Tropical Storm Kiko passed by us yesterday, some 200 miles west, throwing solid 6 footers our way with most of the action concentrated inside the bay east of Punta Mita. My internal surfer’s alarm clock woke me at the stroke of 7:00 and by 7:45 I was in the water. The hardest question facing me, this day, was which spot to pick.
Session One: El Paredon. 4 1/2 hours. heavy rollers. shacks. consistent. 5 people in the lineup. steep and fast. glassy glass. dropping tide. got one half-second crouched tube ride to bail into full-on mixing bowl. lots of nice steep, fast drop-ins and cuts and some spectacular late take-off over-the-falls face plants. one negative though: almost got into a fight with a gringo after he snaked me twice and so I dropped in on him close enough to make him give me the whole “don’t mess up the vibe in the water” routine. he didn’t even get that I was making a point. and it did end up fucking the vibe up, so I won’t do that again. my bad. but he was way too inside to make that particular wave and well, it wasn’t the first time i’ve had that problem with this particular gabacho.
Mid-day Break: Chilequiles, fresh OJ and coffee at La Manzana Roja overlooking Bucerias Point. lines stacking up 10 deep. hollow 4 footers breaking in 3 feet of water, rocky bottom. Resting weary muscles, watching Reign Over Me. pretty great flick. the sound of bombs hitting the beach half a block away. another sesh? alright…
Session Two: 3 hours, late afternoon. same spot. slightly choppy but still no wind. rising tide. but still glassy. 7 people in the lineup. less consistent with longer waits in between sets. slightly larger 8 foot outside creeper sets. nice steep, heavy slightly open barrels. better vibe and shared enthusiasm. everyone tired. 3 consecutive almost-to-the-beach rides and an awesome end to an awesome day.
Today?: still sounds like bombs. do a little “work” and head out to check the action. nursing some heavy pit rashes.
Edit: 2:00pm seshin. same spot. sunny. heavy on-shore winds. blown out. choppy. one foot mush. 2 little mush hoppers and we’re outta here. kiko is officially over. but the water is absolutely the perfect temperature and it’s nice to see the sun after a few days of tropical storm related cloud cover.
