped the water out of my eyes, clean, long walls were lined up all the way to the beach.

There were also a  couple of really good wind swells that hit our region.  I hit the beach early to beat that dreaded south wind during those sessions and on one of those days as I walked to my car after a superb session, I was held up on the beach side of the promenade as the La Jolla Half Marathon participants ran by.  I sat on the concrete divider for thirty minutes in my wetsuit, cheering those folks on.  I give them much props.  You'll never catch me running that or any race.  I'm a goldfish, through and through.

Til next time!