April 29, 2013 Monday

Bolinas	Patch
9:40 am to 10:40 am	6 inches, sets to 2’
Low tide (-1.2 ft at 9 am)	No wind to slight offshore breeze
Bright sunshine – heat wave conditions	Exercise session

“Hey you have to wait for the sets,” Jacek yelled to me after I missed another wave at the inside right peak at the Patch.

“That was a set!” I responded.

There were no waves; the sea was FLAT. It was questionable about going out. Stormsurf forecasted a 5 ft swell at 9 seconds from 310 degrees, which was too north to get into Bolinas. The site also predicted a new south would start this evening and build over Tuesday and Wednesday. What little swell we did see must have been the start of the south swell from New Zealand.

The weather had shifted again and a new high-pressure front had locked in over the Bay Area setting up a week of higher than normal temperatures. The Weather Channel predicted a high of 81 degrees for Bolinas – beach weather, warm sunshine and light winds, swell or no swell I had to go.

Only a few cars were in the parking area when I arrived. Jacek the tattoo artist was walking up the ramp from checking the waves. He gestured that the waves were tiny by pinching his finger and thumb together.

“We’re too far out there, here take my lens,” he commented as he was suiting up and I was on my way to take some photos. He handed me his 400 mm telescopic lens – a two-foot piece of equipment that weights about three pounds, which I gladly accepted. The lens helped but the waves were still tiny. I did catch a flock of migrating ducks cruising a few feet above the water in the above photo. Notice the horizon, I believe that white spray is the sprout of a whale.

David who rides the Becker board and Frank the stand-up guy were out beyond the outside rock. Due to this morning’s minus tide, all of the Patch reef rocks were exposed. David and Frank caught a couple slow waves that peaked around the rock. Jacek paddled outside to join them. He too connected on a couple of slow ones and had to use all his surfing skills to stay in these powerless ripples. Only skilled surfers can do that. It’s like sailing – only the best sailors can keep the boat moving in light winds.

When I paddled out Jacek was way inside. He claimed there were some decent inside right waves near the rocks and that the push from the rising tide would improve the waves. It never happened. After thirty minutes David drifted inside to join us. A few ripples would come through, Jacek could catch them but I couldn’t. I got into three of them, jumped up to my knees and leaned forward on the nose to keep my board in the waves.

After an hour, we gave up and went in. But we both agreed that it was not a waste of time. The beautiful morning with its bright sun, blue seas, warm water (relatively speaking – warmer than last week), and ospreys and ducks flying overhead made our day.

I topped off the morning by having lunch at the Parkside Café in Stinson Beach and writing this up.