September 15, 2014 Monday

Exostosis

"Exostosis," it's called Exostosis. Surfer's ear is Exostosis.

This morning I took care of my Surfer Ear problem. Dr. Romero Agbayani using a 1-millimeter chisel operated on my left ear to remove the boney material that had developed in my ear canal. At Marin General Hospital, his team put me to sleep, operated for two hours, claimed the operation was a success and released me in the afternoon. I walked out with a small sponge taped inside my ear canal, a bottle of eardrops and some antibiotics for good measure. I was told to keep it dry and to return in a week to see how it was doing. With luck I would be back in the water in three weeks.

Per Wikipedia, "exostosis is the formation of new bone on the surface of a bone, because of excess calcium forming...It is most commonly found in places like the ribs, where small bone growths form, but sometimes larger growths can grow on places like the ankles, knees, shoulders, elbows and hips."

Again from Wikipedia, "Surfer's ear is the common name for an exostosis or abnormal bone growth within the ear canal. Surfer's ear is not the same as swimmer's ear, although infection can result as a side effect. Irritation from cold wind and water exposure causes the bone surrounding the ear canal to develop lumps of new bony growth, which constrict the ear canal. Where the ear canal is actually blocked by this condition, water and wax can become trapped and give rise to infection. The condition is so named due to its prevalence among cold water surfers...Most avid surfers have at least some mild bone growths (exostoses), causing little to no problems. The condition is progressive, making it important to take preventative measures early. The condition is not limited to surfing and can occur in any activity with cold, wet, windy conditions such as windsurfing, kayaking, sailing, jet skiing, kitesurfing and diving."

Other interesting facts from the California Ear Institute -

• Will exostosis improve if left untreated? No. The bone growth is irreversible once formed.

• In general one ear may be much worse than the other. If so, this may be due to the prevailing wind direct direction in the areas most visited by the patient.

• The widespread use of better wetsuits has allowed people to participate in water sports in much colder water, likely increasing the incidence and severity of exostosis.

• Cold-water surfers experience exostosis at a rate 600% higher than warm water surfers. The colder the water, the quicker exostoses grow.

Of course I knew none of these facts in the 30 years of surfing leading up to this operation. My hearing had been fading; a condition Kate often reminded me of. I had a family history of poor hearing; both my father and brother had worn hearing aids for years. So every six months I was going to the ear doctor to have my hearing tested and ears cleaned. And every time, the doctor reminded me that I had surfer's ear in both ears and that my left ear was really bad.

"Loren, your left ear canal is over 95% shut." Dr. Agbayani finally put it to me bluntly, "When it closes down, your hearing will be severely impaired, and if you get an ear inflection, I will not be able to help you." That did it, I signed up for the operation.

FYI...Dr. Agbayani is the only doctor in Marin that does this procedure. He has done over 100 of them, all for surfers. He did a good job, I highly recommend him.

He reminded me several times that removing the bony material does not cure the condition. It can grow back, and thus I have to protect my ears while in the water. I discovered that a couple of close friends have also had the surfer ear ream job. My close friend and long time surfer buddy Greg has had the operation twice, and he urged me to get it done. Our Bolinas clan surfer, Rob (Mr. Malibu) first had it done in the year 2000 and then again in 2013. Lesson learned; I'm using earplugs every time.

I had the complete ear overhaul this summer. While getting ready for the exostosis operation, Kim Zeller Hoppin of the Marin Hearing Center tested and fitted me for hearing aids. Kim also was alarmed at the bony build up in my left ear. With her nano camera mounted on a thin wire, she gave me an inside view of my ear canal, that's the before view on the left in the above photo taken last July and the post operation view on the right taken in October. So now I'm ready for any noisy restaurant due to my new hearing aids and the Roto-Rooter job on my left ear canal.

All you Marin surfers, take it from me, protect your ears and get them checked. 

September 11, 2014 Thursday

Bolinas	Groin
9:15 am to 11:15 am	2' to 3', sets to 4'
Low upcoming tide	No wind, none, nada!
Air temp: 73 degrees (heat wave)	Water temp: 63 degrees
Overcast to sunny and warm	Good session

I entered the water at 9:15 and by 9:30 I had caught three good waves. The first was a long right from the peak just north of the Groin pole to several yards south of the wall. The second was a fast left that jumped up and held all the way to shore break, and the third was another strong left that I took off late and rode on my knees until it cashed on the sand. Then I knew I was in for a good session.

The NOAA weather radio reported a 3 ft 14 second south swell. Per Stormsurf another significant south swell was on its way and should be here in the afternoon, but fortunately it arrived early this morning. Only a few cars were parked on Brighton Ave when I pulled up, not a good sign. Russ the stand-up guy was toweling off after his session. He claimed that he had scored on a few good ones outside of the meeting rock at the Patch, but the tide was coming up quickly, the rock was now covered and the waves were dying.

I walked down the ramp to check out the waves and no one was in the water, neither at the Groin nor the Patch. But a few rideable waves came through the Patch and some better-looking curls broke at the Groin. Since this was my last chance to surf before my surfer ear operation (scheduled for Monday, Sept 15), and conditions looked good (glassy surface and warm water) I had to go out. Besides it was a spare the air day for the Bay Area with warm air and no wind. Tuesday I had a fun session at the Patch riding the inside rights, but today the lefts at the Groin looked good and I decided to head out there. What a good decision. As noted above I quickly scored three good ones and continuously connected on wave after wave for two hours.

Two women surfers suited up just ahead of me and headed for the Groin. As I walked down the beach I saw them south of the wall exiting the water. They stepped over the wall to talk to me.

"Getting out so soon?" I asked.

"We wanted to warn you that we saw something in the water?"

"A shark?"

"We think so. Thus we thought we would sit out for twenty minutes to see for sure. We wanted to warn you."

"Thanks. I will keep an eye out for it," and I entered the water. I suspect they saw one of the several harbor seals that were near the shore this morning. I did keep scanning the surface, but never saw anything.

I was the only one out and I had not seen such glassy conditions in months – a spare the air day heat wave with absolutely no wind. For thirty minutes I had this beautiful glassy peak to myself.

Finally two others came out and one of them was an excellent surfer. My tactic was to sit outside to catch the waves early. This other guy sat way inside and caught them as they broke. One time I paddled hard for a set wave and missed it. This guy was inside of me and skillfully glided into the wave as it broke. I sat and watched him from behind. He cut right, climbed high in curl, shot through a section, cut back, swung right again, glided through another curl, cut back again and on and on he went. He had connected with the inside right curl that we call Malibo and ended up way inside the cove in six inches of water.

We were in a period of extreme tides – from a low of 0.3 ft at 6:30 to 6.3 ft at 1 pm. As the tide came up the waves changed. Slowly the lefts faded away and the rights moved in closer to shore. I kept trying for the lefts until they were non-existent. When I switched to the rights the crowd had filled in. Ten surfers were now brunched just south of the Groin pole going for the Malibo rights. After trying for a few and missing them, I kissed it off and paddled around the Groin pole and into shore. Another two-hour session and my arms still felt fine.

On my way home I purchased sunflowers for Kate, green beans and strawberries at the farm stand and a loaf of olive bread at the Parkside Cafe (the best bread in Marin). For the rest of the day I had that surfer glow from classic small waves and vigorous exercise. 

September 9, 2014 Tuesday

Bolinas	Patch
9:00 am to 10:30 am	2' to 3', occasional 4'
Mid upcoming tide	Slight NW cross breeze to no wind
Air temp: 55 to 60 degrees	Water temp: 63 degrees
Overcast to patchy sun	Fun session

I was sitting inside on the north edge of the Patch when one of the rare four-foot walls came through. I turned and stroked into it just as it was breaking right of me. I jumped up to my knees, cut left, shot through the first section, then stood up, stepped to the middle of the board and cruised through the second section. To my surprise the wave kept building to the left. I stalled a second while the curl jumped up again. I leaned into it and glided through the third section. The curl kept building and I kept going. I stayed in the curl until it was about to crash into the rocks at the base of the cliff. I pulled out over the top as it collapsed on shore within a few feet of the cliff. What a great ride.

This morning the weather radio announced 3 ft south swells at 14 seconds. "Good, the south swell that came in over the weekend was still in the water," I said to myself. "There should be waves."

When I arrived only a few cars were parked on Brighton Ave, not a good sign. Russ the stand-up guy was changing after his session. He reported there were a few good waves but the tide was coming up fast. Hank, who had just come back from checking out the waves, said there were a few rideable waves, it should get better and he was going out. I went up to Terrace Road to take my morning photos. No one was at the Patch and one surfer had just entered the water at the Channel. Later I learned that was Archie, that's him in the photo above.

The strong south swell and the upcoming 6.1 ft tide had created a beautiful left peak that continuously kept building until the waves crashed against the cliff. For thirty minutes, Hank and I had the Patch to ourselves. The surface was smooth as glass, the water was warm (63 degrees) and two to three foot nicely shaped waves were coming through. I watched Hank connect of a good one that he worked into the inside curl near shore. I scored on four to five good left curls, one after another until the high tide pushed the water up against the cliff and killed them.

After the lefts had died, I moved inside and south to go for the rights, the only waves that were breaking at that point, and slowly the incoming tide killed them also. I had to exit the water by 10:30 to meet with a fence contractor at noon about an estimate on fencing in our yard – now that we have a dog. I figured I would work my way in by moving inside and trying for the rights. It didn't happen. Within a few minutes the rights disappeared, but I sat there and sat there hoping for one more set. My efforts soon turned to exercise; I paddled from the south side of the Patch to the start of the seawall at the base of the ramp to exit at the Playpen, the patch of sand north of the wall. At lease I managed to give my arms a good workout.

As I walked back to the ramp I looked back at the Patch, by now all the waves had died, and there was still another hour to go before high tide. Hank and I had caught the wave window, and at 10:30 it slammed shut hard.

Archie was at his car when I returned. At first I didn't recognize him. He called by name and repeated his. Then I knew who he was. Though he lives in Mill Valley he prefers Linda Mar and had been going there these past few months. He claimed that with winter coming on he would only come to Bolinas and that I would be seeing a lot more of him. We chatted about the Kahuna Kapuna Surf Contest held at Linda Mar every summer. He mentioned that he would be in the 70-year old group, the same as Jack and I. Next summer, all three of us will be in the same group and the competition will be fierce because Archie is a good surfer.

I made a quick stop at the Gospel Flat Farm Stand at the outskirts of Bolinas for strawberries, carrots and broccoli. Of course it was another beautiful morning in Marin. 

September 2, 2014 Tuesday

Bolinas	Patch
10:00 am to 12 noon	2' to 3', sets to 4'
Low dropping tide (2.8 ft at 11:20)	NW cross breeze to no wind
Air temp: 65 degrees	Water temp: 63 degrees
Overcast and drizzle	Fun session

From the NOAA weather radio Monday night at 10 pm: "For Tuesday, 3 ft south swell at 17 seconds." That was all I needed to hear to know that there would be waves at Bolinas tomorrow. The huge swells from Hurricane Marie had passed, but a small Tahitian gale had generated a new south swell that arrived on Sunday (8/31), peaked on Monday and was fading today.

No one was out at the Channel when I arrived due to the river coming out of the lagoon. But the waves at the Patch looked fun: 2 to 3-foot lines with occasional 4-footers peeling right across the impact zone, smooth surface and only seven surfers out there. I had to go out, besides in two weeks I was having my surfer's ear problem operated on and will be out of the water for at least two weeks, thus I was going out no matter what.

I walked up to Terrace Road to take photos of the crew at the Patch. The waves looked small, slow and infrequent. Hank and his wife Gail were out there as was DB the Safeway checker, Francine and Hans. The sets were definitely rideable and the rides were long. That's Hans in the photo above at the end of a long one that ended in a well-formed shore break curl.

To my surprise the waves were better than they looked. I paddled out to the furthest peak on the north side of the Patch reef hoping to connect on some lefts. A four-foot set wave came through that two others went for it and went right while I turn into a nice forming left line. I stayed high in the curl and sailed on and on until the wave closed out near shore. That was the first of several long, left and right clean small curl rides. After an hour, conditions improved: the wind stopped, the surface glassed-off, the waves increased in size and become more consisted.

The clean waves kept coming and I kept going for them – catch a wave, paddle back out, wait a couple minutes and stroke into another one. I lasted for two hours. This was the first time I was out two hours in a long, long time. I finally had to give it up and go in, but my arms felt fine. Here we were on a Tuesday after Labor Day and the crowd count was low. I looked back and only seven surfers were spread across the Patch reef, the same number that was out when I entered the water.

It was just another great day in Marin.