January 4, 2012 Wednesday

Bolinas	Patch
10:20 am to 12 noon	2' to 3', sets to 4'
Mid outgoing tide	No wind
Sunny and warm	Good session

What a difference a day makes. Yesterday was foggy and cold. Today the fog was gone, the sky was bright blue, the sun was out and the air was warm. The waves had changed also. Yesterday they were bumpy, uneven and powerful. Today the swell had dropped in half (6 ft at 12 seconds) and had cleaned up. Powerglide, old man waves, my favorites - long clean lines, glassy smooth, consistent, easy going rides, no fear factor and no crowd.

Like yesterday the Channel waves were shortboard classics - steep, fast peeling curls - a little too fast for us old longboarders. Again Nate the co-owner of the Proof Lab Surf Shop in Mill Valley was out there ripping it up. That's him in the above photo on a good one. Marty caught a couple of fast rides and then was humbled by several hard-breaking close outs. He recommended that since the tide was dropping that I head for the Patch.

The early morning Bolinas crew was exiting the water when I arrived. I was late due to collecting water samples for Surfrider's water testing program. Stand-up guys Frank and Russ caught several waist long ones at the Patch. Jack the Dave Sweet team rider praised the clean lines at the Patch and insisted that I go there.

Jack then proceeded to entertain us with photos of his latest duck hunting trip and his vigorous detailed description on the best method for butchering them. He then pulled out a picture of this huge goose that he had bagged - six foot eight inches wingspan and weighted 12 plus pounds after it was dressed. He had his favorite butcher smoke it for him.

When I entered the water six surfers were at the far north end of the Patch at the area know as Green Africa (I don't know why it is called that). No one was at the middle peak or the south edge of the reef. Thus I was facing the long paddle to join the others. Paddling out over Robinson's Reef (inside edge of the Patch reef), a temping wave came through that I couldn't resist. I turned around and stroked into it. I was up and cruising right across a well-formed swell when I had to cut around the exposed inside rock and then weave through several shallow spots. The wave died and I gingerly dismounted in six inches of water. "What am I doing?" A few months go I clobbered my head on a rock in this same location. It was a good ride but why take the chance of landing spread eagle on the rocks. I paddled north, around the Patch reef to join the others.

After a few minutes, two of the surfers headed south to the middle peak. The remaining ones were beginners and were way, way on the inside, and they too soon exited the water. There I was all by myself. The closest surfer was fifty yards to the south and a few moments later he too was gone.

For over an hour I had the north peak to myself. I caught one long, clean left wave after another. I couldn't believe my good fortune; this was ideal - blue sky, sunny, warm, no wind, glassy conditions, long three to four clean waves and no one else in the water. And to think that due to the frustrating session I had yesterday that I almost didn't go out this morning.