No sizzling story today; just a fun day in warm water and better-than-expected waves and conditions. Forecasts were for onshore winds - depending where you looked, maybe 2-3 mph to 8-10 mph - and a pretty paltry swell. The greatest draw was promise of 70+ degree water and a chance to break the dry spell of the past couple of weeks (see 6/23 post).
As is evident from the photo above and those that follow, we found quite playful, well-shaped surf and conditions approaching glassy. Wind wasn't an issue at all today and there were scads of waist-to-shoulder high, sometimes bigger, waves for the taking.
With maybe a half-dozen sticks out, the main peak looked a little crowded as I checked it out from the rail, but nothing at all compared to Cotton's, to the south! What's with that - really - click on the photo below for full-rez to see scores of sticks out there, waiting to vie for what???
By the time that we got out, though, the "crowd" at the main peak had thinned, so I swam out there, followed by now-octogenerian Neil Frank. The vibe was positive and for the next 2-1/2 hours, we all pretty much had our pick of waves at the main peak. Mark Ghattas had arrived in the lot before we headed out, and joined us shortly. I kept looking for (son) Joe, who had been only 5 minutes away when I was suiting up. With all of LA county, and most of Northern Orange County, basically flat, Joe had decided to join us in the altogether reliable Park. (As EY_\ was fond of saying..."the Park delivers!) Unfortunately, Joe carved an extra half-hour onto his run south by missing the Calafia exit and having to find a turn-around inside the massive stretch of Camp Pendleton.
Eventually, though, Joe got there, for a couple of hours of good fun, sharing waves in temperatures that made skinning it more than comfortable. Joe was getting a lot of good rides, inside, where he could grind out the cutbacks and work on his floaters, but didn't miss the opportunity on a few of the better formed set waves.
As the morning wore on, the sun burned through the overcast evident above, and DaArm put in a showing - after at least a year, and maybe double that, since riding with him, he's now put in for back-to-back sessions. Casey swam out our for a session "of the body" as well, so we had a good pod for a while. It was good to see Neil back in the water, as well.
As I headed back up the beach, I realized - or, more honestly, my wobbly legs reminded me - that in a "smallies" session, you catch about 5 times the number of waves as when it's really firing out there.
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