June 29, 2008 Sunday

Bolinas	Groin & Patch
7:50 am to 10:20 am	Wave size
Mid – upcoming tide	Slight onshore breeze
High overcast – June gloom	Fun session

I surfed one hour at the Groin and then one hour at the Patch. The Patch was better. I should have been there from the start. 

I don’t surf on weekends, but today was an exception. I have been watching Stormsurf.com all week about the approaching south swell. Their prediction was this swell would peak at first light on Sunday and the tide would be right, a mid-upcoming tide. The rest of the week will be minus low tide in the mornings, thus Sunday was my best shot for waves. I’ll go early and beat the crowd. I loaded up the car the night before, set my alarm and the timer on the coffee pot for 5:30 am. Get up and go was my plan: up at 5:30 am, out the door by 6:00 am and in the water by 7:00 am.

I didn’t quite make it. I left the house at 6:20 am and entered the water at 7:50 am. The surf was not as spectacular as I had hoped. The Groin was two to three feet with sets to four feet and nobody was out at the Patch even though rideable waves were coming through.

The story of the day was the number of old friends that I encountered, “weekenders”, those who can only surf on the Saturdays and Sundays, those I rarely see anymore. 

When I was on the beach taking pictures, Ray the Petaluma fireman was just ending his session. I was dying to ask him if he was involved in fighting any of the 1000 fires that were currently burning through out the state of California. He mentioned that because he got to fight the San Diego fire for nine days last summer he was at the bottom of the call list. But now he was on the top because all the others had been called. The Petaluma department contributed one engine and crew. The engine has not returned for two weeks. At first they sent it to Santa Cruz, then moved it to Sonoma and it was now in Lake County. The truck stays but they bring in fresh crews via helicopter. It’s a busy time for all fire departments. Ray was planning to surf tomorrow if he does not get “the call”. 

I met Bio-diesel Ben suiting up. I hadn’t seen him in months. He was heading for the Patch. 

As I was suiting up John one of the owners of the 2-Mile Surf Shop came by. John is making a board for my son that is being glassed and will be ready next week. John asked me to collect my son’s old board which John used as a template, which I did. 

Kathy and Clark, the biology teachers, and a friend were walking up the Ramp. “The Dawn Patrol is leaving as I am entering the water,” I greeted them. They were at the Groin and got some decent rides. “There were eight people out there at 5:45 am,” they responded. The above photo is Clark on a good small curl. 

“That black van looks familiar,” I thought. Out stepped Ben my old work companion from Visa. I had just seen him at Pacifica last Thursday. He had his PJ’s on. “Ben did you sleep here last night?” I asked. “Yes to get a jump on the waves.” Ben also was watching the development of the south swell on the Internet. He too was suiting up to go to the Patch. 

Hank from Mill Valley showed up. Like me, he went out at the Groin and then moved to the Patch. I saw him sit way, way out there and connect on two set waves that he took right and went on and on and on. 

At the Groin I connected with Matt the knee boarder. He and I have been surfing at Bolinas for years, but since I retired I have rarely seen him. When I moved to the Patch, he decided to try the Seadrift side of the Channel. Later he told me that just he and one other guy were there and that they traded good right waves for an hour. Then the other guy left and Matt had it all to himself for another hour where he continued to score great right curls. Then a crowd showed up and Matt by now exhausted decided he had had his fill. 

Ann who drives the black jeep was out at the Groin. This woman has the surf passion. I have seen her at Bolinas every weekend for years and how she has improved. 

Robert the Larkspur carpenter was out at the Patch. He too sits way, way out there to connect with the big set waves. After some lengthy waits, I saw him catch a couple long rides. 

Andy and Claude paddled out to the Patch. I hadn’t seen Claude in the water since the week of the great right peak at the Groin last September. 

Andy, the Santa Rosa civil engineer, owns a condo in Los Cabos and I ran into him there a year ago March at the Costa Azul Surf Shop. I asked him if he had been to Los Cabos recently. He was there three weeks ago, Nine Palms on the east side of the Baja Peninsula was double overhead and he nearly drowned. He was caught inside when a huge wall of white water came at him, he bailed off his board, dove for the bottom, and the wave tumbled him good. He came up and another wave took him down. When he surfaced, he reeled in his board, got on it and in came another wall of white water. He tried to duck dive it, but the wave picked him up and sucked him down into the turbulence. Andy was doing cartwheels under water while hanging onto his board. The Patch was a piece of cake compared to this tale. 

I ran into Robin after my session. She inquired about the surf conditions and I told her I had better luck at the Patch. “I’m here with my twelve year old son he doesn’t want to put his wetsuit on.” 

“Robin, he doesn’t have the surf passion,” I responded. 

“Someday he will. You know how kids are. It’s like a switch being thrown. All of the sudden it will be the rage and I won’t be able to get out of water.” 

By now the fog had lifted, it was sunny and I contemplated how lucky I am. The day is beautiful, the waves are fun, and I am surrounded by companions who also appreciate these blessings.