Sunday, 11 ft at 17 seconds. Horizon starting to show but not break...when it starts to break, the sandbars closer to shore get wonky.
7 AM, more or less at max flood. Winds offshore. Inside current pushing south.
Good lulls for the outside but the inside was not so nice on the 8'6", though once outside, the extra paddle speed was plenty nice.
Just two others where I was when I finally got outside, but we were all about a 3/4 a block apart. Maybe some further north at the bigger peaks there were a few more. Decided to use the paddling muscles I have left to catch waves and stay in position...sigh, what is happening to me? Where is the drive?
Got a quick easy left, the confidence builder, followed by the 'why did I trouble myself?" sprint back outside. Avoiding getting mashed gave a me a bit more confidence and served the usual reminder that even I do get a good ride, nothing is free.
Another left was all drop, and easy paddle back.
Long wall could have stayed open, but I wussed out then had to sprint to get the hell out of the way of the rest of the set. That moment when I popped over the back and the offshore driven spray fell like rain filled me with nostalgia for other similar moments.
Then a bunch of waiting and me being cautious and not being in the right place no matter where I paddled. Hmmm, maybe a few others around would have helped me suss out the line-up better. Maybe the tide change had something to do with things as well.
A big right was all drop and one bottom turn with minor clobbering...so much for that 'take the 3rd wave' and you'll be fine crap...stupid 8 wave set.
Took me a while to get back out and by then I was way south.
Last wave was smaller than the big two waves that were all drop, but this left walled up super nicely and didn't really back off until just before the inside, which sucked because then I paddle to paddle too much board into a pitching inside overhead grinder. Thankfully got into it early and was able to keep the nose up, but all I did was aim straight in.
Long walk back to the car.
One guy asked me how it was.
"Pretty good," I said, "would have been better if I was better."
At home, ate some peanut butter on waffles and scramble eggs, followed by tree fern trimming.