Tag: dawn patrol

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Closeouts

Surf: 3.9 ft at 10.8 s from WNW at 288°. Incoming tide.

I’m sooo out of practice for closeouts. Given that closeouts are often the only thing Linda Mar has to offer, I’m usually fine to throw myself into them for a while. It’s a game of chicken with gravity that sometimes has hilarious results.

This summer was pretty mellow so I didn’t spend the whole thing groveling in the wash like I normally do. As a result, I’m skittish. I don’t want to paddle for a wave about to slam shut.

After passing on wave after wave, I finally got a few little corners to ride including a really fun ankle slapper of a wave in for the day. Guess closeout jumping is something else I’ll need to work on.

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Friday

Surf: 3.6 ft at 8.3 s from WNW at 299°

Sometimes it feels like all there is to surf is junky windswell. Fought quite a bit to get into anything, but still made the most of it.

Looked like there was a class about to paddle out, turned out to be a memorial. If anyone’s interested, the family is taking donations for Baykeeper.

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Offshore, crowded

Surf: 6.9 ft at 12.1 s from WNW at 298° Offshore blustery winds

Waist high and blustery with low water visibility and high crowds. Struggled quite a bit, but got something. Sitting on the inside is a challenge, especially at this particular spot. I feel like I’m infront of a firing squad and spend more time getting out of the way than surfing. It is an interesting perspective tho. I can see what people are up to a little easier. Watched a dude with a go pro drop in on everyone, absolutely everyone. Wow. Nice to have a warm wind.

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Cold water carpool

Surf: 7.9 ft at 12.1 s from WNW at 287°

Yay cold water! Yay carpooling!

My car spent my mexico trip camping out in a safe place while I was off getting melted in the sun.

While the waves were just okay at best, it was really nice to be back in cold water. Sure 90° water SOUNDS nice, but in the hot Mexico sun, it’s brutal. 55° water is just what I needed to recover.

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Finally!

Surf: Chest to Head high. Clean.

After yesterday’s timid approach, I wanted to spend my last morning in Mexico giving my favorite spot my all.

I paddled out, I went for a wave, I almost didn’t make the wave and opted for my patented Linda Mar mush move: jump on the nose and get in a good two handed paddle to push you over the edge. It worked.

Keep in mind, I had not yet actually ridden my Vaquero on a wave over waist high. And now, I’m standing on the nose on a head high wave realizing that these boards go really REALLY fast.

Holycrap.

I stepped back mid way through the drop and laid on the rail trying to make the bottom turn. I don’t think I’ve ever leaned so far into a wave without falling over. I made it. SWOOOOSH.

Top turn SWOOOOSH.

Rocks OHNO.

Kickout! WHEW.

I finally got a real wave! Yesssss.

Alan, a regular I’ve seen on our last few trips down, yelled “Nice one, Barbie Doll!” and laughed. “Oh, you got a little board now! Yeah? You gonna get all the waves now!” Ha.

I got another fun swooping wave at the main peak, then headed over to where Aaron was picking off lefts.

I struggled a little bit there for a while. We didn’t have a ton of time. We had to get back, pack up, and hit the airport.

After a few failed attempts to get into something, I got set up perfectly for a nice long steep wave. I got in and the board was off like a rocket. I was barely holding on. I saw Alan on the shoulder. He threw me a shaka and pretended to snap a pic. I hear Aaron on the inside cheering. So, so stoked.

I headed in, happy to have finally got a few good waves in Mexico. 😀

Additional note. If you step on like, a dozen sea urchins on your way in, def get those spines out before sitting on an airplane for several hours. All the spines I got right away: fine. The one I didn’t get around to until after I landed in SF still hurts almost two months later.

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Getting Frustrated

Surf: Knee-Shoulder high. Glassy.

Pout snarl growl snarl. Okay okay, taking a new board on a trip might not have been the best idea. I’m really struggling to get into waves and having a hard time with the crowds a Sayulita. Yeah, I know it sucks when you’re break is overrun by tourists, but man, between the kids and the tourists, sitting inside was getting scary. Sitting further outside I plain wasn’t getting in to anything.

I don’t think I’m paddling properly. I feel like I’m getting close to getting into the wave and just not making it. There’s a lot of timing work I need to do and being on a new board and an unfamiliar break is not the place to do it. I’m also getting cooked in this heat. Even early in the morning I’m roasting. It’s not helping me keep things in perspective.

Leaving the beach, I was waiting for Aaron to buy some pastries when I felt a weird tug on my board. I look back to see a street dog gumming away at my tail. I stared at it, and it quit with no damage to the board, but that was just enough to put me over the edge to really grumpy.

Time to surf somewhere else.

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Not as easy

Surf: Knee to Chest high. Glassy.

Aaron and I got up early to Hit Sayulita again. The sun doesn’t come up till 8am, so “dawn” patrol is pretty relative.

There was a fleet of French women out, swooping in on all the waves. I snuck in a few as ALL of the women would take the same wave at the same time so I could pretty much pick up the next wave.

I was still struggling tho.

The first day had been so easy. Now I couldn’t get into anything. I was paddling so hard and getting nothing. I don’t know what happened. :\

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Thursday

Surf: 4.6 ft at 10.0 s from NW at 308°

Windy, waist high and closed out. Ehh. I’m still grumbling about how I’ve been surfing like crap lately. Oh well, sunshine.

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North end

Surf: 4.3 ft at 16.0 s from the S at 182°

Ran into Jessie in the parking lot. Always nice to put a name to the face. 🙂

Caught a few mid-north, but there was a bit of a crowd and north north was looking a little interesting. Watched Jesse get a few, watched a bodysurfer get a really nice long one yeeeeew. But other than that, the waves were a little funky. There are days when it seems the waves are ONLY breaking in the rip. It’s weird.

Ahh well, sunshine!