January 29, 2013 Tuesday

Bolinas	Groin
9:00 am to 10:00 am	2’ to 3’, sets to 4’
Mid upcoming tide	Cold north offshore breeze
Partial sunshine with high thin clouds	Freezing session

Cold was the story of today’s session.

“You know that it has dropped ten degrees since yesterday,” Jacek the tattoo artist called down to me as I was starting up the ramp after checking out the waves. “The thermometer at my house was 55 yesterday at this time and this morning it was 44, a ten degree drop!”

I knew it was going to be cold and that confirmed it. White caps covered the seas when I drove over the mountain, but it was glassy at Bolinas since it sits in the lee of the ridge.

“Jeff how’s the wind at Dillon Beach?” Jeff the Dillon Beach boat mechanic had just pulled in as I was suiting up.

“It’s blowing like hell. The wind started up Friday night and has not let up for three days.” A high-pressure front was pushing out the low pressure setting up a high wind gradient.

My hands were turning numb just zipping up my wetsuit. When I entered the water, ten points along my legs screamed cold, again reminding me that I need a new wetsuit. Fortunately Kevin gave me a new pair of booties for Christmas so my toes were warm. After an hour the cold was setting in. My fingers were numb and my body was freezing, time to go in. A lite cold breeze was moving across the water, but as I moved up the ramp, the wind picked up. At the cars, a cold wind ripped down Brighton Ave. Remembering my high school physics, moving air across a wet surface causes evaporation, and evaporation draws the heat out of the object. Thus exposing wet skin to a cold wind like todays would just suck the heat out of my body. Knowing this, I kept my gloves and wetsuit on as long as possible. Then the trick was to change into dry clothes as fast as I could. The gloves came off and my hands began to stiffen. When the hands become numb, the hands become weak and I lose strength in my fingers and my ability to grip things – like my booties to push them over my heels, same with getting the legs of my wetsuit over my feet. With a concerted effort I managed to pry myself out of my wetsuit, but it was difficult. The cold wind persisted blowing and by the time I changed into dry clothes my fingers and toes were numb.

All surfers have their routines to deal with the cold. I noticed that Jeff keeps his warm, thick jacket on as long as possible. There he was with his wetsuit over his legs and body, his booties on and his jacket still wrapped over his shoulders. Hank as soon as he pulls his wetsuit down past his arms he puts on a down snow jacket. My son Kevin keeps his socks on as long as possible – meaning he pulls his wetsuit on over his body and legs while leaving his socks on. He removes one sock and puts on one booty, and then removes the second sock and pulls on his other booty.

My surfing re-hab continued today. In one hour I caught three waves – one on my knees where I moved through a nice right curl, and two lying down. By the time the waves picked me up I had to push on the nose of the board to get into the waves, which didn’t leave me time to stand up. Again I paddled for numerous waves and missed them.

The others were cutting up the waves, especially Jacek on his round-nose eight-foot board. The waves were steep and nicely peeled in both directions. Those who could jump up quickly, like Jacek, had great sessions. Hank, David who rides the Becker board, professor Steve and Dexter the Bolinas local all connected on fast curl rides. The waves improved as the tide came in and the offshore wind increased. I exited the water after an hour and as I walked down the beach I watched Jacek skillfully stroke into a four-foot peak, cut right, run to the nose and stand there as the crisp curl folded over behind him. Good ride. Someday I will be back to that level.

To top off the morning Hank and I had breakfast at the Parkside Café in Stinson Beach. A warm restaurant, hot coffee, eggs and sausage were the perfect recipe for getting the cold out of my body.