May 18, 2011 Wednesday

Bolinas	Groin
10:10 am to 10:45 am	2' to 3', sets to 4'
Low upcoming tide	Stiff NW breeze
Sunny with high clouds	Fun session

I didn’t have much time. Marty couldn’t make it this morning, thus I had to drive the water samples for Surfrider’s water testing program to the Branson School by twelve noon. That meant I had to be out of the water and on the road by eleven, and since it was already ten in the morning, I had thirty minutes to catch some waves.

I had high expectations for surf. Per Stormsurf.com the first major south swell of the season was going to arrive today, peak tomorrow at 4.5 ft at 17 seconds and last through the weekend. Internet data reported a 4 ft west wind swell at 8 seconds combined with a 3 ft south swell at 20 seconds. The rain of the past two days was gone and bright sunshine had returned. Judging by the cars the regulars were out in the water when I arrived. I grabbed my camera, attached the big 400 mm telephoto lens that Jacek had loaned to me and headed for the Groin. The south swell had arrived; well-formed three-foot peaks were peeling at a peak between the Channel and the Groin. Jacek, David who rides the Becker board and Novato Pete were out there. That’s David in the above photo on a small wall. I quickly took five photos, hustled back to the car to suit up and headed back to the Groin to join the others.

I paddled out to the line-up and saw some nice looking peaks coming through. Time was short; it was now ten-fifteen, thus I set a goal for myself, three waves by ten-thirty. Three waves in fifteen minutes, that’s the length heats in the Kahuna Kupuna surf contest. So this would be a workout for next August’s contest. I tried for two waves and missed them both. I caught the next one and it turned out to be a clean curl ride. I paddled back out and checked my watch, ten twenty-two, thus eight minutes to catch two more waves. A set came through; I stroked into the first wave and dropped down a second clean fast curl that went on and on. Six minutes left. Luck was with me. Paddling out another small well-formed peak appeared in front of me. I turned and went for it. I caught it as the wave was breaking, jump up to my knees, cruised through the first section, got up on my feet and flew down a second section. Time check: ten twenty-five, five minutes left. Mission accomplished, I had caught three waves in ten minutes and all three were decent rides.

In the short time that I was out there, the others connected on some good waves. Standing in waist deep water I watched Jacek sail down a set wave in few feet in front of me. With the top of the wave above his head, Jacek stood erect mid-board three-quarters down the face of a large wall, calmly cruised along and waved as he passed by me. It was a picture for a magazine. Next time I was paddling back out to the line-up, I saw Pete drop down the face of a four-foot wall with his back to the wave, crouched down on one knee on the back half of the board, holding the outside rail, screaming along just ahead of a fast breaking left curl.

My time was up, and I headed in and quickly changed, jumped into the car and managed to deliver the water samples on time to Jamie at Branson on time. I even had time to have lunch in the school cafeteria with my wife Kate. All in all it was a great morning.