So after feeling pretty down, we’ve had an upswing in swell these past few days. nothing super-intense, but at least chest high.
Last weekend, we surfed five sessions in three days. a tiny swell sent waist high waves our way and we took full advantage of them, after nearly two months of flat seas. By Sunday, I was glad to have the day off.
On Wednesday, we heard talk of a hurricane off the coast of Cabo, yet all the swell reports were saying a southwesterly swell was coming our way. Wednesday night, around ten, the bombs started to drop and I could literally feel the slight vibration, two blocks away from the beach in my apartment. I text’d the crew and we all slept like giddy school children in anticipation of waking up, Thursday, to a massive swell. Thursday morning we were at the break by 7:45am. It wasn’t as pounding as we had hoped but chest to head high was great, cloudy conditions and very glassy. We chose El Paredon, for it’s hard access, point-break and it’s nice steep drop. On good days El Paredon gets nice thick tubes. Today wasn’t one of those days, but we ripped it anyway. Only three of us in the water the whole time. The sets just kept coming, for an hour or so, one after the other: grab a wave, paddle back to the line-up, repeat. I took the new Flyer II and it took me about an hour and a half to get proper control of the board. new board syndrome. after awhile though I had some really clean, nice rides. As we headed back down the beach, passing Veneros, there must have been thirty people in the water. This is a lot for such a small, dangerous spot. The waves were walled up, over-head, heavy, fast and short lived. All the short board chargers were out ripping it up. Nice wave, but I freak a little bit as I take that drop and I look down to twelve inches of near transparent water and a crap load of boulders underneath, i just don’t have the cojones.
Later that day we went back out to Burros, for the low tide, sunset session. at least 20 people in the water. and the wave size had gone down dramatically. we were hearing stories of ten footers rolling in, in the morning. No matter, I made the best of it. Got my exercise for the day, paddling it out with the other ten güeys, vying for each wave. I grabbed the fish to ease the paddling strains on my already hurting neck and shoulders, had some really nice long rides. Burros is a slow, lazy wave, but when you hit it just right, there’s nothing better. One wave I was getting behind on and losing my balance, so I just jumped into the crest of the wave and road it on my stomach for like fifty yards. it was super-fun.
All indicators pointed to continuing swell today, so we headed out at 8:00am to catch another session. As we got to Destiladeras, we could see that not much was happening. Pato and I were not so happy. As we made it down the beach we were torn between Veneros and El Paredon. Veneros had chest to head high waves, with six cats in the water. The wave wasn’t too heavy, today, but still pretty walled up. We walked over to El Paredon and checked the break. Two cats out there, floating around, waiting for the sets. I chose Veneros, so I paddled out caught a couple waves, but nothing too fun. After awhile I headed in and made for El Paredon. The waves there were definitely smaller but oddly longer then usual. I grabbed the first of an incoming set and had a really nice long ride, making three different transitions and all sorts of nice little cuts. The wait in between sets was longer but still some nice looking waves rolling in. much faster than Burros.
I’m dead tired, now. My neck and shoulders are one big ball of clentched, tangle muscle mass. I could use a massage or rather a small dose of electric, chiropractic stimulation. I’m all beat up. Bone bruises on the tops of my feet from hitting the board, cuts on my wrist from jamming my toenails into them as I jump up on the board, scabs on my nipples from wearing tshirts in the water (word to the wise: drop the hipster poli-cotton blend and stick to 100% cotton), my back is pealing from I-don’t-know-how and every muscle in my body in total paralysis from way too much exercise.
What to do on a day like today? What else, go to the movies, kick back in an a/c’d theater with a large coke and popcorn watching some dumb hollywood thriller. pure heaven. The swell report talks about a large hurricane moving up the coast sending swell our way all week long, when it rains it pours or rather I hope so, cuz ya never know.
