Sure Beats Not Surfing

I'd been standing on the Del Mar Lifeguard HQ deck for maybe 15 minutes, watching small, generally crumbly surf roll in under a heavy cloud cover; waiting for some of the Del Mar crew from our Nicaraguan trip to show.

A surfer that had been standing beside me, checking it out, greeted a buddy exiting the water: "Is it as bad as it looks?'

"Had some fun," came the reply, "sure beats not surfing!"

Shortly thereafter, I saw the guy, now suited up with board under arm, heading out, wearing a smile.

"Persuaded you?" I asked.

"Shamed me into it," he responded with a grin.

Shortly, Chris Lafferty and Jodi Hubbard had arrived and we were suiting up ourselves.  Cool air and heavy overcast notwithstanding, some of the early crew of surfers had persuaded me that the water had warmed sufficiently that even a shorty wetsuit was plenty.  I took their word for it and was pleased to feel the cool but comfortable water as I waded out.

Waist high rollers were plentiful, occasionally larger.  Though most were pretty crumbly, a few had cleaner faces and, for a while, there was a surprising number of fun little waves.  Froggy joined us shortly, so four of the Nica dozen enjoyed a stretch of Del Mar to ourselves, hemmed north and south by a surprising crowd of surfers.  

Unfortunately, the wind was rising and the burst of energy we'd found upon first getting in faded, so we called it after about an hour.  As we exited, the Del Mar Bodysurfing Club regulars were starting to congregate on the shore.  It was great to see Meredith (also from the Nica trip), along with DMBC doyen Vince Askey as well as John Hughes and Ray Sullivan.

Yeah, gotta agree, it sure beats not surfing!