Well, the pattern since mid-October appears to be holding: I've got to surf a weekday to get a decent session. The Friday after Thanksgiving was the only reasonably decent outing since October. Again, the forecast for this weekend is meager, but I was able to sneak away from a conference in Torrey Pines to get in a nice little morning session in Del Mar this morning.
It was tought o know what to expect, with forecasts all over the map for both swell and wind. The morning cams didn't look great, but it was worth taking a look. Driving up the stretch between Torrey Pines and Del Mar, it looked pretty good - tending toward glassy and not as crumbly as I would have expected from the short-interval, NW swelI.
I got to the lot behind the 15th St LG HQ about 8:45 and walked out to find nice, clean, chest & shoulder-high waves and a glassy surface. One guy was surfing out front of the HQ (above), and a few peaks were scattered around. I wasted little time taking photos and headed back to don the 4:3 wetter, since reported water temp was 56, and that was warmer than the early morning air temp.
The water was indeed chilly getting in, but no "ice cream headache" on first dunk (or later). Eventually, I concluded it was probably more like 59. I swam straight out, and for 30 minutes traded waves with the lone surfer. Pretty consistent stomache - chest - shoulder high waves; well formed and nicely peeling. The sun was breaking through, illuminating a few blue-room tubes, and there were several long slides to the deep inside.
As the surfer exited, maybe 9:30, the first of the local bodysurfers arrived. First Bill, then Ray "Best Bodysurfer" Sullivan. Unfortunately, the switching of the guard occasioned a long lull - the better part of 20 minutes. Eventually, the energy picked back up, but not quite as good as those first 30 minutes.
With no wind, broken clouds and gradual warming, the water felt fresh and comfortable; almost warm. Responsibilities pulled me from the waves after 90 minutes, feeling the revitalization that only a successful surf session brings.
I can withstand another off weekend, now ... and, further downstream, there looks like there may be a real swell coming in on the 19th!
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