Bolinas
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Patch
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10:30 am to 11:45 am
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2' to 3', occasional 4'
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High dropping tide
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No wind to slight onshore breeze
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Air temp: 65 degrees
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Water temp: 62 degrees
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Overcast early to patchy sun
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Fun session
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Happy
birthday to Jack the Dave Sweet team rider (age 70) and Russ the stand-up guy
(age 68). Again the Bolinas Surf clan gathered to celebrate our brethren.
Check
out the attendees in the photo above (from left to right): Larry (Russ'
brother), DB the Safeway checker, Ann from Bolinas (Jack's friend), Jack, Russ,
Susan without her sunglasses, Mary, Frank the stand-up guy, Don from Bolinas
(Ann's husband), and Steve the Bolinas local.
Again
congrats and thanks to Susan for putting on a superb spread: home made
chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and sprinkles, a big plate of chocolate
chip oatmeal cookies, one gallon of Starbucks dark roast coffee and a quart of
orange juice. Jack's wife provided a tray of sliced fruits – strawberries,
cherries, cantaloupe and watermelon.
Again
we scheduled the gathering at 9 am – that time period between the dawn
patrollers and us of the gentlemen's hours. But today I was the only one on
gentlemen's hours. Everyone else was in the water early and came in for our
celebration.
"Susan,
the cake is great. Is it Betty Crocker?"
"Betty
Crocker?!" she responded with some force. "No way. I made that from
scratch." Later on Susan explained that she had Googled "the world's best chocolate cake
recipe," and up popped the one she used, a dark chocolate cake.
Again,
everyone ate well, had a good time and agreed that we should do this more
often.
The
surf at the Patch was good and conditions were ideal – consistent 2 to 4-foot
right peeling lines, no wind to light onshore breeze, smooth surface to
slightly textured and only a few people out. Stormsurf.com explained that two
storms (a hurricane and a tropical gale) south of Mexico had turned northwest
towards Hawaii and were sending two pulses of south swell our way. The first
arrived this morning, would peak tomorrow and fade over the weekend. The second
would show up early next week. We were looking at a consistent string of 2 to
4-foot lines hitting the Patch for the next seven days. Today's prediction was
2-foot south swell at 15 seconds. Mary, Jack and Larry were on them this
morning before our celebration. I watched Mary connect on one at the furthest
peak and continuously stayed locked in the curl all the way to the shore. Jack
did the same on his last ride. He loved the inside rights. He was on them for
three hours yesterday and for three hours this morning.
"Loren,
my board will be shaped today," Jack greeted me as he exited the water.
"You're
getting a new board?"
"Yes.
John told me he would shape it today?"
"John?"
"John
Moore," he responded. John is Mystic Surfboards and the former owner of
the 2-Mile Surf Shop. "It will be a Patch board. One especially made for
the Patch: 9' 6" in length, 3.25 inches thick, 23 inches wide, 19 inches
in the nose and a 7 inch square tail. I need something that will get me into
the waves early."
"Thus
one with little rocker, a paddling machine?"
"Yes,
and you should get a new board also." Jack had finished his painting job
in Bolinas, had been paid and was treating himself to a new board. It should be
ready by the end of August and he promised to let me try it out.
I
had a ball out there today. I brought my bigger board, the 9' 4" Becker,
which is longer, wider and lighter than my Haut. I immediately felt the
difference in paddling speed and caught a ton of waves in the 90 minutes. Earlier
I saw the surf campers heading our way. "Oh no! I just got out here,"
I said to myself. Fortunately the instructor took them to the north side of the
reef – where the little kids had a great time. Steve from Encinitas, another
surfer and I were the only ones on the inside right peeling peak for over an
hour. We shared wave after wave.
When
I left at noon it was sunny and warm. I had that surfing glow from vigorous
exercise and the prospects for the next few days looked good. I bought Kate
some flowers at the Farm Stand and listened to classic surf music from my iPod
as I took in the sweeping view of the Pacific Ocean at the top of the Panoramic
Highway. It was a great day.
Click
on the link below to view this morning's photos.
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