May 13, 2011 Friday

Bolinas	Channel
9:50 am to 11:00 am	1' to 2', sets to 3'
High dropping tide	Stiff NW cross wind
Sunny with high clouds, cool	Frustrating session

By the time I entered the water, everyone else had left, only one stand-up surfer and I were at the Channel. Six surfers were out when I walked down there to take pictures. This included Cazardero Cathy, Ray the Petaluma fireman, Hank, Laura, Paul and stand-up regulars Frank and Russ. That’s Ray in the above photo.

When I arrived I grabbed my camera, attached the 400 mm lens that Jacek had loaned to me and headed for the beach. Jeff from Mill Valley was suiting up and planned to head to the Patch, even though no one was out there. He was going for those inside rights that he loves so much. By the time I took photos and suited up, Jeff was out of the water and changing, job obligation he said. Ann did the same. She suited up while I headed to the beach to take photos. She too went to the Patch and was gone by time I suited up.

At the Groin I took a picture of Hank on his last wave. He rode it all the way to the beach, wrapped his leash around his new board and headed for the cars. He claimed there were a few decent waves. I chatted with Cathy when she exited the water. She hadn’t surfed in two months thus this morning’s session felt good to her. I also took a photo of Paul on his last wave.

“Paul, I just got here and you’re getting out.”

“I’m cold. The water is freezing and I have no feeling left in my toes.” Paul wasn’t wearing booties or gloves. The San Francisco buoy reported forty-nine degree water this morning. The big winds of the past two days had stirred up the bottom and bought the cold water to the surface.

I waved to the stand-up guys Frank and Russ as they were paddling back to the ramp. While I was taking pictures at the Groin, Laura got out of the water, ran back to her car to switch boards and re-entered the water, and by the time I entered the water, she was long gone.

After taking photos I met Steve the Bolinas local at the top of the ramp. After much thought, Steve decided he would go to the Patch simply because he likes the Patch better than the Groin. Steve waved to Grant who was suited up and briskly heading for the beach. When I reached the Groin wall suited up and board in hand, Grant was leaving.

“The sandbar is starting to become uncovered and the lefts are getting good. It was too deep while I was out there, but now with the tide going out it will get better.”

That sounded great, my expectations rose and I thought I was in for some good curls. But it never happened. The current was now pouring out of the lagoon and ripped right through the only peak at the center of the Channel. My strategy was to sit on the north edge of the impact zone and catch the lefts that broke over the shallow sandbar and peeled into deeper water. On my first wave I paddled at an angle into a left wave, dropped down a slow three-foot face, cut back, turned left hoping the wave would build up, it didn’t, I cut back again and turned left. The wave didn’t build up. I kept repeating the cutbacks and left turns until my skeg hit bottom in six inches of water. I didn’t do any better on my second wave. I took off late as the wave was breaking. To not lose momentum I remained prone. The wave hit the sandbar, sucked out, and the nose of my board went straight down and sent me tumbling.

I could feel the current pulling me outside and noticed that on the north side of the current the water was smooth. Little by little I worked my way over there. Good move, I connected on a couple of small lefts. But I caught them late and rode them lying down. On my best wave, I stroked into a late wave, jumped to my knees, cut left and shot through a nice section. I had executed by Josh the Bolinas fisherman move. I paddled around some more and caught a couple more non-descript small waves.

The wind picked up, white caps filled the horizon and the cold set in. I caught a good one that I rode until my skeg hit sand. That was it, and I was out of here. I rode soup to the shore and ended up twenty yards south of the Groin wall. By now the wind was howling and blowing my board all over the place. But I out smarted the wind. By walking in calf deep water, I held the nose of my board and let the tailblock float in the water. That way I was able to walk back to the ramp without having the wind blow my board and me all over the beach.

Invigorating exercise and warm clothes gave me that after surf session glow. Though the surf was frustrating, it was another beautiful Marin morning.