Session 4.134: Stoke 9! Many successes on Steep Take Offs

On most weekday dawn patrols, I just head straight to Linda Mar and then just try my best to surf whatever is available. On weekend mornings, I can be a bit picky, since I have a bit more time, I go visit several beaches then pick the best spot. This morning started out rather dismal as no real waves were breaking. I was rather becoming depressed and almost going to turn back and write a Stoke 0 report. But I kept on driving north. I pulled in at one of the beaches that I don't normally go. But today, looking over the cliff, the beach looked kind of quiet and the surface was all smooth like a lake. But you know you need to give at leat 10-15 minutes for sets to happen. So I anxiously await... then suddenly there were some few nice sets coming in. Wow! Then, I spotted our buddy Jason out with his red board, so if he was there then there was no reason not to go. I unloaded my Pearson Arrow 7'6 from the roof then opened the bag for the Takayama DT4. It was a long board day.

Jason was right. And the waves were some of the most fun ones that I have caught in my recent memories. They were not big but as usual, this place packs a lot more power than many other locations.

When shoulder level sets come in, they start to build slow but as they close in on the shore, they start to build up fast. Now I am paddling with much more power and speed into the waves. It quickly picks up the tail... now I am in the wave. A quick flick up and the I am up! Great, but the tail is still picking up really fast. I am pressing the back as hard as I can to stay on the wave, then the board is ready to really take off. Now with a bit weight shift to front and setting the rail the board does a real fast turn into the face of the wave! Success? The wave right in front of me is closing up. I can almost touch the wall, as a huge curtain of water starting to throw forward... I am being lifted up by the power of the wave again and I execute a quick cut back down the line!  It worked. I can't believe I did that. Then run almost all the way to the beach (since I still don't do a graceful pull out).

Fun!!! And with my stoke level pumping sky high with a big wide smile... Yeah! I want more of those, and paddle right back.

I did 7 or 8 of those today, probably the most I have ever done successfully in a session!

Now back to the regularly scheduled program...

LC:M