Per force, this will be short on words tonight, but wanted to share a sampling of Hugh's great photography from this morning. Click on the photos to see full size/higher resolution - it's worth it!
When I arrived this morning, at high tide, it wasn't just swamped but the size was well under what we'd hoped. Shivering in the modest, off-shore breeze and low-50's air temperature, it was tough to be tempted to get in!
(HH, slotted)
After a half-hour's watch, without enough to tempt us out of warm clothes and into wetsuits and chilly waters, Mark Ghattas & I decided to give it some time and headed up to Adele's for a quick bite. On return, it proved a good decision.
(Mark Ghattas)
It was still smallish - waist to chest high (but was to grow significantly larger later) - but clean and hollow. The air didn't feel so cold, and Hugh was in the lot, waiting to suit up & shoot some water shots. The sand wasn't as frigid as it often is, walking barefoot in the winter, but the water was definitely chilly getting in! Soon, though, enjoying the Park, entirely to ourselves - nobody within a 1/2 mile - with gradually building, consistent, hollow peaks, we were warm enough for a two-hour session which finally ended due to exhaustion rather than cold.
Through the two hours, it gradually picked up, until, by 11:00, head high and even overhead waves were regularly appearing (finally attracting a few sticks). Still, the wind stayed benign - offshore or some side-shore, holding the rights open.
If you like these shots, enjoy more at Hugh's smugmug site: http://hughbphoto.smugmug.com/
My
two most memorable rides of the morning began early on with one of the
hollow rights. It lined up perfectly, and as I dropped in, Hugh was at
the end of the line with his camera. As I slid, directly toward the
black " O " of the camera housing, the lip arched up and enclosed us -
me on one end, camera on the other. I so hoped the shots came out. The
top shot, above, and then this shot below were the gratifying result!
High-Res Flickr Version Here
The later, most memorable, was a moderate-sized left that I dropped into upon Hugh's urging. As the feathering lip overtook me, I prepared for the expected close out, but, as I continued to slide, the light remained constant inside the tube. A couple of seconds passed, and the light grew as the feathering lip receded and I pulled out into the open face of the wave - a complete coverup and out again - my holy grail of bodysurfing! Hooting, I continued in until the fade out at shore.
Above, Mark and I debrief the morning in the lot at Calafia, a few short steps from the water.
