Summer Surprise at SCSP

There was surprising size, shape and consistency in the Park this morning.  The guy below was blowing it up when I arrived and joined South Bay denizen Paul Tordella at the rail to check it out.

Looking closely, you'll conclude that sometimes, perspective is everything!  We enjoyed watching this guy, and his diminutive buddy in the water for a bit before suiting up (66 degree water) and swimming out.

Some of the larger stick-riders were enjoying the glassy, shapely swell as well, but it appeared fairly inconsistent and maxed out at about shoulder-high.  But enough to draw us in, for sure.

The air was warm and winds calm, so I opted for the spring shorty, which was perfect for the two-hour session. 

There were only a couple of sticks out, down closer to the rocks, so we took the Main Peak for our own.  Virtually as soon as I reached the line up, a surprisingly thick right popped up, approaching head-high size, and I dropped into what was to become a wide arching tube of emerald that held open for precious seconds.  Wow!  Hadn't seen that from the shore.

  

In the ensuing two hours, Paul, Mark Ghattas and I enjoyed surprisingly consistent shoulder to head high surf, even with occasional pluses.  It was very peaky, with lots of corners from which to launch long slides to the deep inside.  The speed of the curl was perfect for bodysurfing, not to fast to keep up with, but sustained and open, and often hollow.

Through the session, the sticks kind of came & went, but it never got crowded and there was a positive vibe, unusual for summer.  It helps when there's lots to go around.  Throughout, we had our pick of waves from the rocks up to the Main Peak.

Mid-session, it was nice to get some props from the lifeguard truck as it swung by on its rounds.  Instead of the usual call for swimmers to stay away from the rocks or head south down the beach, the loudspeaker carried a respectful message, reminding the bodysurfers in the water (the three of us) to be aware of the rocks and have fun.

Compared to two weeks ago, the swell then certainly was larger and the best waves perhaps better, but today there were so many!  We expected small and inconsistent, and instead found mid-size, very consistent and great shape.  A real Park session!

So, anyway, back to the little guys...

They continued to rip for another hour or so while we were in the water ... a fun diversion between waves.

Remember ... for a bodysurfer, almost every wave is overhead...!